One Of Those Moments

Introduction

This starts off whiney and complaining but is a very positive and pro-Vocal story, so please stick with it.

I am feeling a bit down at the moment because I have a vague paranoid feeling that because I have left Discord that Vocal has stopped awarding me Top Stories. I know this is pure paranoia on my part (I hope) but it still affects my mental state. I did document this in this story.

The reality is a lot of people read my stories and are extremely positive in their comments.

Many have remarked on how many Top Stories I get, and I do get a lot, but I feel that is just because I publish a lot. Also, some of my Top Story awards flabbergast me while the ones that are missed make me wonder why they were not chosen.

The Is Light At The End Of The Tunnel (Though It Might Be An Oncoming Train)

There is a challenge I am waiting on that many have said is perfect for me, and have been very complimentary about my entries but I do have this feeling that someone who shares a random Spotify playlist has more chance than me. I feel that my name on a story is seen as toxic by Vocal challenge moderators. This is of course complete paranoid rubbish, but until I place in a challenge it is something that will still haunt me.

People tell me that Top Stories are about engagement but I do see a lot that have no engagement til they get their Top Story status, so I don't if that is a random AI choice, the right keywords or what.

Now after all my whining and complaining here is what is positive, even if I never get another Top Story and never place in a Challenge.

I still get a lot of reads and positive comments so friends and my audience confirm my belief that I am at least an adequate writer. I am very successful on Vocal in remuneration from the Top Stories and the Ambassador's program, although, ironically I think that has been hit because the Challenge top prizes are a lot lower.

Actually, I believe that more challenges with lower prizes create more engagement on Vocal. Ten Challenges with a $500 Top Prize is better than one with a $5,000 Top Prize. At the moment there are six live challenges all with a $500 Top Prize, three of these I don't think I am capable of entering, two are short-format which I am a little ambivalent about and my two entries to the "Painted Prose" Challenge have had great responses, so that is something I believe I can do a few entries for because I do love art in many forms.

Vocal does give me a great platform to share my stories and has allowed me to develop beyond what I thought I was capable of.

There will always be times like these when I feel that things are not going well (that is as well as I would like) but I do know how privileged I am to be in the position that I am in.

There are many on Vocal who have never had a Top Story, or any Bonus, or a Challenge entry and I would say, Keep Trying and YOU WILL BE RECOGNISED.

Join the groups that are in the poem that I have included at the end of this and become Facebook friends with other creators and they will show you how good you really are.

Conclusion

Well, I have got that off my chest in this confessional story and I have included "The Light at the End of the Tunnel (Is the Light of an Oncoming Train)" by Half Man Half Biscuit, probably one of the greatest documenters of UK life you will ever hear. You need to listen to that song, they always put a smile on my face including Sylvia Plath, Eva Cassidy, New Mills, The Buena Vista Social Club and lots more.

It is Saturday morning and despite my whining. I am in a very good place.