hanging up my pen

August 2018, I'm eighteen and just finished with school. I have no idea how I want my life to look, I have no idea what job I want or where I will be in five years time.

None of it matters though, because I stumble onto Vocal Media and suddenly my dream of being a published author seems within reach. I publish my first article and keep going. In my first month I make $0.46, and my third article gets Top Story.

I'm over the moon, because look at me, I'm following my dream.

In 2019 I start a series called Tunes To Get Grooving To, a weekly publication where I share 5 songs of the week. It's a raging success on Vocal, to the point where Vocal features me on their social media, their own articles, and gains me a large number of Top Stories too.

I become a Vocal Plus Founding Member, and it means everything to me. I become a staff pick and get mentioned in To The Beat more than once, as well as feature on Vocal's "what our creators have taught us" article.

2020 is my biggest year by far - my peak of Vocal fame.

I come third place in the first challenge I enter, and third place again a few months later. I am one of the faces of Vocal's advertisements shared across their social media.

My very own Creator Spotlight is released by Vocal. My head starts getting a little big - damn ma, I made it.

Across 2020 I appear on local radio stations as a music blogger, and talk about how COVID will effect gigs, amongst other things. I always mention Vocal as where it all began, my gratitude endless.

Tunes To Get Grooving To adapts into The New Groove, and I tag all the artists I mention in my articles every week, some even respond to say how grateful they are. A few months later, a band emails me and asks me to include them - I feel famous, and happily do so with no questions asked.

I become an ambassador and I get a Vocal t-shirt. I wear it all the time.

I close 2020, once again being featured in the end of year "what our creators have taught us", and my peak starts to decline, but I don't mind. I bring TTGGT back in 2021 for one last hurrah. It does pretty well, and I get Top Story again.

In 2021, the Vocal community loses Tom Bradbury, a dear friend and beautiful writer. Back then we all knew each other. His loss hurt so many.

Life gets busy and I step away from Vocal after this, with 2022 and 2023 being pretty quiet on the ground.

Vocal gets busy, adding more challenges, users; bots and communities spring up out of nowhere.

In 2024 I get a job in marketing and content writing - my Vocal account and achievements are partly the reason I got the job. I'm gobsmacked to finally be in a role I want to do.

Late 2024 I start writing for Vocal again, trying to be a little more consistent. I get two 'runners up' and an honourable mention for three challenges in the space of a few months.

It feels bittersweet.

In 2025 I get a 'runners up' for a challenge I poured my heart into, randomly between my day job and other hobbies.

At the start of 2026 I'm barely posting - flinging out a random fantasy short story to see if it sticks. I get a Top Story. My heart can hardly take it.

It's now May 2026 and I can't write any of this without a lump in my throat. There are tears in my eyes; I cannot believe this journey. I am so so lucky to have had this experience.

In my eight years on Vocal I've created something beautiful: 175 stories, 17 Top Stories, and 7 achievements.

Thank you Vocal, for everything. Thank you Justin, the team behind the scenes, to all the incredible writers I've interacted with and adored over the years. Thank you to all my readers, to anyone who has ever tipped me, left a comment or an insight. Thank you, over and over again.

Part of me hates to go - I had something so wonderful here, but it will simply never be replicated again. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe something will change and I'll come back. But, that's why I'm seeing see you later instead of goodbye.

See you guys around.

Sincerely, Leigh xxxx

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If you still want to hear from me, you can find me on Substack @ beyond the meadow where I'm trying out more personal essays.

Thank you again to anyone who reads this. I love y'all.