Introducing the Vocal+ Summer Writing Series

Challenges on Vocal have always been about more than winning.

We believe their value is in the process. They help create a spark, offer structure, and help writers stay connected to their craft.

And they're not just about the cash prizes. They're about hitting a deadline, pushing your creative boundaries, and creating something real from a simple prompt.

Since launching, we’ve run more than 250 Challenges, and you’ve submitted over 230,000 stories. That's a ton of stories. To put that in perspective, if each story averaged 400 words (discounting for poetry), that's over 92 million words. That's enough to rewrite The Great Gatsby about 2,000 times, or stretch your words the globe 15 times.

Every so often, we like to group our Challenges into series. From the Vocal+ Fiction Awards to the original Summer Fiction Series, we’ve seen what happens when a strong creative spark meets the power of our community, and the kind of storytelling that follows.

So we’re bringing it back.

Introducing the Vocal+ Summer Writing Series: 12 prompts, six fiction, six poetry, built to keep you inspired all summer long. All 12 drop today, June 13, 2025, with each one closing weekly throughout the summer.d

We’re also changing how winners are selected.

Instead of one first place, one second place, 15 runners-up and 10 honorable mentions, we’re expanding the recognition:

• 5 winners will each receive $200
• 15 runners-up will receive $15
• 10 honorable mentions will receive $5

It’s a way to highlight more voices, reward more writers, and make sure that great work doesn’t go unnoticed.

As it says in the title, these Challenges are available exclusively to Vocal+ members. And remember, your subscription doesn’t just give you access, it helps fund these prizes and fuels more opportunities for creators across the Vocal community.

Without further ado, here are your (optional) summer assignments:

You Were Never Really Here Challenge

Submissions Close: 7/06/2025

The Prompt: Write a story shaped by someone who is gone, imagined, or never existed at all.

Light Breaks Water Challenge

Submissions Close: 7/11/2025

The Prompt: Write a poem that feels like sunlight touching the surface.

The Second First Time Challenge

Submissions Close: 7/18/2025

The Prompt: Tell a story about doing something again, and how it feels like the first time.

Things You Can’t Say Out Loud Challenge

Submissions Close: 7/25/2025

The Prompt: Write a poem built from the thoughts you never speak.

The Summer That Wasn’t Challenge

Submissions Close: 8/1/2025

The Prompt: Write a story about a summer that never turned out the way it was supposed to.

Instructions for Disappearing Challenge

Submissions Close: 8/8/2025

The Prompt: Write a poem in the form of a guide for vanishing.

Leave the Light On Challenge

Submissions Close: 8/15/2025

The Prompt: Write a story that unfolds over the course of one night.

This Is How I Remember It Challenge

Submissions Close: 8/22/2025

The Prompt: Write a poem built from a memory that won’t let go.

Everything Looks Better From Far Away Challenge

Submissions Close: 8/29/2025

The Prompt: Write a story where the view is perfect, but something’s off.

Somewhere Between Here and There Challenge

Submissions Close: 9/5/2025

The Prompt: Write a poem that takes place mid-thought, mid-walk, or mid-sentence.

The Shape of the Thing Challenge

Submissions Close: 9/12/2025

The Prompt: Write a story where something unreal still has real impact.

The Road Drops Here Challenge

Submissions Close: 9/19/2025

The Prompt: Write a poem that begins just as the world tilts forward.

We can’t wait to see what you create.