Are you looking for short story inspiration and ideas? Here are five prompts developed from famous short stories, perfect for use in a classroom or as a writing exercise.

Make a choice. The Lady or the Tiger? by Frank R. Stockton shows characters making seemingly impossible decisions. What are some difficult choices your characters might face? What force is driving them to pick? Write a story about a decision that must be made.
Receive a gift. In the story Violets by Alice Ruth Moore, a man reminisces over a bunch of violets he received years ago. The story includes a change in perspective from beginning to end, and we learn as we go who the violets are from and where they are now. Write a story about someone giving or receiving a gift.
Commit a crime. In A Jury of Her Peers, one of the most famous American short stories of the twentieth century, Susan Glaspell allows us to see a slice of life in a small town after a crime is committed. Write a story about a crime being committed or about its aftermath.
Meet a fantastic beast. We meet many unique creatures in E. Nesbit’s classic short story, The Book of Beasts. Write a story about an encounter with an unusual creature.
Find a home. In A Haunted House by Virginia Woolf, we learn about a home from the perspective of people who once lived there. But home can mean more than just a house. It might be a place, or a person, or a way of life. Write a story about home. Plus, find more stories about home in our fourth volume of original Penny Magic short stories, Long Live the Legends.

Get started with these prompts or draw inspiration from more classic short stories from Penny Magic and create your own prompts.