A Milestone: 50,000 Reads On Vocal

Looks like sharing my writing on social media to an obnoxious degree is paying off, because I’m so thrilled to say that I’ve officially earned 50,000 reads on Vocal!

If this is your first time seeing me, hi! I’m Jaye, and I’ve been a creator on Vocal for almost 6 years! I like to write a little bit of everything; I mainly write poetry and creative nonfiction, but I also love to write the occasional short fiction story.

Funny enough, even though I’m a musician and lifelong artist, I honestly never saw myself becoming a writer. And I definitely never imagined that my journey as a writer would start by coming across a random sponsored Facebook post at the beginning of the pandemic.

But that’s exactly how it happened. And wow, has it been a ride.

The growth I’ve experienced since I started here is immense. Every story, poem, challenge prompt, flop, fail, and accomplishment have challenged and changed me in the best way. I’ve improved my craft dramatically, and I’ve learned so much along the way. And I’ve evolved not just as a writer and an artist, but also as an all around human being. I can’t even tell you how good that feels.

Since I’ve hit this milestone, I’ve been looking back at all of my writing here on Vocal, and I’m realizing just how much I’ve actually accomplished:

- 120 total stories (121 counting this one!)

- 72 poems

- 4 short fiction stories

- 4 Top Stories

- 1 Challenge placement

And now I’m ending off 2025 and starting off 2026 having just passed 50,000 reads! So here I am, celebrating with some New Year's Eve champagne and a little trip down memory lane, looking back on some of my best stories and poems:

My Top 5 Most Read Stories:

Have The Best Night Of Your Life – 2,200 reads

The Gray – 2,064 reads

The Time Capsule – 1,951 reads

A Token Of Gratitude – 1,726 reads

Grandmother Moon – 1,497 reads

My Top 5 Most Liked Stories:

The Gray – 55 likes

The Time Capsule – 38 likes

A Little Snapshot Of Normal & Sharing The Joy – tied at 27 likes

A Token Of Gratitude & Sleep Therapy, Hard Things, And The Wrath Of Hell – tied at 24 likes

The Season Of Lights – 19 likes

My Top 5 Most Commented On Stories:

The Season Of Lights – 14 comments

A Token Of Gratitude – 10 comments

The 3 Pillars Of Haunted House Etiquette – 9 comments

Grandmother Moon – 8 comments

The Season Of Rebirth – 7 comments

Top Stories:

The 3 Pillars Of Haunted House Etiquette – October 2023

A Token Of Gratitude – November 2024

Grandmother Moon – November 2025

The Season Of Lights – November 2025

Challenge Placements:

A Chilling Warning – Honorable Mention in the Haunted Echoes challenge

My Top 5 Personal Favorite Stories & Poems:

A Token Of Gratitude

Grandmother Moon

(Un)Masking

In My Mind, I Let Go First

Twin Flames

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Honestly, this all blows my mind when I really think about it.

For a long time, I felt like I was just endlessly running on a hamster wheel getting nowhere. There were countless times I felt like giving up. Every time I didn’t win or place in a challenge, or it seemed like no one was reading my stories, or I found myself in a state of prolonged writer’s block, felt like a blow to my confidence.

Of course, I took time away and rested when I needed to. But I kept going, kept writing, kept working at it even when it was hard, and kept sharing and posting even when it felt like everyone was ignoring me.

And besides putting in consistent effort, one thing that helped me persist was focusing less on trying to earn money or accolades and more on the writing itself, and just writing because I love to do it. Sure, the money and recognition are nice added bonuses, but they're not as great at motivating someone to keep creating. The ultimate motivator is really just the love of creating, because why keep doing something if you don't enjoy it? Some of my best pieces came within the last year, and I consider them my best because they not only turned out great, but because I enjoyed writing them so much.

Now I’m here, with a body of work that’s impressive in both quality and quantity. I’ve written so many incredible pieces I didn’t even realize I was capable of writing. And the accolades naturally came along with it.

I’ve not only achieved more than I expected, but I’m the happiest I’ve ever been to be a writer.

I’m so excited to see where things go from here, and what stories I end up creating next. Thank you so much to everyone who has loved and supported my work throughout this journey. I’m forever grateful.

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Thanks so much for reading! If you enjoyed this story, I’d appreciate it so much if you shared it and left a heart, a tip, and a pledge! And subscribe to see more of my writing in the future!