Life
200 Stories on Vocal.Media. Top Story - October 2025.
Once again I struggle to find the words to describe what this accomplishment means to me. Even now I flounder in the deep end of my doubts, wondering if I can support myself in the future with my writing, and yet I still haven't given up on the dream.
By Amanda Starks12 months ago in Writers
Role Play and Real Play
Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter - What if? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers prompts - The Exercise - Have a fellow writer do this exercise with you. Make up situations involving two people who disagree about something - for example, two friends who have planned to shoplift something, and one is getting cold feet. Or a landlord and a tenant disagree about the terms of a lease. Next, tape your dialogue as you and your friend "act out" the two "roles" in a scene. Don't decide what you're going to say ahead of time. Improvise, through dialogue, as you go along. Then transcribe the dialogue exactly as it was said.Here is where your writer's ear comes in. Read over the written account of your scene. How much of the original exchange is useful for your story? How much of the dialogue might you summarize? And are there any "perfect" lines that you would keep? Finally, try writing the scene using the transcribed dialogue to give shape to the scene. How much of the original dialogue would you keep?The Objective - To hear and see how real talk is repetitive, disjointed, and boring. At the same time, to train your writer's ear to transform actual speech into carefully crafted dialogue.
By Denise E Lindquist12 months ago in Writers
Looks Like Team Spirit
Today, October 20, is National Day of Writing, which encourages everyone to express themselves through sharing their thoughts to others. Since becoming a creator on Vocal back in 2018, I've written a plethora of stories that might be relatable to others, such as baseball, video games, and tidbits regarding my personal life. In the last several years, book bans have been one of the main talking points, mostly from conservative politicians and the most well-known writers have accused them of censorship. If there were books that discussed gender identity or race, chances are that you won't see them in public schools or at your local library. You can't shield children from everything, because they deserve to know about topics that they're curious of. Books about race, gender identity, and other progressive issues are needed, because it might be relatable to many people. Conservatives always claimed that these book bans are about "protecting children", but I've never bought that excuse. Protect them from whom or what exactly? Also, their other claim is to stop the indoctrination of children. Indoctrination has been a huge buzz word amongst conservative politicians. It's just a low-key term for brainwashing. Teaching children how to treat others with respect is not indoctrination. It's called being a decent human being. If only they put so much energy into passing common sense gun control laws instead of policing libraries and schools on which books children can and can't read. My point is that having an imagination is not a crime and as John F. Kennedy once said, "Libraries should be open to all---except the censor."
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 12 months ago in Writers
What I Do When Loneliness Hits in a New Country
The Side of Travel People Don’t Talk About One of the greatest privileges of being a digital nomad is waking up in a brand-new city. The sunlight looks different, the air smells new, and the day stretches wide with possibility. You sip coffee in a café you have never seen before and feel the quiet thrill of knowing that you built a life that does not fit inside borders.
By Jasmine Bowen12 months ago in Writers
Light in the Darkness
This time, the electricity was very troublesome. The light came after twenty-seven to twenty-eight hours and even after that, it kept blinking for three days. "In some areas, electricity came after four days." Hearing this, we also remained patient and grateful. Alhamdulillah, the generator is running. We sit comfortably under the fan and think of those who do not have this facility. May Allah Almighty make things easy for everyone and give good guidance to the government.
By Aftab Ahmad Khan12 months ago in Writers
His Freckle Too, Stayed Until Morning
I did not notice it before. That small freckle just beneath his left eye, the one the light always seems to find before I do. How many times have I seen his face and never really seen it? The mark itself is nothing special, really, a speck, a shadow of pigment the sun decided to keep for itself, yet tonight it feels like a secret I have finally been allowed to see.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcast12 months ago in Writers
Is an Electric Toothbrush Good for Health?
Introduction Electric toothbrushes are no longer a luxury item; they’ve become a mainstream choice for millions worldwide. But the question remains: Are they truly good for your health? Backed by decades of clinical research, electric toothbrushes have been shown to improve oral hygiene in measurable ways. Let’s explore the science, the benefits, and how you can maximize their effectiveness.
By OneDayNight12 months ago in Writers
