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539 Best Short Story Ideas for Authors in 2026
Showing 539 short story ideas curated by Reedsy.
You know how when you see a bear, you should stay calm and make loud noises? For this… creature… you have to do the opposite. You have to run.
You are in a bar when an elderly woman takes the stool next to you and says to the bartender, "Hey, Francine, make it a double. It happened again." You can't resist and ask her, "What happened again?"
Re-tell Jane Eyre as a short story... but set it in the far future.
It's dodgeball day in P.E., and in a desperate attempt not to be picked last again for the teams, you...
Set your story at a busy airport during Christmas week.
The last person on earth celebrates their own birthday.
You were mowing your lawn when someone walked by your yard and burst into tears.
You just made a new friend who lives in France… but wait. You don't know French.
While looking through old photos you discover something that unequivocally settles an argument that ended a childhood friendship decades ago.
While spring cleaning, you come across something you had forgotten all about.
Every day, you visit the same moment from your past.
You are a secret agent. Your mission? To steal the cookie jar back from your older sister.
A group of students hold a high-stakes competition to see who can carve the best jack-o-lantern. The class clown is appointed the judge.
A logical person starts acting irrationally.
An advertising firm lands a huge contract to make Easter the yearÍs most popular holiday.
Pick a color and write a story based on the feelings that that color evokes for you.
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