100 Short Story Writing Prompts

Looking for fresh, creative short story inspiration? This collection of 100 short story writing prompts is perfect for writers, teachers, teens, and anyone who loves storytelling. The prompts are divided into five categories—so whether you're in the mood for fantasy, mystery, romance, adventure, or realistic fiction, you’ll find something to spark your imagination.

You can explore all 100 prompts below and download the free printable version at the end of the page!

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Mystery & Suspense
Short Story Writing Prompts

• The last text message you received was from someone who disappeared years ago—and it simply says, “Don’t tell anyone.”
• Every night at 2:13 a.m., your doorbell rings, but no one is ever there—until tonight.
• While cleaning out your grandmother’s attic, you find a locked box with your name carved inside the lid.
• You wake up to a note on your pillow written in your own handwriting, warning you about today.
• A new family moves into the neighborhood, but no one sees them enter or leave the house.
• The security camera in your home sends a notification of movement—even though you're sitting in the room alone.
• Your dog keeps barking at the same corner of the basement, and today you hear something bark back.
• At a yard sale, you buy an old camera. When you develop the film, you’re in every picture.
• During a thunderstorm, the power goes out. When the lights flicker back on, a chair in the room has moved.
• You find a journal buried in your backyard that describes every major event in your life so far—and ends with today’s date.
• The painting your friend gifted you seems ordinary, until you notice the background changes every day.
• You inherit a house from a stranger and receive only one instruction with the keys: “Don’t go into the blue room.”
• Someone mails you a photograph of your childhood home with a red circle drawn around your old bedroom window.
• At the library, you find a book checked out in your name with tomorrow’s date on the slip.
• A voice whispers your name in an empty room—but only when the lights are off.
• The old mirror you bought at an estate sale shows a reflection of a room you've never seen before.
• While hiking, you find a trail of footprints that suddenly stop in the middle of a clearing.
• On your morning commute, every person you pass is wearing the same expression and staring at you.
• A stranger on the bus sits beside you and says, “I finally found you,” then disappears at the next stop.
• Your phone starts playing voicemails from years ago—messages you never received.

Fantasy & Sci-Fi
Short Story Writing Prompts

• You discover a door in your house that only appears when the moon is full—and it leads somewhere impossible.
• A dragon lands in your backyard and claims it has been sent to protect you.
• You wake up with a glowing symbol on your wrist and strangers begin bowing when they see you.
• Every time you fall asleep, you wake up in a different world—and now the two are starting to blend.
• A spaceship touches down in your town, and the pilot insists you’re their long-lost commander.
• While exploring a forest, you stumble upon a village of people no taller than your hand.
• You buy a used laptop that contains files from 200 years in the future—with your name on them.
• A letter arrives from a magical academy, congratulating you on passing an entrance exam you never took.
• You meet a mermaid at the edge of a lake who claims you owe her a favor from a past life.
• Your reflection steps out of the mirror and says, “It’s time to switch places.”
• A mysterious comet passes overhead, and suddenly everyone develops a different supernatural ability—except you.
• You find a map that shows hidden portals scattered across your town.
• A time traveler knocks on your door and begs you not to go to work tomorrow.
• In the middle of class, your desk transforms into a flying creature that refuses to land.
• A talking cat shows up at your window with a quest and a contract.
• The stars rearrange themselves overnight to spell out a message only you can read.
• You inherit a bookstore where the characters sometimes step out of the pages.
• At exactly noon, your shadow detaches and runs off with a purpose of its own.
• An underwater city rises to the surface and declares you their ambassador.
• You discover a suitcase that can teleport you anywhere—but only once.

Romance & Relationships
Writing Prompts

• You receive a love letter with no name on it—but it describes a memory only you know.
• Two people who can’t stand each other are forced to plan a surprise party together.
• While traveling, you sit next to a stranger on a train—and they claim you’re soulmates in another timeline.
• Your best friend suddenly avoids you after a dream they refuse to talk about.
• You accidentally text the wrong number—and the person responds with exactly what you needed to hear.
• A couple who broke up years ago keeps running into each other in the most unlikely places.
• Someone keeps leaving flowers at your door, each with a single word attached.
• During a power outage, you get stuck in an elevator with someone from your past.
• You and your rival both volunteer to help the same elderly neighbor—and find out they've been matchmaking.
• A dating app matches you with your ex, but neither of you swipe left.
• You hire a fake date for a wedding, only to realize they’re not the person you booked.
• Your neighbor keeps borrowing sugar, but you suspect they’re building up the courage to say something more.
• Two pen pals finally meet in person, but one of them has been hiding a big secret.
• A fortune teller says you'll fall in love this week—but with the last person you'd expect.
• You bump into someone at the airport, and your identical suitcases get switched.
• A childhood friend finds an old time capsule you buried together and shows up at your door.
• Someone keeps doodling hearts in your notebook when you’re not looking.
• You agree to a blind date and recognize the person the moment you sit down.
• A snowstorm traps you in a cabin with someone who knows more about you than they should.
• You and a stranger get mistaken for a married couple—and decide to play along.

Everyday Life & Realistic Fiction
Short Story Writing Prompts

• You find a wallet full of cash and a note that simply says, “I trust you.”
• A neighbor you’ve never met asks you to watch their house, and strange deliveries begin arriving.
• Your new coworker seems to know everything about you, but you’ve never met them before.
• While decluttering, you find a forgotten bucket list you wrote as a kid—and decide to complete it.
• You swap seats on a plane at the last minute, and the person next to you changes everything.
• You accidentally get invited to a family reunion—and decide to go anyway.
• A child shows up at your door claiming you’re their babysitter for the day.
• After years of silence, an old friend reconnects with a single question: “Are you ready now?”
• You open a café, and on the first day, someone leaves behind a mysterious notebook.
• You move into a new apartment and keep getting mail for the previous tenant—along with apologies addressed to you.
• Someone pays for your meal and leaves behind a handwritten recipe.
• You take a different route home and stumble onto a street you’ve never seen before.
• A stranger hands you their phone and says, “Please answer if she calls.”
• You join a community class and realize everyone there already seems to know who you are.
• A storm knocks out the power, and the entire neighborhood gathers for an impromptu meal.
• You receive a delivery with your name on it—but no address, no sender, and nothing inside but a key.
• Someone you barely know asks you to help them complete a lifelong dream.
• You volunteer for a local event and meet people who change how you see your own story.
• A street performer stops mid-song and points directly at you, saying, “You’re next.”
• You discover a letter tucked inside a library book—and it was written by someone you know.

Adventure & Unexpected Twists
Short Story Writing Prompts

• A wrong turn on a road trip leads you to a town that isn’t on any map.
• You open a fortune cookie that reads, “Pack a bag. You’re leaving tonight.”
• While walking on the beach, you find a bottle with a note that gives you directions.
• Your flight gets canceled, and the stranger next to you suggests a wild alternative.
• You wake up in a hotel room with a suitcase full of items you don’t recognize.
• While hiking, you discover a ladder leading down into the ground.
• A friend dares you to spend one night in a place rumored to be haunted—and you don’t go alone.
• You board the wrong train and decide not to turn back.
• While sorting through old belongings, you find a passport with your photo but a different name.
• A sudden storm forces you into a cave where something is already waiting.
• A carnival appears overnight, and there's a booth with your name on the sign.
• A stranger hands you an envelope and says, “Everything depends on you delivering this.”
• During a routine checkup, your doctor gives you instructions meant for someone else—with your details on them.
• You receive travel tickets to a destination you’ve never heard of, with the message “Trust us.”
• You sign up for an escape room game, but something feels a little too real.
• The GPS in your car keeps rerouting you to the same location, no matter where you go.
• Someone knocks on your door and asks if you’re ready to “begin the mission.”
• While cleaning out your closet, you find a backpack already packed and labeled with today’s date.
• Your favorite hiking trail dead-ends at a staircase that wasn’t there before.
• A child runs up to you in a crowd and says, “Quick, pretend you’re my guardian!”

Free Printable Download

Want a printable version of all 100 prompts? Get the PDF for free! It’s perfect for classrooms, writer’s workshops, homeschool, journaling, or personal writing sessions.

👉 Click here to download the short story writing prompts printable.

100 Short Story Writing Prompts

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