Top Stories
New stories you'll love, handpicked for you by our team and updated daily.
276 The Struggles Behind Closed Doors. Top Story - October 2024.
There appears to have been a struggle. Something violent. Something had finally snapped. Something terrible. It must have been quite the commotion, but the sound clatter was over. The strikes and blows were over now.
By Gerard DiLeo2 years ago in Fiction
The Children Matter. Top Story - October 2024.
I follow a mostly-upbeat social media platform that features millions of photos and short videos, and I spend maybe an hour a day scrolling though the pictures, reading the captions and the comments. I often find news items that aren’t reported in popular sources, which then forces me to dig up the facts and uncover hidden truths. Some of the comments are spot-on hysterical. Others, however, get trolled to death until the original poster deletes the photo. Standards, both written and unspoken, are followed, and certain original posters (OP) are famously followed because of their unique perspective on things.
By Barb Dukeman2 years ago in Pride
The Opening Salvo: The Series Opener That Vocal Inspired. Top Story - October 2024.
Six months after my first book, I’m back. This time with The Opening Salvo, the start of a full-on trilogy based off of a Vocal challenge entry. An entry that remains some of the tightest comedy I’ve ever written with the most jokes per capita.
By Stephen A. Roddewig2 years ago in BookClub
Dave's Story. Top Story - October 2024.
Laney always was precocious. It was me that bought her the camera. Point and click! I never thought that she'd follow me with it. Why would I? To Laney and Bethan, I had a job that took me away part of the week, the life of a salesman. I never gave them any cause to be suspicious of me but thinking back now, there must have been something that I did or said to make Laney come after me.
By Rachel Deeming2 years ago in Fiction
A Goal's Purpose. Top Story - October 2024.
If you thought the Purpose of a Goal was to Achieve It, then you've Completely missed the Value. It's easy to see when people Believe that the Purpose of a Goal is to Achieve It based on How they Speak About It.
By H.E. Dr. Cody Dakota Wooten, COIE, DFM, DHM2 years ago in Psyche
Catharsis. Top Story - October 2024. Content Warning.
The blade’s silver glint caught my eye With each slice, a soft, muffled sigh My fingers trace the crimson streams Salted grief, down my cheeks, they gleam The airborne ferrous makes me high __________________________________________
By Dharrsheena Raja Segarran2 years ago in Poets
Unfiltered Challenge Winners
Mesh Toraskar from London takes first place in our Unfiltered challenge, with their poem city of fog. This was a fascinating challenge to judge, because our prompt allowed… well, almost anything, so we trusted our instincts as you trusted yours. We loved the images here, ‘everything that fell through/ and how gorgeous/ that nothing here belongs to no one else.’ It had the sense of pouring, relentless forward motion of thought that spoke to the challenge and offered a mournful beauty.
By Vocal Curation Team2 years ago in Resources
An Open Book. Top Story - October 2024.
I meandered along the twisting paths that weaved between trees and shrubs, flower gardens and Koi ponds all of which comprise our splendid city park. Every ray of sunshine burst into a rainbow of color as it struck the grass coated in morning dew. All my senses sparked to life as I drank in the beauty of this perfect day. Days such as these are what make life worth living, or so I thought at the time.
By Mark Gagnon2 years ago in Fiction
📢 Raise Your Voice Thread: 10/03/2024
Our “Raise Your Voice Threads” are hosted most alternating Thursdays at 12PM ET 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 Vocal2 years ago in Resources
Subtle Shift of Shadow. Top Story - October 2024.
It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. The last time I saw a real face was about a month ago. Before that, it was twenty-two years ago when I was six months old—too young to remember anything. At six months, they seal your eyes with a veil, and virtual perfection becomes your reality. We lived in a curated world, allocated experiences, attributes, and education by the Custodian Congress. Our existence was blissful, devoid of crime, pain, and anxiety—a film set of beautiful Stepford people against lush landscapes.
By Teresa Renton2 years ago in Fiction
