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!

"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? ──────⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──────

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

(Nocturnal Law Series) One fatal night changes everything. Vampire detective Percy Ashmidia hunts down the worst supernatural criminals in all of Sanguine City, but he's chasing ghosts trying to figure out the identity of their latest killer. A fresh lead has him eager to uncover their identity, only to find himself fallen for a sinister trap that nearly costs his own sorry fangs. Injured, he stumbles into a witch-run clinic just before the sun rises and encounters a very exhausted, handsome witch doctor who doesn't have the heart to turn him away.

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.❤️💜

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?

~A ROBERT IRWIN FANFICTION FOR WATTPADS 2026 ONC~ Having survived an accident that wiped your memory of everything but your celeb crush on Bryan Erwin, you find yourself alone in the town of Beerhwa after an unsuccessful trip to the Australia Zoo to see him. However, when you stumble upon a strange local magic shop, the witch seems to recognize you. Tempting you make an impulsive decision to buy an overpriced stone in the hope of regaining the memories she promises it will bring. But this stone brings more than just your memories of your past, for as soon as the old witch hands you the stone, your celebrity crush stumbles through the magic shop's doors as if he has been searching for you... instead of the other way around. With a single kiss, he brings back your memories of your past on a planet far, far away. Where you were tasked to search for the one who escaped to earth with your leader's prized "Eggs of Immorality", and remember the story of how you fell in love with that man's son and the world he cared so much for instead. Inspired by Prompt 41. You never imagined that one impulsive purchase from a magical shop would catapult you into the middle of an intergalactic conflict.

Far away, in a foreign country, Sonda is bitten by a dark vampire on a day that was meant to be a celebration. Too young to be allowed to exist, she is destined to be destroyed when a long-lost relative who, was also changed, intervenes to protect her until she matures, and to keep her from succumbing to the darkness that wants to take over her soul.

What happens when Death falls in love with the paramour he is gifted? Cursed to kill everyone he touches, beastly Lord Damien Casteel lives in anger and loneliness. During a rare game of poker, he wins the final hand against a petty criminal named Luca. The prize is a pouch of twelve precious gemstones. But Luca is determined to get the stones back, no matter what. Breaking into Damien's mansion to exchange the real gems for fakes, he is captured and threatened with death. Begging for his life, he strikes a deal: his freedom in exchange for his adopted son, Jemison, who will serve the lord as his paramour for twelve days; one day for each stone. Although he is reluctant to let anyone into his life, Damien is desperate to keep Jem away from Luca's abuse, so he agrees. What he does not expect is to fall for the tormented young man. Prompt used is number 46. We love broken, beautiful people. And it doesn't get more obviously broken and more classically beautiful than you. (Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid) My writing is AI-free. Any emdashes are here because I LIKE them. The poetic purply prose is here because I LIKE it. Computers don't write my stuff. The Muse inside my head who keeps me up till 3 AM and wants to drive me bonkers, does. Warning for: spicy situations, alcohol, some swearing, blood, abuse, and typical Christine darkness. There's no graphic sa, torture, gore, or animal abuse.

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.]

Ryazan, one of the grandest cities in all Rus', lays along the war path of thousands of Tatar warriors eager to seize the spoils of a short-fought campaign: the women of the city and gold from its treasury. Having set up camp just beyond the city, they await a reply from the envoys of Grand Prince Yuriy. As the Grand Prince deliberates, his boyars both caution and counsel him. If Ryazan falls, the rest of Rus' may be next ─ an outcome his people grow ever more wary of, turning to priests and old rituals alike as rumor and fear run rampant inside the city walls. Finally left untended, the Polovtsian princess Yanay, conquered once before, now betrothed to one of the Grand Prince's brothers, quietly observes these developments. She prays to her old gods when she can and aligns herself with a young Tatar captive and quick-thinking kinsman, all the while secretly seeking her freedom and revenge. ──────── ☽ ◯ ☾ ──────── A retelling of the Siege of Ryazan complete with rageful women and warrior princes; gods both kind and cunning; and tragedy aplenty. Copyright © 2026 Elle Chaika

𝑯𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒎𝒆. 𝑺𝒐 𝑰'𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒉𝒊𝒎. 𝑴𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝒓𝒖𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒓. ~•~★~•~ Avyxia Kleymor's peaceful life was shattered when an elvin assassin murdered her parents before her very eyes. Kneeling in a pool of her mother's blood, Avyxia vowed to find the person who took everything from her. Rage and sorrow consumed her young heart as her life gained a new and horrible purpose: vengeance at any cost. ~•~ 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙩: 𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙤𝙧, 𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮, 𝙥𝙤𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚. ★OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2026 ★Cover art not by me ★Thanks for reading! «Tales Of Yvenia» ~•~★~•~

Enid Rose Ferron had one goal in her mind when she enrolled herself into undergraduate vivmancy programme at Alchemy Institute - clear her fathers name and show the truth of her mother's role during the Second Necromancy War. But wearing fake surname and trying to keep distance from her best friend, Apollo Holdfast, doesn't seem enough as one of the top students notices her similarities to Helene Marino and starts placing the dots. Keeping her facades never felt heavier, as she tries to balance it all, wondering if some things are simply meant to fall apart. 🔥 Story is written as a fanfiction on "Alchemised" by SenLinYu, planned as sequel on Enid Ferron and Apollo Holdfast, placed just after epilogue. I hope some day we get a real second book following those characters, but in the mean time feel free to make any suggestions how to make it feel more compelling.

Zara came back to Nigeria for only one reason; to find her lover's murderer. But the deeper she digs, the more secrets unravel. Daniel Ortega is dead and three women had enough reasons to want him that way. As more truths claw to the surface, Zara is forced to ask: Did he deserve to die? And did these women do the world a favour?

A secret society. An ancient circle that has bound powerful families together for generations. Built on vengeance, money, power and... blood. Luigina has spent most of her life far from her roots-half Ghanaian, half American, and far away from the family she never wanted to return to. But when she is forced back to Ghana, her life collides with the one person she never wanted to face again;her cousin, Violet. Violet is admired, praised-everything Luigina believes her father ever wanted in a daughter. But behind Violet's perfect image stands her father, deeply rooted in the Dark Circle, a powerful and dangerous society that controls the fate of their families. Beneath the respect and wealth lie secrets that pull Luigina into a world where loyalty is deadly and trust is fragile. Then there's Dylan. Dylan becomes Luigina's refuge-her ally, her comfort-and the one person who makes Ghana feel like home. What begins as friendship slowly turns into something deeper, something dangerous. Stolen glances. Unspoken feelings. A love Luigina knows she shouldn't want-but can't escape. Alongside Violet, the three form a fragile friendship that feels impossible yet real. Until Luigina realizes the truth she's been trying to deny; Dylan seems to belong to Violet in ways Luigina never will. What Luigina doesn't know-what no one is meant to know-is that Dylan's grandfather is the leader of the Dark Circle. The man at the center of the blood, the power, and the secrets. And Dylan is far more connected to the Circle than he lets on. As Samson, Violet's twin, begins to move in the shadows, secret plans unfold, alliances shift, and buried truths surface. Luigina must confront not only her rivalry with Violet, but the terrifying truth about the boy in secrets and rivalries are written in blood, loving the wrong person could cost everything.

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.

This space is created especially for writers participating in the Open Novella Contest 2026 Writing a novella is exciting... but also confusing, lonely, and full of self-doubt. ❤️ Is my story good enough? ❤️Is my opening strong? ❤️Will readers understand my characters? ❤️Am I even on the right track? You don't have to figure this out alone. This book club is a place where contestants can: ✔ Share their entries ✔ Get genuine reads ✔ Receive honest and helpful feedback ✔ Improve their chapters ✔ Support fellow writers Here, we don't compete. We grow together. If you are writing for the Open Novella Contest and want readers, reviews, and real feedback - this circle is for you. Let's help each other write better stories.

"I don't choose the path, the path choose me". Fortune replied to one of the prisoner, who happened to be on one of the small chair inside the cell.. .. for reals, i don't. ...😊👑⚡

Prompt 36- Your told to choose a weapon before battle, but when you approach the table the only options laid out are musical instruments. Final Wordcount: 24798 words The war was never supposed to find him this soon. Wren is nothing more than a poor boy from the forest-armed with a bamboo flute and a stubborn will to survive. When he arrives at the academy to train as a knight, he expects discipline, hardship... time. Instead, after a single demonstration, he is cast out. Sent to the front. At his side is Kai-his rival, his opposite, a noble-born prodigy wielding a weapon as sharp as his arrogance. Bound by circumstance and clashing at every turn, the two are forced into an uneasy alliance as they journey toward Holliester-the heart of a war no one fully understands. But the battlefield is not what they expected. When whispers from the dead begin to stir within Wren, and shadows take shape in the storm, it becomes clear this war is far older-and far darker-than either of them imagined. Something is calling. Something buried beneath death itself. And it knows Wren's name. As snow falls without end and music becomes a weapon of survival, Wren must uncover the truth behind his growing power... before it consumes him. Because in a world where sound can shape reality- Silence may be the deadliest force of all. Perfect for fans of: Epic fantasy, wuxia-inspired storytelling, rival dynamics, slow-burn character bonds, and dark, atmospheric worlds where magic sings-and death listens.

|ONC 2026| AMBASSADOR'S PICK - ROUND 2 QUALIFIER - ROUND THREE QUALIFIER - ROUND TWO QUALIFIER - ROUND ONE ------------------------------------------------------ When Terra is doomed, humanity's final hope is sent into the unknown aboard a vessel meant to carry life beyond extinction. But humanity's future falls to those who were never meant to hold it. Unintentionally trapped aboard the ship, Derrin Muely becomes a silent witness to the unraveling of humanity's last survivors, forced to watch as fear, ambition, and control drive them to destroy one another. Left alone in the vast quiet of space, Derrin turns inward. Through fragments of memory and reflection, he confronts a life spent searching for purpose, measuring his worth, and fearing failure, only to find that meaning may never have been something to discover at all. At the edge of existence, with no one left to see him, Derrin must face a final question: If life has no audience, no legacy, and no greater purpose, what does it mean to keep living?