How To Run Your Own (Unofficial) Vocal Challenge

Introduction

Vocal Challenges are excellent prompts for all writers and for a few can get some significant prize money and exposure as a reward. But once we have entered these we may look for other prompts and we can find these in Vocal's Resources Tips page here:

You can suggest challenges directly to Vocal and they included me in acknowledgements for suggestions is their Villanelle Challenge!

Also the Unofficial Vocal Challenges launched by Vocal Creators that can be found on the monthly Unofficial Challenge threads in the Vocal Social Society here:

Here are a couple of recent ones

Looking at these excellent challenges can give you an idea of how to initially create them and the work required to maintain the challenge for those who take part.

It is not something you can drop and forget.

The Challenge Steps

Formulate an idea, and maybe use the vocal resources to help put it together. Then personalise it to put your stamp on it.

Then use what you have to create a Vocal Story containing your ideas and "terms and conditions".

Suggest that Creators leave their entries in the Vocal Comments and ask that they include an acknowledgement to your Challenge story in their entry. This will help bring others to your challenge.

Set a Time Frame for your Challenge so Creators know how long they have to enter.

Suggestion from Dharrsheena let entrants know whether stories need to be new, and how many entries they can enter. In mine I am ok without limitations but if you get a lot of entries you may want to impose a limit.

Next, you need to get your challenge out there. If you are really lucky Vocal will choose it as a Top Story. Use Facebook, Threads and any other Social media platform to share your story. Also, find Facebook Vocal Groups and share your Challenges there. The Vocal Social Society as an Unofficial Challenge Thread and Great Incantations is for any Challenge official and unofficial, they are linked in the conclusion

Revisit your Challenge Storydaily because it is unlikely you will see comments in your notifications. Then read and acknowledge any new entries and maybe paste them into a section in your story if you have Quickedit.

While I am not a fan of personally nominating "best stories" people do like to see some form of result at the end of the challenge. I choose three random entries because I believe that every entry is a win for the Creator and me.

When the Challenge finishes, make an announcement with the results. Some do this with new Vocal stories. I add them to the original challenge and Creators know they have been chose when they get their Stripe Payment notification.

Conclusion

These are a few of my favourite Facebook Vocal Groups. If you are unaware of them please visit and join and share your challenges (and other stories there.

This is the Vocal Social Society Unofficial Chal Thread for July 2024

This is Great Incantations for all Challenges.

The music is "YOu Can All Join In" by Traffic which is what we all should do