#200
What aspirations do you have for yourself on Vocal this year?
Prizes
- Grand Prize:
- $2,024
- Second Place:
- $200
- 10 Runners-up:
- $20
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Jan 05, 2024
Submissions closed
Jan 27, 2024 4:59 AM CUT
Results
Feb 08, 2024
Prizes
- Grand Prize:
- $2,024
- Second Place:
- $200
- 10 Runners-up:
- $20
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Jan 05, 2024
Submissions closed
Jan 27, 2024 4:59 AM CUT
Results
Feb 08, 2024
About this challenge
The Prompt
Write about your aspirations for yourself as a creator on Vocal in 2024.
With this being Vocal's 200th challenge (yes, 200 already!) and in celebration of the new year, we are asking you to share your aspirations and creative goals for yourself on Vocal in 2024. Resolutions can be scary, but setting your intentions does not have to be — we are here to welcome them with open minds and eyes. And if your aspiration is to not take your writing too seriously this year, we're all for it. The goal is to be honest, optimistic, and to get something in writing!
We plan to ask you to revisit this challenge at the end of the year to reflect on your progress and growth, so you can go ahead and call us your accountability buddy 💪
Some ideas to help you brainstorm:
- How has the past year on Vocal shaped your goals for this year?
- What genres or writing forms do you wish to explore?
- What skills do you want to hone?
- How often will you write?
- How often will you read other creators' work?
- Who will you collaborate/connect with on Vocal?
- How will you support other creators?
- How will Vocal challenges help shape your creative journey?
- Is there a specific piece you want to finish or work on?
- What do you want your impact to be on Vocal?
In order for your submission to qualify, it must be:
- About your aspirations for yourself on Vocal in 2024.
- Between 500-2,500 words.
The Prizes
- Grand Prize: $2,024
- Second Place: $200
- 10 Runners-Up: $20
How to enter
For your piece to be eligible, it should adhere to our Community Guidelines. Stories published on Vocal and entered into the contest up until 11:59 PM ET on January 26, 2024 will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.
The #200 Challenge is exclusive to Vocal+ members. To learn more and upgrade to Vocal+ visit https://shopping-feedback.today/vocal-plus%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/a%3E.%3C/p%3E%3Cp class="css-1923z11-Text">To be eligible to win the grand prize, second place, or runners-up prizes, you must be over the age of 13 and residing in a country where Stripe is available at the time of entry. A complete list of countries where Stripe is available can be found here—winners will need to have a Stripe account created and connected in order to receive the prizes. For this reason, entrants located outside of any of these countries will not be eligible to win.
Open challenges
Challenges you can enter now for a chance to win.
Instructions Included
Tell a story in the form of instructions, guidelines, or a how-to manual for something fictional or mundane.
$200 Grand Prize4 days leftNothing But Voices
Write a complete short story using only dialogue. No descriptions, no dialogue tags, and no internal thoughts. Just voices on the page.
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Write a story that prioritizes structure, technique, or form over emotional release.
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Write a poem that gives instructions for how to experience, create, or avoid a feeling.
$200 Grand Prize30 days leftRituals of Affection
Write a story about a recurring ritual tied to love, romance, or connection. Something about it is unusual, unsettling, or unexplained.
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Challenge resources
The Ritual of Winter Challenge Winners
Welcome to the Winners Announcement for The Ritual of Winter challenge. This prompt focused on winter rituals and the meaning that settles into them over time. The top pieces stay grounded in ordinary acts and repeated routines, letting winter shape the work through pace, attention, and restraint.
By Vocal Curation Team3 days ago in Resources
FPS: The Last Flame Challenge Winners
Welcome to our first Winners Announcement of the year and to the final challenge in the Fall Poetry Series. The Last Flame invited writers to sit with endings, using fire as a central image to consider what remains when something burns out: ash, warmth, memory, silence, or the faint promise of what comes next. The strongest pieces treated endings as gradual rather than sudden, allowing them to flicker, dim, and linger.
By Vocal Curation Team5 days ago in Resources
FPS: Villanelle of Regret Challenge Winners
Some feelings don’t fade. They repeat. The Villanelle of Regret challenged poets to write into that return. To let regret, longing, and obsession build with each pass, rather than resolve. The strongest entries trusted repetition to carry the weight.
By Vocal Curation Teamabout a month ago in Resources
