Vocal
Top Stories
Find new, handpicked stories you’ll love, updated daily.
Two Small Bags of Petzels and She Was Gone
The Flight Attendant handed me two small bags of pretzels from her aisle cart and smiled sweetly... ... then was sucked cleanly out through the gaping hole in the bulkhead.
"PERILOUS CLIMB"
PERIOLOUS CLIMB STRUGGLING TO GET BACK TO THE TOP Expressions of struggling and climbing to the top again a perilous journey of being human.
Vicki Lawana TrusselliPublished 5 days ago in Poets
It Only Took One Minute.......
It only took a minute. I was sitting at the computer in my office when the phone rang. I picked up the receiver and then laid it down my desk as I went to find the student who the call was for. Within seconds I was back at my desk, ready to resume typing, when I heard the student yelling obscenities at me for listening in to his call through the handset that was still lying on the desk. Sick and tired of the lies he was spewing, I was up running down the hall, ready to kill him. By the time I reached him, I had calmed enough not to hurt him, but as I turned back towards my room, I knew that I couldn’t go on like this any longer. The decision was clear. I had to leave.
Gail WyliePublished 4 days ago in Motivationtoo busy to show human compassion
JL's music career on the six is her greatest acting achievement snatching back her husband's tips with nanny's working slave contracts
Chloe GilholyPublished 3 days ago in PoetsThe Instruction
“All sales are final!” the shop keeper yelled after him as the jingle announced his departure from the second-hand shop. He shrugged and felt the leather bomber-jacket gripping his shoulders tightly. It was satisfying.
Brannan K.Published a day ago in FictionWinner's Circle: Prompted #3
INTRODUCTION Prompted: #3 is over and done with. There were a total of 7 entries for this challenge, just like with Prompted #2. That was a bit surprising, considering this was a poetry challenge. The first poetry challenge garnered much more attention. Of course, one way to look at the drop in participation is that Vocal writers are not fans of the rondel.
Randy BakerPublished 3 days ago in WritersReaching Out
I promise her. I'd do anything for her. She's my mom. Even as Lanie and Deanna are flying home, Mom is scrappy fighting dying. She lays too still in that too-big bed with all the toasty white hospital blankets, in the south tower, at the broad end of a long slow-turning corner that delivers me again to her private room with the view she can't see through, with the beeping that tells us nothing new, and all these ice chips she can't swallow, and a flood of well-intentioned nurses who cannot do a damned thing all the same.
Christy MunsonPublished 2 days ago in FictionI'm Not Rude: I'm Deaf
Every part of my being trembles when faced with bureaucratic tasks. It’s intensely triggering for me. The very thought of tackling the paperwork and navigating complex procedures is enough to make my heart race and my palms sweat.
Rot
I know the way things rot. Brown and white slime on sugar snap peas, black fuzz on applesauce uncovered and abandoned, the expanding plastic of a milk jug kept in the fridge weeks past the best by date,
Kay HusnickPublished 4 days ago in PoetsBellaDonna
As soon as the bell rang, the orphans eagerly ran outside for their playtime as they typically did, joining together to frolic and socialise, however, there was a black sheep that stood alone. Shy little Bella gazed at her shoes, conflicted about whether to feel amused or not. She was always alone and preferred it that way. Some kids are just different.
Challenges
Enter themed storytelling contests to put your creativity to the test.
In Eclipse
Write an acrostic poem using this word: eclipse.
$500 Grand Prize40 hours leftJust a Minute
Write a short fiction story that takes place within the course of 60 seconds.
$500 Grand Prize8 days leftWhispering Woods
Write a fantasy fiction story that takes places in a sentient forest.
$500 Grand PrizeFinished
Creators We’re Loving
Meet the people in your communities creating extraordinary things.
Resources
Discover tips, guides, updates, and spotlights from our team.
Whispering Woods Challenge Winners
Congratulations to Morgan Christy Rickards for their winning Whispering Woods story, Guardian at the Gate. Morgan has been a Vocal creator since February 2021, and this is their first time placing in Challenge — well done, starting with a win! Guardian at the Gate draws evocatively from Welsh tales of the Cantre'r Gwaelod, a lost sunken kingdom between the forest and the sea. Heledd’s dangerous adventure pulls her towards the water but her spirit is anchored in the woods: Morgan’s writing is atmospheric and exciting.
Vocal Curation TeamPublished 6 days ago in ResourcesVocal Bonus Leaderboard: 04/17/2024
Welcome to the weekly update of the Leaderboard! We're thrilled to showcase Vocal's most discussed stories, popular picks, and rising stars. Let's dive into this past week's standout contributors and their remarkable achievements.
Vocal TeamPublished 7 days ago in ResourcesVocal Creator Chat: 04/16/2024
Have questions about creating stories, growing your audience, and getting rewarded on Vocal? The Vocal community and team are here to help answer your questions and feedback together.
Vocal Creator ChatPublished 8 days ago in ResourcesSnacktime Sonata Challenge Winners
Well, your Snacktime Sonatas made us hungry, and that’s about the highest compliment we have. Food — taste, smell, sensation — is a powerful conduit to the past, to memories pleasurable and painful and sometimes bittersweet, a mixture of comfort and challenge. Congratulations to Penny Fuller for Sativa — it’s a first win for Penny — a hymn to the “secret, unbounded/freedoms” of fresh peas in the pod. The narrative voice of the poem doesn’t really want to be outside, but finds joy in the green things of the earth; this is a lovely work of resilience.
Vocal TeamPublished 12 days ago in Resources📢 Raise Your Voice Thread: 04/11/2024
Our “Raise Your Voice Threads” are hosted every other Thursday at 12PM ET to offer creators more avenues to uncover exceptional stories on Vocal. As we are continuously searching for fresh creators and inspiring stories, this thread provides an opportunity to exchange and discuss the stories that have moved and motivated us on Vocal.
Raise Your Voice by VocalPublished 13 days ago in ResourcesVocal Bonus Leaderboard: 04/10/2024
Welcome to the weekly update of the Leaderboard! We're thrilled to showcase Vocal's most discussed stories, popular picks, and rising stars. Let's dive into this past week's standout contributors and their remarkable achievements.
Vocal TeamPublished 14 days ago in Resources
Explore Communities
Join communities powered by creators who share your passions.