Short story ideas for the struggling writer and those who need just a little inspiration. We have dozens of topics, so make sure you scroll through or go to the next page. Enter our Short Story Contest and be a part of our Newsletters and Anthologies.
Valentine’s Day is a romantic day for most. Fred, however, has tried to be romantic. He has set blind dates. He has written poems, bought flowers, and arranged numerous carriage rides…all for other people. Fred always seemed to be there to help most of his friends connect with their romantic counterpart. He has decided to ignore the topic all together for himself. That is until his close friend, Sadie, comes to him for help. She asks Fred to arrange a carriage ride where her date does not show up. She asks for dinner to be arranged using some of Fred’s contact and friends in the restaurant business. However, her date doesn’t show up again. Then, Valentine’s Day arrives…
Decide if Sadie had a bad series of romantic opportunities or has other intentions. Decide how Fred feels about these instances. Decide if Fred understands the situation or simply goes with the flow as usual. Decide if relationships develop due to much effort or through random circumstance. Decide on the story and write. Post it here, or share elsewhere, but write and enjoy…
What if the groundhog was actually the controller of the weather instead of just the predictor of a shortened Winter? What if the groundhog had an extensive series of tunnels that were used to influence the direction of the clouds, the strength of the wind, the flow of the rain upon a dryer earth? What if…what if…
Decide if this story is meant for an adult or child to read. Decide if the groundhog is an ancient creature. Or, is it a very family-oriented culture that has used technology to create the patterns of weather for centuries? Decide if the groundhogs evolved quicker or came from another world to help and influence the progression of our little planet. Decide on the story and write. Post it here, or share elsewhere, but write and enjoy…
It was New Year’s Eve. Ted thought that things could not be worse than last year. In fact, he was not taking any chances. He decided to stay home, watch the celebrations on tv, and go straight to bed shortly after midnight. The doors were locked. The windows sealed shut as the cold tried to reach inside and chill everything within its grasp. Ted did not want to face the same path he did last year. He did not want to see the faces on any of the party-goers this time as he did last year. It was a mess.
Why was Ted so concerned? What happened last year that caused Ted to keep things simple? Was it a girl? Or, did something erupt within him bringing about a Ted than anyone had ever seen? Why was the cold so cold?
Decide on the path. Decide on the past. Decide on the other characters who may call, stop by, or make their way back into the memory of Ted. Decide on the history. Decide on the future. Decide if Ted makes it to bed on time. Decide on the story and write. Post it here, or share elsewhere, but write and enjoy…
Ghosts are just a part of our imagination and storylines. Ghosts are visions, merely illusions that interact with the residents of this realm only to be shunned and frightened. There is a small family of spirits that somehow bonded, connected together, and decided to live together in an old television. They continually put on shows that they’ve seen either before or after they entered this unique new world. The television was located safely inside a museum, so the family was able to remain and put on the shows each evening.
Decide on the location. Decide on the make up of the family. Is the story just about the ghosts and the tv? Is the story light-hearted? Or, is the story a bit more intense? Decide on the interactions the spirits may have with the living if any. Decide on the personalities of each ghost. Do other relatives come to visit? Or, is it just this small group who became a closer unit? Decide on the path. Decide on the story, and write.
Picking the right flower can make or break a relationship. Do you go with the red ones? The pink ones? The white ones? The roses? The tulips? The brightly-colored, always in bloom ones? Wait, those might be plastic. They might be, but as you pass the store, you are drawn in by the beauty, fragrance, and allure of the rather unique petal filled vase. Something about these flowers says look at me, smell me, buy me.
What happens after you go into the store? What happens if you bring the flowers home to your significant other? What happens as you share in the moment together? Decide on the interaction between people and the flower. Decide on the interaction between the people and each other after interacting with the budding entity. Decide on the happenstance that erupts in the life of the first person to see the flower. Decide on the path. Decide on the story, and write. Post it here, or share elsewhere, but write and enjoy…
Pets are wonderful for teaching children responsibility. What better way to teach a boy the responsibility of a pet than with a turtle. That is what the eight-year old boy thought. That is until he met the turtle. The creature disappears inside its shell every time the boy gets near. The boy’s sister sits and stares as the reptile for what seems like hours as it appears to dance, bob its head in and out to the rhythm of music, and go for a swim at random moments. When the boy passes, the turtle freezes and collapses inside its shell.
Describe the boy’s feelings. Describe the steps the boy would take to literally pull the creature out of its shell. Describe how the sister acts. Describe the turtle. What makes it special? Why does it stay in its shell? Is it just an ordinary turtle? Or, is there something a little more exciting, more imaginative? Decide on the path. Decide on the story, and write. Post it here, or share elsewhere, but write and enjoy…
The tall creature lingered into view. The young couple sat on their hotel balcony and watched the long tongue wrapped itself around a nearby tree, slowly stripping off the green leaving only the remnants of a darker, brownish color coated in saliva. The man and woman embrace and watch this simple act of nature. They came here to get away…away from the city life, away from the chaos, away from the “technological advances.” They came here to hide. They came here to be together.
Who is this couple? Where do they live? From what were they trying to get away? Did they succeed in leaving things behind? Or, did they just postpone the impact? Is this the beginning or ending picture of their time away?
Consider piecing the story together in a series of flashbacks. Consider imparting tidbits to the readers in the form of smaller stories. Choose the future or the past as a setting and show the impact of their decisions and lives. Decide on the story, and write. Post it here, or share elsewhere, but write and enjoy…
Soft harmonious notes simply soothe the soul. They provide opportunities to rest and opportunities to romance. During a concert, anything can happen. Looking into the eyes of your soulmate and becoming lost is still within the realm of possibilities. This is true for Bill. As he listens to the simple melodies and becomes engulfed within the placidity, Bill’s gaze wonders to the oboe player as she fills the auditorium with these gracious notes.
Does Bill meet the oboe player? Who is this musician? What music is playing? Does the music strengthen their relationship if there becomes one? Or, does Bill just admire her from afar? Who is Bill? Did he venture to the concert alone? Or, was he there with friends? Decide on the path he has and will take. Decide on the story, and write. Post it here, or share elsewhere, but write and enjoy…
If you have trouble getting started, read Alone With Someone, a Story Institute Original…
Barley didn’t want to track down the missing emerald. Barley didn’t want to blend into another culture he barely understood. Barley didn’t want to venture into the swamp. Barley just wanted to be Barley…then again, who else would?
This is a simple story about an agent who tracks down missing treasures. The prizes are not stolen. They are just missing. Missing from what is up to you to decide. The emerald is in a community based around some swamp land. While it does not seem like people know it is there, someone may. Barley, if that is his real name, needs to find it.
Think about the environment. Search for the meaning to the lost gem. Think about the people. Do any know of the emerald? If so, what have they done with it. What will they think if they do find out about the gem? Think about the agent. For whom does he work? Will he ever just be himself? Decide on the story, and write. Post it here, or share elsewhere, but write and enjoy…
What is the difference between sprites and fairies? How about fairies and pixies? At some point, they were the same. At some point, they became different. At some point, they just moved away from one location to many. Until one day when another creature finds a document with hints of where each group moved.
What is this document that is found? Who is this other creature? What is the difference? Is there a difference? Will each group be found? Is there a map that goes along with the document? Why did they separate in the first place? Is this a series of short stories?
Decide on the path the character follows. Decide on the mysteries revealed. Decide on the reason for looking for the answers. Decide on the behaviors that separate each group. Decide on the setting. Is it a forest? A swamp? A dessert? All of them? Think about parallels between these groups and ones you know. Decide on the story, and write. Post it here, or share elsewhere, but write and enjoy…
Children have adventures when the rest of us are simply living our lives. Siblings have even more special adventures in between fights and scream fests. This story begins with a mother listening into the stories of two sisters playing in their bedroom. “Lets fly a kite and get stuck in the air,” says the littlest one. And, the adventure begins…
Where does it go? Where do the sisters sail on their kite adventure? Are there more to follow? What objects do they see as they rise above the landscape, one sister clinging to the tail, the other soaring on the base? What does the mother think and feel as she watches her children achieving more than just a play time moment?
Reach back into your childhood. Remember the adventures you needed to have before technology took over your daily routines. Reflect on your own children and the journeys they take daily in their minds. Decide on the story, and write. Post it here, or share elsewhere, but write and enjoy…
The book has sat on the shelf since you were three. OK, maybe four…However, the book has always been there. You remember when you were ten, opening the cover once…once…And, your father stood over you and asked where the book belonged. You quickly put it back. You managed to see a few words inside the cover. Those words have stuck with you to this day. Now, as you sort through your father’s belongings shortly after his recent passing, you remember them…
What were those words? Who is this character? What was the book? Why did the father leave it on the shelf for so long? Were there other books on the shelf? Was the character able to read the other books? Were there other times the character got close to finding out what was inside?
Think about the special times in your own life and reflect on the stories they can tell. Connect with your parents and remember the stories they shared. What plotlines did they leave out? Did you find out about any later in life? Realize the impact of the storyline as you write and expand on the ideas and the meaning of the book itself. Decide on the story, and write. Post it here, or share elsewhere, but write and enjoy…
Small, feathered creatures make their way into a new pond. In order to feel welcome, they bring a few gifts for their new neighbors. Each treasure is specially selected for each new friend. The ducks listen to each story and find out who represents each prize.
Choose the gifts. Choose the new friends. Choose the location or view of the new lake. Connect each topic to a part that is important to your overall meaning and storyline. Connect each new friend to the location itself and its history.
In case, you didn’t see it in the brief context, this story should be geared toward children. So, keep the words simple. Keep the story focused. Remember to include a moral, a value, and a message with your story. Children learn much through stories and rely on them to help create memories for their long awaited future. Decide on the story, and write. Post it here, or share elsewhere, but write and enjoy…
These days, carrying a watch is a pain on the wrist. With cell phones, PDAs, and computers all around us, the need for another form of the constricting value of time becomes less desirable. What happens if the digital clocks just stopped displaying. They still worked. However, only other computerized devices could read the time. You will need to search for a reason and a way to tell time more effectively than having the computer tell you. So, you track down that old pocket watch, give it a few twists, and you realize that you can see more than just the time. You can see…
Decide what it is that the character can see. Tell the story in the first person. Imagine yourself or someone close to you trapped in this environment. Decide on the path your character travels to find solutions. What caused the clocks to stop in the first place? What can be done? Decide on the origin of the wind-up watch. Decide on the story, and write. Post it here, or share elsewhere, but write and enjoy…
The day was not cloudy and the night was as dark as usual. Nothing out of the ordinary was happening. Of course, that is how it usually works out, isn’t it…the truck of new bamboo arrived at the zoo…yes, bamboo, and yes, the zoo. The exhibits needed some new foliage and the pandas needed some additional food. As the keepers open the truck and begin to inspect the cargo, they hear rustling toward the back of the truck. Slowly the make their way toward the sounds. As the reach they back, flashlight shining the way, a small furry creature creeps out from behind the tall stalks. He is black and white looking bear, who is wearing an illuminated, green collar and seems to be smiling at the crew.
Where did he come from? What is that the collar for? Why is he in this truck? Is he a bear? A panda? Did he really just smile at them? Choose the main member of the crew. Choose the path each have followed prior to this moment. Choose whether to share the back stories or reveal them slowly as the story progresses. Decide on the path. Decide on the why. Decide on the story, and write. Post it here, or share elsewhere, but write and enjoy…
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