Stories (114/0)
Prompted: #3
PROMPTED: INTRODUCTION After a bit of travel out of the country, I'm back to Vocal and ready to dive into another edition of the Prompted Writer's Challenge. I hope you're ready, too. The past two challenges generated a lot of great entries and I look forward to seeing what transpires from Prompted: #3. So, let's get to it!
By Randy Baker2 months ago in Writers
Winner's Circle: Prompted #2
INTRODUCTION Prompted: #2 is a wrap, folks. There were a total of 7 entries for this challenge. That's quite a drop from the previous challenge, but completely expected. The requirements for Prompted: #2 were more of a stretch. You can refresh yourself on the particulars of Prompted #2 HERE.
By Randy Baker2 months ago in Writers
Behind the Page: #1
For the first edition of my Behind the Page series, I will discuss my poem, "Saturday Afternoon". You can read it here: I wrote the poem "Saturday Afternoon" back in 2009. It was first published in the now-defunct online journal First Reads, based in the country of St. Vincent. It and another of my poems, "Morning Glow", appeared there together. Later in 2010, both poems were included in my mixed genre chapbook, "Beyond the Horizon: Journeys in Poetry and Prose".
By Randy Baker2 months ago in Writers
Taking a Deep Dive: Part 2
PART 1 - PART 2 This article is a continuation of a discussion on reading with craft in mind. Aimed at writers, the intention is to convey the value of mindful reading for learning and improving one’s writing skills. You can find my introductory thoughts on the topic HERE if you’d like to catch up before continuing with this article.
By Randy Baker3 months ago in Writers
- Top Story - March 2024
Taking a Deep Dive: Part 1
PART 1 - PART 2 Most writers are avid readers. That’s probably stating the obvious. Not every reader is, or wants to be, a writer, but being an avid reader certainly establishes a foundation for anyone who wants to pursue the craft. Someone with a deep and well-rounded appreciation of the written word will often develop an instinct for what works.
By Randy Baker3 months ago in Writers
Bring Back the Maccabee Version
Max Romeo, the reggae artist, released a song in 1976 titled “Maccabee Version”. I remember hearing it as a boy in Jamaica. At some point, I became aware of something the Rastafarians called the “Maccabee version” of the Bible. They believed the Bible had been altered and the Maccabee was an older, more correct version. That's what Romeo's song was about. It implored people to "bring back Maccabee version".
By Randy Baker3 months ago in The Swamp
Batting a 1,000
I joined Vocal on January 19 and 43 days later I've crossed the 1,000 reads threshold. That's according to Vocal's stats, at least, which I don't consider to be an exact science. The math doesn't always line up when comparing reads, comments, and "likes". Their numbers are in the ballpark, though, so I'll use them as a benchmark.
By Randy Baker3 months ago in Motivation