Nourished
Share the story and recipe of a comforting dish you received when you needed it most.
Prizes
- Grand Prize:
- $500
- Second Place:
- $250
- 10 Runners-up:
- $35
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Sep 29, 2023
Submissions closed
Oct 25, 2023 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Nov 09, 2023
Prizes
- Grand Prize:
- $500
- Second Place:
- $250
- 10 Runners-up:
- $35
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Sep 29, 2023
Submissions closed
Oct 25, 2023 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Nov 09, 2023
About this challenge
The Prompt
Share a story and recipe of a comforting dish you received when you needed it most, and a positive affirmation for the next person who cooks it.
Every dish has a story, and food has a unique way of weaving tales of comfort, love, and solidarity. At times when we needed a helping hand, a simple meal offered by someone can make a world of difference. We welcome you to share your heartwarming experiences tied to a special dish – whether it was a warm bowl of soup during a trying time, a comforting casserole after a long day, or a surprise dessert that made you want to celebrate. As we pass on these recipes, let's also pass on positive affirmations to uplift the spirits of those who recreate our meaningful dishes.
This challenge has 3 components.
The Story: Begin by narrating the time when you were offered this dish. Describe the circumstances, emotions, and the person who offered it. Let your readers feel the warmth and comfort you experienced. Was it during an illness, a personal setback, a challenging day, or just a surprise from a loved one? You do not need to share your deepest, darkest secrets, but you should set the tone for why the dish made your day.
The Recipe: Share the dish's recipe in detail. List down the ingredients, the quantities, the steps, and any secret tips you might have to perfect the dish. Photos are always welcome to make the recipe visually appealing and easier to follow.
The Affirmation: Conclude your story with a positive affirmation for the next person who will be cooking the dish. This affirmation should encapsulate the feelings and comfort the dish brought you, passing it on to the next person.
Please include a photo of the dish (if possible).
The essence of this challenge is to showcase the profound impact of seemingly simple acts of kindness. It's a celebration of food as not just sustenance, but a source of emotional and spiritual nourishment. We hope that you feel the heart in the recipes shared, and we can't wait to dig in🍴
In order for your submission to qualify, it must:
- Be between 600-3,000 words.
- Be submitted to the Feast community.
The Prizes
- Grand Prize: $500
- Second Place: $250
- 10 Runners-Up: $35
How to enter
For your story to be eligible, it should be between 600 and 3,000 words, and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Stories published on Vocal and entered into the contest up until 11:59 PM ET on October 24, 2023 will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.
The Nourished 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.
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Challenge resources
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‘Safety Net’, by Meredith Harmon, begins in a confiding tone. ‘What town?’ the tale asks. ‘We're an enclave. We're farmers. We till the soil like our forefathers, and our children's children's children will till it, till the end of time.’ There is a folkloric sensibility here, suited to the prompt, but also something contemporary and practical. This winning story of a community trying to protect and preserve itself has echoes of Shirley Jackson’s famous tale ‘The Lottery’, Meredith is a strong Vocal Creator with 225 stories to her name; and this is her second first place win of a challenge; huge congratulations.
By Vocal Curation Team8 days ago in Resources
Let's Talk About AI and Vocal Challenges
We might as well cut to the chase. Yes, we run every challenge entry through our AI detector; if we find an entry has been generated, it’s disqualified. As Justin Maury, Founder/CEO of Vocal has written, we use these detection systems because we know our readers enjoy authentic content; we also ask you to disclose when you’ve posted on the platform using AI assistance. But a different issue comes into play when we’re thinking about Challenges, and we believe it’s an important one.
By Vocal Curation Team11 days ago in Resources
Dialogue Poetry Challenge Winners
Hannah Moore is a first-time grand prize winner with her dialogue poem, On Receipt of Bad News. This was a poem that genuinely engaged both with the exchange of our prompt, but also focussed on the way poetic rhythms of language could support the writer's conceit. It felt very truthful, too, the way one speaker wishes to ignore the news and focus on practicalities; there was a quiet heartbreak, here. Well done.
By Vocal Curation Team15 days ago in Resources