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539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026
Showing 539 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.
The one place where the sun rises in the west and sets in the east.
Write about the most epic Easter egg hunt ever.
One day, the world wakes up to find the Easter Island heads facing the opposite direction.
Write a story in which it becomes night forever. The sun has gone.
The voice in your head is your only friend. The AI implant is your only ally. And she's just started to become sentient...
Spin a scary story that could be told around a bonfire at night.
You were staring out the bus window idly when someone sat down and said, "What a DAY!"
It's show and tell day! Write a story about what you most want to bring to show to your class.
While spring cleaning, you come across something you had forgotten all about.
A character who loves reading finds out that their library has just been forbidden from carrying banned books.
Write about a time when you tried something unfamiliar.
Write about a time you broke a promise. What did it feel like? Why did you break it?
"I love you," you said. Before you could hear a response, your phone died.
You got on the wrong bus and ended up in a remote town where things seemed a little odd.
Write a story about a character whose reflection no longer appears in the mirror. (It's up to you whether or not they're also a vampire.)
It's the first day of school, and you're finding it hard to make friends when someone unexpected steps up.
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