Top Stories
New stories you’ll love, handpicked for you by our team and updated daily.
The goals I did not achieve
Every writing goal I made for the year is a wash. It has been this way for a while, but I think it's important to be open about my failures and the reality of how life can get in the way. This is especially true considering the several times I have posted on Vocal about my writing goals, how I was changing my approach, and where I was hoping to be for the upcoming year. I will probably do that again in a couple months, but for now, it is time to acknowledge where I am today.
By Kay Husnick23 days ago in Journal
Keeping your pets safe (and calm) this holiday season
The holiday season may be magical for some humans, but for pets it only means confusion, changed routines, overstimulation, extra noise, guests or pet sitters come and go, and sometimes the festive season means danger for pets.
By Susan Fourtané 23 days ago in Petlife
My Tous les Jours Trip
As someone who lives in a rural area, I don't get the chance to visit fancy restaurants or bakeries that often. So, when a friend told me about a French-Asian bakery that's less than an hour away, I knew I had to check it out and grab some pictures for social media. Tous les Jours ended up providing an immersive experience that went above and beyond my expectations--although I did leave with a few reservations.
By Kaitlin Shanks23 days ago in Feast
Christmas is Not Always “Beer and Skittles”
If you find the holiday season challenging, you’re not alone. I have never been a big fan of Christmas. I have always found it a bit pretentious. It is a time for kids, really. I have not had kids in my life, so the "children's influence" around this time of year doesn’t occur.
By Calvin London26 days ago in Psyche
Evac
“Your attention please. May we have your attention, please. We are currently under mandatory evacuation. Please gather all your belongings and make sure that your children are with you. The last bus to the mainland will be leaving in five minutes. If you are not on the bus at that time, there will be no further transportation out. Anybody still on the island will be required to leave on foot. It is highly recommended that you leave now. The approaching storm will not be survivable.”
By David E. Perry21 days ago in Fiction
Caretakers: Part 1
-------- Author's Note ------- Before going any further, I would like to give a quick heads up. I'm trying something a little different with this story. In the past I've lost momentum writing longer pieces. But, this is a story I've had brewing since 2018 and I think in order to get it out there, I'm going to release it in chunks. I'm not sure how many we'll end up with but what you're about to read is a mystery/thriller set in the same town as a previous story I wrote, "Blue Heron Creek". Thank you for giving this a read and... be careful when you check into Mercy Regional Hospital... The morgue doesn't have the only thing rotten...
By Sandor Szabo22 days ago in Fiction
Word of the Day: ホチキス
I don't know the word for Staples. I remember I used to think that Hochikisu was an Onomatopoeia for a stapler rather than a brand name. I am pretty sure I already have this title as a theme, which is making me feel many sort of ways as Vocal is harassing me about payments currently.
By Kayla McIntosh22 days ago in Confessions
Published in Portrait of New England
My quest to find many publications with prestige to submit to has worked out even better than I thought. I was searching for more publications with more prestige in order to bolster my resume. I truly thought I'd try this for a year and not get published anywhere... maybe if I was lucky... in one of them. And I was OK with that... I was just going to try again the following year, and the year after that, and so on.
By Stephen Kramer Avitabile26 days ago in Writers
Who Is Clavicular? The Looksmaxxing Streamer Who Ran Over A Stalker In His Cybertruck
What is so damaging to this current culture is the ant-intellectualism which pervades nearly every element of it. Clavicular, real name, Braden Peters equivocates physical form with getting women, making money, and overall being a strong “man.”
By Skyler Saunders22 days ago in Critique
