Top Stories
Stories in Journal that you’ll love, handpicked by our team.
I'm a Fiction Writer; I Hate It
Okay, okay, I don’t hate it. I love being an author. I love creating my own world and becoming the god of it every time my pen hits the paper. I love breathing life into my characters, nuancing their every motive, exploiting their built-in weaknesses, defining their strengths. I love giving people an escape into another reality, providing readers with redemption from the mundane and the ability to feel magic again. I love getting lost in my own imagination, following my wildest muses to wherever they might lead. It’s addicting, it’s life-giving. It’s giving into insanity just a little bit to see what your mind can really come up with if you’re the one making the rules. I love fiction. I love creating it. Here’s what I hate about it:
By Benja Matteson4 years ago in Journal
I Just Want To Write, God Dang It.
Many people have to get up at 4:00 AM to do what their heart desires. They cram what they love into the first hour of their day and then drudge through the rest with the things they have to do to get to do the one thing that they actually want to be doing.
By Melissa Steussy4 years ago in Journal
The Art of Freelancing While Working Full-Time
Freelancers have been around for decades. They often worked with agencies to help with increased workloads as they continued to add clients to their business portfolio. But the side gig economy only recently took off among the masses.
By wanderluster4 years ago in Journal
10,000,000 Reads Later, Here Are My Thoughts on Everything VOCAL
I just crossed 10 Million Reads!!! Oh my god, I knew it was coming but actually seeing the number today, I actually burst into tears because my gosh. When I decided to really return to Vocal and take it seriously, it was such a gamble, I didn't know what to expect. In fact, my greatest hope was to get at least 1,000 consistent readers who liked what I wrote. Now, here we are at 10,000,000. I honestly still cannot believe it.
By Jide Okonjo4 years ago in Journal
When Amex Took on Walmart to Save Small U.S. Businesses
If you ever dream of becoming a legendary entrepreneur, this brand story is for you. It’s a story of a brand that has leveraged perhaps the most undervalued attributes of mankind and made a billion dollars out of it.
By Kavi Kamat4 years ago in Journal
Five Writing Lessons From Salman Rushdie
I was first introduced to Salman Rushdie in a college literature class where we read Midnight’s Children. His novels usually combine historical fiction and magical realism to explore heavy personal, political, and cultural themes. While Rushdie’s writing is not an easy read, he’s become one of my favorite writers. After reading his memoir, Joseph Anton, I gained deeper insight into his novels and his writing process. Here are a few tips on writing I learned from him.
By Alexis M. Collazo4 years ago in Journal
20 Side Hustles That Are Actually Worth Your Time
What's a Side Hustle? A side hustle can be either a second or part-time employment that happens on the side of a regular, full-time job. Or it could be just something you do to make ends meet on top of what you're already doing (work, raising kids, college..), not necessarly a job.
By Sally From The Shine Project4 years ago in Journal
What It’s Like Auditioning For A Modeling Agency at 16
There’s a deeply ingrained part of our culture that’s made attractiveness synonymous with all that is pre-pubescent. The most attractive qualities in women are being small, soft, “innocent” and hairless. Essentially, we’re at our best when we’re children. When we’re sixteen. Being judged on your body before it’s finished growing has its own individual, but expected, effects on your sense of self. What I didn’t anticipate is how long they’d last.
By Lena Simons4 years ago in Journal
