How Vocal Has Changed My Life!

I want to share, at least in part, how becoming a writer on Vocal has changed how I perceive myself and why this journey is so important. I experience more joy in life and find myself pursuing opportunities that I never dared consider.

Writing has always been the most effective way for me to express my true feelings. When I was very young my aunt introduced me to my very first diary. This is when I learned the power of writing and how there is another way to convey how I felt instead of speaking. As I grew older I began writing in journals, allowing the thoughts in my head to spill out onto the blank pages. When I was in high school I especially loved typing class. I recall sitting at my typewriter punching away enthusiastically. Instead of doing the humble typing assignments given to us by the teacher, I'd be secretly lost in my own little world vivaciously typing stories.

As an adult, my passion for writing continued to grow. I have done numerous freelance writing jobs and have even built websites to tell my stories but I was never completely satisfied.

I found Vocal by complete accident one evening and decided to give it a try. I began with a basic free account and quickly became captivated by all of the tools and communities offered. I decided to upgrade to Vocal+ specifically to be able to take part in the challenges. I also "very much" appreciate the fact that they allow us to submit more than one story to a challenge. I was astonished to see that the prizes for these challenges were extremely profitable, making it well worth the time and effort to participate.

Since becoming a member of the Vocal community I have noticed some positive changes in myself. I have become much more aware of my writing. Using the best words takes practice and through my Vocal writings, I have been able to expand my writing vocabulary. Good writers are constantly aware of the impression each word carries. In narrative, written from the author's point of view, word choice subtly shapes readers' reactions. In dialogue or thoughts, the right word can reveal what other characters think and feel. The more that I explored the Vocal community the more I noticed my writing skills refining greatly.

It wasn't only my writing that was improving, how I verbally spoke was also remodeling. I was able to explain myself more clearly and confidently. Coming from someone who has been socially awkward at times, this was a huge accomplishment for me.

My spelling has also become noticeably better. You might not realize it, but you’re constantly being judged. People tend to evaluate the way you look, talk, communicate, and, quite surprisingly, the way you write and spell. I can honestly and wholeheartedly say that Vocal has helped me in all of these categories. So, you might be wondering "How did Vocal help with the way that you look?" The more confidence that I gained in myself, the more proud and respectable I carried myself. Even the people close to me began to notice the transformation.

I have become a better reader as well. The point of being a good reader to be a good writer is the ability to recognize what part of the stories you read made them "good" or "bad" so that you can apply that to your own writing. Reading is an excellent way to develop your vocabulary and grammatical skills, and if you read stories from a variety of authors, you stand to gain some serious inspiration from their unique writing styles. As far as actually becoming a “good writer” goes, you could read all of the stories in the world without becoming a quality writer if you don’t actually practice writing.

Being a decent writer doesn’t require reading per se, but it helps. When writing stories, it helps to know what's already been done, especially in your genre. It also helps to know what current trends are, what sells well and why, and where the other writers in your genre are going. The more you read, the more ideas you can get from what others touch on but don't actually use to the fullest extent. The better you keep up, the more you are able to meet the expectations of your readers. It’s not the amount you read, but the depth of what you learn…

Vocal has given me the ability to do all of these things on one platform. I was able to grow as a writer, where I began to value the process of writing and crafting stories; and I began to develop confidence (in many aspects of life) through establishing an identity for myself.

Fearing failure and lacking an established identity held me back personally and creatively, but exploring the benefits of failure and choosing an identity have drastically changed how I perceive myself and how I move through difficulties in my life.

Since becoming a Vocal writer, and choosing to identify myself as such, I find myself more frequently in a space of confidence. When I create, I can appreciate all that I have made, both the good and the bad. I no longer question my capabilities because I know that failure is inevitable, even on the road to success.