❝live. compete. fall in love.❞ Avery Sharma-Miller has absolutely nothing left to lose, and she is determined to make the most of the final year of her master's degree. Unfortunately for Avery, she cannot be rid of Daniel Ward, her longtime academic rival. (Daniel, the nicest guy in their department, who just seems to hate her) (Or does he?) ₊˚‧︵₊୨ᰔ୧₊︵‧˚₊ open novella contest entry started: 09 feb 2026 ended:

Aerin Kingsley had thought she had seen the last of Westin O'Bryan after graduating high school and moving on from their petty rivalry to bigger and better things. And after four long years of countless all-nighters, developing a serious coffee addiction, and focusing on nothing but getting perfect grades, she has finally landed herself in New York City at her dream internship. But little did she know what was waiting for her on her first day. Westin O'Bryan had put Aerin Kingsley and his hometown in his past after high school and moving on to play college football. But with a twist of fate, and a little help from his charming personality, Westin finds himself doing a complete 180 and making a move to New York for an internship and hopefully some excitement in the big city. Not knowing the kind of excitement he would be getting was more than he bargained for.

Two teachers. Two rivals. Two hearts. Poppy Newman, an English Literature teacher, has worked at Twin Oaks Academy for the last six years. When she finds out that Logan Matthews, her high-school rival, is going to become her new colleague she can't quite believe it. With his classroom next door, there really is no avoiding him, and when the head teacher announces a competition, in order to get the A-Level students more engaged with their learning, their rivalry is sparked back into life. And with competition comes something unexpected: the students shipping their two English teachers. Will Poppy and Logan see each other beyond the competition, or will they just focus on being number one? *** This story was originally written for the ONC 2026, but this version complete with a new cover has been updated and rewritten for the Wattys 2026.

The days pass by quickly, but Val starts to spiral slowly. Can't sleep at night, but can barely stay awake during the day. Missing appointments and classes. Eventually, an old friend starts to visit to lend a helping hand on Val's bad days. Note: This is a psychological fiction short story through the perspective of someone with depression.

Sixteen-year-old Nova Jones is not here for kale smoothies, cowboy boots, or her mom's endless "wellness alignment" BS. Dragged to a The Blue Moon Ranch in British Columbia for her mom's year-long instructor gig, Nova has to survive horses, awkward guests, and realizing what she's always suspected: that her mom's entire wellness persona might be a giant fraud. Then there's Sawyer Cassidy, the ranch owner's son: handsome, quirky, and allergic to pretending. Somehow, he gets Nova in a way nobody else does, which is both confusing and exhilarating. Funny, messy, with all the feels, Becoming Nova is about family, identity, and figuring out who you are when everyone around you is faking it.

Hridaya and Ruhi, childhood friends, functioned on the belief that things would remain the same forever for them as long as they held onto each other tightly; but with changing feelings, ever shifting throughout their decades of friendship, they have to reckon with the fact that some things are bound to slip through their fingers and the only way is through.

It's 2050 and the church has created a zombie apocalypse: a serum stabbed in one's spine to give you wings and put you in an ungodly amount of pain. And now it's Eden Cain and her friends' job to try to stop it. zombie apocalypse original fiction oc x oc @magichaunts 2025

Leith Dyer is a columnist at successful online magazine Marigold. After two years of writing low-stake lists and occasionally helping to create a crossword puzzle or two, Marigold's editor-in-chief thinks it's time for Leith to write her first actual column - also known as an 'in'-piece - for this year's summer editions. The catch? The column has to be a witty, swoon-worthy commentary on today's dating market, with the red string tying everything together being nine first dates. For someone who's never dated before, that's a lot. But Leith seems to have no choice. In the midst of publicity chaos, online opinions, ship-wars and trying to hone her craft, Leith decides that the only way to not completely embarrass herself for all of the internet to see, is to take on a character. But when the success of her column starts to spiral out of control, the lines between the character Leith, the person Leith, and the columnist Leith start to blur. How much of her is real, and how much is fictional? And when it all comes down to it, which of these nine men even know the real her? A contemporary workplace romance about visibility, authorship, and the uncomfortable truth that some stories don't stay within the boundaries you set for them. New chapters every monday! Achievements :) #1 in firstdates #1 in cerebralpalsy #3 in freeyourbody