Opennovellacontest Stories

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?

Minnie Morgan has it all. A well earned bachelor's degree alongside a full ride to her MFA program, a boyfriend who she's deemed actually tolerable, and her hair finally decided to work with her and not against her. 2017, she's decided, is going to be her year. Then, she's pushed down a well. As if waking up in 2012 wasn't bad enough, a world famous boy band that claims they can see the future have their sights set on her - and more importantly, the promise that she's going to someday break their lead singer's heart, resulting in a song that will top the charts. With a scandal on their shoulders and Minnie unable to enact the future the well-pushing diverted her from, now is a better time than ever to wield that inevitable heartbreak. Until the reluctant Jackson falls in love with her and writes that hit song, she's stuck in the past. Too bad he can't stand her. ... Originally written for Open Novella Contest 2026, prompt #14. Reworked. cover made by pharmakis!

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.

An ONC2026 entry Magic is law and every mage is bound by Summon Cards; anchor tools used to call beasts, spirits, and even gods. The gifted train in Terra City where they must choose to either serve Creation, Justice, or Death. But Amara breaks every rule. She can summon without a card; even moreso she can summon Annatah, the god of creation. To the Order of the First, she is a miracle. To the Brotherhood of Night, she is the perfect vessel to incarnate Althera, the goddess of chaos. When eight year old Cassandra Apollos is kidnapped after awakening her abilities and calling forth Python, a rare divine protector, Terra City teeters on the brink of war. With enemies closing in, Amara must shape her own destiny before chaos takes form. An ONC 2026 entry

ONC Longlister || Round 1-3 Qualifier Description: In the shadows of Riverforth Manor, a forbidden love ignites between governess Lyra Skylen and her brooding master, Mr. Charles Fredrick Jefferson. As Lyra unravels the mysteries of the manor, she's drawn to Charles's dark allure, but a hidden secret in a forbidden room threatens to destroy everything. Will their love survive the secrets that bind them?. Prompt from the Open novella contest (78: You begin to realize that nothing is quite what it seems ).

Love Out Loud Reading Event 🌈 They fall hard. So will you. From messy crushes to emotional slow burns, read the LGBTQIA+ stories the Wattpad community can't stop recommending. And win Coins while you read. 📚 Read from the Love Out Loud Reading List 🏆 30 minutes → 30 Coins 🏆 90 minutes → 90 Coins 🏆 150 minutes → 150 Coins + 1 month of Wattpad Premium 📅 June 15-21 Come for the yearning. Stay for the rewards. *** Time heals all wounds. When you have the power to rewind it, you begin to wonder whether it's too much responsibility for one person to hold. ***** Sometimes, walking away is the scariest, yet the bravest thing one can do. Iris Fox would know; after returning to the coastal town of Emelle Bay, Oregon, and finding her life in shambles, it's hard to ignore the voice in the back of her head that beckons her to stay. Days turn into weeks, which turn into months, and Iris finds herself drawn to the heartbreaking reminders of how it all went wrong. Echoes of unfinished business and painful memories wash up, awakening the dormant power to rewind time, and Iris realizes she has a choice to make--she can either use her power to try and fix what has been stolen from her, rewriting her past, present, and future, or she can tuck the past where it belongs. Either way, there's only one conclusion. All actions have consequences. ***** Open Novella Contest -- prompts 24, 33, & 54 [[OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2024 ROUND 1 AMBASSADORS' PICK, LONGLISTER & SHORTLISTER]] [[THE AMBYS 2025 AMBASSADOR'S PICK IN CONTEMPORARY NOVELLA]] © 2024 caterina george // all rights reserved

"Something has been forgotten, something has been lost, and something has not been forgiven." During the summer holidays, Alexander Cornelius Lockwood stumbles upon a dark, buried family secret, forcing him to enlist the help of his secondary school classmates, who must unravel the truth before the ghosts of his family's past seek their revenge on the Northumbrian village of Mourninghelm. ***** It is the bleak beginning of September and Alexander Lockwood has started the dreaded Mourninghelm Comprehensive School. With new challenges in the form of a resident school bully and classmate, Jean Smith, he wonders whether this school year will ever get better. But when he finds a box in the back of his mam's wardrobe during the annual summer Lockwood clean-up, he uncovers an age-old mystery - and a curse. With only twenty days to uncover the truth before the curse engulfs the whole village, Alexander enlists the help of his two best friends, the girl he has a crush on, and, regrettably, the school bully. However, with the fate of his family and Mourninghelm hanging in the balance, will the pressure crack him before he can save what he values most, or will he overcome the mystery standing in his way? 🥇Summertime Sadness Awards 2025 - Horror Genre 🥈The Quilling it Awards - Horror Genre 🥈 2025 Rose Gold Awards - Horror Genre 🥈The Elysian Quill Awards 2025 - Horror Genre

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, where love is a labyrinth and friendship feels like the safest way out. #ONC2026 contest. Story is complete. Prompt 24: Staying as friends is meant to be safe, but that doesn't mean it's the path you're meant to take; Prompt 28: Self-love often starts small, like planting a seed. With time, patience, and a bit of light, it will grow; and Prompt 29: You meet many people in your life. Many will come and go, but some will leave footprints on your heart.

Against the backdrop of a damp, golden London autumn... ​In 2026 London, history professor Sarah uncovers a centuries-old letter hidden behind an old framed painting in her new flat. As she deciphers its secrets, she becomes entwined in a long-lost love and a mystery that spans generations-leading her to a man who holds the final piece of the puzzle." Participation in the Open Novella Contest 2026 Prompt used: #79 © 2026 by Nermein Sami El-Kurdi. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission is strictly prohibited #onc2026 #opennovellacontest2026 #oncprompt79

Megafantastic Man is the greatest superhero on Earth. His little brother Marvin is decidedly not. It's tough living in the shadow of greatness, and although Marvin possesses some super powers of his own, things just never seem to work out quite right. When an especially nasty supervillain pops up to threaten the world just as Megafantastic Man is called on to lend aid to another planet, Marvin might be the only chance at saving the day. Earth just might be in really big trouble.

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. #ONC2026 contest. Story is complete. Prompts: #16 - Into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul. And a slightly modified version of #104 - while wandering through the woods, you dismiss the rustling behind you as nothing more than the wind through the trees until you turn around realize it isn't wind at all. Content Note: This story contains references to non-graphic sexual situations. It also draws on historical accounts of the Inquisition, including themes of religious persecution and some chapters contain acts of violence. While these elements, as well as 16th century attitudes toward women, are handled with care, they reflect the realities of the period and may be difficult for some readers. They do not reflect this author's viewpoint.

[Shortlist | Ambassadors Pick] Alicia DuMont is telling the truth. Unless you count lies of omission, which she decidedly does not. Twenty-four and finally standing on her own two feet as a hairstylist, she is surprised when she and her friends receive an invitation to the prince's Coming-of-Age Masked Ball. Knowing they are right out of the running for marriage to the prince won't stop them from having a little fun, though! Prince Alejandro has a truth he can't share: his country is weaker than it seems. At nearly twenty-one, his dream of marrying for love is tied up in somehow falling for a down-to-earth woman who can strengthen the monarchy. Hoping his Coming-of-Age Ball will throw such a girl into his path, he's determined to make the most of it. And when he meets the mysterious Alicia, he is immediately drawn to her. When Alicia and Alejandro decide to begin a relationship, royal conventions throw them straight into an engagement. They may be the epitome of poise and grace in public, but behind the scenes questions of Alicia's suitability mix with the threat of national unrest. Every day their connection grows deeper, but if they can't find a way to quiet the growing discontent, they risk losing not only their relationship but also their country. *** This story was written for the ONC 2021 based on prompt #87.

Usually, after-work suggestions from coworkers mean drinks and karaoke, both of which Opal normally declines in favor of a good nap. Finding herself in a creaky house surrounded by candles and spiderwebs? That should have been her first red flag. The ghost of the house realizes someone can finally see her and suddenly promises are being made to help a sister move on. The sister? A cop with her own vendetta. Opal is dragged into a cold case for a ghost she'd rather not be able to see because apparently, normal life was too much to ask for. Between late nights, dark corners, and dusty old documents Opal finds herself talking to the dead whether she likes it or not. Either they'll find the answers, or they'll be adding to the ghostly population.

(ONC 2025 Shortlisted) It's been more than twenty years since Dwayne last saw his childhood imaginary friend. But in a sudden hail of bullets, explosions, and car chases, Mr. Foo Foo comes roaring back into his life in a major way with trouble hot on his tail. Dwayne's boring and mundane life is about to get upended in a serious way, and the bonds of friendship will be put to the test like never before in this wild and action-packed adventure. This story is based on prompt number 105: Your childhood imaginary friend, who disappeared years ago, suddenly returns - only this time, they're real.

She was born a witch but magic never answered her. When her mother trades her future for political gain, Xylia refuses to become a pawn and flees in search of answers about the power that never awakened within her. But freedom is short-lived. A curse older than kingdoms binds her to Xanderis - a prince she considers an enemy. The spell is merciless. Enemies forced into proximity, they must work together to unravel the answers they both ask for. But the closer they get to freedom, the more dangerous the truth becomes.

In the aftermath of a long and bloody war, the daughter of a king, no longer a princess, Mussumi, has to bend the knee to the man who has defeated her father. With only a small escort to lead her back to her homeland, Mussumi soon realises that the warlord does not intend for her to reach home alive. Only the intervention of a skilled warrior, who identifies herself only as 'Duty', allows Mussumi to escape, but a desperate chase ensues and only 'Duty' can get her to the ship that will carry her to safety. With the enemy sniping at their heels at every turn, Mussumi and Duty have to face dangerous paths and deadly creatures to reach the port. But can Duty be trusted, or is she only another assassin waiting to strike? An ONC novella, based on Prompt 31: "Next time, ask yourself if your integrity can withstand the truth."

Working as a bookseller's aide was not Solys' job of choice. But when an extremely attractive sailor opened the town's first bookstore, Solys found herself rethinking all her decisions and signing up for the job. Just as things are getting cozy, trouble enters in the form of a tiny red dragon. Solys adores it at first sight, but just the thought of getting it through Inara is enough to make her want to roll through a field of cacti. And so ensues hilarious mishaps and coverups as Solys perseveres on her mission with a secret dragonling in tow. But when Inara discovers her secret, it turns Solys' world upside down, and she realizes that she has so much more to lose than she did when she began. Will Solys miss out on more than her chance with Inara, but on her adoring dragon, as well?

Gaara worked hard at putting together the pieces missing since Yashimaru's death, yet soon after becoming the next Kazekage of the village - one of his steps to piece together his life as the village's protector - he discovers a secret which changes everything. Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto. This is written for Open Novella 2020. The story is inspired by prompt number four, "when something tragic happens, it's often said we lose a piece of ourselves. How far would you go to find these lost parts of yourself in order to be whole again?"

Liam Reynolds' best friend Greg passes away, and he misses him dearly. Or he would if Greg left, but unfortunately, Greg has unfinished business and decides to become Liam's ghostly roommate. Greg believes their incomplete bucket list is the reason he can't move on. Thus, he leads Liam and Liam's neighbor, Valerie, on a journey of self-discovery, fun, and possibly love as Liam sets out to do all the things they wanted to do in life. **** This is my entry for the 2025 Open Novella Contest. I am using prompt #8.

If only for those blissful three days...he gets to escape everything that's breaking him to pieces, and indulge in the one thing that's keeping him whole. When a man loves a woman...he goes the extra mile. And when love's like this...it will go the distance.