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 2023 Honorable Mention, I would know. After years of participation and reflection, I have lots of advice to share on how I did it. In...
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The timeline of the ONC (having everyone write at once) lends itself to having an excellent, well developed community.
If you're looking for feedback, wanting to boost your story, or just looking to chat, there are a host of ONC-related groups who can help!
Your first option the book clubs that pop-up every year and would love to have you! They vary by technicality, but most pair you up each week to read and leave feedback on the first few chapters of a partner's work. It's a great way to discover new stories while also boosting your own. Most allow you to opt out at any time, so if you're crunching to meet a deadline it's okay.
One of the top book clubs is the Dreamland ONC Club hosted by DreamlandCommunity. Be sure to check them out to get some feedback and connect with other ONCers!
The second is to just reach out to your fellow ONC writers! Close to 2,000 novellas were entered last year, meaning their is a whole host of writers and fiction out there waiting to be discovered! Wattpad is also driven by engagement, so be sure to reach out in a comment on their story or by the their username on the milestone lists. Having people to motivate and be motivated by makes the contest a lot easier.
Finally, exploring the tag #onc2024and #opennovellacontest2024 and adding stories to your public reading list and or library is easy and painless. So is checking out the official guidebook on opennovellacontest where there are always lots of fun comments and questions.
"Novellas & New Roast" is also an excellent place to find committed, like-minded writers. So go ahead! Introduce yourself in an inline comment and tell us what your novella this year is all about.
