Open Novella Contest📝
14 stories
Goddess Given || ONC 2026 by Francie_Clem
Francie_Clem
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    Votes 86
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    Parts 9
A forgotten amulet. A whisper of fate. A princess it commands, but at what cost? Maela, princess of the Seelie Court, can't sit through court affairs to save her life. To avoid another royal meeting, she takes a new path through the forest, stumbling upon ancient ruins. The secret within their shattered walls sets her on a path she must find the answer to--before it's too late. Main prompt: ~ 93. Buried beneath the ruins lies an artifact that whispers memories of an ancient being. The first memory it reveals is a warning and it's meant for you. Sub prompts: ~ 16. =And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul= Quote by John Muir ~ 11. The daughter of the most powerful witch(changed to Fae) is nothing like her mother. ~ 104. While wandering in the woods, you dismiss the rustling behind you as nothing more that wind through the trees until you turn around and realize it isn't the wind at all.
The Key and the Nymph ONC 2026 by TalleFey
TalleFey
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    Votes 18
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    Parts 4
"Vespera has a legacy name she needs to live up to, but when the Nymph from the forest demands to be freed, Vespera proves she is not the witch her mother had tried to mould her into." Vespera is the daughter of the Great Witch who locked the Nymph away in the forest. For most of her life, she's been unable to live up to her mother's legacy. When the dark creatures burst into the Warden's Castle, she's forced to step it up and fulfil her duties. At the same time the voice of the trapped wood nymph lures Vespera into the forest, demanding to be freed. With each secret uncovered, Vespera keeps asking herself who the real monsters are in this story. Getting closer to the nymph, in more ways than one, she's faced with choices she never thought she'd have to make. Vespera is determined to find out the truth, even if it will cost her the love of her family and friends. ONC 2026 | Written in third-person POV
Root and Ruin | ONC 2026 ✔️  by EvelynHail
EvelynHail
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    Votes 585
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    Parts 16
She is sent to kill the dragon. Instead, she might become his only salvation. *** In a world swallowed by the Ever-Dark, Iva Vernigora is nothing more than a lowly servant in the house of the cruel Voivode Yakub Ivanov, Duke of Highroot. But when Voivode blackmails her with the lives of her parents, Iva is forced to pretend she's his daughter, as she infiltrates the royal academy of magic - Kolegium. Voivode Yakub's order is absolute: poison the Prince Konstantin Veliki. Prince Konstantin is the heir to the throne, the last of the line of Dragons - a Zmey warrior of light, who was blessed with a dragon-shifting gift. At a first glance, he is nothing but a smug, pompous royal, and everything Iva is supposed to hate. Yet every touch, and every shared lesson at Kolegium blurs the line between the enemy she must kill and the man she is beginning to crave. While Iva stalks her prey as a knife in the dark, waiting for the chance to extinguish Konstantin's light, she discovers that the dragon everyone fears is the only thing standing between humanity and the void. As the Ever-Dark Shades rise, Iva must make an impossible choice. Will she carry out her sinister orders and secure her parents' freedom, or will she stand by the Dragon in the battle for the world's last light? *** The Shades are coming. The Dragons are falling. And the Eternal Spark is waiting for its host. © 2026 EvelynHail Exclusively on Wattpad Based on prompts: 97. "When the world slips into endless darkness, something begins to move in the shadows and you must find a way to survive in a night that never ends." 4. "You discover that the dragon everyone fears is in danger, and you are the only one who can save it from the knight sworn to slay it ."
Veil Of Shadows [ONC 2026] by CShiauJing
CShiauJing
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    Reads 210
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    Votes 18
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    Parts 6
Inez Xue Ran, an escapist, found herself tucked between the pockets of the living, the dead and a past. Faced with the surge of reality, Inez clawed her way for survival as her reputation preceded the mask she had put on for two years. Caught between the polished lover, Julian Wei Chen and the elusive jewel, Rahel Valies Seo Xuan, Inez was forced to explore the depths of the seas she so carefully tucked away in the attic of her heart and soul. The fragments of her past began to unravel at the least expected moments of her life, forcing her to commit to herself. As the battle trampled further into her life, Inez realised that more events were boiling close to her than her past. Blinded by the comfort offered to her, Inez knew she had to place her trust in the right person to secure her future. A past exposed to be vindicated only by law. Will she choose the polished lover or the elusive jewel? || This story can be found only on Wattpad and is written in conjunction with the Open Novella Contest 2026.||
Emberfall - ONC 2026 by Space_Queen_Q
Space_Queen_Q
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    Votes 422
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    Parts 18
She wakes with missing hours, a burning imprint carved into her shoulder, and no memory of who put it there. Nyxara Blackvein is an assassin who survives by control. Control over her body. Her blades. Her choices. But the mark beneath her skin has a will of its own, pulling her toward Stillreach-a city protected by an impossible shield and a power no one dares to name. Torin Cross was never part of the plan. A half-elf bard with a charming smile and secrets of his own, he's headed in the same direction for reasons that don't quite add up. When violence forces them to fight side by side, trust forms before either of them is ready for it. Whatever waits in Stillreach is already watching. ONC 2026 Prompts used. 32. Two assassins from rival organizations are sent on the same secret mission, only to realize the assignment holds a much bigger truth. 86. A wasteland hides pockets of thriving communities protected by mysterious shields. 99. You wake up with a strange mark on your skin after a late-night encounter you can barely remember, and its meaning grows more unsettling by the hour.
Die Trying! by avenbleak
avenbleak
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    Parts 11
Mr Shade just ruined the future. At Saul les Smith, the metrics are blank, the staff is unhinged, and a dream city under the sea is still due by morning. As authority turns feral and professionalism becomes a weapon, survival means breaking the future everyone else is working overtime to build. ONC 2026. Prompt 97: When the world slips into endless darkness, something begins to move in the shadows and you must find a way to survive in a night that never ends.
Susurra Sapientiae: Whispers of Wisdom  by SilviaKrpatova
SilviaKrpatova
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    Parts 14
My entry for the ONC 2026.
Dark Heart, Bright Eyes |ONC 2024| by Jagermeanshunter
Jagermeanshunter
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    Parts 10
Zara Morrigan didn't really expect to get accepted into Belmare, the premier university of magic in Oclia. After all, the entire world already knew the heir to Family Morrigan didn't have any magic of her own. She had only applied to please her mother. It was really more a private joke than anything...until the arrival of the acceptance letter. Now, Zara must survive monsters, magic-users and school politics. Not to mention mounds of homework. Frankly, she would rather face murder charges than attend her mother's alma mater. But when students really do start dropping dead, Zara must fight to clear her name. Belmare wasn't meant for the weak. Incredible cover made by lovely Aria
Love, Dad |  THE AMBYS 2025 Grand Favorite ✔️ by EvelynHail
EvelynHail
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    Votes 716
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    Parts 19
|CROSSROADS x LEAP YEAR | Eighteen-year-old April Lewis flees her troubled home, desperate to escape her emotionally distant, controlling mom, and seek out her dad. Little does she know a chance encounter with her classmate will take her on a cross-country ride: a journey that will change April's life forever. A venture that will lead her down a path of self-discovery and unexpected love. *** When eighteen-year-old April Lewis' mom walks around like a zombie, evades all attempts to talk and controls her every move, April decides she's had enough. She leaves home one warm summer evening with nothing but a yellow backpack filled with her coveted dad's letters he's been sending her for the past months, and some bare necessities. She's determined to seek him out and go live with him down on the West Coast, where he has a temporary job. The last thing April expects is almost being hit by a car. The owner of the vehicle? Her classmate, Dave Rivera, a troubled boy whom she almost never talked to before, and who can't be more different than her. After making sure April is just a little banged-up, Dave strikes a deal with her: he'll help her get to the West Coast free of charge, as long as she doesn't report him to the cops. The two embark upon a road trip from NY to LA, navigating through stunning landscapes and meeting a colorful cast of characters. While sharing life stories and exchanging experiences, armed with the wisdom from her Dad's letters, April and Dave discover that they are a lot more alike than they originally thought. The journey slowly becomes more important than the destination, and their path takes an unexpected turn when a shocking secret comes to light. © 2024 EvelynHail Exclusively on Wattpad Based on prompt 4! Which is (I shan't leave ye hanging :P): "When life gives you balloons, you fly up into the sky."
Day-Lynx (EDITING) by michh_44
michh_44
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    Parts 23
After Death offered him another chance in life, a young artist struggles to live between two worlds: the human one where he fulfils his banal duties as an unknown artist and the supernatural world where he lives as a notorious beast whose head is hunted by countless masses. *** The Day-Lynx, a malformed lynx-like beast in Borealm Woods, has never done the Mountkirk locals harm. But the beast has become infamous among the citizens of the realm, leading both the villagers and outsiders to hunt it down and end its reign, even if they have to get their hands dirty. For years, it haunts the daydreams and nightmares of not only children, but even the toughest adults as well. When a bad incident strikes one of the villagers and involves the beast, the hunt for it ravages more than ever. However, some people are against the plan, including Rozell, an indie paintgrapher who's eager to portray nature in a more positive light. But only time can decide if his defiance can last long enough. And in the end, only the villagers can determine whether Rozell is only trying to avoid unnecessary trouble, or if he has chosen to save the beast instead of himself. • ONC 2021's Longlist Ambassadors' Pick and Shortlist Qualifier • 3rd Place in Fantasy - The Lucent Awards • 926/81.4k in Paranormal (October 2nd, 2021) • Featured in Gems Under 1k (July 2021) by Wacky Writers • Featured in More Than the Eye Can See (March 2022) by Speculative Fiction The surreal cover's credit goes to @Laentheon and her graphic shop, A Matter of Time.