Novella Stories

The Open Novella Contest is back for 2026! Join fellow storytellers and plant the seed of a tale that will blossom into a 20,000+ word novella within 12 weeks! Your epic quest begins February 1st, 2026, so mark your calendars with this date!

When Ishara randomly picked a dessert place to order a butterscotch toast, she didn't expect herself to develop a crush on the handsome and eloquent delivery guy. She also didn't expect him to actually be the rich co-owner of the said dessert place. ──── wordcount: 17k words the sweet bakes compendium # 1 © starlane 2025

Experience the magic of Constance M. Burge's Charmed as you've only imagined! Join the third iteration of the Charmed Ones as they struggle with the loss of their sister and the implications of her untimely death, and continue their destined battle against the forces of evil. The Halliwell sisters' destiny has been rewritten, and life as they know it has changed-more than they realize. After the tragic loss of their younger sister, Phoebe, Piper wants nothing more than to put her life as a witch behind her, while Prue is consumed with vengeance. However, when the Source of All Evil surfaces, they discover the existence of half-sister, Paige Matthews. As reluctant as they are to accept Paige, Prue and Piper must put aside their feelings to protect her and reconstitute the Power of Three; only then can they begin to uncover the truth about their sister's death and the larger mystery surrounding it. I͏N͏F͏O͏R͏M͏A͏T͏I͏O͏N͏ Genre: Fantasy/Mystery/Drama. Word count: ~1.5-3K per chapter, ~30K total. Publishing dates: Started 05/08/24, completed 30/08/24, edited 08/25. Style: Novella format retelling/reimagining, third-person omniscient perspective, American-Style English.

Amagi Karia a boy who has lost everything he cared for, wants to become the Manager for the third generation of HoloLive EN idols. Thinking it was a good escape and distraction from the troubles clouding his thoughts, he had no idea what type of "Criminals" he was going to be working with.

Nova's been searching her whole life for the one missing piece of her family puzzle. She's been told to give up over and over, with people telling her that it's all in her head. Is it? Spring break, Nova's mother leaves her at home while she attends a wedding in France. Nova decides that it's the perfect time for her to go searching for the one thing that she's been wondering for so long. "Where did he go?"

🌊 A love story that breaks all the rules. The ocean is calm most of the time; what truly matters is surviving the storms. "You are my light, Aaron. When you leave, it feels like the ocean loses its blue, sinking into darkness." Luke is a young man weighed down by the shadows of his past, torn between questioning love and his own identity. As he begins college, his only wish is to live quietly, far from the mistakes that haunt him. But love, as it often does, arrives uninvited-drawing him into a journey far deeper than he ever imagined. Luke's struggle to accept his feelings, confront society's judgment, and uncover the true meaning of love lies at the heart of this story. It is a tale of courage, self-acceptance, and liberation-a powerful reminder that love follows no rules, and the heart loves freely, beyond expectations. Are you ready to walk beside Luke as he uncovers his truth? "He was an ocean-vast and generous, revealing his depths only to those brave enough to dive in."

In Bellport's City Open Soccer Authority, high school players don't wear cleats. They play barefoot. District against district outside of school regulations. Every game, ten thousand fans watch these mixed-gender teams compete on the pitch. For freshmen Kess Caldwell and Cal Porter, COSA is more than a league. The players call it Barefield, and Barefield is a proving ground. Kess is Iron Row FC's most feared defender, known for shutting down strikers without mercy. Cal is Highridge Select's rising star, a scorer who electrifies entire stands. Their rivalry has been building throughout the season, sharpened by every match and headline. But when the season's finale before the playoffs spirls out of control, one of them can't stand back up. Rivalry gives way to something neither of them planned for. /// ONC 2026 Main Prompt: 58. You're injured during a big game, and to your surprise, your rival from the other team carries you off the field. Used alongside: 44. May I have this dance? Seriously? Right now, in this situation?

Sage Volkov has been alive for thousands of years. Everyone they've loved has died- at their own hands, for any living human they touch crumbles into dust. They're unable to get close to anyone and they've lost their will to live. Death--or Lola, as she prefers to be called--has observed Sage from afar for millennia, and has grown quite attached to them. She resolves to do anything she can to make Sage happy and keep them at her side. Lola and Sage strike a deal: if she can't change Sage's mind by the end of the year, then she'll finally end their life. [OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST SUBMISSION-BASED OFF PROMPT #114]

Vanessa Lee only needed a temporary place to stay while her dream home was being built. She didn't expect a penthouse. She definitely didn't expect Kendall Knight. Tattooed. Arrogant. Infuriatingly attractive. Kendall hates sharing his space. Vanessa hates being told what to do. From the moment they meet, sparks fly-but not the sweet kind. Their sharp words turn into heated stares, their arguments into electric tension. Kendall treats his penthouse like territory. Vanessa refuses to be intimidated. And neither of them is willing to back down. Forced to live under the same roof, they're trapped between hate and desire, pride and vulnerability, late-night encounters and accidental touches. Vanessa is independent, self-made, and determined not to fall for a man who thinks he owns the world. Kendall is closed off, controlling, and hiding more than he lets on. But when walls start to crack and secrets come to light, hate begins to feel dangerously close to something else. Because living under his roof was never supposed to change her. And falling for him was never part of the plan.

(THIS IS AN A/U NOVELLA) They hadn't stopped loving each other. They'd just stopped knowing how to reach the space between them. Months after the sudden, tragic death of Italian billionaire Lorenzo Ricci, grief settles into everything his daughter Clarisse and Joseph don't say out loud. Once, they were inseparable. Now... not so much. They're careful. Distant. Like one wrong move might break whatever's left. And the worst part? They're still deeply, painfully in love. When Clarisse's artistic, endlessly loving mother, Isabelle, wins an exclusive getaway, she gives them the prize-and the risk: a quiet, cozy cabin on a star-lit island off the coast of North Carolina. No friends. No distractions. No easy way out. Just them. One trip. One cabin. Only one bed. What's supposed to be a second chance turns complicated fast-late-night talks that go too deep, touches that linger a second too long, old habits coming back like they never left. Feelings they swore they'd buried start resurfacing, whether they're ready or not. With graduation, finals, and the future closing in, Clarisse and Joseph are forced to face the truth. Love doesn't just disappear. But sometimes, loving each other isn't enough. So is one intimate escape enough to bring them back together... or will it prove that wanting each other isn't the same as choosing each other? (Chapter updates are on Tuesday mornings at 11 AM EDT!)

Tate Calloway has perfected the art of not growing up. As the self-appointed "super senior" and president of the most chaotic fraternity on campus, he's built a life powered by theme parties, questionable decisions, and the unwavering belief that adulthood is optional if you run fast enough. Then Lena Hart, his brilliant, driven high school ex, transfers in for her master's program and collides back into his life. She's everything he isn't: focused, ambitious, and absolutely certain of her future. She's also the girl who once walked away because Tate refused to take his own future seriously. Seeing her again cracks something open. Suddenly, Tate's legendary distractions don't hit the same, and the lie he tells her about pursuing his master's degree feels heavier than he expected. But changing course isn't easy when your entire identity is built on being the guy who never changes. Based on ONC Prompt 49. A party-going college student decides to change their ways in hopes of dating someone who is the total opposite.

Centauri is a man with many faces. The life of a military peacekeeper is not a kind one, and the people he's lost are nearly as numerous as the ones he knows. Time and time again, lives slip through his fingers, and all he is left with is the black skies of people now gone. Yet human beings cannot live without connections. Somehow, there must be a way to find friends beyond the limitations of Crest and Clan and forge connections that last and truly matter. But is the pain of finding love in an often bleak and broken world worth the cost of of threading a family across the stars? An ONC 2026 story based on prompts 29 and 69: "You will meet many people in your life. Many will come and go, but some will leave footprints on your heart." "The stars are disappearing one by one, and only you can hear their whispers."

ONC'26 "One Spell, One Ghost, Two Handsome Boys, One Witch, and Popularity, what could go wrong... right?" When you become so popular in your Town, you never know that something lurking in the dark around Spring Festival could actually take you on a trip that soon you will soon regret. It's never easy to be such a popular girl in High School, but when love strikes between hate and popularity, there's no chance to be taken. Will you pay the price for your popularity through your worst enemy, or will you run from the curse and ghost that is chasing you? Tik... Tok... Tik... Tok... time is ticking!

Tulip Moreau was born into power. Wealth made her fearless. Pride made her cruel. The boy she mocked wore faded clothes and quiet dignity. She never asked his name. She never cared to. Until her father's empire began to fall. Stock prices dropped. Boardrooms shifted. Control slipped from her hands. And the same boy she once looked down on stepped out of a luxury car. He helped her rebuild what she had lost. But some wounds do not heal with money or apologies. This is not a love story built on forgiveness. It is a story of pride, consequences, and the price of looking down on the wrong person.

The ones we lose are like missing pieces of a puzzle-irreplaceable, forever lost. A tale of being lost... Against all odds, Liora finds herself captive to Aidan-a love unlike any other, a passion beyond reason. Two souls, bound so tightly together... Could they ever truly break free? An embrace was solace. Just one touch could stir emotions that words could never capture. Just one embrace was enough to remind someone they were not alone. When words failed, an embrace became the cure for everything. It was a gift, a silent promise-I am here. Always. An embrace was love. A love that endured forever... Or perhaps, it was a prison. A life sentence woven from entwined arms, never to be undone. But had captivity ever felt so exquisite? Sometimes, the only thing left to do is surrender to fate. And if you play with darkness, becoming it is inevitable.

He's fighting battles everywhere. On the race track, in the board rooms, and his mind. Seems like he will lose one of them. Or all of them? __________________________________________ ONC 2026

Valentine never had a lick of magic to his name, but that didn't stop him from becoming high society's darling in the magical land of Stellamaris. Until one cunning witch takes it all away. Valentine wakes up five years in the past as a backwater bookseller in Greater Moss-on-the-Wold, stuck in the drab place where he started. Robbed of his status, his looks, and his fabulous life, Valentine is determined to find the legendary witch Lilivere, who will surely free him from this horrible curse. Except Lilivere is out of town... and the only witch willing to help him now is her taciturn daughter, Luciana. Who doesn't have a single drop of magic. Stoic, brooding Luc couldn't care less about high society, the art of spellcraft, or a sullen has-been cursed to return to his humble past. Outcast and misfit, she lives alone in the woods, preferring solitude to the villagers' scorn. But as they work together to break Valentine's curse and set things right, Luc and Valentine realize there's a greater scheme at play. And that magic, like so many things in life, is never as simple as it seems. ********************************* Written for the ONC 2026. 39: After being cursed, you go from being the most popular socialite to becoming a nobody. 11: The daughter of the most powerful witch is nothing like her mother. 73. You wake up in a body that isn't yours, living a life almost identical to your own, and soon discover you're bound by an ancient curse forcing you to relive your past until you finally get one thing right. (Slightly modified; the curse is not particularly ancient.)

Hi I am Sabrina. My dad is the renowned Noir while my mom is a lightside witch. Both perished sometime after my tenth birthday. I live with my mom's mortal friend who has no clue. I have adjusted to a normal existence. All was well till the power went out an hour ago. There was confusion but now screams fill the streets as the police made an announcement that the power gone until further notice. When will everything be normal again is anyone's guess. Civilians are looting the usual suspects. Then they hopped on to cars to migrate. Things got ugly and people started killing each other to ensure they get to use the available resources long term. I am amongst those who chose to stay and use the resources available to stabilize our living. Wish me luck.

Call it fate that Imogen Thomas returned to JewelRose stables after an injury. (Her mother and Coach had actually planned the entire thing, but lets stick with fate.) The following conversations were much of what she expected. However, she didn't expect her biggest rival to have taken over competing her horse. She also didn't expect to not get her horse back. It's her last season competing ponies in show-jumping, and now she doesn't have a horse. One of the highest rated English riders, and she has to start from scratch. And get along with her rival, since he's now riding for JewelRose stables. Propmt 30: You return to the sport you love after an injury. You are determined to overcome not just your rivals, but also your fears. LOGLINE: Imogen Thomas's return to show-jumping is hindered by her rival having taken over her horse, and moving in to her stables.

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒉? In the tough underworld of Toronto, 2126, Aja Huang lives a dual existence. As an observer, she has been analyzing human emotions, but everything shifts when an enigmatic signal uncovers her true mission: to prevent a formidable device capable of transforming the future of humanity. Enter Xander Kohler, a lethal assassin with trust issues. When their paths cross, the risks increase. Aja becomes more than just another target; she transforms into a mystery that Xander finds irresistible. While they flee together, their shared attraction intensifies, along with the dangers. The second their surroundings fall apart, Aja and Xander have to face reality. Things are never as they seem. When the stars above the city begin to pulse with forgotten light, will they choose the safety of illusion ─ or the peril of awakening? And when the truth comes to light, who will society become? ~ 𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝑹𝒆𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 meets 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒐𝒔𝒕 in this sci-fi thriller, blending high-stakes corporate and government control with the moral dilemmas of an alien hiding in human society. ~ ONC 2026 prompts: 32, 25, 78, 24, 29, 46, 27, and 44. ✧ 𝐃𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐚 ✧ 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ✧ 𝐃𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐎𝐕 ✧ Copyright © 2026 Lily Mitchell Exclusive to W A T T P A D, under the profile of OnceUponALily. Cover edited by author via postermywall.com