Advice
What Kind Of Garbage Does One Put Up With
Recently, some comments on social media regarding Vocal's judging got people talking. Some came out in defence of Vocal. Others admitted to having doubts about Vocal's judging of challenges, including how fair the judging is or isn't. And while writing is an art, and art is "subjective," their argument is understandable.
By Jason Morton2 months ago in Writers
Writing Reflections: Neuschwanstein Castle. Top Story - September 2026.
Happy Saturday, folks! I’m back with another Writing Reflection. Today, I want to talk about a unique kind of poem. I suppose that you could call it an ekphrasis because it talks about art, though I never really have seemed to have mastered this type of poem—which might be exactly why I should talk about it a Writing Reflection.
By Stephanie Hoogstad2 months ago in Writers
Stanzas and Lines
I have been reading quite a few writers' works here on Vocal. One prominent thing is the constant visual of line after line after line, with no page breaks, line breaks, stanzas, or the like. If there is not a tutorial on how to write on Vocal and use their tools, there should be one. A couple of things are hard to find and see.
By Alexandra Grant2 months ago in Writers
THE WORDS ARE WATCHING: AI MAY BE LEAVING A HIDDEN FINGERPRINT ON YOUR WRITING
For years, writers have watched artificial intelligence move into places that once belonged almost entirely to human creativity. Poems, short stories, essays, personal reflections, and even literary submissions can now be produced by a machine in seconds. That has created an uncomfortable situation for writers who spend hours working on a piece before submitting it to a contest, challenge, or literary journal, only to discover that somebody else may have used AI to produce something remarkably polished with very little effort. The debate has usually centered on whether judges can recognize AI writing, yet a different kind of technology is now changing that conversation.
By Nolan Reed2 months ago in Writers
Unofficial Vocal Challenge Observations
Introduction Most unofficial challenges, especially from Vocal favourites, are often rewarded with Top Stories, which is beneficial to the creators and others who want something other than the official challenges to take part in.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 2 months ago in Writers
What Beauty Means To Me
First, I would like to say you are here for a reason. You’re not here to judge yourself, to look in the mirror and say, “I’m ugly,” or “I’m worthless. No one wants me here.” You’re here because you have something to share, something to give, and something to learn. You deserve love. If you have been told otherwise, those words are false.
By Elena Balogova2 months ago in Writers
You're No Good (Terry Pratchett Syndrome)
Introduction I recently wrote this story and got a lot of supportive comments. The Reality Is ... Vocal are telling me my writing is not good enough, I don't cut the mustard. A number of Vocal creators have said to me that Vocal only choose stories by good writers for Top Stories and Challenges, implying that my work for them dis below par and not worth reading.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 2 months ago in Writers
Writing Reflections: Sinking
Today’s Writing Reflection is going to be a little different. I want to focus on a particular kind of writing that I do a lot by analyzing a poem that I feel is the epitome of the theme of grief. If you have followed me for a while, you have probably noticed that I have been writing a lot on grief over the past year. From the short story “The Dreamwalker’s Mission” to the poem “The Hunt of Grief”, the theme of grief has dominated several of my works lately. That’s because my mother died last July, and the only thing that has been alleviating it has been to write about grief. That doesn’t mean that writing about grief has been easy; it just means that it has been coming more naturally to me than other themes and topics. It’s made everything that I write more personal, more me , and that is what I want to focus on today.
By Stephanie Hoogstad2 months ago in Writers
More Observations On Why We Publish On Vocal
Introduction I am not a very supportive Vocal Creator, if I were I would appear on the Vocal Leaderboard, I seldom get a Top Story, and maybe the odd honourable mention. Top Stories do generate reads but most of mine come outside of Vocal, probably because I don't comment enough on others' stories.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 2 months ago in Writers
