6 Stories That Landed Me on the Homepage of Vocal

In my eight months as a Vocal creator, I have been incredibly blessed. I'm not one of those outstanding writers who rack up thousands of views per day, but I've done alright for myself since joining Vocal+ in March. In that time, I've achieved the coveted Top Story on six occasions.

I've accepted this honor somewhat sheepishly; my initial claim to Vocal fame was this piece right here:

And then, just ten days after I published this piece criticizing Vocal's selection of Top Stories, I got my first Top Story. Awkward.

Since then, I've periodically found myself featured on the Vocal homepage. Some of these selections were expected; others genuinely surprised me.

New members often ask how to get a Top Story. The answer is that nobody—even those of us upon whom Vocal has bestowed this honor—really knows. It truly just depends on the moderator who reads your story and whether or not your writing speaks to them personally.

Still, it's interesting to examine what these stories have in common and what makes them unique, so here is a closer look at my six Top Stories, as well as six pieces that didn't make the cut.

1. Going Solo

There's nothing quite like the thrill of getting your first Top Story. For me, that story was "Going Solo," my entry to the Dream Date Challenge.

I am incredibly proud of this piece. It marked the first time that I truly expressed myself and showed personality in my writing, and I had several people reach out to me privately to tell me how much they enjoyed it.

2. To My Girls

I expected and received Top Story recognition for this Sister Circle Challenge submission about my mother and eight sisters. I saw this one as kind of a given; what could be more appropriate for a Challenge with that title? Still, it was incredibly satisfying to watch two of my stories grace the homepage of Vocal simultaneously, as my "Going Solo" piece had just been chosen the day prior.

I also just love this cover photo.

3. My Miniature Hogwarts

Like my Sister Circle submission, I pretty much expected to get Top Story for this tour of my miniature Hogwarts. I was excited to show off this project and had hoped that it might help me place in one of Vocal's crafting Challenges, but no dice. Still, it was awesome to receive some recognition (and $5) for my hard work.

4. I Shaved My Head

You really can't go wrong with a story that contains a video of you shaving your own head, but I didn't expect to get Top Story for it.

5. Top 5 Princess Diana Moments

I did not expect my recent piece about Princess Diana to receive Top Story recognition; it was simply another addition to my collection of stories about the royals, which are usually pretty popular in Facebook fan groups.

I don't particularly like the introduction of this story, but I think that my writing visibly improves as the list progresses, and I'm happy with how it turned out overall. I'm guessing Kristen Stewart's new film Spencer, released just last week, may have played a role in this story being chosen.

6. A Hell on Earth

Just days after my piece about Diana graced the top of the Vocal homepage, my story about Travis Scott's Astroworld tragedy was chosen, as well. I never even saw this story on the homepage; by the time I realized what had happened, it had already been edged out by other Top Stories.

This was another completely unexpected honor; I was just venting at 4 a.m. and needed an outlet for my raw emotions, but I appreciated that Vocal gave it a platform and shared it with the community.

What do these six stories have in common? Not a darn thing. They are each unique in their own right and showcase different aspects of my writing skills and style. They span different communities, topics, and approaches.

On the one hand, that should be incredibly promising, because it means that Vocal features a variety of different genres and subjects on its homepage. On the other, it makes determining which approach to take a bit more difficult when aiming for a Top Story.

Case in point, here are six stories that I expected (or at least hoped) Vocal would choose for Top Story, but they didn't:

1. Dress Like a Lady

"Dress Like a Lady" was my submission to the Sweet Nostalgia Challenge. I was incredibly proud of this piece, and it was one of my most popular and successful stories at the time. While there are a few changes that I'd probably make if I went back for edits, it's still one of my all-time favorites. I really expected this one to receive Top Story and was incredibly disappointed when it didn't.

2. Finding Freedom

I really wanted somebody at Vocal to recognize this ridiculous entry to the Doomsday Diary Challenge for the masterpiece it is. I didn't so much expect a Top Story for this piece as hope for one. Not to toot my own horn, but I just found it incredibly clever and entertaining. So... toot toot!

3. Why I Didn't Read Your Story

It honestly shocked me that this piece wasn't chosen for Top Story. "Why I Didn't Read Your Story" remains my second-most hearted Vocal story.

In publishing this one, I'd worried that things might backfire; I thought that my unsolicited opinions could be construed as bitchy. But the feedback I've received on this story has been resoundingly positive, and I'm incredibly proud of the way it turned out.

4. Escape From Spooky Swamp

I really thought I had it with this one. I'm still incredibly proud of it and am tentatively hopeful that it might earn me a placement in the Foggy Waters Challenge, but I'm trying not to think too much about that. I'm not a good fiction writer, so coming up with an angle for this competition was difficult, but once I had the idea in my mind, I knew that it was the way to go. Like my Doomsday Challenge entry, I feel that this story is a great example of a creative and unique approach.

5. Cinema's Top 5 Treasure-Hunting Hotties

I didn't really expect Top Story for this one, but I had hoped, if only for that Indiana Jones "smart as a whip" line.

6. Leaving Westview

Maybe it's because the WandaVision craze concluded months ago, or maybe "Leaving Westview" just wasn't up to par with the competition, but, to my immense disappointment, this piece, one of my favorites that I've written, didn't make the Top Story cut.

Of course, this story was submitted in the same week that I got my two Top Stories for "Top 5 Princess Diana Moments" and "A Hell on Earth," so maybe Vocal figured they'd given me enough money and attention for the time being.