Father's Footprint

The Prompt

In honor of the launch of the Men Community and Father's Day, this challenge asks you to reflect deeply on a father figure in your life. Whether the essay takes a nostalgic, contemplative, somber, or celebratory tone, it should ultimately convey the enduring legacy of a father's influence in shaping one's identity.

A reflective essay is a type of personal essay that involves introspection and thoughtful analysis of one's life experience. Reflective essays should evoke a sense of vulnerability and authenticity, as the writer openly shares their reflections.

In order for your submission to qualify, it must:

• Be between 600-5,000 words
• Be entered into the Men community. Choosing a community is a final step in the submission process.

The Prizes

• Grand Prize: $500
• Second Place: $250
• 10 Runners-Up: $50

For your story to be eligible, it should be between 600 and 5,000 words, and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Stories published on Vocal and entered into the contest up until 11:59 PM ET on June 23rd will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.

The Father's Footprint Challenge is exclusive to Vocal+ members. To learn more and upgrade to Vocal+ visit https://vocal.media/vocal-plus.

To be eligible to win the grand prize, second place, or runners-up prizes, you must be over the age of 13 and residing in a country where Stripe is available at the time of entry. A complete list of countries where Stripe is available can be found here—winners will need to have a Stripe account created and connected in order to receive the prizes. For this reason, entrants located outside of any of these countries will not be eligible to win.