@wdhenning
My next ONC feature is Long Shadows, by @OwlieCat, a dark romantic historical fiction with paranormal elements set in 1926 Philadelphia. The story well captures the period and its social moral codes. I particularly liked the depth of characters and the smooth immersive prose. https://www.wattpad.com/story/407480691-long-shadows-onc-2026
A new issue of Tevun Krus is out. This month’s theme: Steampunk.
https://www.wattpad.com/story/411416032-tevun-krus-143-steampunk-reloaded-vol-2
My next ONC feature is Rule #10: Never Go to Your High School Reunion Unarmed, by @Red_Leasia. It is a fun adventure that combines a ten year high school reunion with a zombie apocalypse. This hidden gem deserves more reads, in my opinion, and I’m hoping the author will expand it into a full novel. https://www.wattpad.com/story/408351070-rule-10-never-go-to-your-high-school-reunion
@wdhenning Never saw this tag! Thank you! I will definitely have to consider it! @Ashabellanar4life it seems the zombie story must expand and continue!
Another fun ONC read is Multitude Adjustment, by @Wuckster. The story follows Silas Greep (gotta like the name) on a wild ride through alternate realities. I particularly liked the quirky characters and the author’s unique humor. https://www.wattpad.com/story/407401152-multitude-adjustment-onc-2026
While the judges deliberate, another ONC story worth a read is To Heaven & Back by @Kaiddance. This tragic love story follows a young woman as she deals with her fiancé's death. To me, the best parts were the deep emotion, realistic characters, immersive East Texas setting, and alternating timeline structure. Oh, and a reader might want to have a few tissues available, just in case... https://www.wattpad.com/story/407409071-to-heaven-back-onc-2026
Oh, thank you so much! I’m so pleased you enjoyed this entry, and I am not at all sorry for the tears as I also made myself sad.
Another exceptional 2026 ONC story is Die Trying! by @Avenbleak. It is a fast paced wild ride through an over-the-top corporate culture with absurd characters. But be warned, the high-level prose is so rich that a reader may wish to slow down to catch all the wonderful details. https://www.wattpad.com/story/407779000-die-trying
Another wonderful ONC read is Storm Flower, a fantasy adventure by @jinnis. My favorite aspects were main characters I could root for; a three parallel paths plot line that converges in the end (something difficult to pull off in a novella); and, of course, a dragon. https://www.wattpad.com/story/408143179-storm-flower-onc-2026
My next ONC feature is Steampunk Assassin, by @elveloy, a fun sci-fi adventure with a steampunk vibe. https://www.wattpad.com/story/407439921-steampunk-assassin-onc2026
Over the next week or two, I will post new edited chapters for my novella, The Mouse Who Sang for Paradise, originally written in 2020 for the Open Novella Contest. The edits incorporate reader comments, grammar corrections, clarifications, and writing style improvements (my writing had improved considerably over the years). The story plotline will remain essentially the same. Special thanks goes out to @Red_Leasia for deep-dive critique as part of the Other Worlds Book Club. https://www.wattpad.com/story/213592103-the-mouse-who-sang-for-paradise
The next ONC story feature is a charming story titled The Grim Reaper’s Living Adventures, by @ravenwood666may. A lost puppy is the undoing of the Grim Reaper, leading him on an adventure with lots of unexpected twists and turns. My favorite part was Rip’s (liked the nickname) transformative arc. https://www.wattpad.com/story/407378122-the-grim-reaper%27s-living-adventures%E2%94%82onc-2026
