Introducing the Fall Poetry Series

Challenges on Vocal have always been about more than winning. If you joined us for the Summer Writing Series, you saw what happens when a strong creative spark meets the power of this community. Thousands of entries, new voices discovered, and a steady rhythm that kept writers returning to the page.

We know many of creators love poetry. So we built a series just for you.

All 12 Fall Poetry Series prompts open today, September 12, 2025.

How prizes work

We are keeping the expanded recognition from SWS so more great work gets seen.

• 5 Winners receive $200 each
• 15 Runners-up receive $15
• 10 Honorable Mentions receive $5

These Challenges are available exclusively to Vocal+ members. Your subscription gives you access, helps fund these prizes, and fuels more opportunities for creators across the Vocal community.

The FPS Lineup...

Falling Leaves

• The Prompt: Write a haiku that captures the fleeting beauty of autumn leaves.
• Submissions Close: 9/26/2025
• Winners announced: 10/8/2025

The Sonnet of Shadows

• The Prompt: Write a sonnet balancing light and dark in love, memory, or imagination.
• Submissions Close: 10/3/2025
• Winners announced: 10/15/2025

Masks We Wear

• The Prompt: Write a poem about disguises, or the truths we keep beneath the surface.
• Submissions Close: 10/10/2025
• Winners announced: 10/17/2025

Lantern Light

• The Prompt: Write a poem that revolves around a single lantern, literal or metaphorical.
• Submissions Close: 10/17/2025
• Winners announced: 10/24/2025

Haunted Echoes

• The Prompt: Write a spooky or eerie haiku that distills fear or mystery into just three lines.
• Submissions Close: 10/24/2025
• Winners announced: 10/31/2025

Poetry of the Hunt

• The Prompt: Write a poem about the hunt and what it means to capture (or miss) the thing you seek.
• Submissions Close: 10/31/2025
• Winners announced: 11/7/2025

Letters to the Moon

• The Prompt: Write your poem as a letter or direct address to the moon.
• Submissions Close: 11/7/2025
• Winners announced: 11/14/2025

The Sound of First Frost

• The Prompt: Write a sensory-rich poem that captures that transitional moment when autumn tips toward winter.
• Submissions Close: 11/14/2025
• Winners announced: 11/21/2025

Harvest of Memory

• The Prompt: Write a poem on gathering, harvests, memories, or moments you want to keep.
• Submissions Close: 11/21/2025
• Winners announced: 12/3/2025

Villanelle of Regret

• The Prompt: Write a villanelle about regret, obsession, or longing that won’t fade.
• Submissions Close: 12/5/2025
• Winners announced: 12/12/2025

Roots and Branches

• The Prompt: Write a poem about roots and branches, what grounds you and what carries you forward.
• Submissions Close: 12/12/2025
• Winners announced: 12/19/2025

The Last Flame

• The Prompt: Write a poem on endings, using flame or fire as your central image.
• Submissions Close: 12/19/2025
• Winners announced: 1/7/2026

We can’t wait to see what you create.