New Funny Short Stories Each Week
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Adventure. Romance. Comedy. All Ironic.
Welcome to 500 Ironic Stories!
Join the quest for the best short stories with ironic themes. Help rate the collection of short stories. Your feedback guides the creation of new short stories each week. Use the table below to sort stories by ratings and post date. Click on the title to read or listen. Follow on social media. Click to listen on your favorite podcast provider: Podcasts. For email reminders when new stories are posted click: Subscribe. Shorter versions of stories for beginning readers are here: Beginner Versions.
Sortable Table of Ironic Stories
| Story Title | Post Date | Summary | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Humble Paper Clip | 04/20/2024 | Do modern third graders raised on video screens know how a simple paper clip works? A curious young teacher tries to find out. … | |
| Speed Dating | 04/13/2024 | After wishing she could skip the uncomfortable initial dating phase, a young woman learns speeding up the process only concentrates the pain. Short … | |
| Today’s Tom Sawyer | 04/06/2024 | When a cunning young student is assigned a Tom Sawyer book report as punishment, will he manipulate his friend into doing it instead? … | |
| Low Hanging Fruit | 03/30/2024 | Three college students bet over who can pick the most apples. Two of them don’t realize fruit picking only happens in the fall. … | |
| Dandelion Dreams | 03/23/2024 | Why not have a lawn full of beautiful yellow dandelions? One new homeowner runs the experiment he thinks will save him landscaping time. … | |
| Alone in the Cold | 03/16/2024 | Relying on battery powered clothing, a young man refuses to heat his apartment. Will an unplanned visitor leave him alone in the cold? … | |
| Not Our Game | 03/09/2024 | One sister in a family has never lost a board game. What happens when the family discovers a game she cannot win? Short … | |
| Time Whisperer | 03/02/2024 | When an overwhelmed young woman seeks advice from a time whisperer, will she follow the steps to discover more hours in her day? … | |
| The Leave Behind | 02/24/2024 | A coworker admirer hopes to arrange a visit to his crush’s house using his phone and an old trick – the leave behind. … | |
| Skater Outlaw | 02/17/2024 | Three young friends spend an afternoon skateboarding. Will one become a skater outlaw when they trade a skate park for a local college? … | |
| To See in the Dark | 02/10/2024 | When Apple develops an iPhone camera that can see in the dark, will anyone stop the night vision technology from reaching consumers? Short … | |
| Night Light | 02/03/2024 | A husband and wife team plan a daring night mission near a Navy base. Will their night light get them caught before sunrise? … | |
| Romantic Philosophy | 01/27/2024 | Dragged to a college party, a student falls in love at first sight. Does he admit he’s a philosophy major and scare her … | |
| Five Minute Mile | 01/20/2024 | One man’s goal to run a five minute mile seems hopelessly out of reach until his friend finds a track of dreams. Fiction … | |
| Return to the Cruise | 01/13/2024 | During a honeymoon Caribbean cruise, when a newlywed couple misses their ship at a port-of-call, will they miraculously return to the cruise? Fiction … | |
| Teens Unplugged | 01/06/2024 | A new reality show features teens unplugged from all their electronic devices. Will anyone beat FOMO long enough to claim the prize money? … | |
| Low Tech Spyware | 12/30/2023 | Company secrets keep spilling. Is the source of the leak cyber hacking or low tech spyware surveillance of the top salesman? Fiction short … | |
| Banksy of Sandcastles | 12/23/2023 | Attempting to catch the mysterious Banksy of Sandcastles, Galveston is on overnight alert. Will the city find a new sandcastle in the morning? … | |
| Christmas Tree Run | 12/16/2023 | A road trip from Texas to Colorado for a perfect Christmas tree might help Derek realize he is dating the wrong girl. Fiction … | |
| The Longest Glide | 12/09/2023 | How far will a balsa glider fly from the top of the Astoria Column? Will the longest glide take it across the Pacific? … | |
| Dizzy Dog Story | 12/02/2023 | What happened to Grandma’s back pills and the flattened mailbox in the front yard? Maybe the dizzy dog has the answers. Fiction short … | |
| Penny Fortune | 11/25/2023 | Will a large penny and nickel collection contain valuable coins or will the Reyes family waste their entire summer chasing a penny fortune? … | |
| Smell Peace and Happiness | 11/18/2023 | After mixing up a magical scent, an inventor tries selling the smell to a large retailer. Will it bring peace, happiness, and riches? … | |
| Sticky Christmas Songs | 11/11/2023 | A woman can’t escape the Christmas songs stuck in her head. Then she realizes some songs are even more sticky in her brain. … | |
| Borderline Criminals | 11/04/2023 | After speeding through a small town on the Mexican border, four young Americans are charged as criminals. Could it all be a prank? … | |
| Professor Dress Code | 10/28/2023 | A young professor risks offending his older colleagues by suggesting a professor dress code that includes graduation robes. Fiction short story with text … | |
| Most Famous CEO | 10/21/2023 | After wishing to be the world’s most famous CEO, an aspiring business mogul makes some curious moves to impress his employees. Fiction short … | |
| ChatGPT for Homework | 10/14/2023 | When a high school student uses ChatGPT for homework, he thinks he’s found the ultimate cheat code. Will his English teacher be fooled? … | |
| Good Luck Dispenser | 10/07/2023 | After purchasing a good luck amulet in a voodoo shop, a young woman finally gets what she deserves. Or not? Fiction short story … | |
| No Deal Cruise | 09/30/2023 | When she gets the chance to play Deal or No Deal on a cruise, one contestant quickly forgets her own best advice. Fiction … | |
| Slow Contact Hitter | 09/23/2023 | After getting hit at a batting cage, time slows down for an amateur athlete. Can he become the ultimate pro baseball contact hitter? … | |
| The Next Big Thing | 09/16/2023 | Faced with starting over, an entrepreneur tries to brainstorm the next big thing. He discovers it’s not inside his head. Fiction short story … | |
| Name Your Fate | 09/09/2023 | Twin sisters have distinct names that match their personalities and seem to guide their fate. Will one twin save the other’s Harvard interview? … | |
| Charging the Birds | 09/02/2023 | Charging Bird scooters sounds like a great gig until a Millennial realizes how little money he makes and tries to beat the system. … | |
| Sweet Pickle Potty | 08/26/2023 | When his young niece is learning to use her training potty, an uncle leaves a pickle inside. Will she reject her pickle potty? … | |
| College Penance and Rescue | 08/19/2023 | Guilt from cheating on an ethics exam leads to college penance for a former student and the chance to rescue high school dropouts. … | |
| Ginger Snaps | 08/13/2023 | When a ginger teenager finally figures out a way to disappear her freckles, what will she do when freckles are suddenly popular? Fiction … | |
| Buying the Last Vacation Mile | 08/05/2023 | During a fun family vacation, the kids never seem satisfied. Should their father give in when they beg for souvenirs? Fiction short story … | |
| Gangnam Style Birthday | 07/29/2023 | Intending to give her young nephew a memorable birthday present, a young woman buys a Gangnam Style rideable toy motorcycle no one can … | |
| Target Practice for Lunch | 07/22/2023 | Rowdy visitors stop for lunch at an isolated Arizona ranch house and get a surprise when they attempt a little target practice. Fiction … | |
| Altered Color Perception | 07/15/2023 | After learning he is one of a small minority whose color perception is different, Ross Sandberg changes his whole outlook on life. For … | |
| Red Lobster Surprise | 07/08/2023 | Two rival sisters exchange birthday gifts. A Red Lobster gift card is not what it seems. Fiction short story with text and audio. | |
| Helpline Meltdown | 07/01/2023 | After a bad breakup, a helpline operator gives out her boyfriend’s number to angry customers and claims he’s the company president. Fiction short … | |
| Morning Officer | 06/24/2023 | Will going one mile per hour faster than a police officer provoke him to pull over a driver on a wide-open Wyoming highway? … | |
| Lost Treasure in Mexico | 06/17/2023 | Promise of lost treasure lures an arrogant spring break tourist off the beach and into a search. Fiction short story with text and … | |
| Waterslide Conquest | 06/10/2023 | On the last day of the summer, a girl gets her chance for a waterslide conquest at the waterpark. Will she take the … | |
| Perfect Proposal Arcade | 06/03/2023 | What is supposed to be a perfect proposal in an arcade does not go as planned. Will the relationship survive? Fiction short story … | |
| Goodbye Lizard King | 05/27/2023 | Will anything change one boy’s obnoxious lizard obsession? How much embarrassment will make him lose his fascination with creepy crawlies? Fiction short story … | |
| RV Park | 05/21/2023 | Exploring the wild American West in an RV sounds like the perfect summer trip for one British family. Are they ready for the … | |
| Seven Layer Glitch | 05/13/2023 | Bonus seven layer burritos are delivered by a glitch in a Taco Bell kiosk. How long will it last and how many burritos … | |
| Suburban Pirates of the Caribbean | 05/06/2023 | With a new pirate ship playhouse in their backyard, two kids set out to find a crew and plunder their entire suburban neighborhood. … | |
| Present Tense | 04/29/2023 | Three daughters meet their father for a birthday celebration. He must choose which of them is best at living in the present tense. … | |
| Trail Ride to Paradise | 04/22/2023 | After carrying a heavyweight tourist on a tropical trail ride, a horse snaps and makes a bid for freedom with a beach hermit. … | |
| Pre-flight Gamble | 04/15/2023 | When asked to give up their seats in exchange for gift cards, two airline passengers make a pre-flight gamble that the payoff will … | |
| MoMA’s Girl | 04/08/2023 | After a trip to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, a high school student decides to create her own art … | |
| Callsign Beet Man | 04/01/2023 | Returning to his college coffee shop, a fighter pilot shows why using callsigns does not work for civilians. Fiction short story with text … | |
| Zoo for You | 03/25/2023 | A boy’s favorite place to see animals is a taxidermy museum instead of a zoo. His motives are not as they appear. Fiction … | |
| Falling for an iPhone | 03/18/2023 | Crash detection by her iPhone14 disrupts a skier’s fun. How can she avoid being delayed by a visit from the ski patrol? Fiction … | |
| Psycho Cryptography | 03/11/2023 | After picking up a stranded motorist, a driver learns he is traveling with a psycho cryptography specialist? Will she uncover all his secrets? … | |
| Hammer Time Emergency | 03/04/2023 | Trapped on a hot roof, a solar panel installer faces a life-threatening emergency. Will he find safety with only a hammer? Fiction short … | |
| Unique Identity Crisis | 02/25/2023 | Two young women with the same unique name find each other through an email mix-up. What happens when they find their unique identity … | |
| Neighborhood Ramp Miracle | 02/18/2023 | The whole neighborhood helps build a ramp for a bully now confined to a wheelchair. No one expects the ensuing miracle. Fiction short … | |
| Dear Leader | 02/11/2023 | When given the chance to be a leader in the office a young employee follows some questionable advice on how to impress his … | |
| Galentine’s Day | 02/04/2023 | Single friends meet in a restaurant to celebrate Valentine’s Day or Galentine’s Day. Each may be holding back a secret. Fiction short story … | |
| Super Bowl Piranha | 01/28/2023 | Small business owners claim a piranha can predict the score of the Super Bowl. Will the fish bring them fame and fortune? Fiction … | |
| Hope During Airmaggedon | 01/21/2023 | Cancelled flights lead to holiday Airmaggedon in New York. Sharing the misery with new friends might help a young family. Fiction short story … | |
| Perfect Game | 01/14/2023 | Bowling is key to a corporate merger. Will a perfect game derail plans to impress partners? Fiction short story with text and audio. | |
| Family Photoshoot Winner | 01/07/2023 | Mom and dad have different favorite pictures after two family photoshoots. Whose picture will be chosen? Fiction short story with text and audio. | |
| Heavy Weight Resolution | 12/31/2022 | New Year’s brings weight resolutions to a group of coworkers. Will a pledge to gain weight work out? Fiction short story with text … | |
| No Cat for Christmas | 12/24/2022 | All two kids want is a cat for Christmas. Will something magical happen to grant their wish? Fiction short story with text and … | |
| Ice Cold Product Placement | 12/17/2022 | The holidays have become too commercial. Can you spot a real product placement in this story about a trip to the Ice Castles? … | |
| Strawberry Field Revolt | 12/10/2022 | Summer camp in a strawberry field was supposed to be fun and educational. Will the most eager camper lead a revolt? Fiction short … | |
| Full Comfort Class | 12/03/2022 | When taking their first flight in many years, will an older couple experience travel misery or travel in full comfort class? Fiction short … | |
| Time to Believe in Santa | 11/26/2022 | Santa is burned out and ready to quit. He questions whether even he can believe in Santa. Can Mrs. Claus save the day? … | |
| Gripestaking | 11/19/2022 | Two roommates decide to invent a new holiday – Gripestaking – and hide out from their families on Thanksgiving. Will the new holiday … | |
| Teen Boss of Raspberry Hill | 11/12/2022 | When a teenager takes charge at a family-owned water park, she becomes the teen boss of her grandparents. How will she handle their … | |
| Five Magic Gummies | 11/05/2022 | Are the magic gummies from the airport really the cause of such a drastic transformation? Can they turn an introvert into an extrovert … | |
| Ride the Rainbow Unicorn | 10/29/2022 | When his young daughter decides she wants to ride electric stuffed animals at the mall, a father must decide whether to ride along. … | |
| Smashing Cold Pumpkins | 10/22/2022 | Two inventors battle to see who will win the battle between indestructible pumpkin and irresistible annihilation. Halloween brings out creative mischief for all … | |
| Nicolas Cage Crypt Caper | 10/15/2022 | Guarding the cemetery containing the empty Nicolas Cage crypt is usually boring. Who would be crazy enough to break in at night? Fiction … | |
| Big Catfish Story | 10/08/2022 | Wanting to show up her law partners, a lawyer plans to bring home the biggest fish ever caught. But her catfish story is … | |
| Acing a Black Belt Test | 10/01/2022 | An adult karate student nervously anticipates his Black Belt test. Will achieving a black belt rank be the glorious achievement he imagines? Fiction … | |
| Duck, Duck, Google | 09/24/2022 | What after-work activity will unify a team of Google employees? A trip to the nearby, great outdoors proves more adventure than anticipated. Fiction … | |
| Job Interview Hack | 09/17/2022 | Will a young college student take her mom’s advice to land her dream job? A secret job interview hack might work for her. … | |
| Arresting the Sheriff’s Wife | 09/10/2022 | Pulling over the Sheriff’s wife might land a new deputy in big trouble. Should he let her go or stand his ground? Fiction … | |
| How to Coin a Phrase | 09/03/2022 | Meet the creative genius behind your favorite phrases. With an amazing ability to coin a phrase, is she claiming more credit than she … | |
| Good Riddance, College Girl | 08/27/2022 | After dropping off his daughter at UCLA, an unexpected connection helps a father realize how much he misses his new college girl. Fiction … | |
| Way Beyond Improv | 08/20/2022 | During his first school play, a young actor faces an agonizing choice to improv or stick to the script. Will he ever take … | |
| All You Can’t Eat Cruise | 08/13/2022 | Excited to be on a cruise ship for the first time, one passenger does not realize he has access to all the amenities. … | |
| Don’t Forget Your A-Game | 08/06/2022 | The desire to be the perfect soccer mom pushes one parent over the edge. Will she be able to bring her A-game when … | |
| Perfect Hawaiian Honeymoon | 07/30/2022 | Arriving for a Hawaiian honeymoon after a June wedding sounds ideal. How will the bride and groom react when Mother Nature has other … | |
| Gold and Silver Grandpa | 07/23/2022 | While trying to teach his clever granddaughter a lesson about the worth of gold and silver, a grandfather ends up getting a very … | |
| 1001 Shoes | 07/16/2022 | Love or shoes? As a solitary man’s shoe collection reaches a milestone, he makes a drastic choice about his life’s direction. Fiction short … | |
| Big Easy Ghost Stories | 07/09/2022 | To attract bigger crowds for her New Orleans tours, a tour guide passes off exciting ghost stories as historical facts. Will the truth … | |
| Mannequins and Poolies | 07/02/2022 | Rich and poor teenagers (poolies) collide on the deck of a country club pool. They find out first impressions don’t tell the whole … | |
| By The Dawn’s Early Light | 06/25/2022 | The 4th of July holiday triggers a weeklong neighborhood fireworks celebration. One man plans to take revenge for lost sleep. Fiction short story … | |
| Cash in Books | 06/18/2022 | An aspiring author gives her nephew and nieces her self-published books. A rich surprise waits inside, but will they find it? Fiction short … | |
| Need for Miami Speed | 06/11/2022 | During a family trip in Miami, a speed boat expert finds his skills put to the test. Can he recover from some unforced … | |
| Green Thumb Tomato Killer | 06/04/2022 | After questioning where their food comes from, a young couple makes a bet about who can grow the best tomatoes. But what keeps … | |
| H8 MY PL8 | 05/28/2022 | When a Texan relocates to Delaware, he orders a vanity plate to show off his Texas pride. His abbreviations quickly lead to embarrassment. … | |
| Three Little Graduation Pigs | 05/21/2022 | What starts as an innocent senior prank gets out of hand when three small pigs are kidnapped to spend the night in a … | |
| Twilight Zone Check-in | 05/14/2022 | After a late-night arrival, a tired traveler regrets what happens at a hotel check-in counter. His wish to replay the scene strangely plays … | |
| Top Gun Dad Part 2 | 05/07/2022 | During a Christmas visit to San Diego, a Navy pilot grows nostalgic about his time as a Top Gun on an aircraft carrier. … | |
| Final Exam Problems | 04/30/2022 | When a college professor gets worried about cheating in her class, she devises a new cheat-proof procedure for her final exam. She may … | |
| Gorilla Girls | 04/23/2022 | A teenager makes an unexpected gorilla friend when visiting a nearby zoo. Both become addicted to phone screens and something has to change. … | |
| Museum of Fakes | 04/16/2022 | Returning to the museum where she worked as a teenager, a history lover discovers a life changing secret. Fiction short story with text … | |
| State of Enchantment | 04/09/2022 | Friends and photography students look for the best pictures to enter into a New Mexico (Land of Enchantment) contest. The best photos are … | |
| Unretainable Retainers | 04/02/2022 | Lost retainers drive a parent crazy when his daughter needs braces. The retainers reappear as mysteriously as they disappear. Fiction short story with … | |
| Wolf Player and Coach | 03/26/2022 | A teenager coaches his team to victory in a church basketball tournament. Then his sportsmanship and leadership are questioned. Fiction short story with … | |
| Exotic Pet Store | 03/19/2022 | An eccentric rancher goes overboard when pets are allowed at his local supermarket in Southern Arizona. Whose is the most exotic pet? Fiction … | |
| Change in Seasons | 03/12/2022 | After moving to the Pacific Northwest, a visit from a college friend changes a young man’s perspective on the weather and his surroundings. … | |
| Big Rock Audition | 03/05/2022 | Will a hand written resume help during a first job interview (audition) at the rough and tumble Big Rock Trading Post in New … | |
| An Unloosed Seuss? | 02/26/2022 | When a new San Diego homeowner discovers what looks like a new Dr. Seuss manuscript, has she really uncovered a conspiracy? Fiction short … | |
| Dear Facebook | 02/19/2022 | After using Facebook ads to collect books for her students, a Texas teacher loses out on promised ad credits. She writes a letter … | |
| Tortilla Basketball | 02/12/2022 | During a first visit to a UC Santa Barbara basketball game, a graduate student from Bangladesh gets caught throwing tortillas on the court. … | |
| Sappy Modern Love Story | 02/05/2022 | Modern update to O. Henry’s Gift of the Magi love story. A newly married couple make ironic sacrifices on Valentine’s Day. Fiction short … | |
| Siri Don’t Take the Wheel | 01/29/2022 | After landing at SEATAC airport near Seattle, two friends drive around with Siri’s navigation help. They discover Siri needs a supervisor. Fiction short … | |
| A Star is Hatched | 01/22/2022 | Walking onto a stage for a church talent contest, a shy kid tries his hand at standup comedy. A surprise star in the … | |
| Help Number Unknown | 01/15/2022 | Two lost hikers refuse to answer a call from rescuers because they don’t recognize the number. Will they answer a number unknown? Fiction … | |
| Strong Armed Date | 01/08/2022 | A country girl gets overlooked during a dream date to a County Fair. Then her strong armed talents catch all eyes on the … | |
| Chasing Rocky | 01/01/2022 | After training for a sprint, a man returns to his Oklahoma roots for an annual race. He ends up chasing the aging town … | |
| Raining on the Rose Parade | 12/25/2021 | Caltech students attempt a Pasadena Rose Parade prank but the results are not as epic as planned. Fiction short story with text and … | |
| Ebenezer Lunch | 12/18/2021 | The office cheapskate misses out when his penny counting backfires spectacularly during an office lunch. Fiction short story with text and audio. | |
| Christmas Cookie Exchange | 12/11/2021 | After moving into a South Carolina neighborhood, a woman feels ambushed when asked to exchange Christmas Cookies. Then she realizes what the cookies … | |
| Goldfish Gift Swap | 12/04/2021 | A Wisconsin college student brings a creative gift to a holiday gift swap party. The gift ends up in some unexpected hands. Fiction … | |
| Top Gun Dad | 11/27/2021 | A young father awkwardly realizes his Top Gun costume is entirely wrong for what he thinks is career day at his child’s class. … | |
| Black Friday Fails | 11/20/2021 | A freezing early morning wait in line on Black Friday does not go as planned when the doors to the store open. Fiction … | |
| Thanksgiving Salon | 11/13/2021 | A Mississippi hair stylist meets a new client who happens to be related to an old client. Each client tells the same Thanksgiving … | |
| The Science of Purple Porches | 11/06/2021 | After seeing the blue porches in Key West, a woman from Indiana decides to paint her porch. She is soon in a struggle … | |
| Dating Cindy Crawford | 10/30/2021 | A previous fib about dating Cindy Crawford in his younger days comes back to haunt a husband during his birthday dinner in New … | |
| Saltwater Starlight Dog | 10/23/2021 | A family of isolated nomads living on the salt flats, surrounded by saltwater, are visited by a couple and their dog. Something has … | |
| Slytherin Halloween | 10/16/2021 | Attempts to trick kids into giving up Halloween candy using a Sorting Hat, Harry Potter, and Slytherin House membership produce mixed results. Fictional … | |
| Pumpkin Patch Skills | 10/09/2021 | A trip to a Halloween pumpkin patch and corn maze highlights the navigational skills of some visitors and creates desperation for others. Fictional … | |
| Weekend Smugglers Run | 10/02/2021 | A trip to Disneyworld on the opening weekend of the new Smugglers Run ride creates an ironic situation when a real life smuggling … | |
| Javelina Airlines | 09/25/2021 | A daredevil pilot takes his new son-in-law on the ride of his life, even landing on a road for a hitchhiker. Set in … | |
| Being Patrick Mahomes | 09/18/2021 | A Patrick Mahomes lookalike tries to take advantage in a Kansas City restaurant. He finds that being Patrick Mahomes has its plusses and … | |
| An Unforgettably Lucky Arrowhead | 09/11/2021 | A practical joke on a camping trip to Great Basin NP creates a treasured arrowhead keepsake. The innocent joke has long lasting consequences. … | |
| Too Fast and Just Enough Furious | 09/04/2021 | A fast, hotshot stunt driver working on a movie set learns that some of the most basic driving tasks can be the most … | |
| The Rise of Carrot Man | 08/28/2021 | An out of luck comedian in Las Vegas discovers his true calling in life is entertaining teens and tweens as Carrot Man. Fictional … | |
| Ice Cream Sandwiched | 08/21/2021 | A first summer job selling ice cream sandwiches in Tennessee leads to a sticky situation when the truck gets hijacked. Fictional short story … | |
| Impossible Vegetarian | 08/21/2021 | When a couple meets on a dating app, each is convinced they can change each other’s dietary preferences. Both get a vegetarian surprise. … | |
| Leaky Lawyer | 08/21/2021 | A hotshot young lawyer reconsiders his career choice after discovering the simple joys of plumbing. Fictional short story with text and audio. | |
| Breaking the Camelback | 08/21/2021 | A young woman discovers how difficult it can be to return a used Camelback backpack. She resorts to desperate measures she soon regrets. … | |
| Midnight Pickleball | 08/21/2021 | A pickleball obsession leads to late night games and some problems with the neighbors for a young couple in a Virginia neighborhood. Fictional … | |
| Missile Command by Hand | 08/21/2021 | A new officer at a missile launch site in Arizona discovers handwriting can be an important lost art and key to a successful … | |
| Forget the Alamo | 08/21/2021 | A San Antonio resident finds unexpected and unwelcome fame during his visit to a tourist hotspot next to the Alamo. Fictional short story … | |
| Pokémon Stop | 08/21/2021 | A family hike in Colorado turns into an unexpected adventure. A search for Pokemon surprisingly saves the day. Fictional short story with text … | |
| Sharma On the Ledge | 08/21/2021 | A fun story about a tour guide at the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz, California. Her normal tour is interrupted by a guest … | |
| Jetsons Radio | 08/21/2021 | A radio station owner tries to replace his DJs with a computer. He learns automation has pluses and minuses. Fictional short story with … |
What the Numbers in the Table Mean
The Sortable Table of Ironic Stories contains a list of the stories which have already been posted. Beside the title of the story is the date when it was first posted, how many visitors have clicked on the story’s page and two different star rankings. The first star ranking is for overall story quality and the second for how ironic a story is.
Star rankings are provided by readers. After reading a story, you are asked to rank it from 1 to 5 stars for overall quality and for irony level. Readers are also asked whether the story is believable. All funny short stories are fiction, but could they happen in real life? Reader responses are saved, averaged, and displayed in the table. The number in parentheses after a star ranking indicates how many readers have provided a ranking.
Staying In Touch
Please stay connected if you are a fan of any of the following: irony, humor, reading, listening to narrated funny short stories, listening to podcasts, rating things, laughing, visiting interesting webpages, weekly surprises. To make sure you stay in touch, you can follow this project on social media. Click on the links to find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube are shown at the top of the page.
You can also find us on almost any podcast platform. Links to some popular ones are found here: Podcasts.
You can also subscribe to receive a weekly reminder email message when a new story is posted: Subscribe. If you do decide to subscribe your email address will only be used for sending these types of messages, 100% guaranteed. If you have ideas for short stories, feedback, or questions, please visit the Contact page. You can submit messages using an online form. The page also provides an email address you can use for communications.
Frequently Asked Questions
When reading this page for the first time or when doing research about short stories, people often have many questions about how short stories are produced and what they are supposed to be like. Answers to some of these questions are shown below. Most of these answers are only opinions and should not be taken as fact. Additional information about the stories in this collection can be found on the About page for this website.
What's a Short Story Example?
Countless numbers of funny short stories exist. Two features distinguish a short story from other types of literature: first it should be short and second it should be a story. How short is short? A good rule of thumb for a short story is something between 300 and 5000 words. The stories in this website’s collection are all close to 2500 words. Anything longer than 5000 words is closer to a novella. After 15,000 words, you are looking at a novel.
What is something shorter than 300 words? Maybe a scene or impression. Almost a poem.
What elements does a story need? It should have characters and a plot. The characters should do something and there should be a conflict that needs resolution. Three classic short stories which are not part of this website are Jack London’s To Build a Fire, James Hurst’s The Scarlet Ibis, and Richard Connell’s The Most Dangerous Game.f
How Do I Write a Short Story?
Every author has their own creative process but a good place to start is thinking about the characters. The easiest characters to write about are people you already know. While you probably do not want to copy a character exactly, you can borrow personality and physical traits from the interesting people around you.
Once you have some interesting characters in mind, you need a plot. A plot usually involves resolving trouble the characters find themselves in or how they overcome some challenge. The easiest stories to write come from your own life. Ask yourself what trouble you have been in. What challenging thing have you tried to accomplish? Put the characters and the plot together and you have a story. Easy right? Not really.
If you would like some step by step pointers click here: writing advice.
When composing funny short stories for the 500 Ironic Stories collection, the best way to start is either by thinking of an interesting character, setting, or scenario. Then ask the question: What is the most ironic thing that could possibly happen with this situation?
What is the Best Short Story Every Written?
That is an almost impossible question. It does not have a good answer because every reader has different opinions and preferences. Different stories remind them of their own experiences. When something feels familiar, they tend to like it. But there are a couple of short stories that have become famous because they resonate with lots of people. They are also good examples of ironic stories.
One universally loved story is by renowned writer O. Henry and called The Gift of the Magi. The story is about a young couple who sacrifice for each other to buy Christmas gifts. They end up exchanging gifts that are no longer usable because of the sacrifices they made to buy them. An updated version of this story called Sappy Modern Love Story is available as part of the 500 Ironic Stories collection.
A second very good ironic story is called The Necklace, written by Guy de Maupassant. It tells of a woman who borrows what she thinks is an expensive necklace, only to lose it. She works for years to try and replace the necklace only to discover it was an inexpensive fake.
Where Can I Read Short Stories for Free?
That question is easy. Right here!
What is a Good Story for Kids from this Collection?
All stories in this collection are family friendly with subject matter and material that is safe for children. Some recommended stories with children as characters include Saltwater Starlight Dog and A Star is Hatched.
What is a Funny Story from this Collection?
Since irony is the basis of humor, most readers will find something funny in all these stories. Some particularly funny examples include Goldfish Gift Swap and Three Little Graduation Pigs. You might also like The Rise of Carrot Man, which is fun for the tween and teen crowd.
What is a Romantic Story from this Collection?
Many stories in this collection deal with interpersonal relationships, including the romantic relationship between couples. Two good examples include Strong Armed Date and the before mention Sappy Modern Love Story.
What is an Adventure Story from this Collection?
Many readers like stories packed with action and unpredictable plots. Two examples from this collection of stories include Javelina Airlines and Weekend Smugglers Run.
Who Writes the Stories in this Collection?
You might be curious about who is producing the stories in this collection and why. For more information about this, you can read the About page linked to this website. It will explain the origin for the project, why the website concentrates on ironic stories, and how the name 500 Ironic Stories was chosen.
Many new stories still need to be written. If you have ideas for new stories, please submit them on the Contact page, which also has information on an email address you can use for direction communication.