
(No) Regrets
Reveal your most embarrassing stories and cringeworthy moments.
Prizes
- First place:
- $5,000
- Second place:
- $2,500
- Third place:
- $1,000
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Mar 24, 2021
Submissions closed
Apr 28, 2021 3:59 AM CUT
Results
May 11, 2021
Prizes
- First place:
- $5,000
- Second place:
- $2,500
- Third place:
- $1,000
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Mar 24, 2021
Submissions closed
Apr 28, 2021 3:59 AM CUT
Results
May 11, 2021
About this challenge
Whether it's accidentally sending an embarrassing text message to the wrong person or mistaking a random car for an Uber, we've all made a complete fool out of ourselves at some point in our lives. Those uncomfortable experiences are universal, and we've all got a story or situation that makes us wince any time we think about it. But don't beat yourself up about it! Even if that instant was dreadfully awkward, it's time to let it go—that's why we've launched our newest community, Confessions, home to romantic fails, workplace drama, childish pranks, revelations, and all shades of cringe.
One of the best ways to move past certain distressing memories in life is by talking about them. So, enter the (No) Regrets Challenge and come clean by sharing your most embarrassing stories with us—those moments that still pop into your head to haunt you as you're trying to fall asleep. Did you forget to mute yourself on Zoom as you gossiped about your professor? Or say something unbelievably embarrassing to your crush at a middle school dance that you still think about ten years later? It can be a mistake you've made and hate talking about, a silly drunk thing you said to a college hookup that you can't get out of your head. We all have those moments from the past that come back to haunt us when we least expect them—and they can be a lot of fun to share. Whatever story you haven't fessed up to yet because you cringe at the thought, we want to hear it. Reveal your most cringeworthy memories so we can laugh about them together, with absolutely no regrets.
Judges
Judged by co-host of Oops the Podcast: A podcast that examines the mistakes that change the trajectory of people’s lives—the bad decisions, the aftermath, the path to redemption, and all things in between.
How to enter
For your story to be eligible, it must be between 600 and 5,000 words and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Stories published on Vocal and entered into the contest up until April 27, 2021, at 11:59 PM EST will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.
The (No) Regrets 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 third place 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.
Open challenges
Challenges you can enter now for a chance to win.
Scroll No More
Imagine that every smartphone in the world suddenly stops working. Write about what happens next.
$1,000 Grand Prize4 hours leftNo One Remembers It That Way
Write about a memory that you and someone else remember completely differently.
$1,000 Grand Prize7 days leftSteal From Yourself
Return to something you wrote years ago and use one idea, image, character, or line from it to create something entirely new.
$1,000 Grand Prize14 days leftNot on the Menu
Write about something memorable you ate that you'd never find on a restaurant menu.
$1,000 Grand Prize21 days left
Challenge resources
October Challenge Winners
October turned out to be a much stranger place than we expected, and we loved seeing where everyone took it. From familiar autumn scenes to some wonderfully unexpected settings, this challenge brought out a lot of creativity and imagination.
By Vocal Curation Team2 days ago in Resources
You Are Here Challenge Winners
For You Are Here , we asked writers to put readers somewhere they weren't supposed to be. What really stood out in the stories that placed was how often that line wasn't so clear. Sometimes you knew you were pushing your luck, sometimes you had every right to be there, and sometimes you didn't get much of a choice. Writing in second person made those situations feel a lot harder to watch from the sidelines.
By Vocal Curation Team9 days ago in Resources
Negative Space Challenge Winners
For Negative Space , we asked writers to explore how much can be said through what's left out. Our favorite entries found clever ways to make those silences, gaps, and unanswered questions feel just as important as the words themselves.
By Vocal Curation Team16 days ago in Resources



