
Glow from Within
Share what makes your self-care routine extra special.
Prizes
- Grand prize:
- $1,000
- Second place:
- $500
- Third place:
- $250
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Jul 10, 2020
Submissions closed
Jul 17, 2020 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Jul 21, 2020
Prizes
- Grand prize:
- $1,000
- Second place:
- $500
- Third place:
- $250
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Jul 10, 2020
Submissions closed
Jul 17, 2020 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Jul 21, 2020
About this challenge
This week we're inviting you to share what makes your routine extra special. We're not (just) talking about beauty, but about all the things that make your inner self glow! Whether that's following a specific skincare routine to a T, or waking up to a 20-minute meditation, or even a hot cup of herbal tea before bed to ensure you get your beauty sleep—we want to learn about all your tips and tricks to feel good, starting from within.
Whatever your routine is, talk us through it and tell us why it helps you feel like you're glowing. Feel free to include any and all media that can help us picture your routine. For example, if you follow a Yoga YouTube channel, include an example of one of your favorite videos! Or if you swear by a specific skincare line, link us to their products so we can learn more! Or even if you have made the perfect playlist to get you out of bed without needing 10 different alarms, share it with us. Enter the Glow from Within Challenge and inspire others with your inner glow!
How to enter
For your story to be eligible, it must be between 600 and 5,000 words and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Stories published on Vocal and entered into the contest up until July 16, 2020, at 11:59 PM EST will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.
The Glow from Within 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 third place 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 35 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 Prize5 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.
$200 Grand Prize12 days leftPublic Announcement
Write a poem that takes the form of a public announcement, notice, or warning.
$200 Grand Prize17 days leftMismatch
Write a story that blends two contrasting genres, such as horror and romance, science fiction and western, or fantasy and noir.
$200 Grand Prize19 days leftCraft Over Catharsis
Write a story that prioritizes structure, technique, or form over emotional release.
$200 Grand Prize26 days leftInstructions for a Feeling
Write a poem that gives instructions for how to experience, create, or avoid a feeling.
$200 Grand Prize31 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.
$200 Grand Prize33 days left
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 Team2 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 Team4 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 Team30 days ago in Resources






