Opennovellacontest2020 Stories

Memories aren't cheap in the world of the Grid, where Sable Huntris makes a living copying and selling the Kycenan elites' memories of the sunlight and fresh air to the residents of the underworld. When Sable is approached by a couple strangers who force her into accepting a contract to recover the texts concerning the mythical Muse 9 rifle, the ideal weapon with which to track and capture memories that do not fade, she is forced out of her regular darkness into a deeper one. She must contend with her own past, as well as with monsters from the deep, to accomplish the mission given her. For Sable must venture into the unknown and unmapped portion of the Grid, where science experiments gone wrong and other strange beings thrive. She must keep all of her wits about her as she sets out to track down the texts about the last Muse rifle if she is to protect the only person left to her. As well as survive herself. An Open Novella Contest 2020 entry, based on Prompt 30. On the Round 3 Shortlist for the Open Novella Contest 2020. Honorable Mention in Stunning Worlds for the Open Novella Contest 2020. First place in the Aeryn Awards 2020 for Science Fiction.

For influencer Carolyn Danes, #aboutlastnight is the best hashtag. It perfectly sums up an evening filled with adventure and excitement. And her last evening out really WAS perfect. Her dress fit perfectly, her hair and makeup were on point, and she met the man of her dreams, out-of-this-world-hot and charming Damian Bradley. It just had to be ruined by something as silly as waking up in a strange empty room, in Damian's body, her own lifeless corpse lying on the floor. No amount of screaming in the world can make the nightmare go away. Her only clue about last night is a letter from Damian himself. It can all be undone. He just made a deal with the Devil, and now the Prince of Darkness wants one small favor to set everything right. Find a tiny shard of soul. But when Carolyn can see every bit of soul the world has lost, finding one particular piece may prove impossible. 👸 This is my open novella contest 2020 entry. Yay me!

Javier has had a crush on his friend, Caroline, for the last two years. But he's never told her how he feels. One morning, Javi decides to take Caroline on an adventure he hopes she'll never forget, even if it might land him in jail. ******* It's the last summer before university, and Javier Giordano is in Monaco, spending most of his time on his dad's yacht. But for Javi, the best part about being in Monaco is getting to see Caroline. They're just friends, but he wishes they were more. One night, Javier throws a party on the yacht, and things were going well until he danced with a girl who Caroline cannot stand. It was a momentary lapse in judgment, helped by some beer, but now he wants to make it up to her. So while Caroline is asleep in his room, Javi comes up with a plan to go on an adventure around the Mediterranean Coast. But on their impromptu trip, Javier, Caroline and their friends discover more than they bargained for. ----- *Open Novella Contest 2020 Longlister* Open Novella Contest 2020 Based on Prompt #11: We woke up and had breakfast out on the deck; like we did every morning. And long story short, we are no longer welcome in Monaco.

Tick-tock goes the clock, time passing slowly, time passing quick. But it's all in our heads, just one big trick. What if time didn't exist? For Sybil Avant, her reality is close to that. Imagine being locked in a room and never knowing how long you were in there, not even an estimate. Dyschronometria. Sybil has never really known how much time has passed. This makes her perfect for a certain experiment. One bending the very laws of time. How could it have gone so wrong? ONC2020 prompt #14 "The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once." -Albert Einstein

Carla has an average life. She goes to school, hangs out with her friends, and obsesses over her favorite band. That is, until a new student shows up and turns everything on its head. Suddenly, Carla's world becomes a lot bigger - and a lot more complicated. On a journey through time, space, and her favorite songs, Carla discovers something about herself that she never could have imagined being possible. And it's all because she took a chance - and a leap - with the strange, new boy at school. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is my entry for the 2020 Open Novella Contest. I used prompt #14: "The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen all at once." - Albert Einstein

Ever since Paige was little, she's been able to see people's sorrow like a cloud hanging over their heads. Now it's coming in pretty handy in her job. Which is saving the world, obviously. Paige has never really belonged. Growing up in the foster system in Chicago would have been hard enough without seeing everyone's pain like a never-ending storm. It was better to be alone than to deal with that. But Ari, a student in her Classics class, is different. And when the roof of their classroom inexplicably comes crashing down, he tells her why. They're both distant descendants of the Greek gods. And the gods are angry. After millennia of being ignored and relegated to history books and Disney movies, the gods of Mount Olympus are wreaking havoc on earth as punishment for man's hubris. Ari and Paige travel to the mystical lands of Olympus to try the only thing you really can't do. Kill the gods.

After a freak rainstorm leaves Faith Richards caught out and having to drive home in the dark and torrential downpour, a simple, unsuspecting, deer sets an alternative timeline in motion. One in which Faith is definitely not ready for or what it brings with it. - Completed = 22/05/2020

Seacliff is now only available on Inkitt. In 2019, Aidan is a kilt-wearing tour guide on the cobblestone streets of Edinburgh. In 1919, Saoirse is a Great War nurse who's got nothing left to live for - until the sea brings a naked, unconscious man to her feet. Not one easily shocked after caring for the most broken of men in France, Saoirse takes the stranger in and tends to his wounds. Except the man is all kinds of unusual and she begins to question whether he even is a man at all. Is the grief driving her mad or is there more to the world than she ever thought possible? Saoirse hopes to find answers in her Aunt Aoife's diaries, since the gentle giant she rescued from the sea has no recollection of how he ended up there in the first place. * Editors' Choice, December 2020 * an open novella contest entry which grew into a ~75k-word novel completed * prompt: "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?" * featured on: @WattpadHistoricalRomance - 'Traveling Through Time' @talesofthedeep - 'Fintastic Reads - Sea Creatures'

It's impossible to be two people at once. Unless you're Abby Kilken. At 27, Abby's life hasn't exactly been all she would have hoped. That college diploma wasn't all it was cracked up to be, and she spends most of her time regretting all that time she spent studying rather than going out and experiencing the world. All she wants is a little excitement. After a strange date with a handsome man she'd only met the day before, Abby gets more than she bargained for when she finds herself waking up in Belgium. In 1944. And she keeps waking up as someone new. The strangest part is she isn't lost or confused. She knows exactly where she is, and who she is. Even if who she is...isn't exactly her.

Mercy, a young and talented weaver and seamstress, dreamed of spending the rest of her life with Jasmine. That was until the day the marriage decree arrived. Unwillingly betrothed to an equally reluctant blacksmith named Lance, she finds a way to break the contract: make three dresses, one of sunshine, one of moonlight, and one of stardust. This is the story of her quest.

In a world where people are sorted by their genetic aptitude, Luke is left asking some serious questions. Why is he plagued by bad luck and why do the electrical appliances misbehave? During an unlucky spell he passes through a wormhole, into a reality he is no longer considered a part of. With eyes on him, he must choose a path and take control of his future. But someone else isn't playing by the rules, and Luke must bring them down if he wants to make it out alive. Written for prompt 27 of Open Novel Contest 2020.

Daniel Chapman has spent the past fifty-five years harboring anger over the fact that his last moments in life were spent being executed for treason in the Army. And instead of being able to rest in peace with his parents, he is cursed to live in his painful memories as a ghost. On top of that, a new family is moving into the only place that he was ever able to call home. Aubrielle Harper is dealing with demons from her own past and moving 150 miles away from it wasn't going to stop the nightmares. She knew her family felt horrible about the accident and she tried to not let her emotions affect their relationship. Moving into her grandparents' mansion was supposed to be a fresh start, but she couldn't shake the feeling of another presence living amongst them.

In this lifetime he will rise. And in the next he will fall. Gabriel is by all means a powerful man. Controlling the underworld and all the inhabitants that reside within such a place with but a flick of the wrist. Annalise... The strong and mighty. How how the mighty has fallen... This September will be one Annalise will forever remember. No doubt unable to forget night of the blood moon. How could someone so kindhearted be distend to something so cold? When her world comes crashing down the last thing she expects to happen happens. In the dead of night he will rise...

Mateo, a young millionaire in Argentina, sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for the power to steal memories. He built an empire of power and money. Everything was perfect for him, until he started to notice the big hole where his soul used to be. Now the Devil is back asking for a favor in exchange for his soul. This is Mateo's chance to get it back and nothing will stop him. Except, of course, the fact that the Devil is lying and his true plans are to bring Armageddon to earth. Now Mateo is stuck with a mysterious girl who came back from the dead as the only ones who know the truth. Their task is to hunt down the three mayor Sins that the Devil sent down to earth. What could go wrong?

"Your hands are cold." Honeymaren whispered with a giggle, snuggling into Elsa's shoulder. "Wait, really? I'm so sorry the cold doesn't really affect me so I can't tell half of the time-." "Hey, it's fine. As long as I get more time with you right now, I don't care if your hands are cool." - Set after Frozen 2, Elsa has been trying to settle in to the Enchanted Forest and be friendly with the Northuldra people, especially with a particular brunette. After a few stumbling weeks, Elsa begins to realise her feelings and writes them down in a secret journal that she plans to never show anyone. What if Anna comes to visit with Kristoff, Sven and Olaf and ends up finding the journal? What if she tries so hard to get Elsa and Honeymaren together that she doesn't end up seeing the upcoming horrors in their path? Will Elsa protect them, or are her powers not good enough for this danger? - Includes These Ships; Elsa x Honeymaren Anna x Kristoff - Art on the cover not owned by me!

[Prequel to Mismatched] A single kiss can change two lives forever. When Belinda Clarke attends a party in hopes of getting closer to her crush, things take an interesting turn. At the stroke of midnight, with fireworks as a backdrop, she receives a kiss, one she swears she will never forget. Known for his charm and easy-going personality, Jace Leighton is the most popular guy in school and the man of Belinda's dreams. When sparks fly, their relationship shifts from what she calls friendly acquaintances, neither strangers nor close friends, to something more. With a shared love for food, the two hit it off immediately. Unbeknownst to many, Belinda has a dark past, one that keeps her from putting all her love and trust in anyone. With the support of her best friend Yvette and the sincerity of Jace, she tries to overcome her fears and decides to take a leap of faith. Ending up with your first love is one in a million. As the two face challenges along the way, they learn from their experiences and grow, hopefully together. *** [Open Novella Contest 2020] Prompt #67: Well, that was a New Year's Eve kiss you won't forget anytime soon. Started: 24 February 2020 Completed: 29 May 2020

After the usual public displays of affection are outlawed, Alexei and Maria are careful to show their love only through the three approved methods. When Alexei tells Maria some exciting news, they forget themselves and hold hands. They're sure the touch will cost them, but the question is how much.

[Ex Map to Anywhere] [LONGLIST ONC2020] When humanity is threatened by extinction, two enemies have to work together. She's the last Seer, with the most painful job imaginable. He's the commander of the last human outpost, with the heaviest responsibility to bear. She's totally shameless, respects nothing and no one. He's respected by everyone else as a god amongst men. No wonder they'd gladly kill each other. But they can't. They have to save mankind. And, surprisingly, each other. ~32K words ~~~ Open Novella Contest 2020 - Longlisted Featured: - WP Romance's Worlds Apart reading list - WP Fantasy's Romantasy readig list ~~~ Reviews: "The romance in the book isn't too cheesy, which is very unlike other romance books, but in a good way." The Belles Lettres Awards "Absolutely mind blowing! The plot is just as well executed as it seems to have been planned, though only the author can really know that. It truly is a science-fiction adventure!" The Mono Awards "I absolutely love the banter between Auberon and the Seer. And I love the concept. It's very well thought out and executed even better than I thought it could have. Something I would definitely recommend to others. Love it. Absolutely love it." The Sakura Awards "The very first word, emotional mapping had drawn me in from the very start. The plot was very intriguing and it was so mysterious from the start. It was very enjoyable." The Lazy Awards ~~~ (cover by 𝔨𝔞𝔩𝔬𝔫 𝔤𝔯𝔞𝔭𝔥𝔦𝔠𝔰)

Something between a quest and a journey is what awaits Magnolia Jackson in finding all of her missing pieces and being whole again. With her companion, Luther, who is as much an eccentric nuisance as he is capable illusionist. In a time that can only be described as an unholy mix of everything that came before it, from bounty hunters to superheroes.

In the land of Hailiah, magic is as common as freckles. Witches live in harmony with society and society benefits from their powers, while all is overseen by the powerful, mystical Ever Mother from her imposing tower in the city Jemorae. But ancient evils are beginning to resurface, threatening the peace that witches and non-magicals alike have come to rely on... Life had never been free from tragedy for Gendra in her small village at the edge of Hailiah, but when a new kind of horror appears, it tears her and her closest friend, Ferren, from their safe home. Now, in order to save Ferren, she must travel with her across Hailiah and make it to Jemorae--in one piece--before it's too late. ____________________________________________ My third entry of the #OpenNovellaContest2020 Based on prompt #4: "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?"