
Jayna
I hope to post more Vocal stories than IG stories.
We’ll see how it goes.
Twitter: @jayna_writes
5 Lessons From Writing a 5-Story Series on Vocal
I challenged myself to write five related but completely freestanding stories over the span of two weeks for Vocal's Little Black Book Challenge. I'm not going to lie, it was harder than I expected. It was also rewarding to send each the stories, one after another, to Vocal for consideration.
Pay It Forward, Book 5: The Sage
My life ended over 40 years ago but I didn’t die. New York City was different then, grittier and more dangerous. Mobsters ruled the streets so I kept to myself.
Pay It Forward, Book 4: The Conductor
My body was failing me. I was twenty-one years old. I was in the country's best conservatory. I was a star in my music program. My body not obeying my mind felt like betrayal.
Pay It Forward, Book 3: The Artist
After a lifetime of seeking perfection, all it took was one lapse in judgment to change everything. I took one pill and the edgy nervousness that was my constant companion disappeared. I finally felt free.
Pay It Forward, Book 1: The Scribe
When I answered the knock on my apartment door, I didn't know that I was letting destruction in. As soon as I opened the door, papers were shoved in my hand and a stream of suited men and women brushed past me. I stood frozen in place as my family's papers and electronics were boxed, bagged, and sealed.
Pay It Forward, Book 2: The Lyricist
Ma used to say that life wasn't easy but it was good. I had a great life with Ma and my brother, Rafael. Until one day, after an ignored traffic light by an inattentive driver, there was just me and Rafael.
First Place in Black Women in Music Challenge
Heather Lowery is Normalizing Female Leadership
Heather Lowery was at a major music event, waiting to meet with a music manager, when a male passerby mistook her for a groupie. At the time, she was Vice President of Talent and Touring for Live Nation Entertainment.
Reimagining Satoshi Nakamoto: The FinTech Competition
As a computer science student at a prestigious university, I had a lot of career doors open to me. Everyone had an opinion on which one I should go through.