Just Being Vocal

Introduction

Part of the reason for my writing this is the fact that this week I have written seven playlists over Wednesday and Thursday for the latest Vocal Challenge and while I thought it would be simple it did take a lot out of me resulting in over eight thousand words of text, and while I am proud of what have I have done I don't expect anyone to notice the latter pieces even though they are linked.

I have completed them, and if I am still here in eleven years (I mean on Vocal) there may be one more of them.

A lot of people have said this challenge was made for me, and that makes me feel appreciated and valued but I still feel that my name on a story bars it from being considered for any Vocal Challenge, and someone recently suggested that the reason I haven't placed and probably will never place in a Vocal challenge is because of my style of presentation. Really a lot of this is just my own paranoia and I know that one day it might happen.

This is where it starts:

Keeping Myself Sane

I don't like repeating myself and seven playlists plus my interview with Louise Distras was eight music-related pieces in two days. I am really pleased and the two interviews with Louise got a loud of reads when she shared them on her feeds. I am extremely grateful to her for that.

A few more friends were having issues so I had some supportive chats with them, and that resulted in my last poem about being there for those that could do with a little help and support.

This morning I woke and put on a Blue Öyster Cult album, "Imaginos" and the first song inspired me to a piece of micro-fiction. I had said that I would not do any more after my first entry but I thought, what the hell, others are doing a lot of entries, and if I do one more that should be OK although I do feel that this week I am a total link bombing spammer.

Be Reciprocal

I always try to comment on various creators' posts in the various Facebook Vocal Groups in the hope that they will reciprocate, but as often as not they will thank me but ignore my story adjacent to theirs. That actually may be a Facebook issue not showing my post to them for whatever reason. On the other hand, there are other Vocal members who have read and commented on my stories before even I know that they are published.

I still advise those that ask for advice on how to expand their audience to be reciprocal. Check out this excellent piece from Judey Kalchik,

I am closing on thirty thousand reads on Vocal and while a lot of that is due to the number of pieces I publish and external reads, I also know a lot of this does come from making Vocal friends and being truly reciprocal with them.

I look at my stories and am both impressed and proud of them. I often go back and think "Did I Write That?" because the particular story is excellent.

In Conclusion

I will keep writing pieces like this as I continue writing for Vocal, and I hope I can help others along the way whether they are just starting or need advice on something they are doing or just a shoulder to lean on.

In Vocal we all need to be there to support in each other and lift each other up, and I hope that I am just doing a my bit.