Writing amongst Vocal's guild of extraordinary writers, for me, is like walking on the shoulders of giants. I'm an unknown writer; thus, let's start with a quick introduction.
I'm a graduate of The University of Porto, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, who became a language teacher and life-coach specializing in strategic communication and self-development. Before my experience in Project Management for The European Commission, I was a decorated army sergeant. I'm also the chief-editor of Rock n'Heavy and the founder of ZENite.
My motto is "writing to find the surrogate writer in me!" I probably can trace back my lifelong inspiration to become a writer to my childhood. Like many of you, I became a writer by starting as a reader. I remember the shelves packed with books at my grandparent's house and trying to grasp the hermetic knowledge hidden in those pages covered by weird-looking cabalistic hieroglyphs. Then, when I learned how to read, that's when the magic happened, and the writer in me emerged.
Regarding my writing style, I quote the scriptures: "My name is Legion, as we are many." Since 2010, I'm the editor of Rock n'Heavy magazine, and I've just founded ZENite. Now, I write mainly about music, but I started with poetry. "Je est un Autre: the Self is Other, the self is another" by Rimbaud
Back in 2018, I had to close shop on my blog. For the next two years, my writing went down the drain as I fell deeper into the abyss of depression. I endured this feeling up to when everything seemed meaningless and writer's block set in for good. The sky was losing its summer color and turning to darker shades when I realized that every cloud has a silver lining.
Four months ago, I took a leap of faith, joined Vocal, and made a comeback. Back then, I didn't foresee it, but I was about to pour my heart out and make new and amazing friends. The following day, I published my first story in Filthy. Taking baby steps, I stayed close to my comfort zone when I published:
I was still feeling "cold turkey" about writing. Looking back, I can even sense my writing shivering within each verbal tense of the story arc. However, my writing was still tense while moving across uncharted territory, so I went back to writing under a familiar niche.
Then, I pulled Rock n'Heavy from the Wayback Machine Internet Archive and brought it back to life. Some of my best music-related articles on Vocal come from my experience as the editor of Rock n'Heavy. Hence, to check if I still had it in me, I niched down and wrote a couple of articles that seemed a perfect fit for a community with an arty lining like Vocal's BEAT.
Additionally, I went back to my editorial vault to retrieve some exciting interviews with musical acts from the alternative music scene like Epica, Amorphis, Anathema, and At the Gates. Meanwhile, I received a lot of positive feedback from writers and readers on Facebook groups, LinkedIn, or Twitter. Your support gave me enough self-esteem to reach out to a broader audience.
So, I started to connect stories with former experiences, and my writing became personal, hence further in touch with my inner-self. While writing about self-improvement and life itself, I shared my work with several Vocal Communities. Some of my best stories stem from my collaboration with Journal.
Working with Vocal curators and moderators has been smooth sailing, and I never had to deal with rejection. Thanks to you all for your unconditional support! Outside Vocal, I deal with rejection daily. Thus, I decided to write about that topic and help others deal with the problem and overcome it.
However, having worked as a freelance editor for more than ten years, I fully understand the hardship of managing a publication.
From my experience as a teacher, decorated army sergeant, and life coach, I have shared several insights and meaningful lessons, namely, on Longevity:
How a Tall Army Doctor Changed My Life With a Small Act of Kindness
We'll Be Fine and Reach Cloud Nine in 2021
Final Thoughts
Vocal is truly an all-in-one platform for supporting, discovering, and rewarding creators. I feel blessed for the chance to be a part of this community. Thus, I recently became a Vocal+ Member to support some of the best creative content available online. Moreover, I fully endorse the reasons why creators choose Vocal:
- Easy-to-use story creation tools
- Earn money from reads, tips, and challenges
- Vocal moderates every story for safety
- No annoying ads
In case you find my story while surfing the world wide web, you may consider checking Vocal. You can learn all about how the platform works on Vocal Creator 101.
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Thanks for reading this article. Please feel free to come back at any time and pick up another thread from my Vocal book of content by clicking HERE. Small tips and big hearts are highly appreciated. Till next time, cheers.
-Rui
About the Creator
Rui Alves
Hi, I'm Rui Alves, a teacher, army veteran & digital pathfinder. Author, alchemist of sound & Gen-AI artist.
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