Top Story Index

A day may come when Vocal gives us a Top Story tab on our profiles. Alas, today is not that day. Until then, those of us who want to show off a bit (despite the fact the accolade feels somewhat diluted at times)...

Current count: 75 (that's almost ~10% of all my stories on here)

JUNE 2022

1. The Scientist's Daughter (Fiction)

My first ever Top Story. You cannot imagine my excitement. Maybe you can, but (let me set my zimmer frame aside for a moment) back in those days top stories were much harder to come by... This felt like a terrifically huge deal at the time.

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APRIL 2023

2. Lost (Fiction)

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MAY 2023

Seven Top Stories this month. I must have been on fire! A year ago, it felt like they were harder to get.

3. You Write What You Read (Motivation)

This one should have been in "Writers", but alas (picks up zimmer again), we didn't have a Writers community back then...

4. What's the best strategy for posting on Vocal? (Interview)

This is my first and most-read entry to this community. It's my second most-read piece.

5. Hey, You. Yes, You. Write Something! (Motivation)

6. Never Have I Ever (Writers' Edition) (Motivation)

7. Creative Constipation (Poets)

My first T.S. in the Poets community, and close to my heart (because it's full of shit).

8. Mummy Took Me To Watch The Hanging Today (Fiction)

Always bothered me a little that this one got TS, and "25 seconds and more of agony" didn't.

9. Distractions (Poets)

JUNE 2023

Four this time...

10. The Vocal Plus Secret Society (Fiction)

This was the first time I got two TS, back to back. (Distractions, then this one.)

11. The Jewel (Fiction)

Another two TS, back to back! This one, and then The Worst Heist (below)

12. The Worst Heist (Fiction)

It shot to the top of my most read stories shortly after being given top story. It's finally been dethroned, but it took some doing.

13. The Little Mermaid (Geeks)

This was my first submission to this community. It's a review of the live action Little Mermaid. It got a lot of reads very quickly. It's my most read piece in Geeks, and my 5th most read.

AUGUST 2023

Seven again this month. Here they are, for your eyes:

14. Critique - Oppenheimer (Critique)

Only 100 words, and I'm actually pretty proud of this review!

15. Run, Run, As Fast As You Can... (Fiction)

This one also placed first in a challenge. I think it is one of my best pieces on Vocal. I might never top this sucker.

16. Lord of the Rings (Critique)

Another two TS, back to back: this one and then East of the Sun (below)

17. East of the Sun & Text of the Moon (Fiction)

18. Shaun of the Dead (Critique)

19. Critiques That Didn't Squeak (Critique)

20. Bloody Hell (Viva)

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SEPTEMBER 2023

Four TS this month

21. Schäfer's Round Up - Third Time's the Charm (Journal)

I've since stopped doing these, but I do try to include a shout out to other creators when I do a reflection on recently closed challenges.

22. Reflection on 4K Reads, AKA "How Writing is a Bit Like Sex" (Writers)

This felt huge at the time. Last time I looked, I'm up to 21k all time reads. I think this was my first entry to the brand spanking new Writers community.

23. Meat, Walking (Fiction)

This one also placed first in the Fantasy category of the Vocal Writing Awards. Nobody was more shocked than me.

24. You Know You're a Writer When... (Writers)

OCTOBER 2023

Three TS in October, two of them back to back (this one, and then the next one).

25. Couch to 5k Reads (Writers)

26. Summer Leaves (Poets)

My second TS in this community

27. A Barn Owl & A Blood Angel (Fiction)

Another two back to back (this one, then Good-Big). It was almost four in a row!

NOVEMBER 2023

Two TS in November...

28. Good-Big (Writers)

29. The Next Big Thing (Writers)

When I first floated my Story A Day plan to you all. Oh, boy, you must all be sick of me by now! Fear not, at the time of writing, only one hundred and one days to go!

DECEMBER 2023

Two TS in December, back to back.

30. Ten Lessons I Learned From My Dog (PetLife)

This was my first Top Story in the Petlife community.

31. A Story Every Day in 2024 (Writers)

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JANUARY 2024

You'll notice the Top Stories drop off sharply here! No more "seven in a month", hardly any back to back top stories...

I've been patiently reviewing my posts for 2023, and I had a TS on pretty much every page. That stops sharply at this point. Something changed in the new year. It might just have been my frequency and consistency in posting, but maybe there were changes behind the scenes at Vocal, as well.

I have a much less frequent top stories from this point on. This is despite posting daily, and (I think) the quality generally going up. (There are a few duffers, mind.) Curiouser and curiouser...

32. A New Beginning (Fiction)

I do love that my very first post out of the gate in my yearlong challenge got a bit of recognition. Thanks, Vocal!

33. Hitting Snooze on the New Year (Poets)

My third TS in this community

33. burn (Poets)

My fourth TS in this community

34. Clip Clop (Fiction)

FEBRUARY 2024

35. The Little Robot (Fiction)

36. Quick and Cold (Fiction)

MARCH 2024

37. Get Out (Fiction)

38. Tea, is it? (Poets)

My fifth TS for this community:

APRIL 2024

39. Fucked Up Fairytales - An Unofficial Challenge (Writers)

40. The Goblin (Fiction)

41. Chimera (Filthy)

My first ever toe-dip in the Filthy community, and my third most-read piece.

MAY 2024

42. Dying Later (Fiction)

43. Forced Compliance Not Necessary (Fiction)

44. The Write Equipment (Fiction)

JUNE 2024

45. I am Jack's tumour (Fiction)

46. The Syrup Dream (Fiction)

JULY 2024

47. Sleeping Beauty (Fiction)

48. A Perfect Evening (Fiction)

49. I Miss the Auras Most (Fiction)

AUGUST 2024

50. Bend in the Road (Fiction)

51. Poison Gown (Fiction)

SEPTEMBER 2024

52. The Hunt (Fiction)

52. His Raven (Fiction)

53. The Wretched Womb (Fiction)

OCTOBER 2024

54. Time Capsule

55. Imposter

56. Queen

NOVEMBER 2024

57. My New Stepmother

58. Silent is the Night

DECEMBER 2024

59. Cellar Door

60. Gone

61. Going Down

29 in 2024, if I've counted right. Gosh.

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JANUARY 2025

62. Vampire Flu

63. The Lost Children

FEBRUARY 2025

64. So Brave, So Proud

65. Severance Package

Nothing for March! (I didn't post at all! FAIL!)

APRIL 2025

66. The Bond

Aaaand, back with a bang

67. The Wishing-Dream

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MAY 2025

68. For Glue

69. A Funny Story About Typos

JUNE 2025

70. Easily Spooked

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71. Milk of Human Kindness

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JULY 2025

72. Brenda

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73. Cuck-oo

AUGUST 2025

74. Whinberries

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75. Man Maid

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SEPTEMBER 2025

76. Nona

77. Butter Buns (my first feasty Top Story)

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OCTOBER 2025

77. Daria's Mum

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78. Black Scales

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DECEMBER 2025

79. A Christmas Glitch

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JANUARY 2026

80. The Trouble With Interdimensional Travel

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APRIL 2026

81. Scones

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82. A Chance Encounter on Platform 2

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MAY 2026

83. War and Peas

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84. Her

I'm going to put my challenge places here as well, and I don't think you can stop me. There are 11 of these. I appreciate they are also at the top of my profile, but so what?

Run, Run as Fast as You Can

First place in the Tales Retold challenge

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Meat Walking

First Place in 2023 Vocal Writing Awards (Fantasy Fiction)

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Runners Up

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I Love It Here

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Poetry

A Slice of Sky

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phoenix wisdom ii

burn

Runner-up in Breakup Nonet Challenge

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Thank you for stopping by!