What if… this man used to be a legendary businessman who just went bankrupt? How did he lose his money? What is he doing now?īut sometimes, even the notes you’ve taken may not give you much to work with.What if… this man was just laid off and going home to a sick wife with his last penny spent on a loaf of bread for her?.What if… this man was really a millionaire in disguise? Why is he dressed as a beggar?.Or, you might try asking, “What if…?”Īsking the question “What if” helps trigger your brain to think of something that isn’t happening at the moment: it helps you imagine an alternate reality. Professional writers recommend keeping an idea notebook, so each time you think of something, even the barest wisp of an idea, you can jot it down and return to it later.įor example, if you jot down an observation on a train, of a ragged looking man carrying a small paper bag, you might brainstorm what he could be carrying in the bag.

This means that whatever idea you come up with for a short story, you need to be able to tell it succinctly. When done well, writers can even make money writing short stories. Short stories usually range from 2,000 words to about 8,000 words, with longer ones reaching as many as 20,000 words. So how do you overcome the blank page? How Do You Get Ideas for Short Stories?

While some may be quick to write it off (pardon the pun) as writer’s block, professional writers believe in the importance of pushing past the wall and writing-sometimes, just anything.

This struggle is real for all kinds of writers: novelists, short story writers, poets, and even bloggers. Nothing is more frustrating for writers than facing a blank page and not having the slightest idea what to write about.

Best short stories to write about