Top Stories

Stories in Journal that you’ll love, handpicked by our team.

Climber's Choice
There is a mountain, towering into the clouds, which is difficult for birds to cross. No one knows how high it is. There are two roads in front of and behind the mountain for climbing. The main road in front of the mountain is paved with stone steps, straight and magnanimous; The back mountain path is full of thorns and twists and turns.
By Bobby3 years ago in Journal
I'm Quitting Social Media...Again
I remember when I started dating my boyfriend years ago, my friends thought I made him because he wasn't on Facebook. This was when Facebook was just starting to get big and I was only using it because the copywriting agency I worked for required it.
By Krysta Dawn3 years ago in Journal
5 Stupid Simple Money Management Tips I Wish I'd Of Known as a New Freelancer
Ideas are the simplest and most abundant commodity around. Everyone has an idea for the next great thing-a-ma-jig or doo-hickie that will revolutionize life as we know it. Very few of you will ever take that first step and start. A fraction of folks will let those dreams die with them.
By Rick Martinez3 years ago in Journal
Rotten Reviews from Rotten Writers
I started my blog, The Writer’s Scrap Bin, to provide support to fellow writers, whether they are aspiring or well established, and build a community of writers that build each other up, not tear each other down. I’ve just never understood why we can’t help each other. We all have our own genres, styles, and niches, so why can’t we share readers and rejoice in each other’s success? Unfortunately, not all writers think that way, and not just in modern times. We’ve been jerks to each other for quite a while. The proof is in Pushcart’s Complete Rotten Reviews & Rejections.
By Stephanie Hoogstad3 years ago in Journal
Why I Won’t Read a Book on Writing
I know, I know “who am I to not listen to Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, or you (the person who probably wrote tons of articles on writing).” You know what, I’m Jay. And I have my reasons.
By Jay,when I write3 years ago in Journal
Ten of the Best Books for Writers
1. Stephen King: On Writing Now I happen to think that Stephen King is one of the best storytellers alive. No matter how absurd his initial premise – A car is alive! A clown in the drains! Phones turn you into zombies! – he does it with such conviction and imagination that you suspend all disbelief.
By Sheryl Garratt3 years ago in Journal
Vocal is a diary for me
I am not an award winning author. I am also not a professional author. But I enjoy writing and find that it is a meaningful hobby. I have also found that publishing stories on Vocal serves as a cathartic experience. I do not have a lot of viewers read my stories and that is okay! But that also means that I am not writing for an audience per se. Hence, the theme of this article.
By Margo3 years ago in Journal
The 1000 Words
Hardly anyone knows what I do; my field is uncommon, and the degree required can be lengthy depending on what type of role you want to pursue. Most times, even when I do disclose either my title or field, people still say, "huh??"
By Call Me Les3 years ago in Journal
There Is A Reason Why I Don't Stick With One Niche In Writing.
I love writing, just as much as I love reading. Reading feeds my imagination, while writing sets my imagination free. I often get advised by other writers to 'stick with one niche.'
By Carol Ann Townend3 years ago in Journal
How Having a “Highfalutin” Job Title Can Actually Work Against You in Your Career
Overview As a strategic management professor and consultant, I try not to rely too heavily on my own stories from a 30-plus year career (yes, that does tell you, dear reader, that I am of “a certain age”). However, a recent news story really struck a chord with me, as it was on point with my own experience.
By David Wyld3 years ago in Journal
Writers on Writing: Ernest Hemingway
About a month ago, I read an article on here by Following the Flow called "Why 'Write Drunk: Edit Sober' is Terrible Advice". The author discusses their own experience with trying this advice with disastrous results. In addition to being entertained, I was reminded of a post that I wrote for my blog, The Writer's Scrap Bin, over five years ago on the same writing advice. Unlike most people, I do not interpret that advice literally.
By Stephanie Hoogstad4 years ago in Journal
On Playing Games at Work
When is a game not a game? I’ll cast my vote for the games played on one of those annual retreat days, where workers are liberated from their desks to join supervisors and co-workers for a day of organized “fun”. The primary goal of these gatherings is to get chummy with our fellow employees and to build a spirit of camaraderie through games and play. In an inside-out sense of good sportsmanship, we are actually competing with our co-workers on how team-oriented and cooperative we are. Turning every game into “one for all and all for one” becomes the actual work at these retreats and tedious work it is. By the end of the day, you are longing for a raucous, competitive hand of Texas Hold-em.
By Carol Driscoll4 years ago in Journal