This upsets your character, who decides she wants to find a buyer who will leave everything the way it has always been. A potential buyer comes to look at it and begins to talk about all of the changes she would make to the place.
That's how he discovers that his teenage son has a small marijuana plantation behind the garage. After your character loses his job, he is home during the day.Instead of going to the police, your character decides to take matters into her own hands. She explains that the cell phone has personal information on it and asks the man to send it back to her. She calls her own number, and the man answers. After he is gone, she discovers her cell phone is too. A man elbows your character in a crowd.What she discovers is not what she was expecting. Your character suspects her husband is having an affair and decides to spy on him.Your character has serious doubts, but needs the money, and therefore agrees. The stranger assures your character that it's nothing illegal and points out that it has already been through the security check. At the airport, a stranger offers your character money to carry a mysterious package onto the plane.He knows his parents will take his wife's side, and he is right. Your character has to tell his parents that he's getting a divorce.But in his or her homeroom, your character encounters a kid he or she knows from summer camp. He or she wants to get a fresh start, develop a new identity. It's your character's first day at a new school.Your character wants to make a good impression, but her husband has a tendency to drink too much and say exactly what's on his mind. Your character's boss invites her and her husband to dinner.You must leave the city immediately and never return.
At a Chinese restaurant, your character opens his fortune cookie and reads the following message: "Your life is in danger.A babysitter is snooping around her employer's house and finds a disturbing photograph.Are you up to it?Įxtreme challenge: Why not write a book of short stories? Choose seven or eight short story ideas to get started. A campfire, a scream, and a small lie that gets bigger and bigger.Ĭhallenge: 4 stories in 4 weeks using these short story ideas.A horoscope, makeup, and a missing tooth.
The first day of school, a love note, and a recipe with a significant mistake.An annoying boss, a bikini, and a fake illness.An ex-boyfriend, a pair of binoculars, and a good-luck charm.Aerobics, a secret diary, and something unpleasant under the bed.A broken wristwatch, peppermints, and a hug that goes too far.Identical twins, a party invitation, and a locked closet.A taxi, an old enemy, and Valentine's Day.A stolen ring, fear of spiders, and a sinister stranger.Have fun!Ĭhoose a set of three elements and write a story that contains all three of them!Įxtreme challenge: combine three of the elements with one of the other short story ideas on this page. You'll also find links to more creative writing prompts at the bottom of the page.Īny of these ideas can be used either humorously or dramatically. Use these story starters on their own or to get ideas for the CWN online writing courses. Forty-Four Short Story Ideas Here are lots of short story ideas that you can use as writing prompts.