One mishap.One trip.One job.One person.That's all it took for Stella to question everything she thought she knew.--------(For the #OpenNovellaContest2019)
Whether it's your first time or your sixth time, writing a novella in 12 weeks isn't easy.As a 2021 ONC Winner and two-time Honorable Mention (2023/2024), I would know. After years of participation and reflection, I have lots of advice to share on how I did it. Inside this guide, you can find everything from insider tips to craft chats. So grab a cup, get your notebook, and settle in; it's time to start writing!Copyright © 2022 Elle Chaika
What lengths would you go to for some cash?For Cerise Lenoir, an unstable job and compulsive shopping are not the ideal pairing. When she finds herself rejected from another orchestral audition, Cerise knows her spending habits must change. That is until she gets a really, really desperate idea. Rumors claim that the Silverenn Songs hold clues to treasure - one that could change Cerise's life forever.But even if such a prize awaits in the finale, surely there are others after it. And they aren't afraid to take out whoever stands in their way. ✧Second Draft✧ 🎻✧ONC 2022 Longlister 🎻✧Third Place Dream Awards 2022 - Action/ Adventure Category 🎻✧Open Door Awards 2024 - Best Opening Line2x Featured: @Music and @MysteryWord Count: 65,000-75,000
2024 ONC Prompt 21 : A dragon, an elf and a dwarf embark on a quest to find the lost heir to the kingdom.What happens when a young elf, a grumpy dwarf and a baby dragon leaves the city behind to look for the lost heir to the throne? And what will happen when they find him and the young man gives the elf an offer that will change his life, but is also hard to refuse?
In a dingy karaoke bar, sparks fly.-Amirah Begum has always believed in happy endings. Even after everything she's been through, whether it be years ago when she lost her favourite pair of light-up sneakers or three days ago, when she got dumped by the girl she thought was the one of her dreams, she hasn't lost her dream of a happy ending.So, when she finds a brooding stranger doing the exact opposite of what she lives her life by, she makes a pact to help them get their happy ending, and maybe re-evaluate her own definition of a happy ending in the process.-started: february 3rd, 2022.completed: april 24th, 2022.
LONGLISTED : When Agent Seven Three is sent on his first mission to the past, to sort out a problem with the timeline, he expects to be in and out in a couple of days. Identify what is causing the unplanned divergences and stop it. Simple, right? But when he encounters reporter Jack Brown, he finds the situation is far more complex than he was led to believe. And only when he meets someone he's not supposed to fall in love with, does he begin to really test his limits.SCIFI / TimeTravel / LGBT / Romance
Straight out of uni, Lynn is glad to have secured a job as a replacement in a library. But soon she finds out the place is haunted, and not only by a blue cat. Juggling the upcoming vernissage of a photo exhibition and the trouble with her coworker, she has to learn fast - to trust her instinct-and the magic of the stories.Once 2024, prompt #15: "Why are you glowing blue?"
After being ordered by the State to undergo Deep Sleep, a treatment for troubled teens, Jo awakens in the hospital with sporadic and unexplained memories. Upon celebrating her rebirthday, she recalls strange past events that makes her question reality. Did she really awaken, or has she become trapped in Deep Sleep? *****🏆 Round 2 Winner - Open Novella Contest 2020🏆 Longlisted - ONC 2020🏆 Shortlisted - ONC 2020 *****ONC 2020Prompt 15
Behind the realm of what is known as reality lies a world of supernatural creatures with their own laws and reign. Aryzath, or well known as the White Dragon Prince, is born into such world as the heir to the throne amongst Dragonkind. However, instead of wanting to take care of his kingdom and people, his interest lies beyond the forest and borders that divide their supernatural realm into different regions, longing for a journey beyond the pearl gates of his land. And on one such sneaky journey, he comes across the first creature he had seen besides his own kind, a water fairy named Ilayda who opens up his world and eyes beyond his own dreams and into the beginnings of war of his realm.
#ONC2024 Round 2 Ambassadors Pick | Shortlister (Finalist)When Prince Oskar decides to disguise himself and goes out into the village to see what the people are like, he is met with a shocking sight. There are orphaned children in the streets, beggars at every corner, and people fighting for their next meal. The kingdom of Unara has never seen poverty and the royal family looks out for the people. Why is this village struggling?As Oskar returns every day, he befriends one of the village's deformed members. A young woman with multiple scars on her face. Taking pity on her, the prince gives her one of the rings on his fingers, intending for it to bring her a better life. However, the woman is soon arrested for being in possession of this ring and Oskar knows she is innocent. Until he discovers she possesses a ring with the Unaran royal crest. This is not the ring he gave her. (The Royals of Unara)Entered into the Open Novella Contest 2024 | @OpenNovellaContest - Rules & Guidelines: https://www.wattpad.com/story/359598678©2024 E. S. Elias All Rights Reserved.Created & Published to Wattpad 02.01.2024Completed: 04.27.2024Main Prompt #55;"You're a young royal in disguise who befriends a villager with a scarred face. One day they are arrested for stealing something you gave to them."Secondary Prompt #67;"A promise is a promise. A secret is a secret. They must not tell anybody."Cover: Me @DesignsbyEHImage was generated using Dream.AI by Wombo solely for the purpose of making my book look pretty. Cover is temporary and subject to many changes.Word Count: 24,689 / 20,000Round 1 ✔ | 2,000 words ✔Round 2 ✔ | 8,000 words ✔ | Ambassadors Pick ✔Round 3 ✔ | 20,000 words ✔LONGLIST ✔ | SHORTLIST ✔Rankings;#opennovellacontest #31 on 02.20.2024 | #ONC2024#opennovellacontest2024 #15 on 02.20.2024
Bianca Daleman only has two rules. First, never lose control. And second, never marry anyone until she is certain it won't end in divorce. While in Vegas for her best friend's bachelorette party, Bianca discovers her ex-boyfriend is engaged to a supermodel. Thrown back into the heartbreak of his leaving her, she breaks her first rule and spends the night in a drunken stupor. The next morning, when she wakes up with a splitting headache and a giant diamond ring, she assumes her friends have set up an elaborate prank. But the diamond is real and so is the confused man standing half-naked in the corner. Somehow, she is married. To a handsome, enticing stranger named Enrique Calderón. Getting out of the marriage she has no memory of entering seems easy until her friend's bachelorette party turns into a surprise elopement. With Bianca's ex as the best man. She simply cannot let him know how much he hurt her, so when he spots the ring on her finger, Bianca has no choice but to make it look like her relationship is flourishing. Which means she needs to find Enrique. And fast. ~*~ This is Book One of the Love Travels Collection. Book Two, Roatán Plunge, is now available on my profile. New chapters every Wednesday. ~*~
Entered into the Open Novella Contest 2022 | This version of the book was posted solely for the ONC. A final, even more, polished version will be coming soon to Amazon! All feedback on story pacing, character development, and the overall plot is most appreciated. | ©2022 E. S. Elias All Rights Reserved.Published to Wattpad 02.01.2022Cover: Esther Hadassah @DesignsbyEH (I used Canva and Dream by Wombo)The Lark's Pearl (A Standalone Romantic Fantasy) | ✔Ariabella is a young woman who receives the gift of pearls from a bird of mysterious, playful nature: a Lark. How does this sweet, little bird come by these pearls and what will Ariabella do when she finds out why this bird chose her?This wholesome, romantic fantasy, can be enjoyed completely on its own without fear of a cliffhanger, HEA guaranteed. #13 (Top 20!) in #ONC2022 03.13.2022 - #10 03.14.2022 #1 in #YAlit 02.09.2022 #10 in #cleanromance 02.13.2022 - #4 02.22.22 (Top 100!) #25 in #opennovellacontest2022 - 02.22.2022 #5 in #Romantasy 02.25.2022 | #1 03.13.2024
Searching through the 50 cent bin at her therapist's bookstore, Cynthia Young found a book entitled "Confessions of a Serial Killer."Except it was her name on the cover.***Open Novella Contest 2020 Shortlister
✨ONC SHORTLIST, HONORABLE MENTION, AND AMBASSADOR PICK✨Back home in his small town after suffering an accident, U.S. Marine Hayes McAdams tries to find a new purpose in life. Picking back up his old love of photography, Hayes agrees to let his friend Dylan set him up with a couple of photography gigs. But what Hayes never expects is for Dylan to accidentally set him up to shoot his ex-girlfriends wedding. Will Hayes be able to handle working with the girl who absolutely broke his heart, along with her unruly future mother-in-law, or will he once again have to say goodbye?"If the world is a frame I guess I belong somewhere out among the stars."- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -This is an entry for ONC 2021. The prompt I will be using is #29: "I am in the mood to dissolve in the sky." -Virginia WoolfEnjoy!
Tessa is a miracle. As the first ever human to be cured from the zombie plague everyone wants a piece of her, and they're not even zombies. With no loved ones or family left, she battles with severe trust issues and intense guilt, trying to connect with other human beings. What she really needs is a friend but with half the world clawing after her every word and the rest shying away in fear it's hard to just find someone that can bring her the normality she needs. Life is relative. ░▒▓██▓▒░Now on the ONC2022 Longlist!This is my entry for the Open Novella Competition 2022 using prompt 30:"Years after the disease nearly destroyed the entire civilisation, there's a cure, and you are a recovering zombie."WARNING - This book has gore and violence. Cover image is manipulated by Jade Kirk from "people-girl-woman-face-portrait-2013447" by tsukiko-kiyomidzu on pixabay.com. Chapter image is manipulated by Jade Kirk from "human-people-young-woman-woman-2196323" by tsukiko-kiyomidzu on pixabay.com.Rankings:#48 youngadultfiction#76 opennovellacontest2022#193 endoftheworld
It's been three years since Everest Lark has set foot on a stage. Three years since the renowned omega raised his voice, both in song and in support of his fellow oppressed omegas. Now he's back, but the voice that started a rebellion is broken, scarred. He wants to reclaim his world, but he can't do it alone.However, someone now wants to make sure that Everest loses more than his voice this time around after his dressing room is started on fire. It may have been a coincidence, but it would seem a lot of Everest's problems might be the catalyst he needs to realize what he really wants in his life, starting with the alpha that saved his life twice now.
Between 1813 and 1819, the great composer, Ludwig van Beethoven almost disappeared from public life. Many stories passed about the reason, but none could ever hope to know the truth. Until now.In 1818, Bernhard Gerber experiences something terrifying and heartbreaking, bringing him in contact with the great man, Beethoven, himself. Though Beethoven proves nothing like the person known all across Europe.Between them, the two men take on the task of ridding the world of the greatest horror ever to walk the Earth and, in the process, perhaps lay to rest both men's greatest tragedies and guilt.A deadly serious story with a character that doesn't know it. And doesn't care.A novella, written for #ONC2022. Based upon Prompt No. 70 and in the 'Creature Feature' category.Cover created in Canva, using an AI generated picture.
SHORTLISTED. Paul Finn wakes to discover that not only is he feeling horribly sick but, more worryingly, the naked stranger in his bed isn't moving. If only he could remember what happened...My story for the ONC 2023, a thriller scifi adventure, with a touch of romance. (SciFi /Adventure / LGBT)
A contemporary Scandinavian adaption of the legend of Jack Frost/Jokul Frosti.***A first kiss changes everything. When Joakim kisses his childhood friend Anton it puts their relationship and also the weather in turmoil. Snow starts to whirl over Stockholm, turning the capital into a chaotic state. Is Joakim's emotional state actually affecting the weather and can his inner turmoil be stilled once he reunites with Anton, who mysteriously has disappeared after their intimate encounter?An ONC novella using prompt #69: "I had a marvellous time ruining everything."
(TOP FIVE WINNER!!) Patrick Morgan didn't usually invite strangers home, but when he saw Harlan camping out in the space terminal, he was prepared to make an exception. Breaking the rules seemed like a good idea at the time, but then-My entry for the Open Novella Contest 2019. Using prompt 4 under 'Romance'. LGBT romantic sci-fi
Fresh out of a troubled marriage, Annie Nolan is faced with picking up the broken pieces her ex left behind. She moves back into her parent's pool house and reconnects with her old friend, Noah. With a Pandemic taking over the world, Noah wants to be the one to fix her problems. Is it possible that after fifteen years, Annie and Noah could move past the friend zone and become more?
BRAITHE is leading a double life. The dutiful princess during the day, at night the masked vigilante fighting back against her parents' abuse of the kingdom's citizens. Disguised as a man to protect her identity, things get even more complicated when a handsome outsider catches her attention.AURELIAN is not your typical damsel in distress. First of all, he's a man. Secondly, he's... actually exceedingly good at getting himself into sticky situations. A visitor in the kingdom, he finds himself embroiled in the ongoing struggles, though perhaps not in the sense he would have liked, getting kidnapped and all.Now Braithe may need to save him from the very people she's been trying to help.- Open Novella Contest 2020 Longlister- 1st Place Fantasy, Phoenix Queen Awards- 2nd Place Fantasy, The Dream Awards- 2nd Place Fantasy, Focus On Me Awards- 3rd Place Fantasy, Mono Awards- Winner Sangria Award - Best Title (Fantasy)
2100. A mysterious ship, nicknamed the Chimera, appears in Martian airspace. It bears the symbol of the international space agency, the BASE, but there is no record of such a vessel. Word and rumour quickly spread.BASE investigator Leanne Ziegler is sent to inspect the ship and make contact with its crew. But the Chimera seems completely deserted, other than the imperious AI caretaker, Valkyrie. Down in the fledging Nerio colony on Mars, suspicion grows. The colonists are already turning against the ways of the BASE, creating their own Martian identity. This potential security threat could prove to be the final rift between Earth and Mars. Trying to keep control of the political situation, Nerio sends a mysterious and cold liaison, Ryan, to aid Leanne.But, in ten days, Mars will turn her guns on the Chimera. Leanne and Ryan must work quickly to discover the secret of the ship - and decide whether its fate under the Martian guns is deserved.[ONC 2024 entry]
"Music is not the only thing that, Can touch the chords of one's heart."[Timothy Drake][Started: 02/13/2021][Completed: 04/17/2021]Cover made by @Purplemist14***[ONC 2021 Longlist Qualifier] Written for the Open Novella Contest 2021, this story uses the prompt #86: the school's popular student (Stephanie Brown) and the sports player (Reece Parker) are mistaken to be in a relationship while in reality, they have the most epic friendship.