Womanhood Stories

A testament to a life displayed through the cracks in its shell.

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She thought she was building businesses. She was building freedom. From losing her father at six and spending part of her childhood in an orphanage, to becoming a mother, wife and serial entrepreneur, she learned early that security wasn't something she could simply expect. It was something she had to build. So she did. Business after business. Plan after plan. Reinvention after reinvention. But behind the sales, spreadsheets, motherhood, marriage, financial pressure and endless calculations was a question she wouldn't understand until much later: What was she really working so hard for? The Life I'm Building is an honest, funny and deeply personal memoir about survival, ambition, motherhood, money, faith, disappointment and the complicated pursuit of independence. It isn't the story of someone who had everything figured out. It's the story of a woman who kept figuring it out. Because not everything worked. But she did.

I used to think love was something I had to chase. Now, I am learning to let it find me. A collection of poems about the girl who believed in forever, the woman heartbreak left behind, and the heart that still whispers sana despite everything. About being single. About wanting. About womanhood. About feeling different. About faith. About the people we couldn't keep. About the people we haven't met yet. And most of all- about learning to choose yourself without giving up on love. The moon never chased the stars. It simply kept shining.

This is the diary of an adult woman.

Some of us stayed too long. Some of us called it fate. Some of us taught ourselves not to know the difference between being chosen and being convenient. This is a collection about the love I accepted before I understood what I deserved. It is about the staying, the lying to myself, the slow and painful process of seeing clearly. It is not a love story. It is the story of what I had to unlearn to find one.

Kashvi, a young architect thriving in the city, is devoted to her work and the life she has built. One night, that life is violently taken from her. Her rape and murder trigger an investigation that quickly spirals beyond a single crime, uncovering a chain of devastating truths and consequences no one saw coming.

Some stories aren't about extraordinary moments. They're about the conversations that linger, the places that shape us, the families we love, the people we become, and the ordinary things that somehow leave the deepest marks. A collection of personal essays about growing up, belonging, identity, home, and everything in between.

Some disasters come with warnings. Others arrive with a smile, "I love you," and a promise of forever. In Northern Nigeria, where culture and religion are deeply intertwined, marriage shapes the lives of women sometimes for better, other time for worse. Arewa Men and Other Natural Disasters is a collection of short stories exploring love, marriage, womanhood and the chaos they sometimes leave behind. From charming suitors who become strangers after the wedding to men whose audacity knows no limits, these stories unravel impossible expectations, meddling families, fragile egos, heartbreak and the quiet resilience of Arewa women. Disclaimer: This isn't a declaration that all Arewa men or marriages are disasters. It's an honest, witty and deeply human exploration of the chaos, contradictions, and unexpected humor that often accompany love and marriage in the North.

ONC 2026 HONORABLE MENTION A pro hockey player and Hollywood princess form an unexpected bond amidst the scrutiny of the public, growing into a wildfire they both can't tame. ***** Larissa Hepburn, who goes by her stage name "Nova", is a triple threat in Hollywood. A talented singer, dancer, and actress, there seems to be nothing she can't do. In the eyes of the world, she's the model of a perfect human being. However, underneath the glamor, the smiles, laughter, and wall of illusions lies a darker truth - a woman on the brink of losing the tether she holds to this world. And on top of everything, she lost her best friend years ago to fame, a friendship she wants to mend as the final goal in her life. Then she meets Rhys Melton, a pro hockey player addicted to the world of hockey and himself broken in more ways than one. Brutal on the ice, he doesn't have time for romance or sexual relationships, especially after losing someone from his past. And posing as the charming playboy to the public eye is the only way to shield his pain from the world. But one single glance and a hilarious encounter changes both their lives in the most unexpected ways. What begins as an escape from the paparazzi turns into an unlikely friendship that forms in one single night. And as they spend more time together, the more they discover the disastrous truth that lies underneath their armors, one that bonds them into a scandalous romance. Even the brightest souls can hide the darkest thoughts. But what happens when two broken people, one more than the other, cross paths? Will they save each other from the darkness consuming them? OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2026

The Life of a Woman is an emotional and powerful journey through womanhood, self-discovery, heartbreak, healing, pressure, love, ambition, and growth. Told through raw storytelling and real-life emotions, the story explores what it truly feels like to grow into yourself while battling pain, expectations, insecurities, and the desire to become something greater. Through intimate moments, life lessons, relationships, and inner battles, the book reflects the many sides of being a woman - soft yet strong, broken yet evolving, lost yet determined. It speaks to women learning how to heal, find confidence, protect their peace, and rewrite their story despite everything they've been through. With a cinematic, relatable, and deeply emotional tone, The Life of a Woman is more than just a story - it's a reflection of survival, transformation, femininity, and becoming the woman you were always meant to be.

The Tears That Watered the Sunflower 🌻 A true love story by Lena Rivers Some seeds bloom quickly, while others must first grow roots beneath the surface. Before a flower can reach the sun, it must first learn how to survive the soil it was planted in. This is more than a love story. It is a journey of faith, healing, growth, and the seasons that shape us. In the middle of a chaotic season of life, Lena Rivers never expected to find someone who would bring her peace, laughter, and a place where she could truly be herself. What started as simple moments became the beginning of something unforgettable. But every seed has a story. Some grow in sunshine, while others must endure the rain. Through love, uncertainty, and trusting God's timing, Lena discovers that the most beautiful things often grow beneath the surface before they ever bloom. 🌻 The Tears That Watered the Sunflower is a story about love, faith, and becoming who you were always meant to be.

Every season leaves its mark. This poetry collection explores the rhythms of womanhood-the monthly cycles that shape the body, the emotions that accompany love, and the traditions that guide marriage. Through intimate and reflective poems, it tells a story of change, connection, and finding one's place between personal dreams and family expectations.

"A woman is taught to carry tradition long before she learns to carry herself." In the heart of a society built upon honor, ritual, and silence, women are worshipped as goddesses yet raised within invisible boundaries they are never meant to question. मर्यादा follows the lives of women who inherit obedience like heirlooms passed from mothers to daughters through lullabies, customs, and fear disguised as virtue. Beneath the beauty of sindoor, silk, temples, and sacred traditions lies a quieter truth: the weight of expectations carried for generations. Through poetic prose and emotionally layered storytelling, मर्यादा explores the fragile line between devotion and confinement, dignity and suppression, love and control. It is not merely a story about women suffering under patriarchy, it is about the ways society teaches them to romanticize their own sacrifice. Haunting, intimate, and deeply rooted in cultural reality, मर्यादा is a reflection of every silence inherited in the name of honor.

Two women meet for coffee as they often do, but the demeanor of this friendly encounter darkens when one friend reveals her recent experience of assault. It's an exploration of womanhood, friendship, and the power of platonic intimacy. Trigger Warning: conversation of sexual assault.

Becoming HER ; A poetry collection to become her, i had to say goodbye to every girl i once was.

Amelia is an ingenious, inventive Lady who dreams of the unconventional and fantastic. When she rejects the prospect of marriage to become a quill writer of the court in service of the Queen, she is presented with a difficult choice: the court expects regularity and norms applied to her literature; Lady Amelia wants to write of the impossible and unthought-of. Amelia goes to the royal court in hopes of avoiding being sent away to marry, but can she sacrifice her originality and fierce character for the sake of the tradition? Or will she risk her life and reputation to write what truly inspires her? And on the path to discover herself and write her own story, who will she meet and will they weigh on her own choices? They say all is fair in love and war, but to what extent may love itself create a war upon one's heart? Note: If you liked the Bridgerton saga, this story is for you!!

Growing up taught her many things: how to survive, how to stay quiet, how to carry pain with a smile. But no one taught her how to love herself. The Woman I'm Becoming is a deeply personal poem about healing from trauma, grieving the child you used to be, and learning that adulthood is not about having all the answers-it's about finding your way back to yourself. For every person who has ever mistaken self-sacrifice for love: This poem is for you.

Knowing what is happening there is also happening here © Z. T. Corley, 2026 Cover: Kamala Ibrahim Ishaq, Dinner Table with Embroidered Cloth, 1974, oil on board, 170 x 120 cm

Ink, Grief, and Other Inheritances is a haunting collection of poems about love, loss, womanhood, trauma, longing, and survival. Through raw confessions and lyrical storytelling, JBD explores the wounds people carry, the tenderness the world often rejects, and the fragile ways we learn to keep living despite it all. These poems bleed with grief, ache with memory, and still reach for hope in the darkest corners of being human.