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Stories in Writers that you’ll love, handpicked by our team.
NEW BOOK NEW BOOK NEW BOOK
Honestly I'm not really sure if this is the appropriate space for this or not, but anyway...for those of you who have enjoyed some of my poems this year, I just published a new book. It is a collection of about 75 or 80 of my favourite poems I wrote during my travels this year around Australia and Asia, including a few that showed up here on Vocal. (I lost count because I kept going back and forth about which ones made the cut or not).
By Roderick Makim8 months ago in Writers
The Contents Page
Inspired by those who have gone before me (and helped a little, on the technical front!), I have created a contents page for my work on vocal, thus enabling the thousands who flock to my profile daily (or you six or seven, thank you so much for keeping my chin up!) to gain easy access to both the gems and the wormy potatoes. Some of these pieces look like somewhat peculiar choices without the context of the challenge they were written for (why the fuck has a box shown up on the doorstep? What's with the random chapter that goes nowhere? And where do these ideas for Haiku come from?) I have learnt a lesson there and more recently started using subtitles to remind me if I was writing the piece to a particular challenge.
By Hannah Moore8 months ago in Writers
What Are Neologisms?
One of the many things I like about writing on Vocal is that it urges me to write. Each week or month comes with a fresh set of challenges, which serve as a nice amuse bouche for this writer’s palate which can be prone to writer’s block. ‘Neolomicro’ is a particularly fun one, again offering small bites of inspiration for an easily distracted mind.
By E.K. Daniels8 months ago in Writers
What Is Senryu?
In the spirit of the ‘Snafu Senryu’ challenge, I did a little digging into the art of Japanese poetry to understand a bit of the history of Senryu, in hopes that it would inspire a few gems (spoiler alert—it did!) Senryu is a form of Japanese poetry that shares a common structure with traditional haiku but serves a different purpose. Like haiku, senryu consists of three lines with a syllable pattern of 5-7-5. Unlike haiku, however, the form is more focused on human nature, rather than the natural world. Senryu often delves into the humorous, satirical, or ironic aspects of daily life and the human experience.
By E.K. Daniels8 months ago in Writers
A Toast to the Winners of the 'Write me a letter' Challenge
All I really want to say is WOW and leave it at that as no words will truly express the sheer joy you all brought me with this challenge. I am the winner, hands down, for having gotten to read the letters you wrote and all the comments both on my challenge piece and on the forty-six entries submitted. Thank you.
By Heather Hubler8 months ago in Writers
"The Alchemy of Fiction: Crafting Immersive Worlds"
The allure of fiction beckons us for a myriad of reasons: it offers entertainment, unravels mysteries, transports us to distant planets, and elicits fear, laughter, tears, contemplation, and deep emotional connections. But when it comes to crafting fiction, how do you ensnare your readers, drawing them so profoundly into your narrative that they momentarily forget their reality?
By Alisa İnnokate9 months ago in Writers
On unhurried creativity
Preface: Every time we remember, I recently discovered, we create new neurons, new pathways that store information. Which was in stark contrast to my presumption that I simply returned to the permanent and reliable folds in my brain. Folds that were made when I fell off the bike for the first time or when I brushed my teeth the night of my first kiss, eulogising its sweetness. So that tied in comfortably with the reliability of memory. Was it mud or concrete that I fell on, did I run my fingers through her hair or held them awkwardly behind my back?
By Mesh Toraskar8 months ago in Writers
Still looking for ideas for your 'under a spell' entry?
Bless you! What's that if not a magic spell? Well I guess it could be a prayer but then again... what's the difference? "Happy birthday to you" is a line from a song. But if you sing it and then ask the birthday girl or boy to blow out candles on a cake, then surely that's a spell too? I once heard a talk about magic that made just this point.
By Raymond G. Taylor9 months ago in Writers
My Silent Hero
The streets were busy with people running amuck, rushing from every corner, too busy to notice me sitting here in this broken suitcase. I had been there for about two hours now, waiting for any sign to not go through with it, but no sign had appeared yet.
By Rebekah BT9 months ago in Writers