What I Learned After Not Winning A Vocal Competition

I've entered a few competitions on Vocal since I joined in October 2021. I discovered my love of writing through writing personal blog posts. My style has always been write what's in your head. Give it a read through and then publish. I've always written like that for my blog because I might not hit publish due to fear if I don't. That style may still work for me in my blog posts, but I've learned it does not work on Vocal, especially not for fiction.

I am relatively new to the world of fiction writing. However, I've now entered two fiction competitions on Vocal. I wrote one of my stories, The Confidant, for the Return of The Night Owl competition. It was the first time I've ever written a story based on a prompt. Although proud of how it turned out. I know why it wasn't even picked as a runner up. There are thousands of brilliant writers on this site. I did the 'give it a read through and publish' method to write this story. The stories I have read that placed in the competition had a lot more depth and story. I also imagine that they had a great deal more time and effort put into them.

I wrote the story in two days, had one friend read through it, and that was it. Granted, my decision to write the story was last-minute. But, the readers and Vocal deserved so much more than that.

The first draft is just you telling yourself the story

- Terry Pratchet

I essentially published my first draft. Although I am proud of the story, I could have written something brilliant with a little more effort and thought. That is a lesson that I will take forward in life, not only in my writing but in other aspects of my life. I am sometimes a leap before you look kind of woman. However, comparing my story to others has taught me that the important things need more consideration. Writing is slowly but surely becoming one of the most important things in my life. When I write fiction, it deserves all of my energy and focus. But, it also deserves my heart and truth.

The Story I Am Immensely Proud Of

As mentioned earlier, I have submitted another fiction piece for Vocal. That one is Little Sister for the Vocal+ Challenge. That story took me two years to write on and off. It has been through multiple edits and was read by several people before I published it. I read it now and could edit it again. I showed it the care and attention it needed, and because of that, it is a finalist in the competition.

As a writer, I often hear that you should write what you know. I guess you could say that Little Sister was a decade in the making. Writing that story started me down the road to becoming a writer. I learned to use my voice, or at least my words, to find freedom through writing. It also helped me find the strength to begin my journey to peace and accept my past.

Whatever happens in the competition, I will always be proud of Little Sister, and it will hold a special place in my heart for as long as it's beating. It helped turn a dark moment in my life into a light for others. Because this one is a finalist, it taught me that caring about a story and what it says is more important than writing one just to win a competition.

That is another lesson that not winning or even placing taught me about writing and life. It's more important to do something for yourself than it is to do something for the recognition of others.