
Wave Makers
Share how you plan to help reduce your carbon footprint and further protect our oceans.
Prizes
- First place:
- $2,500
- Second place:
- $1,000
- Third place:
- $500
Vocal will make a $2,500 matching donation to the Waterkeeper Alliance®.
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Apr 22, 2021
Submissions closed
May 26, 2021 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Jun 01, 2021
Prizes
- First place:
- $2,500
- Second place:
- $1,000
- Third place:
- $500
Vocal will make a $2,500 matching donation to the Waterkeeper Alliance®.
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Apr 22, 2021
Submissions closed
May 26, 2021 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Jun 01, 2021
About this challenge
Our oceans cover 71 percent of the planet and are home to the valuable species and ecosystems we rely on for food, resources, and climate regulation. Protecting the oceans starts with us. That's why for this Challenge, we're calling on you, our community of conscious creators, to help us make waves for much-needed change. Share how you plan to make adjustments in your everyday life to help reduce your carbon footprint and further protect our oceans from further destruction.
Most carbon emissions we create are not intentional–they're simple decisions we make every day without thinking of the consequences. That's why we've launched our newest community, Earth, home for sustainability hacks to the latest on climate change to Mother Nature appreciation, and everything about the planet we call home.
Tell us how you're recycling, reducing, and reusing to help minimize your carbon emissions, and share those tips so that others can join us in making a difference. If you don't know where to start, this is a great time to think about how you want to begin making small but impactful changes in your daily life. Whether you choose to carpool, start using reusable household items over a single-use plastic, or compost your food waste, provide us with information to educate us all on how to do better together.
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 May 25, 2021, at 11:59 PM EST will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.
The Wave Makers 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
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$200 Grand Prize17 days leftMismatch
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$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






