When it comes to generating new story ideas, you can take more than one approach. You take your teenage son to his orientation for a new job, and when you come back to pick him up an hour later, you find out no one has seen him — though you saw him walk in the door before you drove off. One day, on the way home from work, your new car takes over and drives you to a remote area, stopping beside other cars in a clearing underneath a new moon. 10. Short stories are also a great resource for English learners because they allow you to work on reading, speaking and listening at the same time. These short stories give you the opportunity to understand big ideas in context. Then set a timer for 60 seconds. 8. Best Fantasy Short Story Ideas of 2021 • Get Inspired Now ✍️ Fantasy Short Story Prompts A legendary dragon is on its way to capture a princess. But to write a great story, a life-changing story, don’t just write about what your characters did, said, and saw. Your readers will love you for it! But you are born without one. Then you’ll love these. He’s the owner of a jewelry store. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. All is going well until someone on the team discovers something buried in the lot for the third house. What writer doesn’t want that kind of reaction, right? Want to know more? quotes, books, ideas. How do you create an outline, come up with a great plot, and then actually finish it? At the same time, your character is discovering a latent ability that relates to those fears but might also help him overcome them. Your neighbors have been up to some strange shenanigans lately, and their lights are on well into the wee hours of the morning. A historical character who travels to the present day and causes chaos when they steal back something that originally belonged to them. Who knows how you might juice up your story idea without even trying? And don’t be afraid to mix it up — literally. Your fingers don’t respond to you the way they used to, and you’ve been having other difficulties. The story idea itself — in its simplest form — doesn’t have to be original, and in fact, it shouldn’t be. 33. Below are 301 short story prompts and starters to help you become inspired, get past writer's block and explore the fascinating process of writing in a genre that Stephen King famously once compared to a kiss in the … Not only does he now have no one with whom to share his victory, but what he learns calls that very victory into question. The Secret to Endless Ideas . You buy a new poster that looks exactly like the TARDIS door, and you put it up on your bedroom wall. It does more than that. He doesn’t get caught, but he doesn’t get away with it, either. She goes into a fugue state with the experimental drug she tries, and she wakes up to the consequences. He breaks off a relationship with a woman his parents adored, he quits the lucrative job that he hates, and he leaves the country. To be a writer, said Stephen King, “The only … And since short stories are short, you have less time to wait for your readers’ reactions — but you also have less time to grab their attention. Your teenage son gets a job and, on his first day, he encounters a rude customer. 42. Any one of the popular themes listed above could you give your main character a shattering moment that would change that character’s life or perspective. Our first batch of story ideas are for any kind of story, whether a spy thriller or a memoir of your personal life. Whatever it is, the purpose here is to take that prompt and use it to generate a written response in one form or another. 13. 3. Your character meets a soulmate at a community grief counseling group meeting and learns that this soulmate also attends AA meetings (like your mc) — though with a different group and with a friend who doesn’t particularly like your main character. You see something you want to investigate. You get a call from the principal’s office that your daughter has been involved in a bullying incident. Your young daughter notices that one of your trees is “sick,” and she goes to visit the tree, talks to it, leans against it, and tells it to please get better. The first half of these short story ideas are general categories — Humor, Family, Power, Plot Twist — while the second half offers story ideas in specific genres — Fantasy, Horror, Dystopian, Crime, Sci-Fi, Romance. Your eight-year-old son gets up and immediately goes for his Kindle Fire to play Minecraft. 26. You almost never remember your dreams but often wake up covered in sweat with your heart pounding. You’d like to know why, but every neighbor you’ve talked to who have gone over there to ask about it has, later on, told you that nothing suspicious is going on and that those neighbors are “very spiritual, and so, so nice!”, 12. You inherit a lighthouse from your deceased uncle — along with the small living quarters attached to it. Story writing ideas are generally more fully developed than writing prompts. Robert Frost, Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. Hi, if you are struggling coming with a story idea for a film than I have some concepts that might help. Overall, you want to make sure that the short film story ideas you come up with are short, simple and loaded with conflict. The rest of the story explores your character’s reaction to this discovery and how it affects his/her relationships and decision-making. He’s actually stunningly wealthy, treated with respect by everyone he meets, and desired by more than one woman. 63. But much has changed in your absence — and so have you. When you’re staring at a blank page or just need something to brighten up your current story or piece of flash fiction, just add in any of these fun and wacky plot twist ideas: An evil warlock who sets out to destroy the world, but ends up saving it. Write a story about a new strain of flower and how its scent is intoxicating to humans, but also deadly. A group of children discover a dead body. The tonic changes him in a way he can’t ignore or undo. One night, as you’re coming back from the bathroom, you see a bright light and follow it to see that your front window is wide open and bugs are swarming in and out. He comes to you a few minutes later and says, “This app is telling me to do things I’m not supposed to do.”. Check out my new book The Write Structure which helps writers make their plot better and write books readers love. 66. Brave and clever, Tomoe follows clues until she learns who ordered the murder: Emperor Antoku himself. Choose one of these ideas and write a short story in one sitting (aim for 1,000 words or less!). There are so many great short stories that I was unable to trim the list to 100 titles; so here are 160 Great Short Stories for you to enjoy. 23. Take a look at the following creative story ideas, many of which combine two or more of the popular themes listed, and feel free to modify any of them to create your next unputdownable short story. But your boss is conspicuously absent. And yet, there they were. these fantasy story ideas. 21. Your neighbor invites you over to her house, and you see that every wall has a cross painted on it with crude, hurried strokes. And you wonder why it never leaves. A fairy prince who decides to abandon his responsibilities to become a street musician. Halfway through, you notice the whole cafe seems to be floating, and since you can’t put the rest into a to-go cup (alas), you pay your tab and head out. After losing his job, he goes on a journey to change the direction of his life, but that journey is interrupted by the death of one of his parents — the one who hurt him the most. 32. Identical twins, a party invitation, and a locked closet. See more ideas about writing inspiration, writing prompts, writing promts. Plot twist: the princess kidnaps it, and temporarily locks it away in her tower to teach it a lesson. Your kid has an IEP, and the Special Ed staff at the school always sound so caring and professional at the meetings you attend with them. New prompts are added each week, and you can search by genre. 8. Then a man appears and asks, “Have you seen my cat?”. You try a new recipe for a potluck, hoping it will wow your boss and coworkers, but it turns out terrible, and you end up rushing to a restaurant for something to bring before arriving (late) to find out everyone has already eaten the entree you were most looking forward to trying. You’re waiting at the bus station when he tells you he knows you’re meant to replace his recently deceased wife. She warns you not to spend the money, because she will prove you won unfairly. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Shawshank Redemption," "Minority Report," and "Brokeback Mountain"—even Hollywood has taken a renewed interest in short stories. We’ve create 69 short story writing prompts that flesh out an idea more thoroughly, giving you a good headstart for your story. ️ 200+ Short Story Ideas (and How to Come Up With Your Own) Are you ready to write but don’t know what to write about? Your friend, however, has a very different account of what he saw on the other side. 53. Crafting a funny short story can improve your writing skills, and it can also help you push through writer’s block.The next time you pick up your pen or sit down at the computer, try following one of these funny short story writing prompts and give comedy writing a shot. That’s the germ of an idea that can become your story. Your email address will not be published. Your character is widely regarded as a monster and doesn’t deny or hide from that designation. You help her, and she invites you in, telling you she has a son who shares your interest in all things Tolkien. Then he catches his full-length reflection in a window. Your character is content with her life but suddenly inherits a large sum of money and a palatial estate on the east coast. Your character has just lost a child by miscarriage, and when she comes home, her married life has changed. Reply. Here are our 100 best short story ideas to kickstart your writing. 1. You’ve found some educational apps you want him to try, so you’ve installed them on his Kindle. After hearing him complain about his life and their house for one too many times, she goes to look at this apartment and finds it has almost everything she wants. Your character’s loved one has died, and he learns while going through that loved one’s belongings that the latter had a terrible secret that unnervingly correlates to your character’s deepest fear. You might try these three: Think of your school days when your English teacher assigned an essay or invited you to write a paragraph in answer to a question. When you lose your job and cancel the service, the wine keeps coming. Your character is so desperate for money that he does something he never would have done otherwise. Tell the story of a scar, whether a physical scar or emotional one. 55. 28. Maybe that reaction is an argument, or maybe it’s an impassioned defense of an idea. And you’ve made everything worse!”. The 10 Best Short […] Your character has recently broken free from a cult that had drawn him in when he was vulnerable from a family tragedy. Your character breaks free of a painful relationship and embarks on a journey to discover what she’s capable of. Your famous stew recipe has won an award. 14. You’re out in your backyard and stumble over something, which turns out to be a small brick half-buried in the grass. 38. Ready to turn your idea into a finish story? I can’t promise story ideas that rival those classics, but you CAN unearth story ideas buried in your head. You call the agent and book a flight. What did the Roman Candle say about romance? Leave a Reply Cancel reply. Keep this article handy, so you can return to it when you’re looking for a new short story idea. Since this short story is a bit longer, it is a great idea to have a few discussion breaks after a bit of reading or listening. 54. While you’re brewing the latest refill, muttering to yourself about how little you’re getting done that day, one of your co-workers starts choking and accuses you of trying to poison her. Tips for Using Your Romance Story Ideas. You don’t have to follow any of them verbatim; take one and change the details however you like to make the idea your own. 22. 23. Nothing wrong with that. Your home-brewed ale is the talk of the neighborhood, but your next-door neighbor frequently buys up your newest batch. You were raised in the deep South where manners and feigned politeness were a thin veneer covering your family’s questionable history and lingering dysfunction. In fact, it’s crazy just how powerful a 200 word story can be. Write a story about… A character with an addiction who discovers that they’re someone else’s addiction. A protagonist is in some way misfortune, usually financially. 17. Take one idea, mix it up with another, and play with it for a while. Short Story Idea Generator. When the cops show up later to ask why everyone is violently ill except you, you tell them everything you know. His behavior toward her changes and she makes a change of her own. But why would the emperor of Japan want to kill a lowly soldier?”. You’re a carpenter who has joined a construction team to build a new development of 3,000+ square foot houses. You see initials etched into the brick, along with a crudely-shaped heart. Someone was bullying her, and she punched him. 33. 44. You take your kids trick-or-treating, and you go to your boss’s neighborhood (your boss suggested it). 18. And the new titles have a sinister edge to them. Okay, I lied. When he decides to renounce the church’s leadership and join an extreme traditionalist group, she backs away from him — after explaining to him why she won’t do the same. And you’re right to have it. Your character meets his/her soulmate on a flight that almost doesn’t make it to its destination; both of them respond to emergencies on the plane (one as a cop and the other as a doctor). It is the first time you realize that your father is cheating or your mother (or vice versa). 40. Because of this, either one might lead you to a story idea that you can hardly wait to explore. “All you have to do is remove and empty the dust tray at the base every evening, reinsert it for the next day’s flushes, and voila!”. Your young adult character finds himself suddenly orphaned when his parents die in a plane crash. What does the Catherine Wheel think about Romance? The child smiled, opened his hands, and summoned the darkness. Consumed by guilt, he undergoes a penance of his choosing, which spirals out of control. But the owner, who openly admires your bicycle, offers you a room at the B&B, so you’ll be more accessible. Are You Ready To Test Your Proofreading Skills? Someone else kindly lets you in, and you recognize him as the bartender from that cafe. You don’t have much time, so just keep writing. We’d love to hear it. 59. So, whether it’s NaNoWriMo, Twitter’s #VSS (Very Short Story) challenge, or writing sprints, the more time you invest in these exercises, and the more you open yourself up to constructive criticism, the more quickly your writing will improve. 5. Last time, I shared 20 fantasy story ideas to get your brain moving. Why not even invite them to share their new short stories with you after they’ve written them? You need a new toilet, and someone shows up at the door (as though sent by heaven) to sell you a toilet that will flush down ANYTHING. But the way you embody and develop that idea should surprise your readers and evoke an emotional response in them. A superhero who catches the bad guy, but actually helps the “real” bad guy getaway or escape. I needed something to help me with a short story and I think I’m ready now! After volunteering at a nursing home — reading to vision-impaired residents and writing letters for them — she agrees to personally deliver one of those letters to the resident’s estranged son. You’re stranded in a small village down a winding road from Burgos (Spain) on a Sunday. 58. A shy, young woman unexpectedly bumps into her soulmate (literally bumps into him). Read story Story Ideas by recxrds () with 137,811 reads. You rush to close it but then you see the view from it — which is not your usual view of the front yard. So, why is there a picture of him with his nonexistent family on his desk? What begins as a calm request for respectful treatment escalates as other members of the group chime in and the server’s manager gets involved. Soon, you find other markers like it, and you wonder how you failed to notice them before.