Top Stories
Stories in Writers that you'll love, handpicked by our team.
Barefoot . Top Story - June 2026.
I’ve always loved going barefoot, and I’ve been teased about it throughout my life. That teasing has been good-natured. I can’t say the same for much of the rest of the teasing, from family during my childhood. But this is about going barefoot.
By Harper Lewis 4 months ago in Writers
From Page to Podcast . Top Story - June 2026.
Ever since I joined Vocal I have enjoyed a variety of great experiences. What started as an attempt to hone my fiction writing became a hugely successful hobby. I'm also now a poet. So there's that. And an award winner too. With nine Vocal first-place wins, numerous runner-up finishes and honourable mentions, plus several placements in unofficial challenges.
By Paul Stewart4 months ago in Writers
'What am I?' Unofficial Challenge. Top Story - June 2026.
Updated: July 6th, 2026 The challenge is now closed. We received 11 fabulous entries and they are all linked below. Our judges, Mr. writes and #1 Daughter are going to make their decisions this week and I should be posting the results by this weekend. Thank you all so much for your participation and/or following my first challenge! 😊
By Leslie Writes4 months ago in Writers
Gatekeeping in Writing Communities. Top Story - June 2026.
Not every harsh opinion is valuable, just as not every valuable opinion has to be harsh. -Annam M. Gordon Writing communities can be strange places sometimes where gatekeeping is alive and well in many of them. Most writing forums seem to have its share of drama, cliques, and people who appoint themselves the authority on what counts as “real” writing. Reviews and comments can quickly turn into status signaling, where “real writers do it this way.”
By Annam M Gordon4 months ago in Writers
Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival: Day Three. Top Story - June 2026.
I woke on my second day in Margaret River feeling exhausted, even though I’d had eight hours of sleep both nights. Actually, no, that’s not true. I’d been in bed for eight hours both nights, but the bed was quite hard and uncomfortable, and I’d woken every hour to adjust my position and try again.
By Sandy Gillman4 months ago in Writers
Listening to Mambo No. 5. Top Story - May 2026.
I saw recently a video about a writing technique used by Stephen King. Allegedly, Stephen King listened to Mambo No. 5 so many times while writing one of his novels that his wife threatened to divorce him. Now, maybe I’m just perpetuating an internet rumor, but I decided the concept of listening to one song over and over again was intriguing to me. The idea is that endlessly listening to the same song puts you in a kind of flow state for lack of a better term. So, I thought I’d give it a try.
By Raine Neal5 months ago in Writers
