Opennovellacontest 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!

In the silk-producing valleys of the Kingdom of Naples, Renza, the daughter of a respected silk merchant, has been raised within the careful order of family and tradition. Lucien arrives as a restless outsider, marked by a past he cannot escape. Around them move others bound by secrecy and survival, including a spy for the Inquisition trained to live between two worlds. As tensions deepen and suspicion spreads through Silk County, their lives draw toward a tragic event history has nearly erased. Echoing the ancient myth of Galatea and Acis in a 16th century setting, Silk County explores how love endures in fragile and often dangerous spaces, where even the most delicate threads can bind souls across time. Updates ongoing as part of the #ONC2026 contest.

It was supposed to be simple. One mission. One target. Substantial compensation. Instead, two elite assassins from rival organizations show up with the same assignment, the same instincts, and wildly inconvenient chemistry. Ezra and Elaine had everything planned and organized. The guests. Fake, but whatever. The food. Which they did not get to eat. Tragic. One dreamy gown. Ruined by an idiot who also smashed their wedding cake. Oh. And the bullets. Because when you make a living pulling triggers, it is only fair that the past shows up armed. Now the guest list is bleeding, the vows are under fire, and the mission they thought they understood is unraveling into something far bigger than either of them signed up for. Turns out, when your love language is violence, your happily ever after comes fully loaded. ---- [First draft - unedited]

Piper has never lost control, so when a new professor arrives at Regalia university and refuses to be intimidated, piper does what she does best, she fights back. But prof Zinaida isn't just another authority figure. She sees through Piper's arrogance with unsettling precision. And the deeper their war of pride becomes, the more dangerous their chemistry grows. Because sometimes the person you hate the most is the only one who can make you confront the ghost you've been running from. [Sapphic] [profxstudent] [enemiestolovers] Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are either the product of the author's imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Do not distribute, publish, transmit, modify, create derivative works from, or exploit the contents of the story in any way without consent. All rights reserved 2026 @viperpunk.

The world has always known Seren by one name: Ruin. Born to a mother history remembers as a monster, Seren has spent her life hidden, studying magic in secret, desperate to understand the unstable power growing inside her. Every surge of her abilities brings storms, destruction - and further proof to the world that she is destined to follow her mother's path. Rowan, a truth-seer bound to an ancient order, is ordered to watch her - and, if necessary, stop her. But Rowan's gift reveals something impossible: Seren is not a destroyer. She is the key to a truth powerful enough to shatter everything the world believes about magic itself. As a conspiracy centuries in the making begins to unravel, Seren and Rowan must navigate betrayal, fear, and a fragile bond neither of them expected. Because sometimes, the greatest ruin is not the storm itself... but the lies that created it.

Every ten thousand years, a celestial flower blooms. Though all beings in the nine realms fight to obtain it, only the most powerful one will have the right to pluck it. And even then, the flower may choose another. After two hundred years of quiet cultivation with her master, Yin Wan Ling suddenly finds herself competing for dominance amongst the other immortals. But her only interest in the flower is to help learn the identity of the mysterious figure who plagues her dreams. Every night, she runs toward a man swathed in mist and fog. Every night she yearns for him. But his face remains shrouded. Until one night, she finally sees his face...right before he stabs her in the heart.

When Teia Cloto travels to Naples, Italy, hoping to steady a life already quietly unravelling, the last thing she needs is blind date that turns into an easy, unexpected friendship. Alden instantly makes the city feel strangely familiar in ways Teia didn't know she needed. Drawn deeper into Naples' ancient past and her own unsettling sense of déjà vu, the line between coincidence and destiny begin to blur. Staying friends is simpler. But Teia must confront whether destiny is a story we inherit, or one we choose to rewrite, no matter the cost. Water and Sand is a contemporary love story that reimagines the myth of Theseus and Ariadne through wit, longing, and the complicated reality of choosing love when friendship feels safer. Updates ongoing as part of the #ONC2026 contest. Prompt #24: Staying as friends is meant to be safe, but that doesn't mean it's the path you're meant to take.

Annalise's morning began like any other, rushing to finish some procrastinated homework while jamming to her go-to 80s playlist. But when she walks out to the kitchen to grab a bite to eat before school, she discovers her mother not moving in front of the sink...with the water coming from the faucet not moving either. A few minutes later, time starts moving again, with nobody else having knowledge of it freezing in the first place. Will Annalise figure out the secrets behind stopping time? What else might she discover with her newfound mysterious gift?

two rivals, Two reasons to save the world one weapon that decides the fate of the world, will they learn to work together and save the world or are we all doomed.

When 'reach for the stars' stops being a metaphor. Being a productive member of society was always expected of me-by my family, my friends, and my coworkers. I thought I was doing my part in customer support, helping people every day, until the demands pushed me past my breaking point. So I left. I built a quiet life on my own terms: a cabin by a lake, a thriving garden, bees, and distance from the pressures that nearly destroyed me. Just when I believe I've finally found peace, strange lights circle the stars-and I'm lifted off the path leading back home. I wake in a place that is cold, controlled, and very interested in what I can do. What first looks like a gift-a greenhouse, fertile soil, the chance to grow-quickly becomes something else entirely. I wasn't brought here by accident. I was chosen because I'm useful. As the trials continue and my memories begin to blur, I'm forced to confront the truth of their desperation-and the cost of refusing to cooperate. They need me to save their world. I just want my life back-if I can still remember what that was. Author's note: This novella is my first entry for the Wattpad Open Novella Contest. Thank you for reading and for accompanying me on this experiment. *I am a Canadian author. English spelling follows Canadian usage. ** Note about the cover image and banners: The cover and banners were created with AI assistance in Canva.

Cal Porter is Highridge Secret's golden boy, a striker who scores with ruthless precision. Kess Caldwell is Iron Row FC's shield, a defender who breaks plays and crushes strikers without mercy. In the Barefield League, where cleats are banned and mixed-gender rivalries turn brutal, Cal and Kess are sworn enemies. Every match is a collision waiting to happen. When an injury benches one of them, and a red card suspends the other, the game changes. Forced off the pitch, they're about to discover that the only thing more dangerous than their hatred for each other... is their chemistry. /// 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?

The sirens scream but we don't move, With nothing left to fear or prove. In the hollow dark of a world undone, Your pulse is the only war I've won. Two young souls finding meaning and life and discovering their relationship admist the burning town and black clouds. Please like my story after reading every chapter. Show your love to my story. Because I've participating for the first time. *This story is written for participation in Open Novella Contest and no earlier draft exist before 1st Feb . The story is based on prompts provided by the event .

Mariella intends to marry rich. Then she'll live as she chooses. But there's a problem. The crown prince isn't as blind as everyone else, especially after he sees her true self. He now notices everything, the little lies, the carefully crafted manners, the rehearsed kindness. He is indifferent, dismissive, and dangerous in ways she can't anticipate, but she needs him on her side, because one slip, one glimpse behind her mask from the court, and everything she has clawed towards will collapse. She has spent her life perfecting the art of being the sweet, proper lady no one suspects. How to appear harmless, timid, and polite. But every word, every gesture, every tear is calculated. Because, in a world of wealth, titles, and ambition, the clever survive and the careless get left behind. And she will not be left behind. ××××× "She is deceiving you, Your Majesty!" Percival insisted, dragging Mariella back to the present, ''I swear upon my honor.'' The throne room felt smaller than before as the silence after Percival's words stretched. The King's gaze softened. "Mariella has served this court with nothing but grace." Mariella sobbed harder. The sound loud in the silent room. Finral's gaze burned into her. He had not spoken or shown any indication of revealing the truth. Maybe he was still in shock from her magnificent performance but she had to be sure. So she slowly lifted her head slightly, meeting his eyes for the briefest moment. Just for a second. And winked. The smallest movement. Gone in an instant. His lips parted. Whether from shock or apathy, she couldn't tell but he still said nothing. And in his silence, the ruling fell swiftly. ××××× Written for the open novella contest 2026 prompt 16: And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul (Quote by John Muir) Interpreted in a romantic sense.

Two teachers. Two rivals. Two hearts. Poppy Newman has worked at Twin Oaks Academy for the last six years, and when Logan Matthews, her childhood rival, suddenly becomes her colleague she can't quite believe it. With his classroom next door, there's really 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 has been written exclusively for the Open Novella Contest 2026 with the following prompt as its main theme: 55 - Two teachers at the same school are determined to outdo each other by having the top-scoring class. But when their students start enthusiastically shipping them, the rivalry takes a very unexpected turn.

-Some cages have no walls- Luniva is called the vampire girl. Dark hair, pale skin and a softness that somehow feels dangerous. Feared by her village and haunted by rumors, she remains bound by a longing she can't name. Seen for the first time, she isn't feared but understood and that by the one person who will change everything. Now her story begins... Open Novella Contest: prompt #78 [You begin to realize that nothing is quite what it seems.] prompt #29 [You will meet many people in your life. Many will come and go, but some will leave footprints on your heart.]

Rivals. Royalty. Brothers. An ailing King gives the two wayward princes a choice. Learn to work together, or watch as their Kingdom falls to ashes and flames under the fury of the Great Dragon. Wattpad Open Novella Contest 2026 Participating Story

A lonely immortal seeks Death, but she won't make release easy for him. The Fates have other plans. ... For hundreds of years, Larkin has lived a miserable life of isolation. Immortality has been nothing but a curse and the only remedy is the one who cursed him in the first place. He's searched the globe, but has only found whispers and rumors. Just when he's given up, she walks casually back into his life and it takes everything in him not to lash out. He needs her to remove the curse, and she won't do that if he unleashes his rage upon her. They were once lovers, then they were enemies, now Larkin doesn't know what they are to each other. He only knows she has the answer to the riddle of his extended torment. ONC 2026 prompt #114: An immortal being, worn down by centuries and cursed so that anyone they touch dies, starts searching for a way to finally end their endless life. But Death, who has grown possessive and infatuated with them, refuses to let them go.

It's about an a 23 years old korean man, and an another 23 years old woman

Amaury's debt is to be the Soul Reaper of one hundred souls to the keeper and master of his own. With Nilly, his assistant, he sets off to reap that final soul. But there's a catch. How can a lost puppy end up freeing the Soul Reaper and bringing the puppy's owner true happiness? Lorrie's lonely life is about to change with a chance encounter, brought about by her escape artist of a puppy, and someone who isn't entirely human. Entered into the ONC2026 contest based on the following two prompts. #65: On the way to collect a soul, the grim reaper is distracted by a stray puppy. Instead of completing the task, he decides to find the puppy's owner, much to the frustration of his assistant. #52: You're on a first date when you suddenly realize the person sitting across from you isn't entirely human.

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