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539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026
Showing 539 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.
It's dodgeball day in P.E., and in a desperate attempt not to be picked last again for the teams, you...
Write a story about a rival studio that is desperately trying to create a song to outsell Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You."
You woke up and all seemed normal. Little did you know that before you'd even had a chance to get out of bed, you would become the subject of a prank.
You are an expert spy for the British government, trained to perfection. Your only weakness is that your background music alerts enemies to your presence.
You wake up trapped in a strange castle with no memory of how you got there and there's something lurking in the shadows as you explore the halls.
It's your first day in a new city where you don't speak the language.
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.
The theme for this year's prom is "Great Gatsby," and you're the head of the prom committee that's in charge of putting it together.
Set your story at a graveyard overnight.
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.
Write a story where your character is at odds with a family tradition.
A young boy working up the courage to ask his long-time crush to dance with him at the school dance.
You open a door, but before you can go through, someone sneaks in front of you without saying "thank you." You've had an awful day and this is the last straw.
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.)
A magician, a troll, and a college student walk into a bar.
Write a story about something that seems ordinary to your protagonist but would be perceived as extraordinary by someone else.
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