Vocal
Top Stories
Find new, handpicked stories you’ll love, updated daily.
Brunch 23
Yum Introduction A couple of weeks back I was walking into town over Nunsmoor and came out on Nunsmoor Road and noticed that what was once an excellent branch of Solomon's Dhaba was now a revamped "Brunch 23". My first thoughts were that it would be just another breakfast place, but I crossed over to check out the menu and was immediately intrigued by it. Now read on to find out why.
Mike Singleton - MikeydredPublished 2 days ago in FeastShe loved me
She loved me in ways, I couldn't explain in ways I could only experience She carried me away in moments, I couldn't believe
The Invisible WriterPublished a day ago in Poets
The last line is:
Amanda won’t sit down now. I hate that about her. Her elbows are at an uncomfortable looking angle and she won’t stop leaning on the dusty brick burger house wall. Her line of sight leads to nothing. She’s not facing anybody or anything.
Lisa HerdmanPublished about 7 hours ago in ConfessionsMy Crush☺️
I only came over just to hear your voice... And to see your face, I got a crush on you That I Can't Escape... Gazing into your sights
HandsomelouiiThePoet (Lonzo ward)Published 3 days ago in PoetsA Mirror Darkly
Now… “The mirror showed a reflection that wasn't my own.” Anita recounts gravely to the class. “I will never forget the eyes of that monster staring back at me.” She proceeds to recall aloud the events that lead to the uncanny ordeal she got herself into years ago. The room falls silent as she tells her ugly story.
Fade To Black
The mirror showed a reflection that wasn’t my own. The reflection that jarred me from my nightly semi-conscious task of removing the makeup and city grime from my face, was oddly familiar, but wasn’t my own.
Cathy holmesPublished 2 days ago in Horror
The Big Red's Gang
Domestic and Graphic The mirror showed a reflection that wasn't my own. I should have never removed the duct tape from the cracked rearview mirror. Piercing black eyes leered at me from a scarred windblown face every bit twenty years my senior. The remnants of a blackened bullet hole oozed congealed blood from his forehead and down his face. In shock, I gasped and swerved onto the shoulder of the desert highway.
Scott WadePublished 4 days ago in Fiction
Down the Rabbit Hole
The mirror showed a reflection that wasn't my own, it was unclear, blurry. Yet I knew it wasn't me. The image wavers. I feel moisture upon my face, a wetness chills my body.
Spring: A Playlist
Spring is a time of extreme creativity. In nature, it’s when flowers bloom, and once naked trees don lush gowns of chartreuse. It’s when many species of animals give birth, having mated in the Autumn or Winter. It’s when bees produce the most honey, and when farmers plant crops.
Sorcerer's Moon
Whispered incantations cast In darkened, secret rooms Will linger 'til this night has passed, And Morning Glory blooms.
Dana CrandellPublished 3 days ago in Poets
Challenges
Enter themed storytelling contests to put your creativity to the test.
Broken Mirror
Write a horror story about a haunted mirror. We’ll give you the first sentence.
$1,000 Grand Prize2 days leftTautogram
Write a poem where every word starts with the same letter.
$1,000 Grand Prize8 days leftLudicrous Limerick
Write a limerick about the absurdities of life.
$2,000 Grand PrizeClosed
Creators We’re Loving
Meet the people in your communities creating extraordinary things.
Resources
Discover tips, guides, updates, and spotlights from our team.
Time Capsule Haiku Challenge Winners
We've been asking ourselves lately why we keep doing these haiku Challenges because, frankly, they are very difficult to judge!
Vocal Curation TeamPublished 11 days ago in Resources
Write Here, Write Now: Bull by Jacqueline Garrahan
There’s fear of the unknown - darkness, monsters, and the like - but sometimes the most terrifying are the things - and people - we think we know best. Jacqueline Garrahan’s “Bull” is a masterful look into the frigid, the cruel, and the disturbing, deep in the dead of a Maine night.
Write Here, Write Now: A Vocal PodcastPublished 12 days ago in Resources
10 Ways Entering Vocal's Broken Mirror Challenge Can Make You a Better Writer
So, you're interested in writing a horror story for the Broken Mirror Challenge? Diving into the horror genre can do wonders for your writing skills. Not only will you learn to create a spine-chilling atmosphere and develop strong, relatable characters, but you'll also master the art of suspense and pacing. Horror writing encourages you to explore psychological themes, experiment with narrative techniques, and craft impactful endings. You'll become more resilient to feedback and improve your ability to engage readers emotionally. Ready to take your writing to the next level? Let's review the elements that define the terrifying world of horror fiction together.
Vocal Curation TeamPublished 13 days ago in Resources
Write Here, Write Now: Going Fishing by Lucas Díaz-Medina
Settle into the southern humidity with Lucas Díaz-Medina’s “Going Fishing.” A journey of introspection and self discovery unfolds as two boys mosey down a bayou back road. Family history and mythmaking collide when a passerby gives the boys a lift.
Write Here, Write Now: A Vocal PodcastPublished 19 days ago in Resources
If Walls Could Talk Challenge Winners
If walls could talk, what would they say? Of course, there's so much more to walls, these ubiquitous, often overlooked necessities. Walls give us comfort but they also pen us in. They stave off the elements but also block us from the world. At once necessary and obtrusive, walls are often the only witnesses to our most intimate moments, and at the same time, the very things that allow us to be intimate.
Vocal Curation TeamPublished 25 days ago in Resources
Write Here, Write Now: Mistress of the House of Books by Matthew Daniels
Matthew Daniels puts a new spin on job interviews with “Mistress of the House of Books.” With a heavenly interviewee, the power dynamics are bound to be flipped. But there are some roles in this world that just can’t be reversed.
Write Here, Write Now: A Vocal PodcastPublished 26 days ago in Resources
Explore Communities
Join communities powered by creators who share your passions.