Open Novella Contest 2026

When everything is stopped with a big old full stop. What would life be? Where there is no birth nor death, simple because everything seemed to be frozen in time. You wake up one day, and this is the reality you face; everything around you is frozen in time. The clouds hang motionless in the sky. Cars are suspended mid-crawl. Birds remain trapped in the air. The world has stopped but you haven't. Or have you? Are you truly the only one still moving... or is your mind playing tricks on you? This is what happens to Penny Ming, an ordinary office worker, when she wakes up one seemingly normal morning, only to find that time itself has abandoned everyone but her. (First Draft) . Open Novella Contest (ONC 2026) Prompt: 42. One morning, time simple refuses to move forward and you're the only one who can still move while the ret of the world stands frozen. . If you see this elsewhere, please let me know.

Briar Black isn't used to the domestic life. She's used to guns, violence, and ruthlessness. But after meeting Léna, the most beautiful woman she's ever laid her eyes on, she picked up the most unexpected job for a woman in her profession: being a nanny to a feisty little girl whose gorgeous mother is running a mysterious business. It's funny how life turns out, isn't it? Briar has no idea how she got here, but she is slowly learning to enjoy the ride. Unicorn stickers, keeping her other life a secret, tantrums, more secrets and romantic tension with her new boss, and all. ...Wait, what was that last bit?

"Dreams? Everyone dreams. Who doesn't?" I used to say. Anyone who loves sleeping would probably agree. But what if your dreams weren't normal? What if they led you to something- or someone- who could change your fate forever? Would you still dare to dream... or would you choose to stay awake?

An entry for Novella story for 2026 Prompt 79. A letter arrives addressed to you, written by someone who shouldn't exist. A letter arrived this morning. It was from Nancy Drew. I was unwittingly plunged into a real-life Nancy Drew mystery-like it or not.

Life isn't fair, and some have accepted that. I haven't. Some seem to be in charge, while others can never stand up for themselves. That can also be done differently. The hierarchy is cracking, more and more with each passing day. Vaméa and Roche live in the same world, yet their position couldn't be further apart. One is a predator, the other prey. Both carry a hidden agenda when fate forces them together. It is time to break the system before it breaks them. According to prompt 45. Kings have honor, soldiers are brave, poets have hearts, and all I have is rage!

In a world trapped in an unending darkness, Devin must fight exhaustion and time itself to find his sister as the shadows grow smarter and those who surrender to sleep become something that hunts the survivors. .. When the sun vanished, time stopped. Hunger, wounds, and exhaustion accumulate without relief. Sleep becomes dangerous. Surrender and you might not wake up human. Devin Pierce has been awake for days. Maybe weeks. It's hard to tell anymore. He's learned how to stay still, ration light, and ignore the voices that sound like people he once knew. Because the darkness is not empty. It watches. It learns. And the things moving inside it remember what they used to be and how to use that. As Devin's body begins to fail and the night presses closer, he must decide how much of himself he's willing to lose to see another hour - to find his little sister - before exhaustion makes the choice for him. If there's one thing he cannot do, it's fall asleep. Prompt 97 Rated Mature for descriptions of gore and psychological elements. Reader discretion is advised. Cover by TrashyM