Short stories don’t take long to read but they do require an investment for the reader so it’s your job to give them something to think about. This doesn’t have to be a huge, dramatic climax or a crazy twist, but it does have to be interesting. Ideally - and this is very important with short stories - something should happen. And definitely a distinctive point of view. In the loosest sense of the words, short stories tend to have some sort of beginning, middle and end (there are always exceptions!). Once you’ve got the hang of working out new things to write about – and you’re confident you can sit down and do it! – it’s time to take a step back and work on your writing skills. Avoid making hard and fast rules or superstitions for yourself and go with the flow. And do remember that one method might not fit all stories (or moods!). Try it one way, try it the other or have a go at mixing the two up. Some people like to do that without any clear plan of where their story will go others prefer to work out a rough plot or idea before they get going.īoth methods have their plus points. The very first thing you have to do is just sit down and write. Writing a short story doesn’t have to be difficult, especially not at the beginning. Have a go at our 50-Word Fiction competition for a new challenge every month.

Try working your way through thinkwritten’s 365 simple prompts (this will open in a new window).

Browse sites like Pinterest and Instagram for pictures to spark your imagination.

Pick up any newspaper or magazine and work out a backstory for an interesting report.

Here are a few fun ways to find things to write about: When you’re actively looking for inspiration, you’ll soon discover you can find it almost anywhere. If that sounds like a daunting task, don’t worry, there are loads of great ways to help get those cogs turning. In some ways, coming up with a spark of an idea is the hardest part of writing - and the best way to make it easier is to practise letting your imagination run wild. Ready to give writing your own short stories a go? Delve into some top tips for getting started. They give you space to explore ideas or get up close to characters in a short amount of time and let readers get stuck into another world without committing to a longer read. Scary, punchy memorable, haunting, funny, teeny tiny or sprawling over several pages, short stories are fantastically flexible.

Topics for short stories to write about