Two years Growth

Two years ago, I began writing on Vocal to learn new skills, earn extra money, and to grow as an author. I had no idea what would come of all of the effort. Seeing that Vocal requires some computer skills, I was able to adapt to the platform rather easily. However, I developed many new skills that help me to enhance my writing.

Starting

I love the simplicity of the platform. The ease to start a new writing project is just one click away. The site is a one click and one can start writing in a matter of seconds. The hardest part of writing is defeating writer's block and defeating one's fear of rejection or a snide comment on a post. However, the platform is not a barrier in my opinion.

Finding pictures to support the story

Unsplash has partnered with Vocal to provide many pictures to choose from. When I am experiencing a writer's block moment, I brows through the pictures that Upsplash provides for use and just to find one that tickles the creative juices in me. Usually in no time, I can spin a yarn about one of the pictures. There are times when I use my own personal pictures as well and Vocal's platform makes uploading a picture easy to do. Most of the time, Upsplash doesn't disappoint me but when all fails, I just use my own pictures to showcase my story.

The Challenges

Well, I must still be an armature after all these years for I have not won one of the challenges yet. I do like them though for they make me try a new style of writing. I come from a long line of boring statistical writing and long drawn out conversations of analytics or of technical information. Give me a term paper and I can have that puppy done in a week to two if it is indebt. Writing for enjoyment wasn't a strong suit of mine but I felt the desire to write and the challenges "Dream of a Windfall" prompts me to try a new writing style. I have grown in skill because of the challenges but I know I still have room to improve.

My Book

Noodin Me-koom-ma-senh, Windwitch, is the title of my book. All of the rough, and I mean rough, draft was crafted on Vocal. I didn't mind putting the rough draft online because the writing is only half of the project's interest. One could go through the pages and get the jest of the story but the original manuscript has grown and changed. Not to mention the additional technology that I had to learn to use to teach the Anishinaabemowin language that was used in the book.

Nokomis' Song

I loved working on this story. My grandson is autistic and is very regimented on routine. As his primary caregiver while his mother worked, I instituted a song I would sing to him every night when he was with me. I have no idea what the name of the song is but it brings him comfort and he falls asleep easily to its tune. When it came clear that we would not be together as much, I thought I would make him a video of me singing the song to him so he could watch it at bed time if he needed. What I like is the story and the video should be there for him for the rest of his life. That brings me odd comfort. My never ending love is there for him with a click of a mouse.

My alternative motive was to learn to make a video and post it on YouTube. Afterall, that is how I planed to deliver my language lessons to the reader in my book. I had to learn to make a video and post it. The video is a hot mess. Even though my grandson warms your heart, my hair and pajamas are a disaster. I really didn't care as long as I caught the moment for him to watch when he wanted. At the end of the writing, I had posted the story Nokomis' Song with the video of us two snuggled together as I sang and he listened. This was the first step in my bigger project and I become a YouTuber.

Shenanigans and Shipt

I come up with the most insane ideas ever. My idea was to take my four friends to New York and I would work Shipt to pay for it. I really do not know how I did two jobs and run Shipt on my off times. I purchased everything for the trip and recorded the "Big Reveal" of my shenanigans through Zoom which I recorded. Yes, once again included the recorded reveal for Vocal readers to watch. When I watched the movie I provided, I found I needed to learn a new skill of video editing. The story Below shows the struggle and frustration had endured as I learned video editing.

Back to my book. Carrie Leaureaux and I partnered to provide mini language lessons to allow the language learner the opportunity to hear the language spoken during their reading. I am proud to say that the reader will have the opportunity to learn 56 words or sentences in Anishinaabemowin. One Zoom recording had to be cut into approximately 112 pieces. Video editing was hard for me to learn but now, I have no issues making videos. I have found that I can use this skill in multiple ways. I just wish I edited the Shenanigans and Shipt video because that too wasn't a pleasure to watch. However, I am proud that I have my videos attached to QR codes that the language learner can use to hear the appropriate annunciation of the words used. The project was difficult but well worth the effort.

One Story at a Time

My uncle Simon Otto was an author too. One thing I learned from researching his writings, I found that his books was put together one story at a time. He wrote for the Petoskey News Review in Petoskey Michigan. As I worked on his collection, I noticed his stories were written for the newspaper first then he grouped them together into a book. This realization is why I wrote my rough draft of Vocal. One chapter is one story. I just had to write one story at a time. Once that one story or chapter was done, I just moved on to the next. Soon, the book took form and will be on the presses soon.

Vocal Equals Growth

When I started Vocal, I had no idea where it would take me. I just made decisions to try new things. Technology and I do not always get along but I know that I have developed many skills by writing for Vocal. What I like the most is the friends that I have made over the two years. Through the years I have read many stories written by them. I have even experienced loss of one I had never met. Community. The writers learn each other when we read a poem or a story that touched their soul enough to devote time to write. I have found my virtual community that supports one another. This was an unexpected truth.