Opennovellacontest2025 Stories

[NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON] The Endless Brew lazes in the 𝑩𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒏. Its residents dedicate their afterlife to helping ghosts tie up loose ends. But when a cry for help echoes from the town of Wisteria, the tea house is thrown into uncharted territory. This time, their charge isn't a ghost-it's Nina, a living, breathing human with no apparent wishes to fulfill. Stumped and stranded, The Endless Brew's residents must unravel why she's crossed into their spectral world. As they take her under their wing, Nina finds herself drawn to Kai, a brooding, enigmatic ghost with a past as mysterious as his piercing gaze. Their electric connection might defy the boundaries of life and death, but it doesn't change the fact they're from different worlds, and their parting is inevitable. 🌸 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬: 𝑺𝒍𝒐𝒘-𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏, 𝒄𝒖𝒕𝒆 𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆, 𝒈𝒓𝒖𝒎𝒑 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒖𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒆, 𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂 𝒈𝒖𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈. 🌸 𝐎𝐍𝐂 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭: 15. 𝑨 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒕𝒆𝒂 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒑 𝒔𝒖𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏'𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓: 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆 𝒑𝒖𝒓𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒚 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒎 𝒔𝒐 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕?

After the Kerberos mission failed and pilot error is blamed, thusly blaming Shiro who can't defend himself, Keith wants nothing to do with the Garrison and wants to drop out. The head of the Shirogane family and commander of the Japanese garrison insists on a compromise - that Keith pilot for Ryo when he heads to Mars to perform at a concert. Only-- An event that wasn't pilot error occurs, resulting in them being stranded on an a tropical island on an alien planet with no clue where in the galaxy they are, needing to survive despite the tension between Keith and Ryo regarding -- well, everything. Disclaimer - I don't own Voltron: Legendary Defender. This is written for ONC 2025, prompt 47. "A famous singer and their pilot crash land on a tropical island. With no one else around, survival isn't their only challenge."

When the mysterious teashop suddenly appears, one can't help but hear its call and wonder-what's its true purpose? *** Alicia Ward's ordinary life takes a fantastical turn when she encounters Aidan, the elusive boy once believed a figment of her childhood imagination, now real and impossibly intriguing. Following him leads her to The Crooked Kettle, an enchanting teashop hidden from ordinary eyes. But curiosity leads her astray when she steps into a corridor filled with endless doors, each one offering glimpses into magical realms where reality is fluid and the impossible becomes possible. Where each door leads somewhere and nowhere, anywhere but her world. Trapped now in this place where reality bends at whim and magic comes alive, Alicia must navigate this bewildering place and find her way back to The Crooked Kettle's parlour if she ever wants to return home. And with the help of her once-imaginary friend, Aiden, and charmingly chaotic vampire, Harley Hatter-Sinclair, who has an uncanny ability to make her heart race and cheeks turn red, Alicia might be able to do just that. Or not. Will she be forever lost in a world where dreams and magic intertwine with reality? Everything and nothing is possible within the magical worlds of The Crooked Kettle. ______ All graphics were created by myself, with their subsequent credit and rights reserved for Andre Di Rosa (me).

ONC NOVELLA 2025 ROUND ONE QUALIFIER ROUND TWO QUALIFIER ****PROMPT:#126: "Because you're you, and I'm me, and we just don't fit" -Idea of You, Book by Robinne Lee***** Skylar O'Hara was a smart-mouthed and street-smart high school senior who believes that geeks and popular kids do not, and will never, mix well. And when it comes to Drake Andrews and Jorge Fernandez (the co-captains of the aquatics team and his godbrothers), he wants nothing to do with them whatsoever because they're representing everything that he despises about the jocks: their good looks, their ability to charm all the teachers, and how they manage to rule the school with little effort. Despite the nagging from his parents and teachers to be more like them, Skylar has one plan: survive senior year, graduate with high honors, and leave Dallas behind for good while becoming a well-respected fashion journalist. Funny how one accidental discovery of Drake and Jorge being the two most-beloved superheroes can throw off his plan completely. Oh, yeah, and they now want him to join their team as their sidekick, and their sudden interest in him Now, Skylar has a new plan that he has to follow: graduate high school, avoid being involved with anything superhero-related, and never fall in love with either Drake (Blue Crush) or Jorge (Green Tide) at all costs. But can he do all that with a vindictive cheerleader on his tail, deal with being an instant celebrity, and avoid any of the duo's advances? Or is he doomed to fall flat on his face on the runways that are called his senior year?

Prompt 75. You've worn a mysterious ring since childhood, but one day it opens to reveal a tiny creature telling you it's been trapped inside all along and more secrets are on the way. Greta Shrub is about to turn fourteen years of age, but growing up in the home of her heartless Aunt, Mrs Vivora Grogan has not been easy. Enduring loneliness and cruelty, at the hands of her Aunt and her three spoilt cousins, Greta Shrub's stark and unfortunate childhood only acts to strengthen her resolve and her natural independence of spirit. These qualities of character prove especially essential when an unexpected and previously unknown visitor arrives at her door. But what does her sinister Uncle Ulric know about Greta's past and future? And what is his interest in the mysterious Garnet Ring that Greta has worn about her neck since childhood? And what is the Garnet Ring's relationship to the magical but mystifying occurrences that have become a feature of Greta's lonely life? Do these curious incidents have any connection to a high-school named Snapdragon's Academy, that Greta has heard whispers about? Could this society be the key to her escape from her ruthless relations who wish to use Greta's new supernatural powers in their unscrupulous schemes?

Combine a mountain filled with rugged orcs with a mysteriously arrived shop serving delicate cups of tea. Could this be the start of a revolution? **** On Orc Mountain, there is nothing but dirt, smoke, and backbreaking labor in the mines. There are no colors, no sun, no breaks for rest. There is definitely no tea. That is, until a mysterious tea shop appears in the orcs' domain. Glimmering in blue and pink, it stands out against the rugged backdrop. At first, the hardened inhabitants of the mountain are understandably leery about the malpositioned shop, wondering how it got there and why. Lava, a dedicated supervisor at the mines, takes it upon herself to investigate the suddenly-arrived business. Stepping inside, she meets Jasper, the bubbly fairy shopkeeper, who offers her a fragrant brew. Once Lava takes a sip, the sweet yet bitter taste pulls her in, making her clamor for more. Soon, all orcs are hooked on tea, but something sinister is brewing under the surface. When Lava catches Jasper conducting a secret meeting in a backroom, the true purpose of the tea shop is revealed. Soon she is forced to choose between her newfound passion for tea (and Jasper) and her dedication to the mountain's mining operations. *** Legends & Lattes x Shrek *** An ONC novella using prompt #15: A mysterious tea shop suddenly appears and you can't help but wonder: what's its true purpose, and why does it seem so important?

Sirius decides to infiltrate the Granger family for Christmas, posing as the newest family pet in hopes that Peter Pettigrew will be brought right to him in time to give himself the Christmas present of revenge against the wizard who actually betrayed James and Lily to Voldemort. What could go wrong? Why, the middle Granger child suspecting there is more than meets the eye, that's what. Disclaimer - I don't own Harry Potter. This is written for ONC 2025, prompt seven. "You've always suspected that the stray cat in your area is more than it seems. Now you're determined to catch it shapeshifting and prove it's a shapeshifter. But the closer you get, the more questions arise." Except instead of a stray cat, it's a stray Sirius. :)

🏆 SHORTLIST - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2025 Two teenagers embark on a cross-country music tour to outrun the threat of war and curtailed creative freedom. ⋯⋯⋯ As Ash finishes identifying his parents' remains from a full-blast attack, he should have stopped writing silly songs. With rebels controlling the country bit by bit comes the diminishing right to express themselves, so when a boy with a lopsided grin and penchant to chase trouble convinces Ash to perform his music, he only has one answer―no. But Jet has a way of getting what he wants, and there is no way Ash can let a golden boy run off on his own. With only a beat-up neon-pink car, a patched guitar, an obnoxious red pen, and a battered polaroid, Jet and Ash embark on a cross-country tour to make a name for themselves, outrunning authorities, and maybe even Fate itself. What can go wrong...right? From the award-winning author of 𝘋𝘪𝘦 𝘢 𝘏𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘥 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩, 𝘈𝘳𝘭𝘰 𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯, comes a story of young love, the fight for freedom, and the eternal struggle for meaning set in a world of oppression and violence. There are many ways to the end, and it is up to us to choose which path to take. ˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°• © 2025 (First Edition) [25,000 - 30,000 words] [All graphics are made by @sardonictabby] ˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°• 🏆 LONGLIST - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2025 🏆 ROUND 2 AMBASSADOR PICK - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2025 🏆 ROUND 2 QUALIFIER - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2025 🏆 ROUND 1 QUALIFIER - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2025

"Threading on thorns is easier than letting go of my tiger lily. Again." Grayson Ji WenXiang, a legendary cultivating green serpent has been tempted by an offer from Perennial who now is the colossal of the opposite kingdom. Tempering with his yearning for an old love, Grayson eagerly bargained with Perennial without considering the consequences that soon unfold and disrupt his life. While he struggled to uphold the martial reputation he had built for decades and safeguard his tiger lily, Grayson found himself battling with lethal choices all over again. 🌹Open Novella Contest 2025 | ONC 205 | Longlist 2 on 22 May 2025 ||. This story is written in conjunction with the ONC 2025, and can only be found on Wattpad only.||

|Round 2 Winner| |Round 3 Ambassador Pick| |Shortlist| Rhiannon "Banjo" Hart is a professional thief working her last ever job. The Hawk has promised a massive payout if she can steal data from Concorda International and Banjo needs the money to help her Mum get hospital treatment, but she is not sure The Hawk will stick to the adage of "honour amongst thieves". In her escape, she meets an android that adds complication after complication to her already complex life. Banjo needs to outrun the authorities, Concorda's security and The Hawk.

A battle trading card company creates the ultimate battle game, and people of all ages flock to play the new, immersive game of monsters and tactics. When Charli finds her new game board and limited edition card set destroyed by bullies, a friend steps in to help her out. Only, he can only give her a beta test version of the battle board and a children's card set. With the inaugural battle competition set to begin, Charli must use her wits to make her weak card set work well enough to enter the competition, but she faces people with more experience, more cards and better battle boards. Can Charli make her way through the stages with only a children's card set and a basic battle board, or will the competition prove too much? An ONC novella, based on Prompt 67: "A trading card game company creates real-life versions of their creatures. What started as fun and games quickly spirals into something far more dangerous."

If Sirius Black had his way, the Black family would remain long-lost relatives he had nothing to do with, including Grimmauld Place which he managed to inherit, yet Grimmauld Place is unfortunatly a place he can easily hide as he remains a wanted man for something he didn't do. The last thing he expected was to encounter the ghost of his younger brother, but something feels off. Or perhaps, it's just the unresolved feelings regarding Regulus' death, particularly when he's the only one able to see Regulus from what he can tell. Disclaimer - I don't own Harry Potter. This is written for ONC 2025, prompt 19, "You inherit a house from a long-lost relative, only to discover it's haunted by a ghost from your past. How do you deal with what you once knew?"

Regulus knows he opened Pandora's box, that his actions harmed someone he cared deeply for, yet in his madness from opening Pandora's box he turned to Pandora Rosier rather than simply trying to fix the evil he unleashed on his own, and in doing so she gives him hope. Flee and be free for twenty days, something he doesn't understand beyond knowing Pandora inherited seer abilities, but her seer ability should never be questioned. Disclaimer - I don't own Harry Potter. This is one of my entries for Open Novella 2025, prompt 110, "20 days of freedom."

28. On a beach vacation, you dive into the water, but it turns purple and suddenly you're pulled under the sand. What's waiting for you beneath the surface? 34. Your new job requires an out of town overnight orientation, but when you check in, you run into someone from your past that you never thought you'd see again. Casey (Cas) Galanis doesn't know whether to say she is a burn victim, or was, as it had been over a decade. While her body bore the evidence of her past, she was more than ready to leave every bit of the trauma from recovery and society behind her. Unfortunately, anyone back home that was still cruel about her looks wasn't going to change. They didn't want to see her as capable of caring for herself. The lowest point was her sister refusing to have her in her wedding photos, citing aesthetics. The out she found was in the hospitality industry, specifically an older, privately owned hotel. True, people would continue to be cruel to her. Even if they brought up her looks, they would be more concerned that their room was clean, the TV worked, the pool was warm, and they made it in time for the complimentary breakfast. And most of that, as a maid, wouldn't be her problem. That, and it came with a room that they couldn't be rented out. Which was odd for a hotel a short walk from the beach. The first hurdle would be the Tuesday night orientation. The second would be if she could learn to love the beach and all it's exposure. But there would be more surprises in store-the doctor who helped heal her and the dead Egyptian god who consumed any free time she had. Because of the possibilities in two men, life wasn't lonely anymore. Cover Art: Photo by Austin J. Best from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-smoking-1205388/ Other elements are Wikicommons, mods are mine.

| Round 2, Ambassador Pick | When media mogul Richard Langley demands his children declare their love to inherit his empire, the refusal of his youngest daughter sparks a bitter family feud, forcing her to choose between healing old wounds or securing her place in the business world. ✦✦✦ The year is 2025, and the world of family legacies is as ruthless as it is glamorous. When Richard Langley, a powerful titan of the industry, announces his retirement, he demands his three adult children-Gwen, Riley, and Cora-profess their love for him in exchange for their share of the family empire. Gwen and Riley fall in line, but Cora, the youngest, refuses to bow to her father's demand and offers only brutal honesty. Enraged, Richard disowns her, casting her out of the family. As his mental state unravels, Gwen and Riley fight tooth and nail for control of the Langley legacy, manipulating their father and each other in a battle of wills and ambition. Meanwhile, Cora, heartbroken but determined, builds her own path to success in the media world. But when Richard reaches out, desperate and broken, Cora must decide whether to heal the rift or walk away for good. ✦✦✦ ✦ A modern retelling of Shakespeare's King Lear x Succession ✦ Cover design by @TheWildCyde ✦ Open Novella Contest 2025 | Prompts 31, 110, 111, 129 ᴄᴏᴘʏʀɪɢʜᴛ © 2025 ʙʏ ᴀᴜᴅʀᴇʏ ᴀʟʟ ʀɪɢʜᴛꜱ ʀᴇꜱᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ. ᴛʜɪꜱ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴏʀ ᴀɴʏ ᴘᴏʀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇᴏꜰ ᴍᴀʏ ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇ ʀᴇᴘʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴇᴅ ᴏʀ ᴜꜱᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴀɴʏ ᴍᴀɴɴᴇʀ ᴡʜᴀᴛꜱᴏᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇxᴘʀᴇꜱꜱ ᴡʀɪᴛᴛᴇɴ ᴘᴇʀᴍɪꜱꜱɪᴏɴ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇʀ ᴇxᴄᴇᴘᴛ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜꜱᴇ ᴏꜰ ʙʀɪᴇ

The whole world including the Celestial universe has always been so calm, peaceful and harmonious. There was never a time of destruction that took place and that was all because of the Celestials. The Zodiac signs that always kept everything in check. Without them the whole world could turn dark, darker than any black hole. It was until Keilyn Nikisa; the soul guardian, Oracle, the Celestial cat, finds herself in deep trouble as all the Zodiac signs have disappeared from their usual posts. The Celestial goddess sends Keilyn on a huge mission, and that's to bring back the Zodiac signs before the Dark Lord himself takes over the whole universe. And the mission isn't easy as Keilyn thought it would be. It comes with great responsibility and a whole lot of chasing to do to catch 12 Zodiac signs. Will she be able to complete her mission? Will she be able to bring back the Zodiac signs? Read the story to find out.

K-pop idol Minjae and eccentric home chef Hana meet at a cooking competition, sparking a simmering rivalry that turns into a recipe for romance - and potential disaster for Minjae's career. ___ As the golden voice of the K-pop group Starlight, Minjae has the world at his feet - adoring fans, sold-out concerts, and a life most people only dream of. Behind the glamour, he craves something more: a chance to be himself. To show off his passion for cooking. But the pressure to conform to his family's wishes and continue as an idol means pushing that aside. When the chance to show his passion literally smacks him in the face, Minjae, under an alias, finds himself in uncharted territory, swapping the familiar stage lights for the stovetops of a local culinary competition. When quirky, fiercely talented Hana turns a friendly rivalry into an unexpected connection, Minjae finds himself drawn to her passion and ability to be true to herself; qualities he has long lost. Worse, as the heat of the competition ramps up, Minjae's schedule becomes difficult to keep up with, and he must decide whether his love for cooking is enough to risk shattering his status as an idol. Can Minjae handle this newfound connection while juggling both the cooking competition and his duties as an idol, or will he fall under the pressure of it all? ____ Prompts: 31 and 36 ONLY AVAILABLE ON WATTPAD Cover by TaeTaeGinger

Ava and Josh are company rivals, competing with each other relentlessly ever since Ava joined the company. But what started as healthy competition evolved into a relationship where there's nothing but animosity. In a turn of unexpected events, they're forced to work with each other and put their rivalry aside.

Ayumi Mikuro has always been captivated by mysteries, and the strange black stray cat that roams her neighbourhood is her latest obsession. When she begins to suspect that the cat is more than it seems, her curiosity leads her into a hidden world of shapeshifters, dark secrets, and ancient artifacts. As she uncovers the truth about the mysterious feline and its connection to a secretive group of supernatural hunters, Ayumi finds herself entangled in a dangerous game of cat and mouse. With the fate of both the cat and her own life hanging in the balance, Ayumi must decide how far she's willing to go to protect the one creature she's grown to care for - a creature who holds the key to an unimaginable power. ONC prompt: 7. You've always suspected that the stray cat in your area is more than it seems. Now you're determined to catch it shape-shifting and prove it's a shapeshifter. But the closer you get, the more questions arise.