Short story ideas you can start writing today
A blank page and a deadline: a writing class, a contest, a monthly challenge or just the itch to write. This prompt has your todo.is agent give you twenty short story ideas in your genre, each with a specific character, a conflict and a possible twist, sorted from easy to ambitious, so you can pick one and begin.
The prompt
- Give me 20 original short story ideas in [GENRE]. They are for [PURPOSE], with a target length of [LENGTH]. For each idea give: a one-line hook, the main character (name, age, one want), the conflict, a possible twist or ending, and the theme in two words. Make them specific and avoid common clichés (chosen ones, amnesia, it was a dream, the twist that they were dead all along). Include a mix of settings and at least 5 ideas that could be told in a single scene. Sort them from easiest to write to most ambitious. Extra rule from me: [CONSTRAINT]. Save the list as a Word file and mark your top 3 with a reason.
What to change
- [GENRE]: e.g. "literary fiction", "sci-fi", "horror", "romance", "mystery", "any genre".
- [PURPOSE]: e.g. "a writing contest", "my creative writing class", "a weekly writing habit".
- [LENGTH]: e.g. "under 3,000 words", "flash fiction under 1,000 words".
- [CONSTRAINT]: A contest theme or rule, e.g. "must include a key", "set in one room", "theme: home", or "none".
Example result
- Short story ideas: literary fiction, under 3,000 words, theme "home"
- Easy to write (single scene)
- • 1. The Last Key. Hook: a locksmith is called to open the door of her own childhood house. Character: Marta, 52, wants to leave without going in. Conflict: the new owner asks her to explain a locked room. Twist: the room is empty except for her height marks on the frame. Theme: owning the past.
- • 2. Moving Day Inventory. Hook: a man lists every object as he packs, and the list becomes the story. Character: Theo, 34, wants to finish before his ex arrives. Conflict: one box belongs to neither of them. Twist: it is their dog's things, and the dog is gone. Theme: shared grief.
- • 3. Night Bus Home. Hook: two strangers realize they are going to the same address. Character: Priya, 19, wants to arrive alone. Conflict: the other passenger is her father's new wife. Twist: neither of them wants to go in. Theme: chosen family.
- Medium
- • 4. The House Sitter. A woman house-sitting for a rich family starts leaving small improvements, and the family starts leaving her notes. Theme: being seen.
- • 5. Bilingual. A boy translates for his mother at a bank appointment and changes one sentence. Theme: protecting parents.
- • 6. Tide Line. A coastal town votes on whether to move inland, told through one family's dinner. Theme: staying.
- Ambitious
- • 19. Twelve Kitchens. One woman's life told in twelve kitchens, each one paragraph, decades apart. Theme: time.
- • 20. Return Address. A postal worker reads only the return addresses of letters to one house and reconstructs a family. Theme: distance.
- Top 3
- • 1. The Last Key: one setting, a strong image, fits "home" exactly
- • 5. Bilingual: high stakes in a small moment, easy to keep under 3,000 words
- • 19. Twelve Kitchens: most original structure, if you want to stand out in a contest
- Next step
- Reply with a number and I will outline it in five beats.
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and fill in genre, purpose, length and any contest rule.
- Paste it on the Today screen in todo.is, or message it to your agent on Telegram or WhatsApp.
- Pick the idea that makes you want to start writing, not the one that sounds smartest.
- Reply with the number for an outline, or make it a weekly to-do: "every Monday at 8, send me 5 new ideas".
Tips for a better result
- Constraints help. "Set in one room" or "told as a list" makes ideas sharper than "anything".
- A good story idea has a character who wants something and something in the way. If one of those is missing, ask for a fix.
- Write the first line of three ideas. The one you want to continue is your story.
- For contests, read the rules on theme and length first and put them in the [CONSTRAINT].
short story ideas: FAQ
- What makes a good short story idea? A specific character, a clear want, an obstacle and a moment of change. Short stories work best with one main conflict and a small cast.
- How many words is a short story? Usually between 1,000 and 7,500 words. Under 1,000 is flash fiction, and contests often set their own limits.
- How can I avoid clichés? Start from a small, specific situation instead of a big concept, and ask "what is the obvious ending?" so you can choose a different one.
- Can I get new ideas every week? Yes. Make it a recurring to-do and your agent sends a fresh batch by email or message on the day you choose. Each run uses a few AI credits.
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