#onc2025

[lamarsdreamsllc]

Ink of the Revenant (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/story/393519495-ink-of-the-revenant?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_myworks&wp_uname=LamarsDreamsLLC Ramon "Ink" Salazar was a tattoo artist-until a cartel bullet ended him a decade ago. Now, resurrected in a stranger's body, he's an unstoppable assassin with a glowing serpent tattoo that whispers secrets. In the neon-drenched streets of Santa Sombras, Ramon hunts for his buried corpse to unravel why he was killed, building a criminal empire from scratch with a crew of misfit bodyguards. But as he rises to become the "King of Ink," shadowy Collectors, a ruthless cartel lord, and a mysterious priest threaten to drag him back to the grave. Expect magic-tinged action, gritty cartel wars, and a found family fighting for survival in a city where ink writes life-and blood writes death. #Action #Thriller #Supernatural #MaMa

[gharrisonauthor]

The Concorda Files [ONC 2025] - 14_FINAL_UPLOAD.ai (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/1536705743-the-concorda-files-onc-2025-14_final_upload-ai?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_reading&wp_uname=GeoffreyHarrison Rhiannon "Banjo" Hart is a professional thief working her last ever job. The Hawk has promised a massive payout if she can steal data from Concorda International and Banjo needs the money to help her Mum get hospital treatment, but she is not sure The Hawk will stick to the adage of "honour amongst thieves". In her escape, she meets an android that adds complication after complication to her already complex life. Banjo needs to outrun the authorities, Concorda's security and The Hawk.

[danniswrites]

Thoughts On Entering Wattpad's Open Novella Contest

Well, the @opennovellacontest Round Two Qualifiers List is out. Congratulations to those of you who made the cut. Cho's Bestie and Aliens did not, so I guess I'll go have a good cry. I did update my cover with my 8k sticker, because I do qualify for that, at least. https://www.wattpad.com/1531970160-open-novella-contest-2025-round-two-qualifiers If you want to read my story and leave a comment, it sure would boost my morale. Or at least give me a clue of why you think it did not qualify. I didn't expect to make the winner list, but I thought it would at least make the qualifiers list. Maybe I don't understand how ONC works.

I guess this means I can't submit to Round Three, but I didn't win Round One, yet there are …this is confusing. But, I'll get the Round Three sticker anyway, when that's released, and add it to the cover. Yes. "If you are not listed as a qualifier, your ONC journey has ended." So, maybe I went into trigger warning territory. Or, my story just didn't rise above 75% of entrants. Sigh. All that's left for me to do is keep writing. At least I put my hat into the ring, and I finished my novella. One person gave me a very positive comment about my first chapter. I'll keep that one in my heart as motivation to keep writing.

2:59 PM 10-Mar-25 Round One Qualifiers 817 entries. My name is on it. https://www.wattpad.com/1522938097-open-novella-contest-2025-round-1-qualifiers

I didn't make Round Two, but 569 people are on the qualifier list. Of those, 67% scored 75% or higher on the judges' rubric. So there are some really good stories out there, if you're looking for some quality reading.

It's good to keep some perspective about any contest. There are a lot of reasons why a certain judge might disqualify a story, much of it, subjective.

A writer has to do some soul-searching after a 'failure' like this. Is my grammar sub-par? Nope. I'm pretty sure I'm good at spelling and English grammar, and there's nothing jarring to interfere with the story.

Are the characters compelling and interesting? That's very subjective. Even professional editors sometimes have trouble quantifying why they like or don't like a character.

Or, the plot. What's entertaining to one person might be sleep-inducing boring to another.

It might just be that science fiction is not a popular genre. People love romances and fantasy, but not many are into science fiction. The definition of science fiction is getting more and more blurred as we authors in the genre try to interest a wider audience. I know a lot more science than I try to put into my stories because I don't want to bore my audience, so maybe I'm not science-y enough for the devout science fiction reader, and too cerebral for most? A lot of authors struggle in the genre.

My mind can go around and around in circles, but I can't really see a clear answer. It's upsetting that I didn't make the Round Two Qualifier list when most did. But, @TeenFix did include my novella on their ONC 2025 reading list. Maybe all entrants are there, too.

If you're in this uncomfortable boat, you have my sympathies. Like me, I hope you'll keep on writing. Your Inner Editor is probably screaming insults right now, like mine is, but ignore it. If nothing else, writing is a healthy way to deal with feelings, and a worthwhile hobby, even if absolutely no one but you reads what you write.

The fact that as of right now, 97 people on Wattpad read this story and it has 23 stars. So somebody enjoyed it!

Here are my stats on Wattpad:

Note that these come from my tags. Readers can search on any tag to find stories with this tag, so this is where these rankings come from. I can put up to 25 tags on each story, and we're encouraged to put a tag for character traits, any contests we might enter, and even nationalities.

Most Impressive Ranking #238 moving out of 14.6K stories

I put moving because the main character is moving to another planet.

7 persecution out of 278 stories

17 colonization out of 634 stories

179 bullyingawareness out of 5.5K stories

45 arrested out of 1.09K stories

a minor character, an antagonist, got arrested, not my MC

646 trouble out of 14.5K stories

4 14yearsold out of 78 stories

125 officer out of 1.98K stories

191 Hispanic out of 2.98K stories

My MC is Hispanic. Her mom was born in Mexico.

358 novella out of 4.79K stories

28 firstcontact out of 286 stories

6 seti out of 42 stories

187 onc2025 out of 714 stories

This is the 'official' tag all entrants of Open Novella Contest are supposed to use.

66 opennovellacontest2025 out of 147 stories

Not all of my tags are on a list. I always put young adult as a label, since my main subject is science fiction. You have to be in the top 1000 stories to make those big lists. I have made them in some of my other stories. The lists change, sometimes daily, so unless I check them and copy the stats down, they are lost. Checking them often is not a practice I consider mentally healthy, so I generally do this one day a month unless my story is new.

2 Engaged Readers

Readers who spent 5+ minutes reading this story in the past year

97 Total Reads 23 Votes

Readers can vote on each part, or chapter

22 Story Parts

My first chapter is always an About The Story part with my copyright notice, like I put in my print books. ONC doesn't like this practice as a policy, but it's not a Wattpad policy.

Ages 13-18 25%, 18-25 25%, 25-35 50% 25% Male, 25% Female, 50% Private USA 75%, UK 25%

I always love to see what countries my readers are from. If they choose to let me know. In Europe, people can choose not to reveal that, and I'm all for privacy.

Stats reassure me that I do have a few readers, and my Wattpad account has 110 followers, so I'm doing something right.

I am doing the book in a month thing this month, and Azure, Timelord is going well. The best cure for contest blues is to keep writing, so that's what I'm doing.

Best of luck to you other writers. Never give up! Keep writing, and keep entering contests. It's difficult to get the word out about your stories, that they are up and available to read, and finding readers for your particular genre and voice is difficult in the sea of AI-written drivel and just bad writing. Keep writing. Entering contests is one way to get a little publicity, as is posting on your socials. For those of us without an advertising budget, this and word of mouth is about all we have.

The most important thing is to keep writing. Contests can be very nice, but depressing if you don't place or win. Writing with few readers can prove to your Inner Editor, 'See? I don't have a gazillion readers, so I must not be very good!' But, your Inner Editor is biased against you, with too little data to be taken seriously. I could also argue that a 'real' editor, whether you submit to a 'traditional' publisher or pay someone to edit your work who might be incentivized to flatter you, is also down to the individual's opinion. If they're influenced by your pay, you're likely to not get an honest opinion. And, an overworked editor who sees a blur of first pages every day--well, isn't how well their day is going affecting that opinion? And if the first page doesn't grab them, is that any proof at all that your writing is good or bad?

Apart from glaring errors in your work that might be obvious to most people, your hard-earned manuscript might be precious to a few readers who enjoy your kind of story. If they only knew about it.

Until we get the technology to get our words in front of an audience niche that might enjoy similar works, we are stuck with inefficient methods that really don't serve us. That's the reality of the writing biz. We write, but very few people are going to discover us with our current methods.

Instead of being all depressed about it and tempted to quit, we need to look at the reasons we became writers in the first place.

Enjoy the stuff of writing. Bringing characters to life that will impact lives. Creating plots that carry the readers from one place to another, with memorable events. Touching the emotions of those who read your work. Writing is fun, and I find it to be a healing process.

Good luck on your journey. Write because it pleases you. The bottom line is, if your writing doesn't please you first, it is an exercise in futility. I happen to believe that all writing is good, and if you do enough of it, it will improve. Hopefully, knowing that, you will keep writing, and don't let the little defeats along the way knock the pen from your trembling fingers. It takes courage to pick it up. Consider it your flag that you wave in the struggle to urge your characters on!

[nona1994d]

Todas las flores marchitas (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/story/389508392-todas-las-flores-marchitas?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_myworks&wp_uname=Noha0512 En el mundo, los monstruos acechan en cada esquina, las sombras de muchos de ellos se ciernen sobre la oscura ciudad de Nueva York. Erna Amares, es una valiente reportera de una revista criminal, que se adentra en un laberinto de horror y desesperación en su búsqueda por la verdad. Su objetivo: Milton Harrys, un infame depredador de 75 años, confinado en el sombrío penal psiquiátrico de Rikers Island. Este hombre, condenado a muerte por los atroces crímenes de violación y trata de blancas, ha dejado una mancha imborrable en las vidas de más de setecientas víctimas. ¿Logrará Erna conseguir la tan ansiada entrevista con este monstruo y desenterrar la verdad que ha estado oculta durante tanto tiempo? Ten presente que a cada paso que des en esta historia, también vendrán oscuros secretos y consecuencias inesperadas. En este juego peligroso entre el deber y la moralidad, ¿está Erna lista para enfrentar lo que podría significar liberar los secretos del depredador? ¿Lo estás tú? Prepárate para una historia intensa y conmovedora, una jaula de intrigas que nos mantenga al borde del asiento hasta la última página. La búsqueda de la verdad nunca ha sido tan aterradora.

[lamarsdreamsllc]

Ink of the Revenant - Chapter 42: The True King Rises (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/1536879478-ink-of-the-revenant-chapter-42-the-true-king?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_reading&wp_uname=LamarsDreamsLLC Ramon "Ink" Salazar was a tattoo artist-until a cartel bullet ended him a decade ago. Now, resurrected in a stranger's body, he's an unstoppable assassin with a glowing serpent tattoo that whispers secrets. In the neon-drenched streets of Santa Sombras, Ramon hunts for his buried corpse to unravel why he was killed, building a criminal empire from scratch with a crew of misfit bodyguards. But as he rises to become the "King of Ink," shadowy Collectors, a ruthless cartel lord, and a mysterious priest threaten to drag him back to the grave. Expect magic-tinged action, gritty cartel wars, and a found family fighting for survival in a city where ink writes life-and blood writes death. #Action #Thriller #Supernatural

[lamarsdreamsllc]

Ink of the Revenant - Chapter 41: The Fall of the Rift keeper (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/1536878212-ink-of-the-revenant-chapter-41-the-fall-of-the?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_reading&wp_uname=LamarsDreamsLLC Ramon "Ink" Salazar was a tattoo artist-until a cartel bullet ended him a decade ago. Now, resurrected in a stranger's body, he's an unstoppable assassin with a glowing serpent tattoo that whispers secrets. In the neon-drenched streets of Santa Sombras, Ramon hunts for his buried corpse to unravel why he was killed, building a criminal empire from scratch with a crew of misfit bodyguards. But as he rises to become the "King of Ink," shadowy Collectors, a ruthless cartel lord, and a mysterious priest threaten to drag him back to the grave. Expect magic-tinged action, gritty cartel wars, and a found family fighting for survival in a city where ink writes life-and blood writes death. #Action #Thriller #Supernatural

[lamarsdreamsllc]

Ink of the Revenant - Chapter 40: The Alliance of Shadows (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/1536877392-ink-of-the-revenant-chapter-40-the-alliance-of?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_reading&wp_uname=LamarsDreamsLLC Ramon "Ink" Salazar was a tattoo artist-until a cartel bullet ended him a decade ago. Now, resurrected in a stranger's body, he's an unstoppable assassin with a glowing serpent tattoo that whispers secrets. In the neon-drenched streets of Santa Sombras, Ramon hunts for his buried corpse to unravel why he was killed, building a criminal empire from scratch with a crew of misfit bodyguards. But as he rises to become the "King of Ink," shadowy Collectors, a ruthless cartel lord, and a mysterious priest threaten to drag him back to the grave. Expect magic-tinged action, gritty cartel wars, and a found family fighting for survival in a city where ink writes life-and blood writes death. #Action #Thriller #Supernatural

[lamarsdreamsllc]

Ink of the Revenant - Chapter 39: The Rift keeper's Demand (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/1536875745-ink-of-the-revenant-chapter-39-the-rift-keeper%27s?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_reading&wp_uname=LamarsDreamsLLC Ramon "Ink" Salazar was a tattoo artist-until a cartel bullet ended him a decade ago. Now, resurrected in a stranger's body, he's an unstoppable assassin with a glowing serpent tattoo that whispers secrets. In the neon-drenched streets of Santa Sombras, Ramon hunts for his buried corpse to unravel why he was killed, building a criminal empire from scratch with a crew of misfit bodyguards. But as he rises to become the "King of Ink," shadowy Collectors, a ruthless cartel lord, and a mysterious priest threaten to drag him back to the grave. Expect magic-tinged action, gritty cartel wars, and a found family fighting for survival in a city where ink writes life-and blood writes death. #Action #Thriller #Supernatural

[lamarsdreamsllc]

Ink of the Revenant - Chapter 38: The Device of Chaos (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/1536874644-ink-of-the-revenant-chapter-38-the-device-of?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_reading&wp_uname=LamarsDreamsLLC Ramon "Ink" Salazar was a tattoo artist-until a cartel bullet ended him a decade ago. Now, resurrected in a stranger's body, he's an unstoppable assassin with a glowing serpent tattoo that whispers secrets. In the neon-drenched streets of Santa Sombras, Ramon hunts for his buried corpse to unravel why he was killed, building a criminal empire from scratch with a crew of misfit bodyguards. But as he rises to become the "King of Ink," shadowy Collectors, a ruthless cartel lord, and a mysterious priest threaten to drag him back to the grave. Expect magic-tinged action, gritty cartel wars, and a found family fighting for survival in a city where ink writes life-and blood writes death. #Action #Thriller #Supernatural

[lamarsdreamsllc]

Ink of the Revenant - Chapter 37: The Binding of the Rifts (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/1536873593-ink-of-the-revenant-chapter-37-the-binding-of-the?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_reading&wp_uname=LamarsDreamsLLC Ramon "Ink" Salazar was a tattoo artist-until a cartel bullet ended him a decade ago. Now, resurrected in a stranger's body, he's an unstoppable assassin with a glowing serpent tattoo that whispers secrets. In the neon-drenched streets of Santa Sombras, Ramon hunts for his buried corpse to unravel why he was killed, building a criminal empire from scratch with a crew of misfit bodyguards. But as he rises to become the "King of Ink," shadowy Collectors, a ruthless cartel lord, and a mysterious priest threaten to drag him back to the grave. Expect magic-tinged action, gritty cartel wars, and a found family fighting for survival in a city where ink writes life-and blood writes death. #Action #Thriller #Supernatural

[lamarsdreamsllc]

Ink of the Revenant - Chapter 36: The Sacrifice of Ink (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/1536872711-ink-of-the-revenant-chapter-36-the-sacrifice-of?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_reading&wp_uname=LamarsDreamsLLC Ramon "Ink" Salazar was a tattoo artist-until a cartel bullet ended him a decade ago. Now, resurrected in a stranger's body, he's an unstoppable assassin with a glowing serpent tattoo that whispers secrets. In the neon-drenched streets of Santa Sombras, Ramon hunts for his buried corpse to unravel why he was killed, building a criminal empire from scratch with a crew of misfit bodyguards. But as he rises to become the "King of Ink," shadowy Collectors, a ruthless cartel lord, and a mysterious priest threaten to drag him back to the grave. Expect magic-tinged action, gritty cartel wars, and a found family fighting for survival in a city where ink writes life-and blood writes death. #Action #Thriller #Supernatural

[lamarsdreamsllc]

Ink of the Revenant - Chapter 35: The Altar of Ink (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/1536871788-ink-of-the-revenant-chapter-35-the-altar-of-ink%0D?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_reading&wp_uname=LamarsDreamsLLC Ramon "Ink" Salazar was a tattoo artist-until a cartel bullet ended him a decade ago. Now, resurrected in a stranger's body, he's an unstoppable assassin with a glowing serpent tattoo that whispers secrets. In the neon-drenched streets of Santa Sombras, Ramon hunts for his buried corpse to unravel why he was killed, building a criminal empire from scratch with a crew of misfit bodyguards. But as he rises to become the "King of Ink," shadowy Collectors, a ruthless cartel lord, and a mysterious priest threaten to drag him back to the grave. Expect magic-tinged action, gritty cartel wars, and a found family fighting for survival in a city where ink writes life-and blood writes death. #Action #Thriller #Supernatural

[lamarsdreamsllc]

Ink of the Revenant - Chapter 34: The Rift's Reckoning (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/1536869610-ink-of-the-revenant-chapter-34-the-rift%27s?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_reading&wp_uname=LamarsDreamsLLC Ramon "Ink" Salazar was a tattoo artist-until a cartel bullet ended him a decade ago. Now, resurrected in a stranger's body, he's an unstoppable assassin with a glowing serpent tattoo that whispers secrets. In the neon-drenched streets of Santa Sombras, Ramon hunts for his buried corpse to unravel why he was killed, building a criminal empire from scratch with a crew of misfit bodyguards. But as he rises to become the "King of Ink," shadowy Collectors, a ruthless cartel lord, and a mysterious priest threaten to drag him back to the grave. Expect magic-tinged action, gritty cartel wars, and a found family fighting for survival in a city where ink writes life-and blood writes death. #Action #Thriller #Supernatural

[lamarsdreamsllc]

Ink of the Revenant - Chapter 33: The Mastermind's Masquerade (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/1536869196-ink-of-the-revenant-chapter-33-the-mastermind%27s?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_reading&wp_uname=LamarsDreamsLLC Ramon "Ink" Salazar was a tattoo artist-until a cartel bullet ended him a decade ago. Now, resurrected in a stranger's body, he's an unstoppable assassin with a glowing serpent tattoo that whispers secrets. In the neon-drenched streets of Santa Sombras, Ramon hunts for his buried corpse to unravel why he was killed, building a criminal empire from scratch with a crew of misfit bodyguards. But as he rises to become the "King of Ink," shadowy Collectors, a ruthless cartel lord, and a mysterious priest threaten to drag him back to the grave. Expect magic-tinged action, gritty cartel wars, and a found family fighting for survival in a city where ink writes life-and blood writes death. #Action #Thriller #Supernatural

[lamarsdreamsllc]

Ink of the Revenant - Chapter 32: Redemption's Edge (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/1536867724-ink-of-the-revenant-chapter-32-redemption%27s-edge%0D?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_reading&wp_uname=LamarsDreamsLLC Ramon "Ink" Salazar was a tattoo artist-until a cartel bullet ended him a decade ago. Now, resurrected in a stranger's body, he's an unstoppable assassin with a glowing serpent tattoo that whispers secrets. In the neon-drenched streets of Santa Sombras, Ramon hunts for his buried corpse to unravel why he was killed, building a criminal empire from scratch with a crew of misfit bodyguards. But as he rises to become the "King of Ink," shadowy Collectors, a ruthless cartel lord, and a mysterious priest threaten to drag him back to the grave. Expect magic-tinged action, gritty cartel wars, and a found family fighting for survival in a city where ink writes life-and blood writes death. #Action #Thriller #Supernatural

[lamarsdreamsllc]

Ink of the Revenant - Chapter 31: Blood Ties and Broken Bonds (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/1536866994-ink-of-the-revenant-chapter-31-blood-ties-and?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_reading&wp_uname=LamarsDreamsLLC Ramon "Ink" Salazar was a tattoo artist-until a cartel bullet ended him a decade ago. Now, resurrected in a stranger's body, he's an unstoppable assassin with a glowing serpent tattoo that whispers secrets. In the neon-drenched streets of Santa Sombras, Ramon hunts for his buried corpse to unravel why he was killed, building a criminal empire from scratch with a crew of misfit bodyguards. But as he rises to become the "King of Ink," shadowy Collectors, a ruthless cartel lord, and a mysterious priest threaten to drag him back to the grave. Expect magic-tinged action, gritty cartel wars, and a found family fighting for survival in a city where ink writes life-and blood writes death. #Action #Thriller #Supernatural