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539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026
Showing 539 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.
It's Groundhog Day... and the day that keeps looping for you is the day of the most disastrous prom in the history of proms.
A drama club is horrified upon reading a review of their performance in their high school newspaper.
A pessimist becomes an optimist.
You catch a falling star and put it in your pocket.
You have wondered how to bring down Jane Lotsacash for years. Now, the key to her demise rests on your desk...
It's the year 2099, and everyone has a smartwatch that can tell them what age they die.
Write a story that ends by jumping forward several years.
You wish upon what looks like a star but is actually a satellite. Your wish has been recorded, catalogued, and an agent is now assigned the task of granting your wish.
You were waiting at a crosswalk when someone you didn't recognize started waving from across the street.
You are home alone watching TV. A character dials a number on their phone. Your phone rings.
Write a story where your character faces a deep fear.
Write about a wish that you once made.
In a series of letters to Santa, write a story about growing up.
Write a story that's a retelling of your favorite book, from the perspective of a minor character.
You're haunted by a ghost. That's not the problem. The problem is that this ghost is really, really, really chatty.
You discover a strange map that's been stuffed into your locker.
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