I Wrote This

The Prompt

We’re living in the age of AI, deepfakes, and bots that can churn out content in seconds. But there’s still one thing they can’t replicate: you.

This challenge is about reclaiming the personal, the raw, the real. Write a story about a moment that reminded you you’re alive. Something you felt in your chest, your bones, your skin. A time you laughed until you cried, or cried until you cracked open. A spark. A shift. A truth.

Then say it—out loud.

In order to qualify for this Challenge, you must record a video of yourself reading your story. Doesn’t have to be polished. Doesn’t have to be perfect. But it has to be you. Upload the video to YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, or anywhere you share, and embed the link in your submission.

For bonus points, show us the behind-the-scenes: your scribbled notes, your writing space, the face behind the story. Let us see the human behind the words.

This isn’t just about great writing. It’s about real voices in a world of fakes. And yours deserves to be heard.

In order for your submission to qualify, it must be:

• A narrative story between 600 and 2,000 words
• Accompanied by a video of you reading the story aloud, either embedded or linked in your story
• Submitted to the Writers community. Your story will be disqualified if it is submitted to any other community.
• Submitted before June 27, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST.
• Your work must be original and unpublished.

The Prizes

• Grand Prize: $500
• Second Place: $200
• 15 Runners-Up: $15 each
• 10 Honorable Mentions: Badge

For your story to be eligible, it must be between 600 and 2,000 words and adhere to our Community Guidelines.

Stories published on Vocal and entered into the Challenge up until June 27, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.

The I Wrote This 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 reside 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 a Stripe account created and connected to receive prizes. Entrants located outside of these countries will not be eligible to win.