📢 Raise Your Voice Thread: 5/18/23
Champion your favorite creators.
Starts at 12PM ET on 5/18/23.
Our “Raise Your Voice Threads” are hosted to offer creators more avenues to uncover exceptional stories on Vocal. As we are continuously searching for fresh creators and inspiring stories, this thread provides an opportunity to exchange and discuss the stories that have moved and motivated us on Vocal.
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Introduce yourself in the comment section of this story and tell us what you create on Vocal.
Shoutout a Vocal creator you recommend reading. Include the URL of a writer or story that inspired you and why.
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We'll start the thread:
Check out Aphotic's Claire Voyance. It effectively captures the speaker's intense emotions and vivid sensory experiences, immersing the reader in the moment. The use of imagery, such as the scent of peony perfume and the taste of strawberries and honey, creates a rich and evocative atmosphere that we want to revisit over and over again.
Now it's your turn. Share your favorite stories in the comments below.
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📢 Raise Your Voice Thread: 5/11/23
Starts at 12PM ET on 5/11/23. Our “Raise Your Voice Threads” are hosted to offer creators more avenues to uncover exceptional stories on Vocal. As we are continuously searching for fresh creators and inspiring stories, this thread provides an opportunity to exchange and discuss the stories that have moved and motivated us on Vocal.
By Raise Your Voice by Vocal12 months ago in Resources
Vocal Bonus Leaderboard: 05/01/2024
Welcome to the weekly update of the Leaderboard! We're thrilled to showcase Vocal's most discussed stories, popular picks, and rising stars. Let's dive into this past week's standout contributors and their remarkable achievements.
By Vocal Team3 days ago in Resources
Peanuts and Crackerjack
Bottom of the ninth inning. The game is tied with two outs, two strikes and a man on second. I tap the bat on home plate. The rigid vibrations it creates reminds my aching digits that this isn't over. The practice swing only adds to the heft of mental burnout... Man on second, willing to chance it. Pitcher eyes him but doesn't give in to the dangerous bluff. I kick up dust, readying the peculiar stance I've had since the days of little league. The bat lays stiff upon my cramping shoulder. Pain has no reason to be acknowledged; it's a fleeting afterthought. The sun sits passed high noon, but the stadium lights are on anyway. They trick my brain into believing they are the cause of this sweltering heat. Sporadic clouds are motionless, they too, don't want to miss this exhilarating predicament. Anticipating the next pitch, intensifying roars from the crowd rumble the stadium... Behind me, the crafty catcher adjusts his stance and spits to the dry dirt. Behind him, the staunch umpire doesn't flinch or even blink; he knows how important his call will be. The pitcher winds up, his grip tells me its gonna curve. The release is fierce! Beads of sweat from his hair and face disperse in every direction as the force of his might is unfailing. My left leg lifts—an instinctual move that will increase the power of my swing. It's all down to my two, bloodshot eyes. They lock onto the speeding, white dot as it instantly becomes the target I intend to destroy. The swing is late, but I manage a solid tip. The ball is taking a fast bounce toward the pitcher who is recovering from the almighty throw! Man on second leaves in a desperate rush! I fling the bat to the side with a sense of urgency and make a mad sprint to the only destination I have—first base. Three defenders race inward to be the first to retrieve the skidding ball. Man is almost on third! I watch the open glove of my adversary, wondering if I’ve done enough to win this race. I switch my attention to his eyes, looking for a clue, some kind of reaction that tells me the ball is in the air and heading his way. All I see is frustration. The deafening roar of the crowd spikes! Something happens that I can’t see! My opponent abandons his post right as my left stride touches the bag. I waste no time turning my head to see the pitcher laying on his stomach, pounding the mound with an open glove. He misses the opportunity to out me and the ball has quickly bounced past him. Excitement grows! This isn’t over yet... It's become an imperative fight to tag out the runner heading homeward. The catcher falls to his knees in obvious despair as he watches my teammate make the run of his life. He knows it’s going to be close when he sees the shortstop fumble the ball a second too long. I jump up and down with no plans on leaving first base. All my chips are on the speed and agility of the active runner. His cleats dig into the dirt, trailing a dust-filled cyclone from the rapid and strenuous strides. With a thrusting dive and an outstretched arm, he lands on his chest to begin the crucial slide to home plate. The shortstop fires the ball to the catcher! It immediately begins closing the gap! Nail-biting doesn't begin to describe the anxious vibe permeating the stadium. The bench begins to celebrate even before he reaches the plate. Forty thousand cheering fans reach maximum crescendo, filling the air with a glorious sound. Everyone knows how this story will end… My teammate is met by the entire bench as his fingers inch across home plate, instantly followed by the unmistakable motion of the catcher's glove attempting to tag him out—its milliseconds too late. The ump swings his arms outward, officially calling him safe.
By Lamar Wiggins2 days ago in Fiction
OF MOTHERHOOD.
Dear mother-to-be, I wanted to let you know how very, very special I think you are. I don't think there can be any job that is more meaningful than the one you are about to begin, that of being a mom. You are the most important person in the world to your precious unborn baby, and you will be for many years.
By Catherine Nyomenda3 days ago in Writers
Comments (34)
I write mostly about fiction . I hope you really enjoy my new stories. http://vocal.media/authors/vikas-bhall
I write mostly for women (mothers). I write non-fiction about pregnancy, birth, and infant feeding. I really enjoyed this Ode to Women: https://vocal.media/poets/a-poetic-ode-to-women
Hello, I've been dabbling at writing for a while, but now am working on it every day. My stories range from childhood memories to general fiction, some a little macabre. My latest piece is micro-fiction, and I am excited by how it turned out. https://vocal.media/fiction/her-alone I am still looking through stories to find others to follow Thank you for your time and for allowing me to share. Community support means the world to me.
This week, I really enjoyed this microfiction about the struggle of writing a microfiction: https://vocal.media/fiction/writer-s-block-5xor0k0h
This week I'd like to recommend my good friend Jay Kantor, and the recommendation carries a guarantee you will love his prose style! Jay writes like nobody else I know, and seldom outside Joyce have I seen the train of thought so accurately represented. His writing flows in the way we think, and abounds with resonant insights and truths. Jay is also one of the best communicators I've met here on Vocal, and we've kept up a cheerful conversation ever since making each other's acquaintance. Here is Jay's rumination on the craft and nature of writing, 'Choice', which I particularly enjoyed and I'm sure you will too! https://vocal.media/humans/choice-ry1lsn0ccr
loved Aphotic's Clair Voyance as well! recommending L.C. Schäfer's Coffee https://vocal.media/poets/coffee-2m3q0zvi#comment-722ba98d-ed85-4bc7-b319-908e7a26288d , JBaz's The Sadistic Mr. Fox and love Lola Sense for spotlighting Filthy writers in this piece, https://vocal.media/filthy/5-steamy-stories-i-discovered-this-week-on-vocal !!!
Really enjoyed "Slave to love" from Raymond G. Taylor - and that is really saying something because this type of story doesn't usually resonate with me! https://vocal.media/fiction/slave-to-love?modal=open
It’s Stephanie again. I just read the list of Epistolary challenge winners and wanted to bring attention to Dane BH’s entry. It’s spectacularly written, I can practically feel the bite to it: https://vocal.media/poets/hermione-granger-claps-back.
Really enjoying Mariann Carroll's interview series! Here is her latest:https://vocal.media/interview/chloe-gilholy-21-birthday-interview
So good to see Aphotic's work featured here! One of my favourite Vocal creators. 🖤 I'd like to shout out to Abby Kay Mendonca for this raw and moving piece. https://vocal.media/beat/pain-playlist
Hi everyone, I’m Lacey. I’m from Scotland. I just started using Vocal at the start of the month despite being a member for a while. I’m mostly using it for micro fiction to start with because I’m studying creative writing at university this October and I want to flex the creative muscles and warm up. I’d like to share this poem that I really enjoyed by Lonzo Ward https://vocal.media/poets/sealed-with-a-kiss-0ens02el And also this micro fiction by Paul Stewart which stopped me in my tracks https://vocal.media/fiction/three-bears-izb80x5a
Hello everyone, I'm Dharrsheena. I mostly write horror stories and dark poetry. I'd like to share this piece by Roy Stevens that resonated very deeply with me 😊 https://vocal.media/humans/when-the-world-doesn-t-want-you
Oops, nearly didn't introduce myself. I write short stories and the odd article here and there. Sometimes I'll do a poem if a challenge tickles my fancy bone. I enjoy dabbling in dystopia, sci fi, fantasy, and reworked fairytales.
Hi there! My name is EP and I'm a creative multi-hyphenate who writes poetry, prose and provides thoughts and reflections on art and pop culture. I recently came across Ava Mack's poem 'A Little City Music' as I was looking around at some of the submissions for the now-closed 'Sensational' poetry challenge. It was beautifully written! I love when you can really hear the words on the page, and as both a writer and audiophile in general it brought me a lot of joy reading it. I also felt like I was immersed in the hustle and bustle of the New York City streets. I'll leave the link here: https://vocal.media/poets/a-little-city-music
Hello 👋 Doing this on my phone so I can only do 1 link at a time. Apologies for clunkiness! Anyway.... this poem has stayed with me since I read it. The search for creative affirmation is succinctly and poetically expressed. https://vocal.media/poets/dear-reader-ix7v0wrf
I am very impressed with Ms. Novel Allen's work. it is always quirky, fun and beautifully executed! The piece she wrote on Jamaica made me want to book a flight!https://vocal.media/poets/my-tiny-island-homeland I also really enjoyed these two pieces! They really highlight her versatility! https://vocal.media/fiction/intelligence-measured-and-meted-out#comment-8bfcbdad-ee04-4325-b43d-499059fa5876 https://vocal.media/fiction/judgement-day-4zhe0knc#comment-7e1f5bbd-38ff-445e-9637-fba3a4678ae4
Half a dozen recent excellent pieces that caught my eye and were very thought provoking https://vocal.media/journal/would-you-continue-to-write-microfiction-if-vocal-allowed-it https://vocal.media/fiction/the-consequences-of-assumption https://vocal.media/poets/dear-body-y69b0a1k https://vocal.media/poets/a-sensory-selection https://vocal.media/fiction/you-see-me-as-a-woman-don-t-you https://vocal.media/futurism/baum-s-coat-and-lee-s-gun
I am sharing the following story, because I strongly believe in supporting those that support me and it's very well written. Thank you Jason Basaraba (JBaz) for the support. https://vocal.media/fiction/say-no-more-qlb103ht
ARC is a diverse writer named Tony. He delves into varying categories such as poetry, fiction, futurism, journal, and so forth. He usually uses some form of personal experience in what he writes. I really enjoyed his article: Comprehension ≠ Embodiment This well written article discusses the difference between knowing about something and actually learning how to do that something. https://vocal.media/humans/comprehension-embodiment ARC's story The Tesla Gambit was a runner-up in the Time Traveler challenge. https://vocal.media/futurism/the-tesla-gambit
Hi! It's Loryne again. I would also like to give a warm shout out to Mohammad Darasi. I remember taking a break from writing microfiction and stumbled onto this contemplative piece. It makes you really wonder where humanity is going, if we are truly evolving or if we are interfering in our own progression. https://vocal.media/humans/are-we-gods-in-our-own-right
This poem by TheInvisibleWriter speaks about all that is disappearing from the world including us. https://vocal.media/poets/dear-world-dk1g7008d
Okay, Paul again. Hot off the press! Just read Lamar Wiggins newest piece and it's worth highlighting here - echoes of an all-too-common reality in he world right now. https://vocal.media/fiction/reasons-dx4t03rs
Matt here and I focus on fiction and the occasional poem. This wonderful piece by Aphotic has been my favorite story of the week: https://vocal.media/authors/aphotic. Amazingly dense with such a short leash, it's a story of simple elegance that nails the author's voice and medium. While you peruse, my favorite publication on my page is my first one here: https://vocal.media/fiction/prologue-the-scourge. High fantasy forever!
Mohammed here. I write fiction, and some hopefully thought provoking articles every now and then.. and also poetry (which I think is probably my favourite thing to write as of recently).. I wanted to share one of Loryne's microfiction stories. It really resonated with me because it highlighted an unfortunate reality of the modern world: https://vocal.media/fiction/what-will-they-see-nn231022u
Loryne again. I would also like to give a shout out to the talented Stephanie Hoogstad. Her most recent microfiction piece is both hilarious and filled with the IDGAF energy that one grandma/grandpa has that you may know of. Piss, vinegar and fire! https://vocal.media/fiction/the-phoenix-dzbq01f6