Top Stories

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

Vocal Vs Medium - Battle Of The Platforms
I have been publishing on the two platforms for just over a year. I am often asked what the difference is and if one is better than the other.
By R.S. Sillanpaa5 years ago in Journal
Defining a Vocal Tradition – Part 2
How will I spend my $2.19? 60 Days In Here I am, sixty days into defining a Vocal Tradition. With fourteen articles and three poems, combining for a total of, 365 reads and $2.19.
By Tim StiX5 years ago in Journal
How Ebay Sellers are Getting Screwed
As someone who has been working for multiple ebay stores for the past several years, with people who have been selling on the site for decades, I’ve experienced and heard several horror stories. I wish I could say these were rare and not the norm, however, from what I have observed, Ebay continues to make business decisions which mean more profit for the suits and less profit and protection for sellers (the backbone of the company). In recent years, there has also been a massive amount of freedom given to buyers, who can no longer even receive negative feedback from sellers. During the course of this article, I will be listing some grievances I have with Ebay and, while doing so, exposing some scams which are being run at the expense of sellers, with total freedom under Ebay’s nose.
By James S. Bray5 years ago in Journal
Press "START"
Anyone from the Nintendo NES or Sega Genesis generation knows the tried-and-true approach to restarting a game without losing your progress or those valuable lives: You either take out the game cartridge (and give it the good ol’ harmonica blow) or you press the “Reset” button. It seemed like such a clever strategy at the time—we could literally cheat death, albeit in bit-form—but I fear that such practices have not prepared me for the Real-Time Strategy (RTS) adventure that is life. There are no hidden treasure chests, no “Pause” buttons, no cheat codes or Game Genies (remember those?)—there’s not even catchy theme music! At best, we have opportunities to level up, but only after gaining a certain amount of XP (Experience Points) after what’s usually several failed attempts.
By Laura Merchant Roodenburg3 years ago in Journal
Why I'm Never Working a 9-5 Job Again
Listen to this story on Write Here, Write Now: A Vocal Podcast. I go through a cycle almost every year. I get a job that seems great, good potential for advancement, swell benefits, and whatever else people tell you to care about. I fit myself into the mold and abide by the rules. Yet eventually, I can't help but realize how much time I'm spending at work. Someone else dictates what I do with my day. I lose my night to exhaustion.
By RJ5 years ago in Journal
14 Confidence-boosting Tips for Interview Success
A job interview is a gateway to a better career and a better life. Hence, it is vital to prepare for it in the best way, leaving no stones unturned. Employers and probable business partners are not looking for meticulous robots. Businesses need people who do better than follow instructions; leaders who can make decisions in their capacity to benefit the company in the long run. More often than not, an interview's success depends less on the technical skills and competencies and leans much more than you think on the attitude, and personality one exudes
By Brinda Koushik5 years ago in Journal
10 Ways to Survive Apartment Hunting
One of the most daunting parts of life is finding places to live. We’re looking pretty low on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs here. We all need food and shelter, after all. And that's why you need an apartment hunting survival guide.
By Leigh Victoria Phan, MS, MFA5 years ago in Journal
Cracking the Code of Vocal Top Stories
I’ve been on Vocal for about a month. Actually today on the 28th January as I'm writing this is the one month anniversary of the publication of my first post on Vocal. In that time, four of my stories have been featured as staff picks (with the redesign, this is now called Top Stories) which is just mindblowing and amazing to me.
By Laquesha Bailey5 years ago in Journal
Everything I Learned From Editing 2 Million Words in 18 Weeks
The seasoned writer doesn't randomly edit; he stays true to his overarching story showing no mercy to each layer of freshly sowed words. Only then he ascends to greatness.
By Rui Alves5 years ago in Journal
Good Deeds? Don’t Look Far. It’s Vocal
Dear Vocal, I simply wanted to say "Thank You!" The universe led me to your site, you accepted me and made me freely write my thoughts. Your moderators swiftly check my work, and my stories are live online even before 24 hours.
By Olivia Marlene5 years ago in Journal
How to Write a Query Letter
Hello to whoever is reading this! First of all I hope that you have enjoyed the holidays however which way you spent it during this crazy time! Also, Happy New Year and here's to the first post of 2021! If you're reading this, it's probably because you were like me when I first started querying, went on google and searched "How to Write a Query Letter." Or, if you're really like me you initially searched, "How the #### do I write a query letter?!"
By Amanda Badillo5 years ago in Journal
7 Things You Find in Vocal That You Won't Find Anywhere Else
I'm a newbie writer. Sure, in the past I've written some short stories and kept them to myself. Initially, it changed from personal files on my hard disk to Blogger.com, where I kept my writings in private mode since I'm not the kind of person who shares my thoughts in public. Last year, I joined Medium during the lockdown, but my writing there was short-lived because it was not clear to me, the list of features that Medium supports, especially as an Indian writer (Medium Partner Program made too many changes for writers from India, Brazil, etc.). So, I was mostly writing on Medium to keep up with my passion for writing and not for audience or rewards.
By vaisrinivasan5 years ago in Journal