Inspiration
The Silent Promise
Introduction The storm raged outside as Ava sat curled up on her couch, staring at the flickering candlelight. It had been exactly five years since she last saw him. The promise they made still echoed in her mind, a vow left unfulfilled. But tonight, something felt different—like the past was knocking on her door.
By Jubayer Rahman2 years ago in Writers
Moldavite A Journey from Stars to Earth
Moldavite: A Journey from Stars to Earth Moldavite is a unique gemstone that originates from a significant event in Earth's history, about 15 million years ago. A meteorite struck the Earth near what is now the Ries Crater in Bavaria, Germany. This impact caused an explosion that melted the surrounding soil, creating glass droplets. These droplets solidified into Moldavite and scattered across the region, especially along the Vltava River in the Czech Republic.
By ♿ V+ Marie381Uk 2 years ago in Writers
"Whispers in the Moonlight"
Elena had always been a dreamer, her heart woven with threads of poetry and unspoken desires. She lived in a small, picturesque town nestled between rolling hills and a sparkling river, where the air smelled of wildflowers and the nights were painted with stars. But amidst the beauty of her surroundings, her heart belonged to one person—Liam.
By Waqas Ashraf2 years ago in Writers
Why I Burned My Life’s Work—And Found Freedom in the Ashes
Start writing...I burned the manuscript on a Tuesday. It wasn’t a ritual. There was no sage, no drum circle, no Instagrammable sunset. Just me, a Dollar Store lighter, and 1,247 pages of a novel I’d spent seven years writing—and rewriting, and re-rewriting—until the sentences felt like cement in my veins. The fire smelled like shame. And freedom. The Pyre of Perfectionism For years, I chased a horizon made of Pinterest boards and Pulitzer fantasies. My novel was supposed to be perfect: a labyrinthine epic about grief, quantum physics, and a sentient oak tree named Gerald. Instead, it became a cudgel. I’d write a chapter. Delete it. Rewrite it. Delete it again. My inner critic had a PhD in gaslighting: “Tolstoy wrote War and Peace in two drafts. You’re on Draft 23. Pathetic.” My laptop’s keyboard wore thin where the Backspace key lived. The Day Maya Laughed Maya, my best friend and brutally honest beta reader, finally snapped. She read Draft 17—the one where Gerald the tree becomes a TikTok influencer—and laughed. Not the warm, wine-fueled chuckle I’d hoped for. The kind of laugh that curdles milk. “Why are you doing this?” she asked. “You hate this story. I hate this story. Even Gerald hates this story.” She was right. The Flames That Forgot to Lie The bonfire happened in my driveway. I printed every draft, every sticky note, every self-flagellating journal entry about “artistic integrity.” Stacked them in a rusted grill I’d never used. The first spark caught slowly. Then, a paragraph curled into smoke: “Gerald’s bark furrowed like a middle-aged philosopher’s brow…” I watched my words turn to confetti. A neighbor called 911. The Aftermath (Or, What the Fire Taught Me) Perfectionism isn’t high standards—it’s fear in a ballgown. Art dies in drafts. It lives in risks. Gerald the tree deserved better. The firefighters arrived, hoses ready. I waved them off, pointing to the ashes. “Just killing my ego,” I said. They left, muttering about “art types.” The Phoenix Curriculum Rebirth isn’t pretty. I spent weeks scrubbing smoke stains off the driveway. Scrubbing my brain, too. Then, I wrote a poem. Just one. About the blisters on my palms from hauling all those pages to the curb. It was bad. I posted it anyway. Someone called it “brave.” Someone else called it “deranged.” Both felt true. What I Keep in the Ashes Today, I write on napkins. Receipts. My arm. The novel’s gone, but its ghost lingers: A scar where the grill handle seared my thumb. One sentence I salvaged: “The tree never apologized for its roots.” A voicemail from Maya: “Next time, invite me. I’ll bring marshmallows.” Why Burn Your Own Life’s Work? Because sometimes, creation demands destruction. Because you deserve to make ugly things. Because Gerald the tree is now a haiku.
By Rehan Mozzam2 years ago in Writers
Read This if You Feel Like Giving Up. Top Story - February 2025.
Life in its brevity often feels burdensome, yearning for us to be free of all the turbulence that stirs up its breaths in our hearts. How beautiful would life be if we let go of pain, anger, sadness, grim! I wish we had built-in programming that would delete all the moments and experiences that stirred catastrophic fires and raged war and kindled and whooshed the fire within us simultaneously! Human minds behold the capability of inventiveness, of loving, of living and yet with so much to be blissful about, we are inherent in our ounces to be boggled about negativity, to be enveloped in the traumatic flashes of our photographic memory. I know it is vital to be grateful for the goodness of life, the light that exists in our strides, the privilege and the beauties that we possess, the existence that we lead is a dream for many, that all consorts to be the gospel truth and cannot be denied. But at the end of every second we spend in this mortal realm, in the most painstaking way I would shout in gallant echoes of the rooftop, it is okay to not be okay!
By Hridya Sharma2 years ago in Writers
An ode to being lost in life
Because when you just dream about it in your heart, work hard for it and believe in the universe to perform its magic, it conspires in the best-designated ways to make your dreams come true. I have always believed in the higher power, something beyond the fathomable vision of the human eye that beholds us, ties us to our purpose and protects us in times of uncertainty and dejection. It is comforting to know that some mighty and divine force beckons us in moments of need and sometimes all we need to do is let go and have faith. Life in its truest mirth often transcends through the truces of rationalisation and delusion, through the light of knowing exactly what to do and under the traces of pretence which hides the scariest part, not having a single clue as to where your life is going.
By Hridya Sharma2 years ago in Writers
Finding Inner Peace in the Crowd: A Soulful Kumbh Journey
Prayagraj stands out for being recognized as one of the largest congregational areas in the world. The Mahakumbh is on again; a scene that is being played every 144 years. The fair started on January 13 and ends on February 26, during which time millions of devotees and spiritual seekers will be gathered at Triveni Sangam, where the Sangam sack holds the waters of Yamuna, Ganga, and Saraswati.
By Coupondabba2 years ago in Writers
A Century on Vocal – What Is Next?
I made a century last week and didn’t realize it until one of my subscribers pointed it out. (Thank you, Sk Parihar). It may not be a notable achievement to some who exceeded this long ago. Great creators like Mike Singleton (aka Mikeydred) have 2,780 stories. He does so much for the Vocal community. Others like Paul Stewart with 1,005 stories, or the lady I call the ‘Mistress of Rhyme’ – Kelli Sheckler-Amsden with over 2,047 poems, far exceed my efforts. But hey! One hundred stories is one hundred stories!
By Calvin London2 years ago in Writers
Mystery in 650 Words
ViM's February Prompt is here! For February, ViM wants you to write a mystery. But not just any mystery, a mystery that is EXACTLY 650 words long! No more, no less! It can be about any mystery subject as long as it meets the word limit. Post to either the Fiction OR Criminal Communities. When done, comment with the link below so everyone can read your entry!
By Mother Combs2 years ago in Writers
