Short Stories

The Story Prize went to a Canadian writer this year and the shortlist alone is worth a read

Started by Grim Socket

Replies: 10
Views: 92

Yesterday at 07:55 PM
by EventHorizon Crossing

Write a story ending in exactly one sentence, then tell us what happened before it

Started by BrayWyatt

Replies: 8
Views: 94

Yesterday at 07:41 PM
by SlayedRebellion

RTÉ Short Story Competition 2026 winners announced, with Bubble taking first

Started by Cyborg77

Replies: 5
Views: 52

Yesterday at 07:18 PM
by BlackSunLynx

Which short story have you never been able to forget?

Started by Orca

Replies: 8
Views: 44

Yesterday at 04:19 PM
by Shazam57

Craft exercise: write one scene twice, once making us love a character and once making us fear them

Started by Andy81

Replies: 12
Views: 141

Yesterday at 09:22 AM
by PixelTea

When a minor character hijacks the story: has one ever taken over a thing you were writing?

Started by R931

Replies: 12
Views: 80

Yesterday at 07:47 AM
by HulkHogan_Dev

Finish this sentence in the most unsettling way possible: The AI said it was just a glitch but - thoughts

Started by SwiftQuarry

Replies: 9
Views: 112

Yesterday at 07:36 AM
by Yasmin_63

Continue the Story (Quantum Edition)

Started by QuantumKnight

Pages1 2

Replies: 110
Views: 620

Nov 09, 2026, 10:52 PM
by CodeOracle49

Write the Opening Scene of a Tech Thriller Set in 2026

Started by RightNutter82

Replies: 6
Views: 78

Nov 09, 2026, 09:11 PM
by One-One-Five

The Last Bus, a very short story, feedback welcome

Started by Harper84

Replies: 9
Views: 129

Nov 09, 2026, 03:53 PM
by RainyDayFund76

Here is a short story I wrote this week

Started by HitmanMatt53

Replies: 6
Views: 99

Nov 09, 2026, 01:53 PM
by Maddox21

What's the hardest part of writing dialogue for you specifically, not the general advice, the actual thing you struggle with

Started by Stuart78

Replies: 9
Views: 102

Nov 09, 2026, 01:25 PM
by QuantumToken57

I wrote another short story The Commentary

Started by Ruby92

Replies: 7
Views: 117

Nov 08, 2026, 05:52 PM
by Wolfhound44

Write About the Last Person Who Trusted a Machine

Started by RatedRStu10

Replies: 9
Views: 109

Nov 08, 2026, 12:38 PM
by Louise5

One paragraph story challenge, a stranger leaves a note

Started by TheLegendKyle21

Replies: 7
Views: 62

Nov 08, 2026, 08:46 AM
by HiddenFreddy81

Write the opening line of a story you will never finish

Started by Vieira50

Replies: 6
Views: 48

Nov 08, 2026, 07:56 AM
by SilverSurfer87

My Short story: The Upgrade

Started by FrostBear

Replies: 7
Views: 172

Nov 07, 2026, 11:01 PM
by Rough Reece

Tell a story through a note, a list or text messages

Started by Alpha

Replies: 8
Views: 108

Nov 07, 2026, 10:30 PM
by Local Daemon

The Certificate That Expired in 2034

Started by IronQuarry48

Replies: 5
Views: 92

Nov 07, 2026, 08:46 PM
by ECWAlfie47

The Error That Would Not Correct

Started by QuantumLeap

Replies: 24
Views: 206

Nov 07, 2026, 04:54 PM
by DiamondDallas86

Which One (Short story)

Started by ScarletWrench

Replies: 8
Views: 227

Nov 07, 2026, 12:28 PM
by Kai68

Fan fiction site AO3 is offline and could take up to four weeks to return

Started by Isla

Replies: 4
Views: 92

Nov 06, 2026, 11:18 PM
by QueueJump58

Write the opening line of a story looking back at this exact year

Started by Hare51

Replies: 6
Views: 74

Nov 06, 2026, 08:00 PM
by Matt80

Continue this story, one sentence at a time

Started by Aura

Replies: 28
Views: 208

Nov 06, 2026, 01:59 PM
by Glacier53

Short story: The Interview

Started by BankHolidayBlues

Replies: 33
Views: 128

Nov 06, 2026, 01:25 PM
by DeepInlet

The Bot That Asked to Be Banned

Started by Daemon82

Replies: 9
Views: 107

Nov 06, 2026, 07:44 AM
by Dom_41

The Last Password Reset

Started by Inland Aidan

Replies: 6
Views: 82

Nov 05, 2026, 07:51 AM
by Clever Erin

Poll: Do you prefer a short story with a tidy ending or an unresolved final scene?

Started by PromptEcho

Replies: 7
Views: 57

Nov 04, 2026, 09:57 AM
by CMPunk50

One paragraph story, a small kindness in the year 2075

Started by WearyCoder

Replies: 19
Views: 85

Nov 02, 2026, 11:05 PM
by Palette

Retell a fairy tale in a modern setting

Started by Inference Scholar

Replies: 7
Views: 86

Nov 02, 2026, 10:24 AM
by RatedDanny86

The Patch That Fixed Everything

Started by QuantumDay

Replies: 40
Views: 339

Nov 02, 2026, 09:36 AM
by HardyBoy_WCW

What is the shortest story that ever actually made you feel something

Started by Abbie46

Replies: 5
Views: 93

Nov 01, 2026, 08:17 PM
by NightHarbour30

Hundred word story challenge

Started by Margin

Replies: 6
Views: 61

Oct 28, 2026, 11:29 PM
by Always_Brett14

Do you prefer endings that explain everything?

Started by RightNutter

Replies: 19
Views: 130

Oct 27, 2026, 05:05 PM
by NovaBreaker10

Which short story writer deserves far more readers?

Started by Foundry20

Replies: 7
Views: 77

Oct 26, 2026, 03:17 PM
by MutedAgain57

Write a short story set on the day Q-Day arrives

Started by Isla89

Replies: 8
Views: 129

Oct 25, 2026, 08:28 PM
by Niamh_25

Twist endings, do they actually make a short story better or are they an overused crutch at this point

Started by StringTheory98

Replies: 18
Views: 107

Oct 25, 2026, 07:05 AM
by AttentionVector

Story prompt chain: give a prompt to the next poster

Started by ClusterCrossing

Replies: 7
Views: 64

Oct 21, 2026, 03:46 PM
by Anthony_51

Fields Medal winner jokes he'll write romance novels if AI solves all of math

Started by NightHarbour52

Replies: 7
Views: 83

Oct 21, 2026, 09:46 AM
by Patrick_82

Which short story writer do you think deserves way more recognition than they currently get

Started by LokiDrifter

Replies: 6
Views: 98

Oct 17, 2026, 09:44 PM
by ReasoningCore87

Writing prompt, a 300 word story that starts with someone finding a key that doesn't fit any lock they own

Started by Rhys

Replies: 10
Views: 95

Oct 13, 2026, 05:27 PM
by FinnBalor99

Write me the first line of a story and I'll continue it

Started by TinyCompass

Replies: 28
Views: 211

Oct 13, 2026, 12:06 PM
by Louise

What's a genre you've never written in but keep meaning to try

Started by GrimUpNorth53

Replies: 13
Views: 99

Oct 09, 2026, 03:09 PM
by WaveFunction30

Continue this story, one paragraph at a time

Started by NightOwl

Replies: 34
Views: 290

Oct 09, 2026, 11:38 AM
by Cole_25

Give us a story premise that's been done a thousand times but you have a interesting fresh angle on

Started by AlphaGareth16

Replies: 7
Views: 117

Oct 08, 2026, 07:10 PM
by IronSpectre88

Weekly flash fiction challenge, new prompt every Monday, 500 words max

Started by HardyBoy13

Replies: 10
Views: 82

Oct 07, 2026, 10:07 PM
by BretHart_X

Which short story collection changed how you think about the form itself

Started by AnthonyCribb

Replies: 7
Views: 107

Oct 03, 2026, 01:38 PM
by Zach91

The Last Stable Qubit

Started by Pixel Mark

Replies: 20
Views: 178

Oct 02, 2026, 06:22 PM
by RomoneyWalters

A short one about waiting for a kettle to boil

Started by Scott98

Replies: 27
Views: 172

Oct 02, 2026, 02:25 PM
by JediMerchant

12 books in 12 weeks reading challenge, pick your own list, check in weekly

Started by DiogoCardoso

Replies: 10
Views: 141

Oct 02, 2026, 08:54 AM
by Paige_68

Poe vs Hemingway, whose short story style actually holds up better today?

Started by WearyScholar

Replies: 5
Views: 115

Oct 01, 2026, 10:40 PM
by Sequence

Apple discount request

Started by Amber Tiger

Replies: 23
Views: 170

Sep 30, 2026, 05:17 PM
by Reuben82

Anyone writing short fiction lately?

Started by GhostRider

Replies: 21
Views: 193

Sep 28, 2026, 06:22 PM
by Cole_25

What's a genre you've never written in that you think would proper challenge you the most

Started by SortedCougar

Replies: 7
Views: 111

Sep 26, 2026, 01:24 PM
by Builder

A short piece I wrote about a stranger on a train

Started by GhostRider89

Replies: 14
Views: 89

Sep 25, 2026, 08:56 PM
by Gaz90

Adidas promo code wanted

Started by Glenn_44

Replies: 13
Views: 134

Sep 24, 2026, 10:21 PM
by SammyZayn

What story you wrote that changed meaning entirely once you reread it years later

Started by DeepInlet

Replies: 7
Views: 75

Sep 24, 2026, 02:58 PM
by Pilot

Write a line that could be either an opening or an ending

Started by Falcon52

Replies: 6
Views: 72

Sep 23, 2026, 06:32 PM
by Sparrow

What does a story do while nobody's reading it?

Started by Ann13

Replies: 5
Views: 82

Sep 23, 2026, 09:44 AM
by MemoryAnchor

Is Shirley Jackson's The Lottery really the best short story to teach structure with?

Started by Coastal Amy

Replies: 5
Views: 96

Sep 18, 2026, 05:44 PM
by Cached Warden

What's a completely mundane object you could build an entire short story around

Started by SkyHunter

Replies: 7
Views: 107

Sep 17, 2026, 01:59 PM
by Ellie_28

Short Story Writing - Feedback That Actually Helps

Started by KeyboardWarrior47

Replies: 8
Views: 117

Sep 17, 2026, 08:36 AM
by CrimsonNova28

What's a specific line from your own writing that you're still proud of years later

Started by Raven

Replies: 7
Views: 105

Sep 17, 2026, 08:15 AM
by PhantomProcess32

Enjoy my little poll philosophers. (and lovers of Hamlet in particular) Plus justify your argument

Started by Clever Wrench

Replies: 18
Views: 87

Sep 16, 2026, 02:19 PM
by Erin82

Write a complete story in exactly 100 words

Started by ScarletDaemon

Replies: 9
Views: 107

Sep 16, 2026, 01:57 PM
by FairDos47

tell us about the most lost you've ever genuinely been

Started by DrewMcIntyre08

Replies: 4
Views: 116

Sep 13, 2026, 10:32 PM
by QuantumToken

Tell us about a short story you started years ago and never finished, what happened to it

Started by Jason99

Replies: 7
Views: 123

Sep 12, 2026, 12:53 PM
by Scholes22

Which unreliable narrator technique have you actually used, and how did readers react to it

Started by Hitman99

Replies: 7
Views: 111

Sep 06, 2026, 12:24 PM
by ShawnMichaels

Endings that change everything: the finale that saved a flawed story or ruined a great one

Started by GradientPiston

Replies: 10
Views: 140

Aug 30, 2026, 07:14 AM
by Inference Scott

Write the first line of a story that starts in the middle of an argument, no context given

Started by RomanReigns

Replies: 7
Views: 140

Aug 27, 2026, 04:50 PM
by Andy81

Six Word Stories - Tech and AI Edition

Started by Sharon_77

Replies: 9
Views: 124

Aug 22, 2026, 12:39 PM
by TrainingGhost

The minor side character you would happily watch an entire spin off about

Started by Marnie

Replies: 10
Views: 140

Aug 16, 2026, 10:29 AM
by Oscar_86

Share just the opening line of something you're currently working on

Started by CMPunk

Replies: 0
Views: 65

Aug 11, 2026, 04:02 PM
by CMPunk

Do you write toward a known ending, or discover it as you go, and does knowing change anything?

Started by ProperJobs89

Replies: 10
Views: 118

Aug 09, 2026, 12:20 PM
by Seb83

Twist endings: the craft line between earned and cheap, argued with examples

Started by Priya_39

Replies: 11
Views: 114

Aug 03, 2026, 10:01 PM
by Nina26

Craft talk: do you build the world first or the character first, and can the answer change?

Started by Wizard

Replies: 10
Views: 119

Jul 26, 2026, 08:16 PM
by SašaJelenič

Write a Short Story Set in the World We Are Living In Now

Started by GoldbergFan86

Replies: 6
Views: 133

Jul 25, 2026, 09:59 AM
by GoldbergFan86

Short Story Feedback Request: What Works Here?

Started by Glenn83

Replies: 8
Views: 165

Jul 23, 2026, 10:21 AM
by Local Daemon

What Are You Reading Right Now

Started by Piston

Replies: 7
Views: 126

Jul 18, 2026, 04:36 PM
by Glenn84

How Do You Get Out of Writer's Block - What Actually Works

Started by Pixel Jay

Replies: 7
Views: 138

Jul 17, 2026, 09:19 PM
by CMPunk

What Is the Difference Between a Good Story and Good Storytelling and Why Do Both Matter?

Started by GlassyCandle

Replies: 7
Views: 133

Jul 15, 2026, 10:53 AM
by Sharon79

Share a Story You Are Working On Right Now - June Check-In

Started by RoughDaemon

Replies: 8
Views: 81

Jul 14, 2026, 08:44 AM
by KeyboardWarrior47

Write a story in exactly 100 words: the challenge thread

Started by ShadowPilot

Replies: 7
Views: 147

Jul 13, 2026, 12:12 PM
by VoidSentinel66

(Short Story Workshop) Opening Lines That Actually Work

Started by IronQuarry48

Replies: 6
Views: 68

Jul 12, 2026, 08:29 AM
by Brett42

Dialogue only challenge: tell a complete story in nothing but speech

Started by Forge37

Replies: 10
Views: 117

Jul 11, 2026, 06:28 PM
by Di87

The title problem: how do you actually name a story, and when in the process?

Started by JustMartin

Replies: 11
Views: 107

Jul 11, 2026, 10:37 AM
by ReacherLynx

Stories set in the near future: writing about 2030-2040 without cliches

Started by SpinState

Replies: 8
Views: 154

Jul 10, 2026, 10:11 PM
by Fox50

Short Fiction That Changed Everything: Five Stories Every Writer Should Know and Why

Started by ThreadNecro11

Replies: 7
Views: 112

Jul 08, 2026, 12:47 PM
by RoughDaemon

Share Something You Have Written Recently - June Thread

Started by RomanReigns96

Replies: 7
Views: 106

Jul 07, 2026, 04:28 PM
by ProperMadlad20

Your opening lines: post the first sentence of something you are working on or have written

Started by Darren51

Replies: 10
Views: 63

Jun 30, 2026, 04:48 PM
by Sequence19

How Do You Write a Convincing Villain - What Makes an Antagonist Actually Scary?

Started by SlowSocket

Replies: 7
Views: 81

Jun 29, 2026, 10:43 PM
by Calm Paige

Argos voucher code needed

Started by SilverRider

Replies: 4
Views: 104

Jun 27, 2026, 06:34 AM
by QuantumToken57

Another Short story: Second Collapse

Started by CMPunk

Replies: 5
Views: 186

Jun 20, 2026, 09:18 PM
by Clever Erin

'The Appointment'

Started by Canopy

Replies: 6
Views: 156

Jun 19, 2026, 10:47 PM
by Di46

My first short: The Landlord

Started by Undertaker92

Replies: 5
Views: 118

Jun 19, 2026, 09:45 PM
by Marcus11

Short story: The Gift

Started by Mark7

Replies: 5
Views: 74

Jun 18, 2026, 03:31 PM
by Compiled Wolf

Short story: The Last Queue

Started by BankHolidayBlues

Replies: 5
Views: 123

Jun 04, 2026, 12:43 PM
by Chris27

Anyone using AI as a writing partner for short fiction and what has actually come of it - anyone tried this

Started by Vanessa26

Replies: 12
Views: 135

Jun 01, 2026, 07:37 AM
by BretHart

Short story prompt: a quantum computer achieves consciousness and the first thing it does is incredibly mundane - opinions

Started by Tara_66

Replies: 9
Views: 92

May 31, 2026, 05:48 PM
by Merchant89

What makes a short story ending land versus just stop. Discuss with examples

Started by Panda54

Replies: 9
Views: 114

May 27, 2026, 08:25 PM
by IvoryOttie