Short Story Examples
Read the best
short stories
ever written.
12+ curated stories with literary analysis, discussion questions, and writing exercises. Free and open for everyone.
Hills Like White Elephants
by Ernest Hemingway · 1927 · 1,500 words
An American man and a young woman sit at a train station in Spain, drinking and waiting. Through carefully constructed dialogue full of subtext, they discuss an unspecified "operation" - implied to be an abortion. The conversation reveals a power imbalance, emotional disconnect, and an uncertain future for their relationship.
“The hills across the valley of the Ebro were long and white. On this side there was no shade and no trees and the station was between two lines of rails in the sun....”
From the Collection
View all stories →The Tell-Tale Heart
Edgar Allan Poe
An unnamed narrator insists upon their sanity while describing the methodical killing of an old man. Driven mad by the old man's "vulture eye," the narrator commits the act with precision, dismembers the body, and hides it beneath the floorboards. When police arrive, the narrator's guilt manifests as an unbearable phantom heartbeat, leading to a confession.
The Story of an Hour
Kate Chopin
Mrs. Mallard learns of her husband's death in a railroad accident. After initial grief, alone in her room she discovers an unexpected feeling of freedom and independence. She whispers "free, free, free!" and begins to imagine a self-directed future. When her husband unexpectedly walks through the door alive, she collapses and dies - doctors say of "joy that kills."
The Gift of the Magi
O. Henry
Della and Jim are a young married couple too poor to buy Christmas gifts. Della sells her beautiful long hair to buy a platinum watch chain for Jim. Jim, meanwhile, sells his treasured pocket watch to buy decorative combs for Della's hair. Each sacrifices their most prized possession for the other, only to find their gifts are now useless - yet their love is the true gift.
The Necklace
Guy de Maupassant
Mathilde Loisel, a middle-class woman who dreams of wealth and luxury, borrows a diamond necklace from a wealthy friend for an elegant ball. She loses the necklace and, rather than confessing, she and her husband secretly replace it with an identical one, going deeply into debt. After ten years of grueling labor to repay the debt, Mathilde encounters her friend who reveals the original necklace was paste - worth almost nothing.
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
Ambrose Bierce
Peyton Farquhar, a Confederate sympathizer, stands on the Owl Creek bridge about to be hanged by Union soldiers. A flashback reveals he was tricked by a disguised Federal scout into attempting to burn the bridge. At the moment of execution, Farquhar appears to escape: the rope breaks, he plunges into the creek, evades gunfire, and treks through the wilderness toward home. Just as he reaches his wife, the narrative reveals the entire escape was a dying hallucination — Farquhar hangs dead from the bridge, his neck broken.
The Monkey's Paw
W.W. Jacobs
Mr. and Mrs. White acquire a magical monkey's paw from Sergeant-Major Morris, who warns them that its wishes come with devastating consequences. Their first wish for two hundred pounds is fulfilled when their son Herbert is killed in a factory accident and the company pays that exact sum in compensation. Grief-stricken, Mrs. White insists on using the second wish to bring Herbert back. When a terrible knocking begins at the door, Mr. White realizes what horrors may await and uses the third wish to undo the second before his wife can open the door.
By Genre
Mystery
64 stories
Horror
52 stories
Romance
38 stories
Sci-Fi
45 stories
Literary Fiction
87 stories
Fantasy
36 stories
Fables & Allegory
41 stories
Historical
33 stories
Humor
28 stories
Writing Guides
Everything you need to know to start writing short fiction, from finding your idea to polishing your final draft.
Mastering Dialogue: Show Don't TellLearn to write dialogue that reveals character, advances plot, and brings your fiction to life.
The Art of the Twist EndingHow to craft surprise endings that feel inevitable in hindsight, from O. Henry to modern masters.
Understanding Symbolism in FictionHow to identify and use symbols in short stories, from obvious metaphors to subtle recurring images.
Creating Compelling Characters in Short FictionTechniques for building memorable, three-dimensional characters within the tight constraints of a short story.
How to Analyze a Short StoryA systematic approach to reading, understanding, and writing about short fiction for students and lifelong readers.
“A short story is a different thing altogether — a short story is like a quick kiss in the dark from a stranger.”
STEPHEN KING
All Stories
View all →Hills Like White Elephants
Ernest Hemingway
1,500 words · 6 min
The Tell-Tale Heart
Edgar Allan Poe
2,100 words · 8 min
The Story of an Hour
Kate Chopin
1,000 words · 4 min
The Gift of the Magi
O. Henry
2,000 words · 8 min
The Necklace
Guy de Maupassant
4,000 words · 16 min
The Open Window
Saki (H.H. Munro)
1,100 words · 4 min
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