Onc2026 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!

Ever wondered what it would be like to return home after twenty years? Zara never expected to find out until a text message in the middle of the night dragged her back to Nigeria. She returned for one reason only: to find the person who murdered her lover. But every answer uncovers another secret. As more truths claw to the surface, Zara is forced to confront a chilling possibility: Did Daniel deserve to die? And did his killer(s) do the world a favour?

Under the cherry blossoms sits a nimble girl, her face sullen, and her eyes caved in. She was sitting by a gravestone, staring longingly towards where her mother was laid to rest. Guilt, regret and melancholy was all she could feel. Had she known her mother would pass away, she wouldn't have left her in hopes to pursue her dream as a light novel writer. Inspired by her mother's creativity and imagination, she also wanted to walk down the path her mother went. However, her visit to her mother's grave at the first sign of spring soon turned out to be an ordeal when a cherry blossom flower piqued her interest. One touch and she was now in a world where magical creatures walked on land. But, her role as the daughter of the greatest witch follows more troubles and challenges than she had ever anticipated. ------------ An open novella contest entry Main prompt: #2 Other prompts: #11

A reimagining of the enchanted fairytale we all know as Sleeping Beauty, in which the evil fairy has a son. ~ The unseelie fae know many stories. Their favourite is that of their mistress's son, Draco. The unseelie prince of thorns. With his vivid eyes and small horns, his brave, kind heart and his unexpected adventures. For when his mother, known as a witch amongst the humans, cast a spell only to be broken by true love's kiss, no one would've expected that Draco would be able to break the curse. No one expected him to love a human princess. No one expected Briar Rose to love him. However, it is for this very reason that the unseelie fae love the story of Draco and how he came to love Briar Rose. How the two of them reunited a realm torn apart, the humans and the fair folk. And how they brought peace and joy amongst their people, creating a story lost with generations to come. ~ Wattpad ONC 2026 LONGLISTER

SPOILERS FOR SUNRISE --------------------------- An Eternal Sunrise one-shot! Main prompt: Fall #63 Sub-prompts: Spring #16, Fall #78, Fall #80, Winter #93, Winter #104 -------------------------------------- The Wolves of Glindale are a species of wolves as old as time. Blessed with powers beyond human imagination. Also known as 'The Mother Wolves', they were the ones who created the first werewolf. Ever since their creation, early werewolves have dedicated The Temple of Lycaon to them and made pilgrimages to gain their blessings. Every 100 years, when the first blood moon of the year appears, the temple's gates emerge, signalling the beginning of another pilgrimage season. Thousands look for its whereabouts, but without success, save for a chosen few who had their spirit as their guide. Yet, finding the temple is only the first step in a series of daunting challenges, and only those worthy can see the end of the finish line. Dr Melissa Ortega and her associate, Dr Christopher Bentley, are tasked by the Director of the Ministry of Lycan Affairs (MLA) to look for the elusive temple and study the legendary wolves. But of course, he won't let them venture into the unknown alone without a powerful guide. Who is this mystery guide? And, will they find the Mother Wolves? Keep reading to find out! ----------------------------------------- This tale can be considered as an alternate timeline to the main series, and is a standalone! Also, this book is rated Mature for violence, gore, and mentions of SA, trauma, and body horror common in the genre. -------------------------- 2026 (c) All Rights Reserved. All writing done is mine, and so is the cover design using Canva. NO AI USED! No stealing, or I will send AJ and the McIntyre family after you. 😤

TW: Mild Swearing The last thing that Tara was expecting was her coworker (and crush) to actually be one of the most famous singers in the world. Funny how that happens, right? ________________ "May I have this dance?" "Right now?"

Chronicle of Nadhjra & Other Untold Stories Some legends are too small to become entire novels... Yet too important to be forgotten. Journey beyond the main saga of Infinite Fighters into a collection of hidden chronicles, forgotten origins, secret experiments, legendary weapons, ancient kingdoms, and untold adventures that shaped the world of Seona long before - and long after - the events of the main story. Discover how Karl Adrian took his first steps toward the impossible dream that would one day become Hyperstring Quantum Technology. Uncover forgotten histories surrounding Kael Adravion, Zedwan, Lysa, and many other heroes whose stories were never fully told. Every chapter reveals another piece of Seona's vast history... Some are legends. Some are memories. Some are secrets that were never meant to be discovered. Welcome to the hidden chronicles of Infinite Fighters untold stories. Also witness the immortal will of Nadhjra, the mysterious weapon that has lived through countless forms. A will that has lived countless lives, surviving every vessel and every war. From spear to katana, from shadows to legend, Nadhjra chooses only those worthy to wield her. A tales of silent endurance, judgment, and the last guardian who learns the meaning of true worth. Will she choose you?

"Here is the information about your target." The file was handed to Taehyung, along with a shoulder pat. "You got three weeks. I'll let you know when it's the time, then finish him without any suspicions." "Park Jimin, Age 23, the only heir of Park Seojun, the chairman of the biggest real estate group - Park corp..." "Tsk." He clicked his tongue. "It's my first time getting a target the same age as me." ──────⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────── "Hello Jungkook. I've sent you the details of your next target." The female voice said from the other side. Park Jimin, age 23... "He is too pretty to die soon, you know?" Jungkook's laugh echoed in the silence of the office room. ──────⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────── Taehyung and Jungkook - assassins from rival organizations called Shadows and Crimsons respectively. Same target - Park Jimin, 23, blind... What did a blind heir possible do to make two powerful organization want him dead? Will he survive the flames of hate this time? Will they find out the truths behind the flames that never died? ──────⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──────

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

Un científico con poderes y una experta en artes marciales; deseosos de venganza, van tras lo mismo, ¿Se unirán o su rivalidad les estroperá sus planes? Pero, luego de la venganza...¿Todo se acaba?

Death in the Downside is a museum of forever. Avery discovers that it's a lavish place and learns to lounge inside it, until a heartbeat breaks the silence. It pulses with a melody she once loved, leading her toward a forbidden stairwell and the impossible feeling that someone is waiting for her. She learns that: not all of the dead stay buried and not all of the living let go.

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.

Mercenary-turned-professor wakes up inside the body of Kim Namjoon, leader of the world's biggest boyband, while searching for the goddess in his head, Sothis. He wonders why his fate his intertwined with Namjoon.

William Grombo is a librarian who tries to forget the fact that he has super powers, but then he meets Kaya Ravens, who is just as obsessed with super heroes as he once was. But like William, Kaya hides a secret she doesn't want anyone to know.

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?

Elok is a little caterpillar who begins her journey as an innocent, curious, and naïve creature. She meets Sulastri, Dimas, and Aditya-three friends from different worlds who teach her many things about life, nature, food, and what it truly means to be a good creature. But as time goes by, Elok's hunger slowly turns into gluttony. She eats without restraint, devouring the leaves around her without considering the other creatures who also depend on those trees for food, shelter, and survival. Without realizing it, her unhealthy habit gradually changes her-not only physically, but spiritually as well. When she finally faces the anger of her neighbors and witnesses the consequences of her actions, Elok begins to understand that she has allowed greed, envy, pride, resentment, vanity, and many other harmful traits to take control of her heart. She then retreats into a private chamber she names "THE COCOON." But Elok is not merely hiding from the world. Inside that dark chamber, she begins a far more difficult journey: a journey deep into her own heart. There, Elok must confront the dark traits that have been living within her. She battles Greed, Envy, and other destructive qualities one by one, while struggling to understand who she truly is and how she should live her life. And when the cocoon finally opens, every creature is left astonished. The greedy, selfish, and seemingly ugly green caterpillar they once knew is gone. In her place emerges a beautiful butterfly with radiant golden wings-not merely because her body has undergone a biological metamorphosis, but because her heart has transformed as well. Because sometimes, the greatest metamorphosis is not the transformation of the body. It is the transformation that takes place deep within the heart. 🦋🌕✨

That year, the winter in Xuecheng was bone-chillingly cold. In an ordinary apartment building, a grotesque dismemberment case unfolded that even the battle-hardened Chief Detective Peng Zhaolin found deeply disturbing. What he could not forgive himself for was that he had passed by the suspect, Deng Ligang, in the hallway, a mere brush with fate that turned into a ten-year delay🙈 Deng Ligang and his accomplices roamed across various regions, committing heinous crimes. The major crimes team pursued them across several provinces but ultimately failed to capture them. 💙 The criminal gang suddenly vanished, having cleaned their identities through illegal means and settled into slaughter, with their anguished cries echoing in his ears, refused to leave him.❤️💜

In a city floating among the clouds, life is spent fighting gravity. To end up on the surface of the Earth amongst enormous, roving clouds of carbon dioxide would be certain death. Yet no city can exist as an island in the sky; steel rusts and motors fail. Someone needs to be supplying the city with resources to repair or replace. The Retrieval Corp is the best of the best. The best windsurfers, most resourceful engineers, the most creative salvagers. Together, these courageous few brave the surface and retrieve whatever the city needs. Allisios Soliros has spent his life working towards joining the Retrieval Team. Now, with a coveted spot open, only one thing stands between him and his dream. His father. ONC Prompt 78: You begin to realize nothing is quite what it seems. ONC Prompt 16: And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul. Cover by @TrashyM ATTENTION: I OWN ALL RIGHTS TO THIS STORY (including the book cover) - DO NOT use without permission or legal action will be taken. This story is only available on Wattpad. Any other postings are unauthorized. © 2026 DuckyandtheNut

One moment, Avery was the author. The next... she woke up inside her own novel. Her characters are alive. Her plot is wrong. And Aiden-the man she wrote to break hearts- is looking at her like she's his. The scariest part? She's no longer the one holding the pen. Every page pulls her deeper, every twist makes her question who's really writing the story-her, or something else entirely. And somewhere between fiction and reality, she'll have to decide... does she want to escape this world? Or rewrite it forever? [New chapter: Every week on Monday.]