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539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026
Showing 539 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.
Pick one of your Instagram photos. Write about the story behind it.
You catch a falling star and put it in your pocket.
"He's been dead for ten years," said the little old lady, looking at you with concern.
Write a short story in the form of a text message exchange between two best friends during history class.
Write about a time that you taught something to somebody.
Write a story about a good witch and a bad witch who try to outdo each other on Halloween.
You participated in your office's Secret Santa, but no one will admit to buying your gift. Write a story about the search for the mysterious gifter.
A group of high school students go on an educational field trip to a graveyard to learn about the history of the area. But when a storm starts up and they get trapped, they have to figure out how to survive the night.
You're going through family photos when you start to notice the same person candidly in the background of every single location.
A person dictates who he or she will date based on quantitative measures, such as horoscopes, how they perform on a test, etc.
You're sitting in a coffee shop watching someone type on their computer. They type the words, "It begins raining outside", and it instantly starts raining.
It's your first day in a new city where you don't speak the language.
You wake up unable to say a word, but can all of a sudden write the most amazing music.
A story that takes place in the Wild West, but the world is frigid, covered with snow and ice instead of sand.
The world's wealthiest person has recently been put in prison for life. They offer half their fortune to any person, organization, or country that will free them.
A drama club is horrified upon reading a review of their performance in their high school newspaper.
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