good plot ideas for a short story

A time - travel plot could be interesting. A character finds an old watch that transports them back to a significant moment in history, like the signing of an important treaty. There, they face a dilemma: whether to interfere with the events or let history take its course. This creates tension and a moral quandary that can be explored within the short story.

Here's another plot. A young artist is struggling to find inspiration. One day, they meet a strange old man in the park who tells them a wild story about a magical land that only appears to those with a creative heart. The artist is skeptical at first but starts to have vivid dreams about this land. They then decide to paint what they see in their dreams, and as they do, they start to bring elements of this magical land into the real world, changing their life and the lives of those around them in unexpected ways.

There are two friends, one is a very successful businessperson and the other is an aspiring writer who is constantly struggling. The successful friend offers to help the writer by funding their next project. But in return, they want the writer to include some ideas that the businessperson believes will make the book more marketable. This causes a conflict between the friends as the writer wants to stay true to their artistic vision while the businessperson wants a return on their investment. The story can explore how they resolve this conflict and whether their friendship survives.

A time - travel plot where a character accidentally travels back to a significant moment in history and has to figure out how to return while not changing the course of events too much.

One idea could be a world where magic is powered by emotions. The protagonist is a young girl who has the rare ability to control all emotions. She must journey across different kingdoms to stop an evil sorcerer who is draining people's emotions to gain ultimate power. Along the way, she meets various characters, some who help her and some who try to use her power for their own gain.

One idea could be a small town where people start receiving anonymous threatening letters. The main character, a local journalist, decides to investigate. As they dig deeper, they find that the letters are related to a long - forgotten town secret from decades ago involving a powerful family who will do anything to keep it buried.

One idea could be a person moving into a new house. Every night, they hear strange scratching noises coming from inside the walls. As they investigate, they find old, faded photos of a family that looks just like them but with sinister expressions. The scratches start to form words like 'leave' on the walls.

One idea could be a story about a lonely lighthouse keeper who discovers a mysterious message in a bottle. This message leads him on an unexpected adventure that changes his view of the world around him.

An interesting plot idea would be to set a short story in a world where time has stopped. The main character is the only one still able to move. They wander through a frozen city, seeing people and things caught in mid - action. As they explore, they find a strange device that might be the key to restarting time. But there are also forces that seem to want to keep time frozen. The character has to figure out how to use the device and overcome these obstacles, all while reflecting on the meaning of time and life.

In the story of the lonely artist, a plot twist could be that the living paintings were actually created by a rival artist who wanted to drive him crazy. But instead, it inspired him. And in the end, the rival artist realizes his mistake and they end up collaborating.