The 2026 Watty Awards celebrate Wattpad's storytellers and the readers who champion them. Whether you're aiming for a Grand Prize win or looking to join a reading event, this guide is your essential toolkit for success.

Lily thought it was just a dream. Every night, the same scream.The same fear.The same unknown woman begging for her life. But when the dreams start bleeding into reality...when voices call her name that no one else can hear...when she begins to lose time, memories, and control- Lily realizes something is terribly wrong. Is it a disease? Is it her mind breaking? Or is there... someone else inside her? As fear turns into truth, and truth turns into something far more dangerous,one question remains- What if the monster isn't outside... but living inside her own brain?

Mira Baskaran, a bubbly photographer from India, came to LA to chase her dreams and maybe a little adventure. What she didn't expect was, to land a job with Aiden Kane: ex-lead singer of a famous band, professional enigma, and certified nightmare of a boss. He's reserved, mysterious, and everything Mira isn't... yet somehow, impossible to ignore. She is convinced that, to create a perfect brand image for him, she needs to know everything about Aiden, including his past. But the more she uncovers, the blurrier the line between work and obsession becomes. Will her curiosity build her career or cost her everything?

Ever wondered why your mind works the way it does-or stumbled on a random fact that completely changed how you see the world? This book goes beyond psychology, diving into fascinating insights about human behavior, surprising truths about the body, intriguing places and countries, bizarre historical oddities, and mind-blowing facts about space. Some will make you think. Some will shock you. And some will stay with you long after you've read them. If you love learning things that make you pause and question everything, this is for you.

After she tragically loses her mother, Cassie turns to street fighting-but she soon learns that the biggest fights happen outside the ring. ***** Seventeen-year-old Cassandra Haynes has never been one to follow the rules. Constantly on the brink of expulsion at school, she doesn't care what anyone thinks about her. But when tragedy strikes and she is left alone to care for her little sister, Cassie needs to find a way to survive and quick. Without telling a single soul, she moves to the next city over and turns to the only thing she knows--the illegal sport of street fighting. As her fights get grittier and more dangerous, Cassie finds out that there are even more people out for her blood. She'll do anything to protect her little sister and some people are about to learn the hard way. Content and/or Trigger Warning: attempted suicide in Chapter 2. [[word count: 70,000-80,000 words]] Link to the sequel - https://www.wattpad.com/story/29778845-the-mystery-fighter-ii Cover designed by Ren T

It doesn't matter how she ended up in this four-walled room. What matters is she gets out. ***** After a night out in New York City, Liliana Rossi wakes up in a windowless room with no recollection of how she got there. And she's not alone. The dark and tattooed Mateo Aguilar is also held captive. As the two struggle to survive and hatch an escape plan, they also struggle with growing attraction toward each other, facing Lili with the biggest question yet: is Mateo the reason she's here, or the one who's going to save her? ✨ Wattys 2018 Shortlist & Featured Story ✨ Content warning: this story references themes that readers might find triggering, including drug use and sexual assault. [[word count: 60,000-70,000 words]] Cover designed by Stefanie Saw

A young woman must compete in a deadly televised competition, Grimm Games, to ensure her twin sister survives. Season 1 of Grimm Games ***** When twenty-year-old social activist Kam Wendall discovers her name among the contestants of the deadly television competition Grimm Games, she's stunned to realize her estranged twin sister, Millie, has stolen her identity to compete. Determined to save her sister, Kam enters the contest. At a secret and isolated location, they compete against others through nightmarish sets, perilous escape rooms, and sinister puzzles, and must outsmart the sadistic Grimm entities stalking them. Amidst the twisted challenges, can Kam and Millie rebuild their fractured trust all while evading the diabolical forces at play? And would even that be enough to help them survive the Grimm Games and emerge victorious? *** "Oh, I understand." I didn't blink as I spoke. "But the only way I'm ever stepping foot inside your set is if you force me." "Our contestants are volunteers," Ms. Holle went on. "We've always run the games that way and forever will. We're not accustomed to forcing anyone to partake, and that opportunity will be extended to you too."

[The Official English Translation of 'Necromancer Academy and the Genius Summoner' ('네크로맨서 학교의 소환천재') is Here!] A hundred years after the brutal war between Necromancers and Priests, the world enjoys an uneasy peace. But everything changes when a boy inherits his father's legendary undead army and enrolls at Kizen, the most prestigious necromancer academy in the world. He sends shockwaves through the magical world with a single question: "Am I just unique, or actually talented?" He's not just gifted. He's a cheat-level summoner with infinite potential, the kind of anomaly the research community never saw coming. Professors are desperate to take him on as a disciple, kingdoms are racing to recruit him, and all the while, he's innocently asking, "Professor, when can I summon a Lich?" A new force has emerged, and one thing is clear: a genius like no other is about to rewrite the rules of necromancy. *** Weekly updates on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. *** Text copyright © Volley/KWBOOKS Illustration copyright © SIK First published in Korean by KWBOOKS English translation copyright © INFINICTION Translator: StaceySRK /INFINICTION All rights reserved.

In order to go on holiday with their friends, mortal enemies Kai and Joey make a pact to be civilized with each other for the entire duration of the stay. Joey already thinks this is going to be the hardest thing she's ever had to do in her life...and then she learns that they have to share a room. Standalone in the Just One Kiss series *** When her friends decide to plan a group holiday for the summer, Joey Winters doesn't expect the one person she hates the most to be a part of the plan, and she certainly won't let being around Kai Rutherford affect her rules: never forgive, never forget, and never fall in love. Not only does she have to breathe the same air as him, she's expected to share a room - and a bed - with him too. Determined to make this work, Joey and Kai enter into a pact: they have to be civilized with each other all summer. If they don't, their friends will force them to stay in the creepy cabin included in their rental. Alone. Between passive aggressive compliments, late night arguments, and moments of confusing sincerity, Joey starts to wonder if she's had Kai wrong all along. And, just maybe, her friends will finally find out why she really hates him.

Whether you're a seasoned storyteller or a first-time writer, our ONC Writing Tips are here to guide you on your journey. Prepare for the ONC with expert advice and inspiration - your legendary story starts here!