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539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026
Showing 539 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.
Pick a genre and then write about a long walk home after school.
Write a children's book that's set entirely in space.
You're kneeling in the dirt, working on your garden when your attention is drawn up by a person saying, "Excuse me, I don't mean to interrupt, but..."
Set your story at the playground!
Write a story about Christmas from the perspective of someone who hates Christmas.
It's Wednesday evening and you're off to the weekly meeting of your writer's block support group.
A character must confront their fear of commitment if they want to save their failing relationship.
You open a fortune cookie at a Chinese restaurant. Inside is a handwritten note.
You've done the unthinkable in the 21st century: found undiscovered land.
Describe your weekend using only dialogue to write the story.
You have wondered how to bring down Jane Lotsacash for years. Now, the key to her demise rests on your desk...
Adapt your favorite fairy tale to take place in your home town.
Write a story about a character who is under intense pressure to succeed at something.
Write a dual perspective story, with each alternating perspective based on one of these two words: "bitter" and "sweet."
Write about a white Christmas in California.
You're on an island in the middle of the ocean. One day you find a bottle washed up on the shore with a piece of paper in it.
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