Open Novella Contest 2023
144 stories
Boots of Booty | ONC 2023 by guywortheyauthor
guywortheyauthor
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𝗟𝘂𝘀𝘁𝘆 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗹𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀. Steadfast paladin Séa and half-elf rogue Tash duck into an inn for a well-deserved sex marathon, but their carnal delights are interrupted by the king's guards. The king tosses the bewildered duo into the dungeons to rot. With a magical sending, their wizard friend Ghomarck begs a meeting. Additional skullduggery is afoot in the palace. An artifact that should never have been unearthed may have taken up residence there, bringing danger to the entire kingdom. The women must meet Ghomarck and crack whatever case he's discovered, but it won't be easy. They are newly declared outlaws, they have no gear, and they are imprisoned in a dungeon cell so tiny that Séa can't stand up straight without bumping her head. The story also features the titular boots, sexy succubi, addled royalty, a dimension door, magic mouths of at least two varieties, spider webs, an improvised cudgel, gratuitous nudity, invisibility, and a capitalized Shaggy Rabbit. I do hope you enjoy this lighthearted romantic FF adventure. ONC 2023, Prompt #31. Rated "Mature" for some racy bits.
Never Green | ONC 2023 by elmaloney
elmaloney
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ONC Shortlister 2023! There are few rules in the Kingdom of Kadotaru, and punishment is not kind, even for the young prince who wishes he was anybody else. Tied to the crown, to his family, to his kingdom, there isn't much he can do. He isn't born to bear the crown, to rule over all the creatures of Kadotaru, but it still haunts him. He never thought to break a rule, there was too much fear deep in his heart. He never thought to break any rules, until she was able to see him. Humans. Humans don't have true sight. They aren't seers, or creatures of Kadotaru. So why can she see him? Why does she reach out to help him? And why did he have to break Kadotaru's most sacred rule? ------------------------------------------------------- This novella will include extreme violence. There will be warnings at the beginning of the chapters that include this show of brutality, but do not reach this novella if you do not wish to read horrific scenes. For the Open Novella Contest 2023 | Cover designed by me | Prompt 62 Word Count - 38,637 RANKINGS: #44 in High Fantasy - 27/04/2023 #90 in Fae - 10/02/2023 #79 in Dark Fantasy - 10/02/2023 #09 in opennovellacontest2023 - 10/02/2023 © elmaloney 2023 | all rights reserved
Chained to the Alpha || ONC 2023 by SophieKestrel
SophieKestrel
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Stolen from her homeland by the ruthless alpha who killed her family, Princess Angharad will do anything to escape her mate bond and wreak vengeance on her captors. When a charming newcomer with a dangerous secret agrees to help her, Angarahad vows to destroy her mate bond by any means necessary -- even if it means making the perilous journey into Asgard and confronting the Fates themselves. ... Norse mythology meets Welsh mythology meets werewolves with a dash of romance.
Nightshade | ONC 2023 by aura_irene_
aura_irene_
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| Round 2 Winner & Ambassador's Pick | Nightshade. It's a name spoken only in whispers for fear that speaking it aloud will summon her. It's the air of death that hangs on the wind and lurks in shadows. It's a curse, a deadly blight that leaves pain, misery, and a single purple flower. Azalea is a weapon, forged in blood and pain. By night, she lurks in the shadows, using her skills to make a name for herself under the careful eye of the King of Assassins. By day, she's nothing more than a simple lady, a ward of a wealthy Lord. When a contract goes wrong, Azalea must use all of her skills to play a deadly game- one that leaves her in the midst of her enemies. Beneath her jewels and lace, a monster waits. But something far darker lurks on her horizon. |Prompts 33 & 62|
The House of Atreus | ONC 2023 Shortlist by amaranthine_dreams
amaranthine_dreams
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The House of Atreus bears a curse. One steeped in blood and nourished by decades of violence. Klytemnestra knew this when she married Agamemnon, but being a princess in Sparta doesn't leave you with much choice, though she longs for it. The Fates spin their threads impassively but all Klytemnestra wants, is to be free of the shackles that bound her. Iphigenia has always been the perfect daughter, the perfect princess, beloved by both her people and her father. With Greece on the brink of war, destiny chooses her to fulfil a higher purpose. But she might just have to sacrifice everything. Elektra is sick of being held down by those in power. Despite being a princess, she is living a life in poverty, one she didn't choose. But when her brother returns home after a long absence, she might just take matters into her own hands. *** Three women. Three secrets. Three tangled lives. *** This story is intended for an adult audience and features depictions of violence, murder and sexual encounters as well as mentions of rape, incest, cannibalism, and suicide. Cover design by AnnieRosebud * ONC 2023 Best Cover Award Winner * * Ambys 2024 Grand Favorite *
Merlin's Curse by ThePerfectChild13
ThePerfectChild13
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[8X FEATURED] Merlin is the greatest-eleven-year-old nerd the world doesn't know because his name has cursed him--he's all parts nerd and zero parts magic and all he wants is to be cool. When Merlin hacks a new encryption code designed to protect online banks, he receives a full scholarship to Code-X Academy and wins a new enemy who trolls him online as @WizardSlayer666, ruining all his plans for coolness. Merlin discovers new powers and deadly secrets at the academy--but can he figure out how to control his abilities in time to unravel the clues before someone else dies? To do so, he may need to learn that the best kind of cool is to just be yourself. 1st Place in the Hallow's Eve Astania Awards 10/31/2023 Featured by @SpeculativeFiction 9/13/2023 3rd Place in The Book Awards 9/6/2023 Featured by @lowfantasy 7/2/2023 WINNER ONC 2023 Spirit Awards: Against All Odds 6/30/2023 Featured by @WattpadWitches on 6/15/2023 Featured by @WattpaddDisney on 6/12/2023 Hit 2,000 reads! 5/31/2023 ONC 2023 Shortlister!! 5/31/2023 ONC 2023 Longlister!! 5/19/2023 No.8 Rank on "lowfantasy" tag 5/10/2023 No.1 Rank on "fittingin" tag 5/8/2023 No.1 Rank on "nerdy" tag 5/4/2023 No.24 Rank on "middleschool" tag 5/4/2023 Completed!!! 4/26/2023 ONC 2023 Round 3 Qualifier!! 4/19/2023 No.1 Rank on "middlegrade" tag 4/5/2023 ONC 2023 Round 2 Qualifier!! 3/21/2023 No.1 Rank on "speculative" tag 3/20/2023 No.4 Rank on "witty" tag 2/27/2023 No.3 Rank "ONC2023" tag 2/23/2023 Started 2/5/2023 WARNING: This middlegrade book touches on topics of cyber bullying, death, murder, identity, and has LGBTQ characters. PG Rating. The story is based on ONC 2023 contest prompt No. 47: You had a dispute with a cyberbully/keyboard warrior on social media. So you decided to step up and track down the account to confront. But you were shocked when you discovered who the person(s) is/are. BOOK COVER: I created the cover using Canva + staryai to create image of Merlin
The Bones Below by kgraves
kgraves
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Humankind has long since perished. But life goes on. Nature is slowly reclaiming the planet. A fire forces a young red fox named Kip to flee her den for the first time. Now alone and left half-blind, Kip must struggle to find refuge for herself and her two cubs. One thing is for certain: this nascent and feral world is just as dangerous as ever. --- ONC Prompt 13: You were at the wrong place, at the wrong time, and now you are running for your life! Cover art drawn by me.
Nemesis of Hell and Evil by SamWarmond
SamWarmond
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Hell is empty and all the devils are here Earth has been invaded by the demonic and humankind has been brought to its knees. It was beaten into me that tough times create strong men, and I guess I'm one of them, whether I like it or not. They call me the Nemesis and label me as the Vanquisher of Evil. I do not need or seek fancy titles, however, as long as I can do what has to be done. My steel heart doesn't delude itself into thinking I don't purport some manner of evil, but these desperate times call for drastic measures. Love can't save us from a horde of mindless beasts. Takes a monster to beat a monster, and I intend on being the bigger monster. Enough talk, though, it's time to kick some demon ass and drive these invaders away. Prepare to meet your worst nemesis.
The Cantonesia Caper by kth_disneyfanatic
kth_disneyfanatic
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[Bauhinia Legacy Series, Book 4.0] 🏅HONORABLE MENTION IN ONC 2023🏅 Written for the 2023 Open Novella Contest: It's easy to get away with crime in a packed, unruly and newly built city--Cantonesia: The Jewel of the Orient. That's what Amelia Yeung's family has been doing for decades. She's part of Cantonesia's most notorious and elusive mafia family, the Bauhinias. On Amelia's next mission, which involves the Governor of Cantonesia and his family, she makes a dangerous mistake that takes away her freedom. Thus, she is forced to make a deal with two formidable forces. But scandals and secrets await her wherever she goes, and Amelia unearths one that could damage the Governor's reputation. She begins to question the moral integrity of those around her as the situation unfolds. To make matters worse, government agents are on Amelia's trail. She knows if she's captured, it could be the end of the Bauhinias. Now Amelia has to evade the law and help them at the same time. Will Amelia be able to solve her Cantonesia caper? Or will the government get to her first? ****** ONC Prompts used: #15, 33, 75 ****** Accolades: 🥇1st: Best Writing in the Phoenix Mini Awards 🥇1st: Best Epilogue in the Starlight Mini Awards 🥇1st: Action/Adventure in the Serenity Book Awards 🥈2nd: Action/Adventure Genre in The Katana Awards 🥈2nd: Action/Adventure Genre in The Fluorescence Awards 🥈2nd: Best Antagonist in The Philosopher Awards 🥈2nd: Best Antagonist in The Ambrosia Awards 🥈2nd: Best Prologue in the Starlight Mini Awards 🥈2nd: Best Bright Cover in the Best Book Cover Awards 🥉3rd: Hidden Gems Category in The Phoenix Awards 🥉3rd: Action/Science Fiction in The Philosopher Awards 🏅Honorable Mention: Best Protagonist in The Ambrosia Awards 🏅4th in the Wonder Awards: Best Worldbuilding 🏅ONC Round 1 & 2 Qualifier 🏅ONC Longlister & Shortlister 🏅FEATURED on the ONC Ambassador's Pick Reading List 🏅FEATURED on APIFantasy ****** Cover by
Rich Boys, Bad Boys, and Me - ONC 2023 by BindingTies
BindingTies
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- ONC Contest - Shortlisted! - When millionaire Devon Orlando calls Avery out of the blue, insisting she take the job as singer at his exclusive club, what she wants to do is slap his gorgeous face. Instead, she accepts, swallowing her pride. For one thing, she needs the money. For another, there's a serial killer roaming the city targeting singers and she has no one else to protect her. But mostly, he was with her brother the night he died eight years ago and she still wants answers. Devon's club has one kind of member - rich and reckless men with money to spare and no fuck's to give for following rules, except for the one rule of the club: no one touches the girls who work there. Until now.