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539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026
Showing 539 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.
A pair of twins swap places for a day. What do they find out about each other?
In a quiet little coffee shop in a quiet little town, famous people from history stop by every so often for a drink.
You were put in charge of getting your great-grandmother a gift this year by your family — but she's old enough that she's already seen, heard, and experienced everything under the sun. What do you get her?
Write a story from the perspective of your middle school self.
Someone who has lived a thousand years takes up a job teaching high school history.
If a fire broke out in your home, what are the first three things that you would grab? Why?
A couple gets in a fight after one finds out that the other has secretly wasted $50,000 on lottery tickets over the past 15 years.
Your friend is visiting your home for the first time. You go to the kitchen to grab coffee and when you return, your friend tells you they just met your sister. You're an only child and you live alone.
You are in charge of organizing a lunch for four famous historical figures. Who do you invite? Why?
Write about a family with secrets that get stuck in a corn maze overnight. One by one, all of the secrets come out in the course of the night.
Write a story about a good witch and a bad witch who try to outdo each other on Halloween.
You are a Nobel Prize Winner, on your way to the awards ceremony. Suddenly, you are transported back in time.
A character doesn't know how to ask their parent to stop calling them 2+ times a day.
Write a story about the passage of time based only upon a series of birthday wishes.
What is the memory that you remember the most? Why?
Write a story where your character faces a deep fear.
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