 Short Stories: October 01, 2025 Issue [#13369] |
This week: Story Ideas Edited by: W.D.Wilcox  
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"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you,"
-Maya Angelou
“Find the key emotion; this may be all you need to know to find your short story.”
– F. Scott Fitzgerald
“I would also suggest that any aspiring writer begin with short stories. These days, I meet far too many young writers who try to start with a novel right off, or a trilogy, or even a nine-book series. That’s like starting in rock climbing by tackling Mt. Everest. Short stories help you learn your craft.”
– George R.R. Martin
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Story Ideas
As an improviser, I find that I get my best writing done when I have some sort of suggestion to get me started. Just like using a suggestion from the audience can give improvisers the setup to begin a scene, a small kernel of an idea is all I need to nudge me in the direction of a productive first draft of a short piece of writing.
These ideas mostly come from a small notebook I carry around to jot down ideas whenever they come to me, and would probably make no sense to anyone else if they read my notes—such as “31/ATLAS, an asteroid from deep space” or “contacting an old friend from Grammer School,” Or sometimes it’s an idea that I’ve been obsessing over recently.
Want a story idea right away? No problem! Here are our top ten favorite story ideas for you to use:
-A group of villains goes on a team-building retreat.
-You are granted one wish. However, you must use the wish for someone else.
-Instead of trying to get a man to the moon, every nation raced to be the first to the very bottom of the ocean.
-Money really does grow on trees and is heavily regulated by governments.
-A plane takes off with 81 passengers. It lands with 82.
-You are home alone watching TV. A character dials a number on their phone. Your phone rings.
-You open a fortune cookie at a Chinese restaurant. Inside is a handwritten note.
-A magician, a troll, and a college student walk into a bar.
-It is the year 3000. The sun starts to flicker.
-An optimist becomes a pessimist. Why?
W.D.Wilcox
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