Reasons Why You Won't Succeed on Vocal

I've written for Vocal for almost seven months, and not one day goes by that I don't see these questions asked by fellow writers: "How do I achieve Top Story status? When will I be featured on the front page?" Well, I've come to the conclusion that one can't possibly know the answer.

I enjoy writing for this platform. I enjoy the camaraderie of Vocal Facebook groups. I enjoy writing for the challenges and hope to one day be crowned victor. But, I don't enjoy the not knowing...

"Not knowing what," you may ask.

I don't think anyone knows how to become a Top Story recipient. It seems that this distinction rests solely on what tickles the editors' fancy for that day. Sometimes the featured stories truly earn that designation. They tug at the heart strings or illicit a chuckle. Stories that are written well and speak to a person ought to be showcased on Vocal's platform. However, there are times that poorly written stories, rife with grammar and spelling problems, are handpicked by Vocal, and these are the selections that I don't understand. Occasionally, I just shake my head and wonder if my 8 year old could give some of the writers tough competition. I'm not knocking anyone's ability, but I do feel that Top Story recipients should be deserving.

So, how do we become Top Story writers? I don't know. I guess embracing the adage, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again," applies. So maybe the better focus should be upon the question, "What are some things that will keep me from being a Top Story?"

1. Don't write a story with overtly religious content. Vocal seems to be a stickler about this. I submitted an article on Good Friday and it's historical significance and they refused to publish it. I don't agree with a religion ban, but this is their site, and as long as they are consistent, I can live with that.

2. Don't ignore their word count criteria. I marvel at the writers that complain about the word maximums. I regularly see people post that it's hard for them to craft a story in under 2000 words. I'm the one who adds a few non-essential adverbs and adjectives to get to 600. In fact, I've had two stories refused because of too few words. I've never struggled with this, but I assume Vocal refuses to publish works that go over the maximum word count as well.

3. When writing for a challenge, make sure your story meets the criteria. For instance, if in the Little Black Book Challenge, you wrote about a little black puppy instead, no matter how well the story might be crafted, it won't be accepted for the challenge because it does not meet the story's guidelines. Be sure to read the challenge instructions carefully and follow the challenge's requirements so that you can submit a solid entry.

4. Don't submit plagiarized material. In other words, don't take the work or an idea of someone else and pass it off as your own. If you start your "Stray to Stay" entry with the words, 'it was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair so therefore I visited the Humane Society and adopted a dog,' without giving proper attribution to Charles Dickens, Vocal will probably refuse your work. It isn't your own.

Whew! Now that I have over 600 words I can wind this story down.

When writing for Vocal challenges or categories, be aware that there are other Community Guidelines to keep in mind. While meeting the requirements, be creative and keep writing. You won't ever be a Top Story or a challenge winner if you throw in the proverbial towel.