Reija Sillanpaa
Bio
A wise person said, "Be your own audience". Therefore, I write fiction, poetry and about matters important and interesting to me. That said, I warmly welcome you into my audience.
Achievements (1)
Stories (128/0)
To The Hell And Back
My thighs burn as my feet pound the pavement. Each step forward is a battle against the desire to quit. But I can’t stop now. I have less than a kilometre left to complete the first 10km run of my life. I switch the song playing on my headphones. I need something grittier to help me get to the end.
By Reija Sillanpaa3 years ago in Beat
Why I Quit My Job During The Pandemic
Taking a risk is never easy. But what if the daily grind is making us unhappy and leaves us feeling unfulfilled? Sometimes it is necessary to take a leap into the unknown to come unstuck and open the door for new possibilities.
By Reija Sillanpaa4 years ago in Journal
- Top Story - October 2020
Four Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Writing On VocalTop Story - October 2020
Having read about some success stories where people were earning a very decent living from writing on Vocal, I had high hopes of instant success when I wrote my first story. But my story didn't get any reads. The same thing happened with the next few stories and I almost gave up.
By Reija Sillanpaa4 years ago in Journal
Changing a Life-Threatening Experience Into Something Positive
Cancer sucks. In fact, it both sucks and blows. Hearing the words ‘you have cancer’ was the worst moment in my life and felt like a death sentence. Especially when my oncologist told me that I needed chemo- and radiotherapy following a radical hysterectomy. Or when he said that he could not predict if I would be in the one in a ten group of survivors. He is an amazing surgeon and oncologist, but severely lacks a compassionate bedside manner.
By Reija Sillanpaa4 years ago in Motivation
How to Identify Symptoms of Womb Cancer
Womb cancer, when diagnosed at stage one, has a very high survival rate at 95%. However, far too often it is not diagnosed until it has progressed to more advanced stages. This is because there is a lack of awareness of womb cancer and its symptoms, meaning women often seek medical advice only when the cancer has already progressed beyond stage one.
By Reija Sillanpaa4 years ago in Viva
The Survivors
Albert sat alone at a table, staring at an old black-and-white photograph. Fifteen faces stared back at him, one of them his own. Fifteen haunted faces and eyes that spoke of fear, suffering and loss. He sighed and folded the picture in half with great care and put it in his wallet.
By Reija Sillanpaa4 years ago in Humans
- Top Story - June 2020
Why I write on VocalTop Story - June 2020
I will be honest and say that when I first came across Vocal, I had hopes of fat paychecks and visions of quitting the day job. It hasn’t worked out like that. Not even close. In reality, I have now earned almost enough for a couple of bags of crisps and a can of coke. But I have not given up writing on Vocal, even if I’m yet to earn enough to buy myself a pint.
By Reija Sillanpaa4 years ago in Journal