Opennovellacontest2025 Stories

🏆 SHORTLIST - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2025 Two teenagers embark on a cross-country music tour to outrun the threat of war and curtailed creative freedom. ⋯⋯⋯ As Ash finishes identifying his parents' remains from a full-blast attack, he should have stopped writing silly songs. With rebels controlling the country bit by bit comes the diminishing right to express themselves, so when a boy with a lopsided grin and penchant to chase trouble convinces Ash to perform his music, he only has one answer―no. But Jet has a way of getting what he wants, and there is no way Ash can let a golden boy run off on his own. With only a beat-up neon-pink car, a patched guitar, an obnoxious red pen, and a battered polaroid, Jet and Ash embark on a cross-country tour to make a name for themselves, outrunning authorities, and maybe even Fate itself. What can go wrong...right? From the award-winning author of 𝘋𝘪𝘦 𝘢 𝘏𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘥 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩, 𝘈𝘳𝘭𝘰 𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯, comes a story of young love, the fight for freedom, and the eternal struggle for meaning set in a world of oppression and violence. There are many ways to the end, and it is up to us to choose which path to take. ˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°• © 2025 (First Edition) [25,000 - 30,000 words] [All graphics are made by @sardonictabby] ˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°• 🏆 LONGLIST - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2025 🏆 ROUND 2 AMBASSADOR PICK - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2025 🏆 ROUND 2 QUALIFIER - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2025 🏆 ROUND 1 QUALIFIER - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2025

When a mage is found dead, and, at a rough measurement, at least a head shorter, the only clue to his fate lies in the key gripped in his hand. A very magical key that sets the leaders in the Guild of Mages, Prestidigitators, Illusionists and General Wielders of Magic (not including Witches) in a bit of a quandary, because none of them want to touch it. Thus, the investigation is left in the thoroughly incapable hands of the three mages in the highly dangerous, very almost deadly on a daily basis, Thaumatological Gubbins Department of the Guild. Accompanied by a young(ish, these are mages after all) member of the Guild tasked with recording the progress of the investigation, the three mages set out on a perilous journey that will involve several belligerent doors, a three cart race, and, probably, a number of people wondering what the Hel is going on and why one of the mages continues to shout 'Power!' at every opportunity. An ONC novella like no other.

"Threading on thorns is easier than letting go of my tiger lily. Again." Grayson Ji WenXiang, a legendary cultivating green serpent has been tempted by an offer from Perennial who now is the colossal of the opposite kingdom. Tempering with his yearning for an old love, Grayson eagerly bargained with Perennial without considering the consequences that soon unfold and disrupt his life. While he struggled to uphold the martial reputation he had built for decades and safeguard his tiger lily, Grayson found himself battling with lethal choices all over again. 🌹Open Novella Contest 2025 | ONC 205 | Longlist 2 on 22 May 2025 ||. This story is written in conjunction with the ONC 2025, and can only be found on Wattpad only.||

🏆 SHORTLIST - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2025 A misfit witch must find her missing twin before everyone finds out about her heritage and her family's deception. ⋯⋯⋯ Agatha Fairbard is a mystery. Having lived in a mirror dimension all her life, she was an enigma no one can solve other than who always accompanies her―herself. So when her twin goes missing without a word, Agatha must step into the wide unknown with only a borrowed name and face. That is, until a dark force surfaces and demands her power. In a world of betrayal, greed, and conquest, she has to discover her truth before others with vested interest do it for her. From the author of the award-winning novella, 𝘋𝘪𝘦 𝘢 𝘏𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘥 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩, 𝘈𝘳𝘭𝘰 𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯, comes a story of privilege, wealth, and the divide between the elite and the common. Ideals are a salvation for many, but in the quest for freedom and power, sometimes, they are the first to go. AN INSTALLMENT OF THE LYLLAN UNIVERSITY OF MAGIC AND MISFITS SERIES ˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°• © 2025 (First Edition) [20,000 - 25,000 words] [All graphics are made by @sardonictabby] ˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°• 🏆 LONGLIST - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2025 🏆 ROUND 2 AMBASSADOR PICK - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2025 🏆 ROUND 2 QUALIFIER - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2025 🏆 ROUND 1 QUALIFIER - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2025

Prompt 75. You've worn a mysterious ring since childhood, but one day it opens to reveal a tiny creature telling you it's been trapped inside all along and more secrets are on the way. Greta Shrub is about to turn fourteen years of age, but growing up in the home of her heartless Aunt, Mrs Vivora Grogan has not been easy. Enduring loneliness and cruelty, at the hands of her Aunt and her three spoilt cousins, Greta Shrub's stark and unfortunate childhood only acts to strengthen her resolve and her natural independence of spirit. These qualities of character prove especially essential when an unexpected and previously unknown visitor arrives at her door. But what does her sinister Uncle Ulric know about Greta's past and future? And what is his interest in the mysterious Garnet Ring that Greta has worn about her neck since childhood? And what is the Garnet Ring's relationship to the magical but mystifying occurrences that have become a feature of Greta's lonely life? Do these curious incidents have any connection to a high-school named Snapdragon's Academy, that Greta has heard whispers about? Could this society be the key to her escape from her ruthless relations who wish to use Greta's new supernatural powers in their unscrupulous schemes?

ONC2025 Round 2 Ambassador Pick 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐎𝐬𝐤𝐚𝐫 𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞-𝐚 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐧'𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐧, 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝. Unicorns are sacred in the kingdom of Unara, their magic a gift only bestowed upon the worthy-or stolen through death. Someone is hunting them, and if the killings continue, their magic will fall into the wrong hands. Determined to uncover the truth, Oskar sets out to find the culprit. But the deeper he digs, the darker the secrets he unearths--secrets that could shake the very foundation of the kingdom. A standalone fantasy adventure, The Unicorn's Blessing follows Prince Oskar before the events of The Girl with Scars, revealing the choices that shaped the man he would become. Entered into the Open Novella Contest 2025 | @OpenNovellaContest - Rules & Guidelines: https://www.wattpad.com/story/387452246 **Main Prompt** 12. While hiking through a forest, you stumble upon a unicorn's horn. **Secondary Prompt** 130. Protect this with your life. ©2025 E. S. Elias All Rights Reserved. Book Created & Published to Wattpad: 02.01.2025 Book Marked as Completed: 04.08.2025 Cover: Me @DesignsbyEH I used Canva.com | Cover is temporary and subject to several changes. Word Count: 26,234 / 20,000 Goals: Round 1 ✔ | 2,000 words ✔ | Round 1 Winner ✔ Round 2 ✔ | 8,000 words ✔ Round 3 _ | 20,000 words ✔ LONGLIST _ | SHORTLIST _ Honorable Mention? _ | Ambassadors' Pick ✔ Mentioned in Ambassador Newsletter ✔ Rankings: #ONC2025: #21 on 02.02.2025 | #15 on 02.03.2025 | #12 on 03.24.2025 #opennovellacontest2025: #15 on

Selena wakes up in what feels like a dream-falling in love at first sight with a charming stranger at the bar. But the fantasy shatters when she starts her new job and finds out he's not just Adam, the man who stole her breath, but also her new boss. And worse-her target. As a special agent with no memory of her past, Selena, known only as Zulu of the Codes, has one mission: infiltrate Rockwood Industries and eliminate its young CEO if necessary. But with forbidden emotions clouding her judgment and the ghosts of her past closing in, she faces an impossible choice. One thing, however, has never changed-Code Zulu never fails. *** Entered into the ONC (Open Novella Contest) 2025 under the Prompt 27 *You're a spy assigned to infiltrate a mafia billionaire's life, but there's one big problem: you still suffer from amnesia from your last mission. How will you manage to complete your mission without blowing your cover?

In 2081, Mia has survived two attempts on her life-and learned she's far cooler than her best friend, Nate. But surviving a mad scientist after the proprietary tech inside her body is nothing compared to becoming the most wanted fugitive, with a bounty on her head. The surface is still off-limits, humanity lives underground, and CodeTech controls their every move-without their knowledge or consent. Scientists are scrambling to recreate Dr. Amour's rumoured, lost technology-tech that promised to improve their quality of life-but the government would rather see it destroyed. Mia knows the truth: life in the bunkers is no life at all. Her mission is clear-destroy CodeTech and free humanity from absolute control, as Grandpa intended her to do. To do that, she must trust that snarky voice in her head that isn't hers, fight like her life depends on it, and elude the mad scientist still hunting her. But to reach CodeTech's heart-the Hive-she must infiltrate the very government hunting her, and navigate every danger standing in her way. Easy-peasy, right? *** This is the long-awaited sequel to my 2021 Watty winning Sci-Fi, THE GOD CODEX. The story will continue from where the last book ended. Prompt 79 (modified): Instead of robotic rulers, this story has humans, high on power, and the lengths they'll go to control the population. All rights reserved, Eva Acharya 2025.

When a fellow witch is accused of a heinous crime, Rowburta Copperbottom. A witch of minimal magical ability but a thirst for knowledge, must investigate the allegations and then prove at a trial the innocence of her colleague. But, with mysterious enemies trying to thwart her at every turn, Rowburta must rely on far more than her witchly magics to aid her in a race against time to prove that justice isn't just blind, but not averse to a little monetary tipping of the scales, either. Rowburta has more than magic to help, she has the lore. A tale in the Terry Pratchett inspired Godworld, where people are about to meet the world's first Witch Loreyer. An ONC novella, based on Prompt 14: "Not everyone in your coven becomes a witch doctor. But you? You are the witch lawyer and take care of the mystical laws of the magical world."

28. On a beach vacation, you dive into the water, but it turns purple and suddenly you're pulled under the sand. What's waiting for you beneath the surface? 34. Your new job requires an out of town overnight orientation, but when you check in, you run into someone from your past that you never thought you'd see again. Casey (Cas) Galanis doesn't know whether to say she is a burn victim, or was, as it had been over a decade. While her body bore the evidence of her past, she was more than ready to leave every bit of the trauma from recovery and society behind her. Unfortunately, anyone back home that was still cruel about her looks wasn't going to change. They didn't want to see her as capable of caring for herself. The lowest point was her sister refusing to have her in her wedding photos, citing aesthetics. The out she found was in the hospitality industry, specifically an older, privately owned hotel. True, people would continue to be cruel to her. Even if they brought up her looks, they would be more concerned that their room was clean, the TV worked, the pool was warm, and they made it in time for the complimentary breakfast. And most of that, as a maid, wouldn't be her problem. That, and it came with a room that they couldn't be rented out. Which was odd for a hotel a short walk from the beach. The first hurdle would be the Tuesday night orientation. The second would be if she could learn to love the beach and all it's exposure. But there would be more surprises in store-the doctor who helped heal her and the dead Egyptian god who consumed any free time she had. Because of the possibilities in two men, life wasn't lonely anymore. Cover Art: Photo by Austin J. Best from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-smoking-1205388/ Other elements are Wikicommons, mods are mine.

When young Nevae loses her grandma to the hands of the Big Bad Wolf and kills him in self-defense, she doesn't expect the shapeshifter's children to kill the rest of her family as payback. Orphaned and alone, she takes refuge in the house of a witch, becoming the old woman's apprentice and vowing to kill all the shapeshifters. Nevae becomes a powerful witch and starts taking revenge, until there's only one shapeshifter left, the youngest son of the Big Bad Wolf. However, something happens that stops her right when she's about to kill him, and she hesitates. Will she fulfill her vow to extinguish that race, or will she let her heart lead the way for once? And what will she do about the two abandoned kids that show up at her door shortly after, and the wedding party of princess Ella, and the mysterious icy woman that freezes the heart of men when she kisses them? ❄❄❄ Retelling of Little Red Riding Hood and some other fairytales. ❄❄❄ Open Novella Contest 2025 ❄ Prompts: #2, #54 and #126

Liam Reynolds' best friend Greg passes away, and he misses him dearly. Or he would if Greg left, but unfortunately, Greg has unfinished business and decides to become Liam's ghostly roommate. Greg believes their incomplete bucket list is the reason he can't move on. Thus, he leads Liam and Liam's neighbor, Valerie, on a journey of self-discovery, fun, and possibly love as Liam sets out to do all the things they wanted to do in life. **** This is my entry for the 2025 Open Novella Contest. I am using prompt #8.

🏅Shortlist 2025 🏅 Detective Michael Wulfe has solved every case that has come across his desk--with a little supernatural help. However, a recent string of unconnected murders leaves him stumped and the people of Keirwood Heights nervous. On top of everything, the police chief is getting dangerously close to Michael's own secret that could end both his career and his life if he doesn't close the case soon. ONC Prompt 87: A skilled detective has solved almost every case that has come across their desk. But one case seems to elude them, with no apparent connections between the murders. That is, until something changes everything. Rated T for violence, but there's no swearing or smut.

Kimiko Candis, known online as Kimi Candy through her clothing brand, suddenly finds herself caught up in a family history she never knew existed. The necklace she has been wearing attracts so much attention that her life is now in danger. Her father, whom she had never met, unexpectedly enters her life and requests a bodyguard to keep her safe-a bodyguard who happens to be one of the best. However, amidst all these events, Kimiko is left questioning whether she can trust her father. Can she also rely on the bodyguard who continually saves her life? ______________ ONC PROMPT: 114. For as long as you can remember, you've worn a key around your neck. But what does it unlock? Maybe it's that mysterious box at the back of your mother's closet.

How would you feel if you suddenly woke up one day with no memory? Annoyed? Frightened? Or maybe anxious? To make matters worse, you are on a ship, in the middle of the ocean, with strangers who also have no recollection of who they are. When Daisy finds herself on the Titanic, knowing nothing more than her own name - thanks to a picture on her night stand - trusting oneself proves to be much more difficult than one would think. A newspaper from 1912 makes it feel like the present - until others insist it's actually 20XX, leaving her trapped in a whirlwind of confusion and doubt. Is this reality... or reverie? ------------------------------------------------- Based on prompt 42: A group of people wake up with no memory and find themselves adrift on an old steam passenger liner. The name? Titanic.

Ayumi Mikuro has always been captivated by mysteries, and the strange black stray cat that roams her neighbourhood is her latest obsession. When she begins to suspect that the cat is more than it seems, her curiosity leads her into a hidden world of shapeshifters, dark secrets, and ancient artifacts. As she uncovers the truth about the mysterious feline and its connection to a secretive group of supernatural hunters, Ayumi finds herself entangled in a dangerous game of cat and mouse. With the fate of both the cat and her own life hanging in the balance, Ayumi must decide how far she's willing to go to protect the one creature she's grown to care for - a creature who holds the key to an unimaginable power. ONC prompt: 7. You've always suspected that the stray cat in your area is more than it seems. Now you're determined to catch it shape-shifting and prove it's a shapeshifter. But the closer you get, the more questions arise.

[Open Novella Contest 2025] Round 1 & 2 Qualifier Prompt: 31 By the river, Tara meets Ila and nothing is the same again. But clear skies do not mean they aren't susceptible to storms and that the conflict constantly within her will never fade in lieu of one strong emotion for a person! A story of trauma, conflict and loss and a story that tells that some truths are unbearable to their own integrity! Started: 5th Feb 2025 Completed : Total WC: 8003 words *Unedited version*

The whole world including the Celestial universe has always been so calm, peaceful and harmonious. There was never a time of destruction that took place and that was all because of the Celestials. The Zodiac signs that always kept everything in check. Without them the whole world could turn dark, darker than any black hole. It was until Keilyn Nikisa; the soul guardian, Oracle, the Celestial cat, finds herself in deep trouble as all the Zodiac signs have disappeared from their usual posts. The Celestial goddess sends Keilyn on a huge mission, and that's to bring back the Zodiac signs before the Dark Lord himself takes over the whole universe. And the mission isn't easy as Keilyn thought it would be. It comes with great responsibility and a whole lot of chasing to do to catch 12 Zodiac signs. Will she be able to complete her mission? Will she be able to bring back the Zodiac signs? Read the story to find out.

There's a new god of stories in charge, and he's decided it's time to ditch the old stuff - no matter the cost. All that stands in the way of this literary apocalypse is an amateur author with a bad case of writer's block and a rookie librarian on her first day. There's a whole world of stories to be saved - if only they can survive them first.