
Writers
Write about the first piece you ever wrote.
Prizes
- Grand Prize:
- $500
- Second Place:
- $250
- 10 Runners-Up:
- $25
Status
ClosedTimeline
Submissions opened
Aug 10, 2023
Submissions closed
Sep 15, 2023 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Oct 03, 2023
Prizes
- Grand Prize:
- $500
- Second Place:
- $250
- 10 Runners-Up:
- $25
Status
ClosedTimeline
Submissions opened
Aug 10, 2023
Submissions closed
Sep 15, 2023 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Oct 03, 2023
About this challenge
The Prompt
Write about the first piece you ever wrote. How has your style or perspective changed since then?
In honor of the launch of the Writers community, embark on a nostalgic journey by reflecting on the very first piece you remember writing. We're not talking about the school days of mandatory book reports. Think back to that heartfelt poem, fledgling story, innocent journal entry, or your debut piece on Vocal. Dive deep into its essence, the emotions it evoked, and the message it conveyed. Then, contrast it with your present-day style and perspective. How have you evolved as a writer? How have your themes, voice, or viewpoints transformed over the years? Share this intimate voyage of growth and rediscovery, and let's celebrate the ever-evolving art of storytelling together.
In order for your submission to qualify, it must be:
- Between 300-3,000 words.
- Submitted to the Writers community. Choosing a community is a final step in the submission process.
The Prizes
- Grand Prize: $500
- Second Place: $250
- 10 Runners-Up: $25
Reminder: There is a Bonus Boost for Vocal+ members, and entering this challenge can help you earn. If you publish in all four of our new communities—BookClub, Writers, Chapters, and Critique—before 11:59PM EST on 9/01/2023, you'll be eligible to receive a $10 Bonus.
How to enter
For your story to be eligible, it should be between 300 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 September 14, 2023 will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.
The Writers 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.
Open challenges
Challenges you can enter now for a chance to win.
Challenge resources
Judging the Vocal Writing Awards
Hey Vocal Creators 👋 With just 9 days left to enter, the final countdown to submission deadline has begun for the Vocal Writing Awards (VWA), a celebration of the most captivating writing contributions from our community. To ensure a transparent process, we've outlined the complete procedure in this resource article. So whether you're a participant, voter, or an eager spectator, here's everything you need to know.
Vocal Curation TeamPublished about 17 hours ago in ResourcesBook Club Challenge Winners
This Challenge was particularly enjoyable for us as judges. It allowed us to sit around and discuss our own books that we cherish, the ones that changed us. Was it because they were perfectly written? Or because it was the book we needed at that point in our lives? And what does perfectly written even mean? For whom is it perfect? And, being big readers, as so many of our Creators are, we know that the more you read, the more deeply you are affected by all sorts of books, and suddenly you are thrown this way and that, moved like a leaf on a stream by all the incredible books you read, and it's hard to pick just one book.
Vocal Curation TeamPublished about 20 hours ago in ResourcesCritique Challenge Winners
Critics and critiques in general are held up as many things. They are lauded for their insight into art, allowing the masses to understand why a painting, play, book or movie are important. And many critiques, the best, we feel, can be filled with the critic's personal tone while remaining objective. But critics are also often despised by artists as misunderstanding or misclassifying their works. Critics wield a lot of power, just look at Rotten Tomatoes. It just takes one bad review to tank almost any type of art.
Vocal Curation TeamPublished 8 days ago in Resources