-ˋˏ 𝑬𝑳𝑳𝑬 ˎˊ-

i'm celebrating "THE BELLS of RYAZAN" qualifying for round two of the open novella contest a little late with a new chapter! this one features a fiery confrontation between yanay and father aleksei, some casual icon destruction, and the arrival of a new prince you won't want to miss! read it here: https://www.wattpad.com/1613385652-the-bells-of-ryazan-onc-2026-iv-revelations.
          
          speaking of qualifying for the onc, over 1,700 stories (!!!) are moving onto round two! way to go, writers! that is quite feat and some surely steep competition for this year's participants. all the best as we move into round two and, as always, happy reading + writing. ✨
          
           take care,
           - elle ♡♡

the new weekly chapter of "THE BELLS OF RYAZAN" is here! this one is low-key my favorite so far because we finally get a tender yanay + oleg scene and some polovtsian magic and rituals! read it here: https://www.wattpad.com/1611033701-the-bells-of-ryazan-onc-2026-iii-as-the-sun-sets
          
          also, how are all my fellow onc participants feeling? round one is done and the results / qualifiers list will be coming no later than march 10! i look forward to congratulating and seeing everyone's entries there. we have so many new writers this year and oh-so-many stories. <3
          
          take care,
          - elle  ♡♡

a new chapter of "THE BELLS OF RYAZAN" is here! this one features yanay's pov, more of the sinister priest aleksiy and lots of religious and personal tensions! find it here: https://www.wattpad.com/1609030434-the-bells-of-ryazan-onc-2026-ii-the-princess-and.
          
          this week i've started to dig into some the novellas under the #onc2026 tag and wow--so much talent and so many stunning story starts already!! i think @opennovellacontest said there were already 1,200+ entries? that is going to be quite the qualifiers' list and quite the competition! wishing you all good luck and happy reading/writing!
          
          take care,
          - elle  ♡♡

the first story chapter of "THE BELLS OF RYAZAN," my 2026 open novella contest entry, is finally here!! 
          
          i don't think i'll be sticking to a regular update schedule this time, but i definitely will be letting you know when i've posted a new chapter. speaking of, you can first one, told from the POV of a bitter young prince and sly frollo-esque priest, here:
          https://www.wattpad.com/1608405779-the-bells-of-ryazan-onc-2026-i-fire-on-the-horizon.
          
          also, good luck to everyone else competing in the open novella contest this year! i look forward to reading your stories and seeing your creative play out in the prompts. 
          
          happy reading and writing!
          - elle  ♡♡

happy valentine’s day или с днём святого валентина!! ✨
          
          i know it’s been a while since i popped up in earnest on wattpad, but i just couldn’t resist participating in the 2026 open novella contest! 
          
          this year i chose prompt. 45, which is all about rage and kings and warriors. the result so far is “THE BELLS OF RYAZAN,” a retelling of the siege of ryazan (1237) with a mix of turkic and slavic folklore. you can find and read the description/epigraph at the link below. i hope to have the first chapter(s) up by the end of february. https://www.wattpad.com/story/407676334?utm_source=ios&utm_medium=link&utm_content=story_info&wp_page=story_details&wp_uname=chaikovskiy
          
          hope you are all doing well!
          - elle ♡♡

happy onc season! the doors to “novella and new roast,” my onc guidebook, are open for another year of creativity and competition!
          
          stop by whenever you need an espresso size shot of inspiration, writing help, or advice from past winners! ☕️❤️✨
          
          https://www.wattpad.com/story/298730060?utm_source=ios&utm_medium=link&utm_content=story_info&wp_page=story_details&wp_uname=chaikovskiy

just wanted to stop by to give a few updates, seeing as i've been all but silent for the past five months.
          
          first, i wanted to let you all know that i will be stepping away from wattpad with all likelihood that i am going to completely leave by the end of this year. i'm graduating next spring, and as i go off to central asia to teach english, i am also seeking to focus on writing and publishing a project i've been drafting and revising for the past four years. to be successful and meet my professional goals, i feel i need to focus on reading and writing work away from wattpad and engage with writers in-person as opposed to online. however, if you would like to join me for that journey and keep in touch, might i recommend checking out my instagram @ellechaika? you can also keep connected with me via any of the other socials linked at the bottom of my bio or here: https://chaikovskiy.carrd.co/. <3
          
          also, as a result of that transition away from wattpad, i will be taking down some of my novellas including "novyye saints," "viktov lives!," and "the devil comes to angelovsk." so, if you want to get a re-read in or revisit certain characters/scenes, i would try to do so by this upcoming october. "scream, nightingale, scream" will probably stay up as a short sample. "novellas & new roast" will also remain since it is sort of a resource among the onc community.
          
          that's all for now. if you have any questions or thoughts to share, don't hesitate to leave a comment here or shoot me a message via instagram, pinterest, or email. again, all my other socials are linked in that cardd.
          
          as always, happy reading & writing.
          - elle ♡♡

a few updates, including the fifth chapter of "SAILS OF WRATH AND SILVER," which you can read here: https://www.wattpad.com/1517918618-sails-of-wrath-and-silver-onc-2025-v.
          
          my other update is that i am going to be a little quieter and a little more sparse with my chapter posting because of what's going on in the world with ukraine and the usa. for those of you who don't know, i have heritage on my mother's side from ukraine. i am a slavic language and literature student because of it, and i set my stories in the east slavic area of the globe because it is a place where i have often felt the most safe, where i am most comfortable. but that peace has been again disrupted by recent events, including exchanges between the nations i am divide between. from negotiations to the marker of three years of war in my beloved ukraine, it's just a lot to take in. i need to step offline and take the time to reconnect with those who i am closest with, and the land i am connected to you. i hope you understand.
          
          please take care. 
          
          all my best,
          - elle ♡♡

the fourth chapter of "SAILS OF WRATH AND SILVER" is out now! find it here: https://www.wattpad.com/1517703932-sails-of-wrath-and-silver-onc-2025-iv
          
          i've drafted the first act (which includes the upcoming chapter v.) and it's sitting around 10k words. it's looking like this novella is going to be right at the onc's 40k limit, which means there's plenty of time to develop and play with the prompt's premise and its promises, so stay tunned <3
          
          until next time, 
          - elle ♡♡

a new chapter of "SAILS OF WRATH AND SILVER" is out now! find it here: https://www.wattpad.com/1516447755-sails-of-wrath-and-silver-onc-2025-iii. 
          
          a huge thank you for those of you who have left comments and votes thus far! they are a great source of motivation and i love to be able to interact with all of you again. please let me know how your novellas are  going and if you have any onc entries you've been grooving on-- i'd love to add them to my contest reading list. <3
          
          until next time, 
          - elle ♡♡