Why Writing On Vocal Made Sense In The New Normal

It was late one night in November of 2020 and while that was late into the game I remember it well. This advertisement pops up on Facebook, I see it on Instagram as well, make up to $6,000 a Month Writing From Home. I've literally written thousands of stories, I tell myself as I think about the possibility. I remember over the years, different people would say they could see what happened when they were reading my narrative reports. It was perhaps one of the biggest compliments in my professional career. These were Sheriffs, Judges, Lawyers, Prosecutors, and Deputy United States Marshalls. It was a very satisfying feeling to know I could impress people so accomplished, so educated, with my written words.

The idea of doing this, much in part to their somewhat aggressive advertising campaign, was one that was inescapable. I didn't initially jump and sign up. It took about a week from the first time I looked it over. Noticing it on a Monday, it was late one Friday night, with nothing open for me to be anywhere else, I was home and looking for something to spend some time doing. Cruising through social media posts, imagining anything better to do for the evening, I saw that advertisement again and it mentioned telling stories. Wow, I thought. I've always had an active imagination and I have tried my hand at writing a few times. I looked through some things in a drawer and there was my unfinished manuscript. Getting a line editor is an expensive task, especially after spending a few months out of work last year and not particularly qualifying for all those financial benefits some found it easier to get.

This was a sign, a sign that called to me loudly and ever so clearly. It also came at a time when we were all suffering from one form or another of C0vid-19 trauma. So I signed up for the free membership and began writing. Looking back, I now understand what writers' remorse means when I hear the term. Some of my first pieces of work were simply not that good. However, I had written better things before this, so I carried on but with a more conscientious mindset. After all, I was not a writer or an artistic type by nature. Perhaps those are traits that I never let out as I admittedly spent my formative years in an environment that was toxic. After that, I spent my younger adult years in environments that people today would say were filled with "Toxic Masculinity".

What would I write, and how would it make me a writer or an income? I honestly was looking at the advertisement and attracted to the potential side income. For years I have written short stories, plotted out scripts, written two novels, and numerous starts to novels that sit on my computer, in a drawer, or in stacks of notebooks I've never thrown away. So, wherein lies my ability to spin stories and make money from them? Well, being aware of the internet and how much time people spend searching for various erotic fare, I decided I would spend some time in Filthy. Sex sells! It is truly a simple truth of life.

Sex absolutely is an explorable topic for so many different reasons that a person could spend a lifetime in more sexually-orientated storytelling. There is really nothing wrong with that. Since coming to Vocal, however, they've added a couple of new communities. Confessions, Earth, and FYI are all new since I signed up and with those 3 additions, there are now a total of thirty-seven different communities to explore. So, I did, and what I found were amazing possibilities. Obviously, with the marketing going on, I like many were going to find ourselves tempted by a discounted three months on plus. To go with all the possibilities of the different communities, there are challenges that come out all the time. Some lasting as little as a week and some for weeks at a time.

The Wave Makers challenge has been by far the most exciting one I've tried because it really has forced me to think. In past years, we have all heard about climate change, and if you're not paying attention you should consider doing so before it is too late. The earths' climate is changing due to a number of problems. Does anybody remember around 2010 when the only state in the country that didn't have snow was Florida. At the same time, our magnetic field fluctuated, causing Florida airports to have to realign navigational computers. Birds literally dive-bombed the ground in Alabama.

So here I am, with more than one entry into the Wave Makers Challenge. There's probably a reason why. For years I've been following the story about our magnetic north pole moving toward the Russian frontier. Our oceans are experiencing desalinization at an alarming rate. The carbon footprint of man is increasingly becoming more and more apparent to our world as mother nature rears her ugly side and bears down on us. This year the experts are predicting that there'll be at least twenty hurricanes that will affect the Atlantic as hurricane seasons become more and more devastating. The Wave Makers Challenge was one that made me consider what I've done and if I'm doing enough. The answer is a hard no, and I doubt that everybody is doing enough.

But, as I stated, it got me thinking about things regarding our climate. and the more we are thinking about it, the more we are talking about what to do to save our world for future generations. My new normal, from the changes of 2020, has shown me that even though I was on a good track, there's more I can do.

As I pointed out there are numerous, I believe I said thirty-seven, communities in Vocals' platform that anyone can write. From Horror fiction to Criminal stories, from futuristic stories to relationship stories, and from posting movie reviews to discussing the Avengers in Geeks, there is something there for everyone that has a need to write. One place that I surprisingly find myself more and more intrigued by is the section for poets. To say that there are a number of gifted poetry writers here would be as big of an understatement as saying creator Tom Bradbury has a lot of knowledge to share. I've read some truly amazing poetry and it has inspired me to try my hand at it more than once, with my most recently published piece written as a cautionary tale of what will happen if we don't control our carbon footprint.

But, this all started in one place. The advertising. Vocal+ is something that's been very well marketed and in a time of economic uncertainty as well as people being so isolated the last 14 months, it's a brilliant way to do what they're doing. I can't fault any business for trying to be successful and looking at their announcement about reaching their 25,000 subscribers and where they expect to be by the end of 2021, they're doing well. If you're not a vocal + member I am not here to advocate for becoming one. The truth is, I haven't won a challenge yet. That's one way to make money here and if you are a member entering each one of them is smart business. It gives you a better chance. While I haven't won one yet, my time on vocal has forced me to become a better writer, and I'm sure it's just a matter of time before I knock one out of the park. I got one time from a very nice member, Shelley Carroll. Thanks a bunch, Shelley. So, to say I'm not quite making 6,000 a month is an understatement. But, I said, it's forced me to become a better writer. I have made more than I've spent. Through bonuses and reads, with just the one tip, for now, I've stayed ahead of the game. Not bad for a hack writer.

So after six full months, it's been an adventure. I've written one article that got nearly 3,000 reads and a few that got just 1. Trust me, as I look back at them, I'm lucky to get the 1. I've learned to promote my work, am starting to experiment with search engine optimization as a way to help promote my work, and I'm having some fun on the side. I've written horror, movie reviews, erotic fiction, and even poetry (yes I'm proud of the ones I did.) Vocal filled a void in what my new normal became in 2020 and continues to provide an outlet for me to get some things out in 2021. One of these days, I'll score that challenge win, and perhaps a top story spot. The right idea just hasn't come to me yet.

Please feel free to check out any of my other works and if you leave a heart know that I really appreciate the love.