Opennovellacontest Stories

{2026 Open Novella Contest Longlist} {Ranked 1 in #opennovellacontest (7/15-7/17)} {Ranked 1 in #onc2026 (7/15-7/16)} {Ranked 1 in #bandmembers (5/1-7/18)} {Ranked 1 in #songwriting (4/22-6/30)} {Ranked 1 in #drummer (5/1-6/30)} {Ranked 2 in #guitar (5/12-6/30)} {Ranked 6 in #nostalgia (6/11-7/16)} {Ranked 6 in #pining (6/28-6/30)} {Ranked 8 in #romance-friendship (6/11-6/30} {Ranked 9 in #selfdiscovery (6/11-6/30)} "𝘔𝘴. 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴" 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳-𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘸 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 - 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭, 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰. Althea has always considered herself unlucky in love. What she never realized was that love had been circling her for years, just slightly out of step. On her thirtieth birthday, the four-man band who shaped her youth arrive late (as always). One confession breaks the careful silence they've kept for years, forcing the past into the present and cracking open a decade of almosts. They chose friendship because it was safer. They stayed professional because it was necessary. And sometimes... life, simply and tragically, got in the way.

Aunt Mabel is dead, found lying amongst her daisies in her garden. Two eyes anxiously watch over her. The police arrive, but questions soon crop up. Is it actually Aunt Mabel? And who or what did it? A wild animal? A person? A baby dragon? Something strange is afoot in the Auntie's garden and it's up to Officer Holt Martinez, Estelle, and her cousin Julia, to figure it all out before it's too late. Little does she know that an unplanned trip to the Dragon's Lair Bookshop will upend everything she thought she knew about life, this world, and those beyond. * Respectfully submitted to Wattpad's Open Novella Contest 2026, under prompt #3, with subtle influences from prompt #41.

{ ROUND 3 ONC2026 QUALIFIER } 🏅 { ONE OF THE NANO WATT 2026 LONGLISTER }🎖 ~~~~~~~~~~~ -•-•-•-•-•-•-•-• -•-•-•-• Five years. Five failures. One broken promise. When Hari leaves Samastipur for the jagged skyline of Mumbai, he thinks he has already lost everything. He is wrong. To survive the "city of illusions," he must lose his ego, his past, and his privacy. In the dark belly of a warehouse, amidst the smoke and the steel, he encounters the people the world forgot and the one man who leaves footprints on his heart that change the path of his life forever. A tale of sacrifice, struggle, and the search for a foothold in a world that never stops moving. ******* One request I did like to make- please do not copy, repost, or plagiarize this work in any form. This story is personal, and it took time, effort, and heart to write. Copyright © February 2026- Prosperion X. ❣️Happy Reading ❣️

After a year spent healing at St. Francis Mental Hospital, Neillah must piece together the life she was forced to leave behind without getting caught. ⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠄⠂☆ When Neillah Thomas is released back into society she expects her family and friends to have moved on--not believe she's dead. Convinced it was for the best, her mother assures her temporary grief was better than long drawn hardship that could only end in pain, keeping her wellbeing a secret from everyone, but also single-handedly cutting off Neillah's entire support system. Sworn to secrecy, she attends college at her dream school only to find her former friend group in shambles. Between the cold stares, scathing retorts, and literal evasion, Neillah is shocked to find her first crush is a loner and that hot-headed best friend of hers? He seems to be staring in her direction a little too long. Clinging to her promise to remain out of sight, Neillah stubbornly fights for the closure they all deserve and answers she never got, no matter the cost. | An Open Novella Contest Entry | | Cover by the Amazing @Caralogues |

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Cal Porter is Highridge Secret's golden boy. Agile, accurate, and impossible to ignore, he's the striker everyone cheers for. Kess Caldwell is FC Iron Row's wall. She doesn't care how popular Cal is. If he gets close to her goal, she's taking him down. In the Barefield League, cleats are banned during play, and co-ed rivalries get messy fast, both on and off the pitch. Cal and Kess are sworn enemies. Little do they know, their rivalry will lead somewhere they least expect. The more they fight, bicker, and tease each other, the harder it gets to pretend it all still feels like hate.

The elders promised Violet, a self-described "scrappy" wolfling, that her metamorphosis into a full-fledged werewolf would reveal her purpose within monstrum society's strict hierarchy. Little did they know, that purpose would be to tear the whole thing apart, one bite at a time. Bite is a humorous and raw exploration of shame, exploitation, and feminine rage. Trigger warning: This novella deals with mature themes, including sexual misconduct, corporal punishment, discrimination, and child abuse.

Ian has always had very vivid dreams that feel like memories. Seeing people she's never met before and even places she has never been to before. Her therapist told her that there are just dreams and not memories. She performances hypnosis to help her shut out her memories. But not all dreams have disappeared. The moment she arrives in a town called "Zoey." Upon her arrival, she continues to be mistaken for Anna. But the question is: Who is Anna?

If you got anyone to describe Jessie Reynolds-Somber in one word, it would be 'lucky.' She survived childhood leukemia (twice), has the best friend-slash-roommate in the world, and she's studying something she loves at the university she's forever adored. But not even November can describe why she feels so incomplete, as though she's forgotten to do something she'll never get a chance to do. Why she feels like she's failed---no, worse, like she's a failure. [FORMERLY AN ENTRY FOR THE 2026 ONC]

In darker not so distant times, monsters ruled the land. They hunted the dark. They swallowed villages whole. No village was safe. No traveler dared walk after dusk. Humanity lived in the shadow of fear-until the Colossus appeared, giants among the land who rose and drove the horrors back with their strength and shimmering magic. In gratitude, The Choosing was born, a ritual of service and submission for the Colossus. Each year, a handful of names are called. Most return home. Some do not. Much depends on which Colossus family presides-some take out of greed, others for duty alone. One thing is known, and it is the ancient Amdir, known for mercy above all, almost always return those they select, never bringing them away from the borders of the towns. Galen, a quiet apothecary with a bad leg and a talent for calming brews, has lived a peaceful, unnoticed life, preferring to remain overlooked, and has always trusted in the mercy of the Colossus. He tends herbs, minds his work, and raises his ward, Lira-a girl prone to nightmares and fainting spells, one he would protect with his last breath. With his young ward, Lira, he dwells at the forest's edge, rising early to gather herbs and hoping each day passes as quietly as the last. That is until The Choosing. When Galen's name is called at The Choosing, he steels himself for sacrifice. When Lira's is called moments later, his world unravels. Reasons as to why they were chosen arise, and long kept secrets are soon revealed.

When Teia Cloto travels to Naples, Italy, hoping to steady a life already quietly unravelling, the last thing she needs is a blind date that turns into an easy, unexpected friendship. Alden instantly makes the city feel strangely familiar in ways Teia didn't know she needed. Drawn deeper into Naples' ancient past and her own unsettling sense of déjà vu, the line between coincidence and destiny begin to blur. Staying friends is simpler. But Teia must confront whether destiny is a story we inherit, or one we choose to rewrite, no matter the cost. Water and Sand is a contemporary love story that reimagines the myth of Theseus and Ariadne, where love is a labyrinth and friendship feels like the safest way out. #ONC2026 contest. Story is complete. Prompt 24: Staying as friends is meant to be safe, but that doesn't mean it's the path you're meant to take; Prompt 28: Self-love often starts small, like planting a seed. With time, patience, and a bit of light, it will grow; and Prompt 29: You meet many people in your life. Many will come and go, but some will leave footprints on your heart.

**WATTYS 2025 HONOURABLE MENTION** Cas and Vish are best friends whose feelings run deep. Whilst Cas is clever, sporty, and on the brink of a bright future at university, Vish has no such prospects. A painfully shy artist, Vish's horizons end at his daily routine of pills, sensory issues and panicking parents. When they celebrate what could be their final summer together by painting wildlife and swimming at a secret wooded wetland hidden in the Fens, the lads awaken something ancient and sinister lurking in the water. A voice in Vish's head -- Charlie -- tempts him to spend longer and longer in the woods. When villagers begin to disappear and Vish becomes increasingly secretive and distant, Cas is convinced that Charlie intends to claim Vish, body and soul. Lies, heartbreak and obsession push their friendship to breaking point, but nothing will stop Cas from protecting Vish from Charlie's onslaught, not even a fight to the death. --- This book started life as an ONC 2025 prompt: 105. Your childhood imaginary friend who disappeared years ago returns - only this time they're real.

Back in her painfully small town for her 10-year high school reunion, Lenore Davis must reckon with being stuck around her first heartbreak, Morgan Whitaker. *** Ten years after her high school graduation, commitment-avoidant Lennie Davis has only come back to Perkins at her best friend's insistence. There's not much she misses about high school - aside from maybe her old metabolism. So, a high school reunion? Full of people she couldn't wait to get away from? People she intentionally avoided for a decade? Not her idea of a fun getaway. Also not her idea of a fun getaway? Continuously running into her first girlfriend, first love, and worst heartbreak, Morgan Whitaker. Things ended poorly between the pair of them (to put it lightly), and time certainly hasn't healed their wounds. Still, as their paths continue to cross, Lennie can't help but wonder: are these sparks she feels with Morgan? Or is she clinging onto faded memories of the only good relationship she's ever had? *** Contains 18+ content. Viewer discretion advised. Cover image sourced from FreePik.

Malise is given one last chance to prove herself, or else, she'll be kicked out of her coven. And the world isn't safe for a witch on her own. Elvira hates witches and her only goal is to find a cure for her sister's magic. But when she gets put on trial for witchcraft herself, it changes everything she thought she knew. Enemies, and yet, they slowly find themselves bewitched by each other. This is my entry for the Open Novella Contest 2021, using the prompt: "On occasion, an accusation of witchcraft has the power to set one on a wonderful, dangerous path."

The last thing Maya wanted was to get caught up in a rivalry within the underground world. Mason, her childhood friend, was supposed to be the one she brought home. Not a crime lord with eyes too calm for a man in handcuffs. She didn't plan to start a war. She didn't plan to be hunted... And she definitely didn't plan to fall for him. But some disasters don't destroy you. Some look at you like you're the only thing in a burning room worth saving. And she's starting to realize... she might be his disaster too. #ONC26 #No. 51

When you think of vampires, you probably think of Dracula or--shudder--Edward Cullens. You know what I mean: the romanticized, sexy version of a vampire. The one with sparkly skin and a charismatic compulsion. Hot. Sexy. Let's be real here, Gary Oldman really set the bar, right? But what fiction doesn't tell you is that being a vampire is messy and, quite frankly, HARD. It's ugly and lonely, and don't even get me started about tracking down blood. I'm wanted in every province (ever hear of the Bloody Killer? Yeah, that's me. Totally lame serial killer moniker, by the way, RCMP). I didn't have the choice to turn into a vampire, but, boy, did my creator pick the wrong person. Out of control, clumsy, drunk, messy, blah, blah, blah. You get the idea. I know, I should probably see a therapist, huh? Well, my trail of bloodless bodies soon catches up to me when a chance encounter with a hottie in a cafe leaves me with his phone by mistake, and I realize just how f***ed I am. And as I do my best to keep him away (while trying to survive as a vampire), I can't help but fall for the cafe hottie, putting a stake on my life. *** ONC '26 prompts: #56 and #81

For a small price, a Collector can make you remember things you have never done. In 1815 England, Meera Sterne defies societal expectations to play the dutiful daughter, marry into a rich family, and become the property of a man. Instead, she runs away and trains under the aloof and distant Aurelius Mackleberry, spending her days buying and selling memories. A stranger visits her trainer for a crime from years gone. Aurelius Mackleberry owes a debt with his life -- and his time has run out. Meera must unravel the violent and bloody past behind the wonders of Collecting memories and save the life of a man destroyed by his own magic. For Open Novella Contest 2020.

When a cautious Formula One engineer crosses paths with a damaged comeback driver, she discovers that the most dangerous variable she should assess in the sport isn't speed-but attachment. ✦✦✦ Adriana Santos has always known her place on a championship-winning Formula One team is contingent. Excellence, she learned early, is not the same as security. She works in a role the paddock barely understands-simulating failures before they happen, answering 'what ifs' before they become 'what went wrong', and treating the car like a living thing whose future rests in her hands. Her work is quiet, precise, and easily erased the moment she becomes inconvenient. She is careful because she has to be. She knows Joshua Thomas long before she meets him: the driver who changed his name to fit in, the anomaly on a rival team forever tipped for titles. To Adriana, he's a reaction curve that never quite returned to baseline after last season's crash. His comeback is framed as resilience. Many are simply waiting to see him fail. They meet by accident, in a moment stripped of his usual extravagance and pretence. Adriana notices what she always notices-the face behind the mask, the way he laughs through failure like it doesn't frighten him. Adriana doesn't forget him, though. She keeps her distance but Joshua doesn't, and their reluctant friendship begins to bend into something riskier. And they both know exactly what it could cost them. ✦✦✦ ✦ Open Novella Contest 2026 | Prompts 24, 29, 30, 44 ᴄᴏᴘʏʀɪɢʜᴛ © 2026 ʙʏ ᴀᴜᴅʀᴇʏ ᴀʟʟ ʀɪɢʜᴛꜱ ʀᴇꜱᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ.

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.

Araminta was called a witch. Now she's gone. And the last person who saw her is looking for answers. *** A Good Girl's Guide To Murder x Wednesday *** Two years ago, Araminta Green disappeared. Her neighbor and classmate Jordan Thompson was the last person who saw her, walking through a graveyard in the early morning hours. Jordan was intimidated by Araminta. With her pale-powdered face, black lips, spider-web eyeliner, and her love for tarot reading, it was no wonder that people speculated that Araminta was a witch. But Jordan was also intrigued by her dark aura, sensing that she may be as lonely as him. Maybe if he had reached out to her back then, she wouldn't be missing now. When Jordan is tasked with creating an investigative podcast for a college course, there is no question about which case he wants to delve into. With his cat Kiki as his co-pilot, Jordan sets off to answer the question of what happened to Araminta, even as his recordings constantly get disrupted by a cawing crow in the background. Following the trail of Araminta, Jordan discovers truths both about his missing classmate and himself, because while he hasn't vanished he is definitely lost as well. Will he be able to find both himself and Araminta? *** An ONC novella using prompt #81: The town's witch has gone missing and no one is looking for her but her two familiars - a crow and a black cat, plus the teen who has always been scared of her.