My Vocal Journey so far

After I left my sales job last year, writing took center stage in my life. My mornings begin with a cup of coffee and a pencil flying across a journal. Once the kids are on their buses, my laptop opens, and fingers eagerly tap the keyboard, releasing my ideas. My 2021 writing goal was to complete my novel and write every single day. I was on pace to finish a rough draft until I discovered Vocal this past July.

My best friend and fellow writer urged me to try this website, telling me I could make money and share my writing. I waved her off at first. A writing website called Vocal? One Monday morning, I navigated to the website, clicking through the top stories and browsing the communities. Stumbling onto the challenge tab, I saw a picture of an old barn, and inspiration struck. Once completed, I joined and submitted with the raw hope of winning the contest. I didn’t.

Stranger, I was not to contests, as I’ve won multiple poetry contests and a few short fiction competitions during my middle school and high school years. To me, I never saw writing as my future, just a hobby that I enjoyed. Poetry was my lifesaver through my teen and early adult years, using the power of the pen to process all emotions.

Marriage and children came young to me, and I immersed myself in family life. My writing lay dusty and forgotten. Evenings with a book in my lap became distant memories as children crawled into my lap with books in hand. From time to time, I would open Microsoft word and jot down ideas or write half-digested stories. As children are wont to do, they have grown and are wading into independence. I found myself with a grey void, something missing from my identity, and that’s when I realized I needed writing back in my life. Creativity flows in my veins, and ignoring that was leading me down a melancholy path. As luck would have it, my husband is both understanding and supportive of my writing. He realizes that I’m a better person when I don’t keep my creativity locked away.

On Halloween, Vocal posted two of my poems and a short story taking me past 50 pieces. Accomplishment washed over me and gave me some perspective on how my writing has strengthened. The week before Halloween, I was a word warrior churning out three stories for the Foggy Waters challenge. November ushered in a renewed focus on my novel and reflection on my journey so far.

Before Vocal, all my writing was for me; therefore, the beast known as editing was extinct. I didn’t hunt for sticky sentences or double-check if I used commas correctly. My cheeks blush at the knowledge that I submitted my first pieces with only the most basic proofreading. My editing game needs work, but because of Vocal, I have learned how to tackle it.

My writing has gone through another change since joining, and that’s the power of branching out. For the past few years, it has been only Fantasy and poems. Since I’ve joined, I have tried writing both a fairy tale and a myth. I wrote my first horror tale and dipped my toes into the world of romance. I seek inspiration from new and unlikely places. From forcing myself to do the challenges, I feel I have tapped into my creative stream.

As of this time, I have yet to win any challenge I’ve entered or be a Top story, but I won’t stop posting. I’m a writer, and I need to write. I’m not seeking glory or fame, but mind you, I wouldn’t slam the door if they came calling. My audience is small, and sometimes it’s emotional for me to share personal things. But I won’t stop writing. It doesn’t matter if someone thinks I lack talent or shine with it; I will keep posting with a tiny seed of restrained hope in my chest.

Confession time: I planned to give up on Vocal. Only one reason kept me in, and that’s the groups on Facebook. Within these social groups, I have found friendship and encouragement. I’ve met writers brimming with kindness and support, sharing their links and reading yours. They have made self-promoting easier, and they have embraced me as one of them: a writer.

Vocal is what it says it is, and thinking otherwise will bring you only disappointment. It’s a place to display the words from your soul and find ways to challenge yourself. Vocal is now part of my writing journey wherever that may lead me. Next up is hitting 100 stories and assessing my growth as a writer.