Top Stories
New stories you’ll love, handpicked for you by our team and updated daily.
The Lady in the Window
I first noticed her in a store window. I was out picking up some bits of food shopping and, as always, my eye was constantly drawn to the colourful shop fronts around me. I happened a glance across the road at a ladies fashion store; not that I need such things what with being an established bachelor, but it was a colourful display and quite pleasing. At first, I assumed her to be a mannequin; a part of the window dressing, but as my eye lingered I realised she didn’t seem to fit. She was…how best to describe this to you: out of focus. Yes, like a camera image that is out of focus. I could make out her shape; enough so that I immediately recognised her as feminine; but abstract, like a surrealist painting where one recognises images but finds it hard to explain how.
Shane DobbiePublished about a year ago in FictionLost
When I was a young woman, I didn't really think of death. But if you had asked me to think of a word I associated with death, I would have come up with something interminably unimaginative, like "sadness". Or "grief".
L.C. SchäferPublished about a year ago in Fiction📢 Raise Your Voice Thread: 4/27/23
Starts at 12PM ET on 4/27/23. 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.
Raise Your Voice by VocalPublished about a year ago in ResourcesFrom Lou Reed to M*A*S*H: The Status of Bootlegs in 1980
The current era of bootleg media includes illegal recordings of Broadway shows shared through Google Drive, feature films leaked while in theaters due to early streaming dates, and a seemingly impossible amount of times Lana Del Rey has had her laptop stolen. There is a thoroughline from these stories into the past, as fans have secretly shared prized recordings throughout many iterations of media.
OG CollectionPublished about a year ago in BeatDear Tam
Dear Tam, Tre’cot, Haiti At twenty-six years, I became a man, though the same age, you had lived twice my span. The dust of Haiti was unlike that of home, depleted of nutrients, rainfall unknown.
J. S. WadePublished about a year ago in PoetsNeuro-Spicy
*Neuro-Spicy, for those unaware, is a term coined when searching for an alternative to the "Functioning" labels, where someone compared the degree to which a person was affected by Autism, ADHD or other conditions to the spice-level warnings on a menu. I'm usually about a 2-chilli, in that there's a noticiable effect on my daily life but it's usually under control. In situations like the one described in this story, I can drop to a 3- or 4-chilli rating, where I can't talk and recovery time is needed. 5-chilli rated moments - where you're crying and screaming for a milk jug/Autistic Burnout or Meltdown - are rare, but they happen.
Natasja RosePublished about a year ago in ConfessionsThe Spear and the Watch
Unexpected grab outta nowhere! The man nearly bowled me over in his enthusiasm. He grabbed my wrist and twisted my arm to an awkward angle. Since I’d been standing like a dorky penguin with hands clasped behind my back and peering downward in a Snoopyish vulture stance, knocking me over would have been easy for anyone. However, this man loomed high above me with his at least six-foot seven frame. Though he was lanky like virtually all of the Nilotic peoples he was all muscle, distilled by a childlike expression of awe and delight across his outrageously handsome face.
Roy StevensPublished about a year ago in WanderThank You, Aaron Rodgers
Dear Aaron Rodgers, Thank you. Thank you for eighteen years Thank you for the joy and clutch moments, and easing Packers fans' fears
Clyde E. DawkinsPublished about a year ago in Poets"The Farmer's Flock
Once upon a time, in a small village nestled in the hills, there lived a farmer named Ram. Ram had a small piece of land that he had inherited from his ancestors, and he used to cultivate crops and sell them in the market to earn a living.
Hamza ShafiqPublished about a year ago in MotivationWrite Here, Write Now: Destination by Kallista Kusumanegara
Kallista Kusumanegara constructs a singular vision out of flashes of many, lending new ideas to what comes after life. "Destination" calls for a letting-go, allowing us to surrender to the wash of words, visuals, and stories.
Write Here, Write Now: A Vocal PodcastPublished about a year ago in ResourcesShane Dobbie From Scotland
Shane Dobbie from Scotland has a sense of humor like no other. I will share his quote from his profile, “ If writing is a performance art then I’m tap dancing in wellies.” He made me laugh the whole time, I was interviewing him.
Mariann CarrollPublished about a year ago in InterviewWhy you should consider Interactive Fiction for your next Writing
Ok dear reader, hear me out. If you’re on Vocal browsing this plethora of fine writing, you’re clearly a person of refinement, a seeker of delightful content that engages your mind in new and exciting ways. Chances are, you’re probably a writer too. Unlucky bastard, you… amiright?
Violet LeStrangePublished about a year ago in FictionA Deep Dive Into My Writing Journey
Subhi Najar (Medium writer) has invited us into another Deep Dive questionaire and this one is diving deeper into our writing.
Colleen MillsteedPublished about a year ago in JournalWhen I met Harry Belafonte
It was the spring of 2011 — a dozen years ago, almost exactly — when I met Harry Belafonte at a London hotel. Mayfair; a bright spring day. He had just published his eloquent autobiography, My Song; a documentary about his life, Sing Your Song, was about to be released. I’ve been fortunate enough to interview a great many remarkable people in my time, but spending time with Harry Belafonte was a truly extraordinary experience; and to feel a real personal connection with him, even more so.
Erica WagnerPublished about a year ago in BeatVocal Creator Chat: 4/25/23
Have questions about creating stories, growing your audience, and getting rewarded on Vocal? The Vocal community and team are here to help answer your questions and feedback together.
Vocal Creator ChatPublished about a year ago in ResourcesDear Heaven, Are You Real?
Dear Heaven, - Do you really exist? Is it you that I see when I look skyward, or just a collection of huge balls of mineral and gas.
Cathy holmesPublished about a year ago in PoetsWhat is an Epistolary?
I woke up this morning to my delight and I see a new challenge - epistolary. Epstoilaries are one of my favourite forms of novels. I was first introduced to them during my time in sixth-form education. It was a Gothic Literature class and of course, we studied great classics such as Bram Stocker's Dracula (1897) and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1818). What they have in common as well as their genres are their very form.
Rosie J. SargentPublished about a year ago in FYIGoing on a Bear Hunt
There are no bears in this letter; it is a cautionary tale all too true. To Whom It May Concern: Lately, I have been considering my part in my life and the lives of my birth family. It seems strange to have to qualify my “birth family” as such; it gives it an unintended distance and otherness. I mean, these are my mom and dad, my sister and my brother, you know? Nevertheless, I have my own family and we have our own story which is separate from them, the caveat being that I am part of both.
Ward NorcuttPublished about a year ago in PoetsDear Gen Z
Dear Gen Z, I see you shine We all see you and hear you vine Sometimes you beef Sometimes you brief Sometimes we hear Sometimes we bear
My top 10 herbs
I was introduced to herbs and plants from a young age and using them on a regular basis became second nature to me very quickly.
Negomi Oak RhettsPublished about a year ago in Longevity