3 Vocal Writing Goals for 2024

This year will mark my third anniversary as a writer on Vocal. In that time, I've published fifty short pieces in various genres, ranging from short stories to poetry.

As a lifelong writer, I couldn't be happier with the community here on Vocal, and challenges like this one always push me to try new things with my stories. For this seminal 200th challenge, let me take you through what I have planned for 2024.

But First, How I Got Started on Vocal

My journey on Vocal began when someone at my job told me how the website hosted fiction challenges. She knew that I worked on creative writing outside of work, so it didn't take much convincing for me to make a Vocal profile.

You see, I've been a professional writer for over ten years. I started with freelance work on everything from video games to ghostwriting romance novels, and I did that for five years.

After that, I got a fantastic job working as a writer in marketing for a tech company on the West Coast, and I've been in that role for five years now.

However, I've always wanted to get back into creative writing. My specialty is horror, but you'll find everything from fantasy to sci-fi and romance on my Vocal profile.

The idea that I could finally publish my work somewhere people could read it was exciting, but the prospect of receiving fun new prompts in the form of Vocal's challenges was even more exciting.

I'm the kind of writer that works well with a good prompt, it just gets the creative juices flowing, as they say.

Most of my work on Vocal has been for challenges, but others are ideas I wanted to put into the world.

I've always considered Vocal the perfect place to experiment with fun new worlds, crazy concepts, and if nothing else, a place to sharpen my writing tools. It also helps that the community here is wonderfully supportive and always leaves great feedback.

I also celebrated my first Top Story back in August of 2023. That was an incredible milestone, and it was soon joined by 500 total reads across my works on the platform.

So, with all that housekeeping done, what does 2024 hold for Bradley Ramsey on Vocal? I know you're dying to know, so let's find out.

My 3 Writing Goals for 2024

I'm going to cheat a little here and discuss my plans for writing both on and off Vocal in the coming year.

Here's what my fans (I wish) can expect to see:

#1 - Short Stories, Poetry, Articles, Oh My!

While my bread and butter on this platform has always been short stories, I've also published my fair share of poetry on Vocal.

None of that is going to change in 2024. I plan to participate in fun events throughout the year, such as Flash Fiction February, and I know that will inspire new stories to publish on Vocal.

I've also grown more confident in my poetry, and while it's often rooted in sadness, I plan to continue exploring fun new structures and rhyme schemes in the coming year.

I also recently acquired a deck of prompts for writers, so I plan to use those as a springboard for new Vocal stories.

One thing I haven't done (until now) is publish good old-fashioned articles here. I think I may try my hand at that from time-to-time in 2024, but I'll always be a storyteller on here, first and foremost.

#2 - Continuing My Fantasy Series on Vocal

Those who follow me on Vocal may have noticed that I started my first-ever series in 2023! Several of my short stories are set in a shared sci-fi/fantasy universe I created called D'veen, and this new series is an ongoing story set in that universe as well!

It's called Order of the Pawn, and it follows a group of adventurers who were once known throughout the land but have all fallen from grace and scattered in the wake of an event that forever stained the order's name.

Now, as a new threat from beyond the stars threatens all of D'veen, the Order of the Pawn must reunite to save the realm once more. Chapters one and two are out now, but I plan for many more as the series continues in 2024.

A fun fact, this series is a reboot of an earlier work I wrote over a decade ago. Back then, every character in the series was based on real-life people I knew. It was a fun way to include my friends in the story, and it encouraged them to read new chapters so they could find out what happens to them.

Once again, this series features characters based on those same people and new friends I've made over the years. Of course, some side characters and villains aren't based on real people, but you get the idea.

Expect plenty of new chapters in this ongoing series on Vocal in 2024! You can also find handy links to my other stories set in the realm of D'veen at the bottom of each chapter.

#3 - I'm Publishing My Novel This Year, Dammit

Okay, so this third writing goal isn't technically something I'll publish on Vocal. Still, I anticipate doing some side stories set in the same universe or perhaps chronicling my journey of writing the novel in articles on here.

In either case, I have just over 30,000 words of a novel written, and in 2024 I plan to finally fulfill my lifelong dream of becoming a published author.

I will go the traditional route: hire an editor, query agents, get a publisher, and go to Barnes and Noble to pick up a copy of my book when it's finally on the shelves. Will all of that happen in 2024? Probably not, but this is the year I start down that path I've dreamed about since I decided to become a writer in second grade.

Enough About Me, It's Your Turn!

That's my plan for 2024 as a writer on planet Earth, but now I want to know what crazy goals you have for Vocal and beyond!

Comment below and tell me how you're going to crush your writing goals in 2024. I believe in you!