Resources
From tips and tricks to product updates and inspiration, explore our resources to learn how to grow as a Vocal creator.
Challenges
Painted Prose Challenge Winners
My oh my. Or, rather, we oh we were stunned by the quality of this Challenge's submissions. It's always difficult to pick a winner but this Challenge was exceedingly difficult. Us being us, we wanted to think (out loud) upon why this Challenge in particular bred some incredible prose. What we think may have happened is that an old adage came to life...
Vocal Curation TeamPublished 10 months ago in ResourcesFather's Footprint Challenge Winners
Whether we like him, know him, love him or revile him, everyone's got one. He is half our DNA and maybe sometimes the source of all of our frustration or joy.
Vocal Curation TeamPublished 10 months ago in ResourcesMicro Heist Challenge Winners
Heists, at least according to what we've seen in movies, require so many different sets of skills. (We assume that's why heists have crews.) And yet, the one skill that is necessary above all else is precision. A sloppy heist is often a busted heist. Without a ticking clock, without prying eyes, without danger, is it really a heist or just a smash and grab job?
Vocal Curation TeamPublished 11 months ago in ResourcesDancing with Distraction Challenge Winners
Acrostics are one of the first writing exercises we do as children and are often forgotten soon after. Maybe it's their apparent simplicity that leaves them behind as writers scour the landscape for an interesting form in which to put their thoughts. But (I'm sure you can guess what's coming), we think acrostics are wonderful vessels for writing because of their restriction. And, as with all Challenge prompts that promote limitation, we, the judges, are always looking for those Creators who embrace the prompt rather than work around it.
Vocal Curation TeamPublished 11 months ago in ResourcesWord Hunt Challenge Winners
This Challenge reaffirmed two core tenets at Vocal. The first is that we love working with Creators in coming up with Challenges and the second is that the simplest of prompts- use three words found in a puzzle - will yield spectacular results.
Vocal Curation TeamPublished 11 months ago in ResourcesMelodic Milestone Playlist Challenge Winners
We were so excited to see this idea presented in our Shape The Future of Vocal Challenges series. We had been kicking the idea of writing about music and playlists around for a while but couldn't think up the right structure for a Challenge. With your help, we got the push we needed to come up with the right formula. Part story, part playlist, this contest was meant to give voice to what so many of us possess- those deeply rooted songs that shaped us and continue to shape us, the ones that give sound to our fondest memories and the tunes that we turn to when we need musical solace.
Vocal Curation TeamPublished 11 months ago in ResourcesMicrofiction Magic Challenge Winners
Call it flash, micro, or any other tiny phrase. However you view it, writing as much with as few words as possible is (at least to us, for this Challenge) the gold standard of creative fiction. What makes Challenges (and challenges) like these so enjoyable to read and participate in is the same thing that makes all fiction enjoyable: making every word count. Once a story becomes waterlogged with extra emotion, extra words, extra extra, our interest flags and we tend to stop reading.
Vocal Curation TeamPublished 11 months ago in ResourcesUnexpected Uncovering Challenge Winners
This Challenge inspired some incredibly inventive unexpected uncoverings! And we know this is no simple feat as it's never easy to destabilize a relationship in a fresh and new way. From serious illnesses to serial killers on the weekends to silly little traits that grow to become impossible to ignore, we never knew there were so many ways to be surprised by a partner.
Vocal Curation TeamPublished 12 months ago in ResourcesSensational Challenge Winners
At Vocal, we're always going on and on about the freedoms of limitation and how walls and decisions and editing make great art. But sometimes you just need to let your creative hair down, throw some paint at the wall. This was one of our more open prompts, free for interpretation, few limits, just give us a poem, a sense of the senses.
Vocal Curation TeamPublished 12 months ago in ResourcesEpistolary Challenge Winners
What a unique Challenge, to write a poem in letter form. This brilliant idea was inspired by Korina Camel from our Shape the Future of Vocal session!
Vocal Curation TeamPublished 12 months ago in ResourcesPassing Ships Challenge Winners
We've all had those small moments in life that make us who we are. Tiny instances that reverberate into massive effects. The best of them are unexpected, often humbling, and only seen clearly after some time.
Vocal Curation TeamPublished about a year ago in ResourcesSky's The Limit Challenge Winners
Who knew so many things could fly? From birds to planes, vampires to blimps, spaceships to souls, we read an incredible array of flight-themed stories. One common aspect of many submissions was to use time in flight for thought. Scorned lovers worked out their feelings, evil doers schemed, children dreamed. There's something about planes specifically that leave us feeling liminal. Can't do much up there at 35,000 feet so may as well work out what's been on our mind. We loved this take on the prompt because it was so true to reality. But we always love a lot about our Creators' submissions, from your fresh protagonists and deep life lessons to the (somehow) new ways you come up with to describe a sunset.
Vocal Curation TeamPublished about a year ago in Resources