The Magic of Stories | ONC 2024 shortlist - Jinn Tiole - Wattpad

Story cover for The Magic of Stories | ONC 2024 shortlist by jinnis

The Magic of Stories | ONC 2024 shortlist

Reads 1,862
Votes 314
Parts 28
Time 4h 10m

Reads 1,862
Votes 314
Parts 28
Time 4h 10m

contemporary fantasy library magic mystery novella onc onc2024 opennovellacontes opennovellacontest2024 paranormal romance story wattys2024

Straight out of uni, Lynn is glad to have secured a job as a replacement in a library. But soon she finds out the place is haunted, and not only by a blue cat. Juggling the upcoming vernissage of a photo exhibition and the trouble with her coworker, she has to learn fast -  to trust her instinct-and the magic of the stories.

Once 2024, prompt #15: "Why are you glowing blue?"All Rights Reserved

contemporary fantasy library magic mystery novella onc onc2024 opennovellacontes opennovellacontest2024 paranormal romance story wattys2024

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amants maudits | (hiatus) by SaniCybele

When a powerful witch hunts the demons responsible for her parents' murder, she finds herself face-to-face with one of the very creatures she despises. But this demon is unlike any other. Dangerous, mysterious, and irresistibly charming, he offers her something no one else can-answers about her parents' death and the secrets of the dark forces that haunt her. As their paths intertwine, she finds herself drawn to him in ways she never imagined. But trust is fragile, and the more she learns, the more complicated their connection becomes. Her mission for vengeance soon becomes tangled with her feelings for him, and a forbidden bond starts to grow between them-one that threatens everything she thought she knew about love, loyalty, and the demons she's vowed to destroy. In a world of curses and power, they are two souls bound by tragedy and fate. But their love, born from hatred and deceit, may be the very thing that destroys them both. Will she be able to choose between vengeance and a love that might just save her, or will their doomed connection lead to the death of them both? ----- Written for the Open Novella Contest 2025 Prompt 2 - To be in love with a demon was the last thing on your wishlist ----- Cover by @buterflx1 prologue at the end because of the prologue ban

Tumblefields [ONC 2021] by JanGoesWriting

It was a rite of passage for many of the young people in town. Spend the night in the abandoned hospital and return with trophies. Many people had taken the challenge and won. Many more had failed. Rachel accepts the challenge along with her three best friends, staying the night and taking trophies. Only after they leave do they come to realise their mistake. A mistake they may pay for with more than their lives. Someone never left Tumblefields Hospital. Until now. An ONC, Open Novella Contest, participant. Based upon Prompt: 32 - "All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream." - Edgar Allen Poe. Placed in the Horror category. ** ONC**: Shortlister, Round Two Winner (Tied, 5th place), Round One Ambassador Pick.**,**Wattpad Chronicle Monthly Spotlight (May 2021)** #OpenNovellaContest #OpenNovellaContest2021 🥇 1st Place, Horror Category, in the Aeryn Awards (2nd Dec 2021)🥇 🥈 2nd Place, Horror Category, in the Time Turner Awards (30th Dec 2021)🥈 🥉 3rd Place in Horror, Big Dipper Awards (May 26th, 2021).🥉 Cover by @LynaForge

The Rapunzels by Nyhterides

Confined to the family's estate since birth, three sisters have never seen the outside world. Taught they are unable to leave home due to their long hair, Lexi, Lulu, and Fia secretly envy their volatile father and narcissistic mother whose short locks allow them to come and go whenever they wish. Raised believing their grandparents live in the TV set, the young women's knowledge about the outside world is skewed. On the eve of Fia's eighteenth birthday, life as they know it is altered when the girls find a young man unconscious in their yard. Believing he is an angel, they hide him in the guest house. Soon Fia's feelings for the man bloom and she finds herself sneaking to the guest house to be with him. When the lies the sisters have been told begin to unravel, Fia decides she will do whatever it takes to escape. The only thing holding her back is her long dark hair. Dogtooth x Rapunzel x The Castle of Purity Warning for abuse, swearing, romantic themes, alcohol addiction, blood, and typical Christine darkness. There is no SA. Best rank: #1 IN OPENNOVELLACONTEST2024 I started writing this story for the ONC 2024. Due to work and life, I could not finish it for the contest. Which made me sad...but I continued...at a snail's pace. Thanks to everyone who kept reading!

Thornbound: The Stray and the Summoner by mirielleansel

#ONC2025 #Round2AmbassadorsPick For as long as she can remember, Ivy Reece Tauria has worn an unbreakable ring on her finger. A childhood relic, a forgotten gift...until the day it opens. It happens after she stumbles upon a door made entirely of briars and thorns, hidden deep in the forest where no door should exist. The moment she steps through, something awakens inside her something ancient, something powerful. And then the world shifts. In a land on the brink of chaos, an ancient evil resurfaces. The Dark Sorcerer, Malagar, long thought vanquished, has unleashed an army of metal warriors to conquer the world. With the realm in peril, retired heroes of the past are forced out of hiding to fight once more. A stray cat isn't just a cat. A unicorn's horn is more than a relic. And a forgotten oath is about to be tested. But the biggest mystery? The tiny creature that emerges from her ring, claiming to have been waiting for her all along. Ivy is about to learn that some secrets are meant to stay buried because once they're uncovered, there's no turning back. Main Prompt: #1 Sub Prompts: #2, #7, #12, #13, #39, #75

A Touch of Magic by Sarel303

"Usually innocents like you have time to grow into their magic before they have to break the rules. You don't have that time, Minta. Please believe me, you need to be ready. I'm risking everything to make you ready." I stopped and searched his eyes for further explanation, and there was a near moment of clarity before Edgar looked away, releasing me gently. "Risk what, Edgar?" A Touch of Magic... Minta has a choice; she can turn away from magic or embrace it. Desperate for a destiny, it's a no brainer. Guided by the cat who's been following her around, and her dead aunt's sidekick Gladys Jones, Minta begins by fixing problems with bullies, and finding Prince Charming for her b.f.f. Who'd of thought there were so many Cinderella's in need of makeovers? It's not long before Minta wants change her own romantic fortunes too (it's worked for everyone else). But life is never that simple and as Minta grapples with her future, there are others trying to stop her from having one. But who and why? Minta hasn't a clue. Though she does have her suspicions about the cat... Eventually, sacrificing her own (and very human) desires to follow her path, Minta's destiny becomes clear; this is a story of self-belief and resolution, first crushes & love (and the journey towards grasping the difference). Mostly though, this is a book about magic. Cover kindly made by @alessandra

ACES | #ONC2025 by MarleeErvin0928

Discover what lies within, but beware-the truth may come at a price too steep to pay. Serena's life is about to take a dark turn. When her mother died suddenly, she thought she'd be grappling only with loss-but the secrets hidden in her mother's shadowy past reveal an unfathomable legacy. A gifted actress adored by many, her mother shrouded her life in glamour, but left behind a chilling enigma. The key necklace Serena has worn since childhood isn't just a trinket; it unlocks a mysterious box tucked away in the depths of her mother's closet, and opening it will change everything. Within the box lies a truth that will shatter Serena's perception of love and loyalty: her mother made a deal with the devil, intertwining their destinies in ways she never imagined. Betrayal stings in the worst of ways, particularly when it comes from family. But as dark forces converge and the stakes rise, Serena learns her mother left behind one last trick-a doorway into the world of the Aces, a powerful and enigmatic paranormal entity. Caught in a whirlwind of supernatural politics and looming danger, Serena must navigate a terrain where betrayal, loyalty, and sacrifice intertwine. Will she harness the Aces' formidable power to save herself, or will her mother's legacy lead her down a dark path from which there is no return? This novella has been entered into an Open Novella Contest. I chose two prompts: ONC Prompt #93: From a deck of cards, pick one. But what will it reveal about your fate? 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. ONC2025 Ambassador Pick & Long List Selection Copyright @ Marlee Ervin Cover by: Marlee Ervin Image: Pixabay

The Dreamers [ONC2020] | ✓ by salemkeating

* ONC 2020 AMBASSADOR'S PICK * * ONC 2020 HONORABLE MENTION * * ONC 2020 SHORT LIST * * HIDDEN GEMS * Sean has a problem: his dreams come to life. It causes him enough trouble that he moves across the country to start fresh at Everwood Institute. But as his repetitive dreams become more vivid, he wonders if anything he sees is real, and if the black leaves Finn trails behind him are truly there... Finn tries to keep his dreams under control, but this year, he keeps dreaming the same dream. It haunts him in the day, and doesn't help when he's trying to keep his past problems separate from his present life. Then there's the matter of Sean, who leaves flowers blooming wherever he steps... As Sean and Finn grow closer, they realize there's more to their dreams - and each other - than they know. ~*~ COMPLETED | #lgbtq+ #mlm #contemporaryfantasy "How can you prove whether at this moment we are sleeping, and all our thoughts are a dream; or whether we are awake, and talking to one another in the waking state?" - Plato Prompt #15, OpenNovellaContest2020 Word Count: 21,198 words

Behind The Locks || ONC 2024 by LiamMcMarsha

LONGLISTED ONC 2024 Open Novella contest 🏆 Horror. Courtesy of ONC2024 Novella Contest LONGLISTED Natto Watt 2024🏆 °*° Every tick-tock that counts can cost your life, and as each door shuts don't look behind. At Arielline's first day in her first job she discovers that the library she will be working in is very haunted, and there is more to it. The twelve locks of Twelve Locks Valley are tangled to her. Every wrong door is leather, and any wrong timing can make her part of of the ghost community. ONC 2024 Prompt 97 It is your first day at your first job, and you discover that the library you'll be working in is very haunted. 1st place best cover award winner🥇 1st place horror award winner in the happiness awards. 🥇

I Will Always Protect You by fionafel

28-year-old Calista's life took an unexpected turn when her parents died and left her all of their fortune. Her fiance Trevor came at an opportune time and helped her heal from their loss. Now, she is engaged and having the time of her life at her bachelorette party in Mexico with her friends. All that changes when she receives a message that will turn her life in another direction if she trusts her instincts. If she doesn't, her online protector will have to take things into his capable hands and use his hacking skills to keep her safe. ‼️ Trigger warnings ‼️ ⛔stalking ⛔kidnapping ⛔manipulation ⛔gaslighting ⛔abandonment This novella will be for the 2025 ONC competition. I chose these two prompts: 88. Lately, your phone feels... off. It seems like it's watching you. At first, you dismiss it as paranoia. But one day, each message on your phone reads "I'm watching you." 104. While on vacation, you receive a cryptic message from an unknown sender, throwing your carefully planned itinerary into chaos.

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Slide 1 of 9

amants maudits | (hiatus) cover

Tumblefields [ONC 2021] cover

The Rapunzels cover

Thornbound: The Stray and the Summoner cover

A Touch of Magic cover

ACES | #ONC2025 cover

The Dreamers [ONC2020] | ✓ cover

Behind The Locks || ONC 2024 cover

I Will Always Protect You cover

amants maudits | (hiatus)

When a powerful witch hunts the demons responsible for her parents' murder, she finds herself face-to-face with one of the very creatures she despises. But this demon is unlike any other. Dangerous, mysterious, and irresistibly charming, he offers her something no one else can-answers about her parents' death and the secrets of the dark forces that haunt her. As their paths intertwine, she finds herself drawn to him in ways she never imagined. But trust is fragile, and the more she learns, the more complicated their connection becomes. Her mission for vengeance soon becomes tangled with her feelings for him, and a forbidden bond starts to grow between them-one that threatens everything she thought she knew about love, loyalty, and the demons she's vowed to destroy. In a world of curses and power, they are two souls bound by tragedy and fate. But their love, born from hatred and deceit, may be the very thing that destroys them both. Will she be able to choose between vengeance and a love that might just save her, or will their doomed connection lead to the death of them both? ----- Written for the Open Novella Contest 2025 Prompt 2 - To be in love with a demon was the last thing on your wishlist ----- Cover by @buterflx1 prologue at the end because of the prologue ban