Process
Artists Aren’t Lottery Tickets
I have spent much of today trying to publish a single article. I have edited it, revised it, corrected transcription errors, adjusted the formatting, and submitted it repeatedly. I have tried to work out why a platform keeps rejecting my submission without clearly identifying the specific passage, link, or other element that needs attention.
By THE HONED CRONEa day ago in Writers
When Music Memory Makes The Point
Who remembers this one then? Because I most certainly do; that's for certain. I wrote about the latest that's been happening concerning our current house move in THE WAITING GAME, which Vocal published seventeen days ago; it was only a short three-minute read, but seventeen days on from that story, and it has forever reminded me of a song from 1985 that has stuck in my head ever since. This one particular song replays over and over again, every time I stumble past a packed and sealed box... which is currently every single minute of every day, typically because there isn't any room in our house that doesn't contain... boxes... small boxes, medium-sized ones, and extremely large and heavy boxes, labeled neatly for when the time eventually arrives for that move.
By Jonathan Townend4 days ago in Writers
Le Guin Apprenticeship Journal VIII
You may not be surprised to hear that, on the long, trudging walk toward seizing control of my medium, I have once again slipped on a banana peel. I guess I'll have to wait on my literary genius certification a little while longer.
By Lauren Everdell5 days ago in Writers
FROM PAIN TO POWER. NO FATE UNCHALLENGED.
There’s something strange about creating your own world. At first, it exists nowhere except inside your head. You can see the characters. You can hear them arguing. You know what they want and what they’re afraid of. But nobody else can see any of it.
By Lyon Gaber5 days ago in Writers
“Every man is a creature of the age in which he lives, and few are able to raise themselves above the ideas of the time.” Voltaire.
Two years ago, I started a draft story that asked..." What defines a species". Humans inherently want to put order on things, and even want to make a lot of decisions about whether there is diversity between individuals...so they try to bend things needlessly into different - or into their own way of thinking.
By Novel Allen6 days ago in Writers
Parisian diaries. Top Story - October 2026.
Bonjour tout le monde—hello, Vocal fam! I’m writing to you from the French countryside, at a beautiful writers’ residency in the Champagne region. This opportunity first came to me in March 2025. It’s something I’ve been waiting for, fantasizing about, and obsessing over for a long time. Now I’m here.
By Natasha Collazo6 days ago in Writers
Paul's Super Fun, Multi-part Unofficial Challenge
So, I'm really dragging my heels with completing prizes for the winners of my last challenge. But, please be patient because I am not Rembrandt, Huizenga, Carravagio, Munch or Bosch. I'm not even Andy Warhol. But I am an arsehole.
By Paul Stewart8 days ago in Writers
I Am Alexandra Grant
The Journey I started writing 17 months ago, after our son moved out to begin his life’s journey. After 20 years focused on our child and my husband, I felt purposeless. After 25-plus years, I picked up my drawing pencils again and started writing. I have a lot to say, it seems, since I am still at it. The road has been long and full of rejection. If constant rejection doesn’t teach you how strong or strong-willed you are, I don’t know what does. This new purpose has also brought success.
By Alexandra Grant9 days ago in Writers
