Be Your Own Advocate Challenge

A New Paul Stewart Unofficial Challenge/Prompt Thingo - I Will Read Your Work!

By Paul StewartPublished 2 years ago • Updated 2 years ago • 3 min read

Top Story - May 2024

So, folks...I wanted to do something a bit different for my next challenge thingo. I wanted to turn things back on you - as many of you have been firm and constant supporters of me and I always feel I've been a let down in terms of reciprocating.

I could say it's because of limited time with other things in my life, or that the limited time I have is often taken up by my own writing. Either way it's going to sound, honest for sure, but also like crappy excuses.

So, here's the deal. There is so much stuff to read on Vocal and while it's just scratching the surface, I have come up with this as a cheeky and at least kinda ingenius way of trying to be a better member of the platform.

Get to the point, Paul!

So what the hell is all this rambling about?

Well, the challenge, prompt thingo whatever you want to call it is simple:

In the comments section, provide me with the titles and links to 3 of your own pieces that I have not yet read or commented on and I will rectify that. They could be things you are most proud of, underappreciated pieces, whatever. It's up to you - advocate for yourself and your writing! Also, if you want to include anything about why you chose the pieces you did, that would also be great, though is not necessary.

Simple as that!

There will be no prizes as such for these, but you will obviously get extra reads, comments and likes on your pieces, so that's something?

I will try to update this piece to highlight the people who have taken me up on their offer and highlight the links.

But, Wait, There's More!

As is the way of these things, there's another layer to all this.

Yes, it's a sneaky way for me to catch-up on reading so many of you writers that I respect and have fallen behind in your creative output, but I want this to be a lesson in the importance of advocating for yourself and your own writing. After all, the community is great, this community and other writing communities are great, but if you don't believe in your own writing and put yourself out there, it'll be harder to garner any interest.

This is something I've been thinking about a lot and has fueled a lot of my most recent poems and stories...sure there's satire in there...sure they are exaggerated pisstakes to a point...and that point when the lines between the truth and the fiction get a little fuzzy.

There seems to be a lot of stigma, from what I can see, from being proud of your own writing and thinking you're quite good. And really, it's not the case. To think you are better than everyone and deserve all the attention - that's different. But to think "Yep, I deserve to sit at the table" is what I'm getting at.

As it is not a proper challenge in the traditional sense and there are lots of unofficial challenges coming to a close soon, I will be giving this quite a long deadline - 30th June.

Oh, for the record, I am not worried about word count or story read time. If you share 3 long pieces, it may take me a little longer to get to them all, but I will read them.

Once the submission date passes and the challenge is over, I will do a recap/summary piece, showcasing all the entries or may just highlight favourites and include thoughts/feelings on them. It really depends on the response.

I look forward to see what you share with me.

Thanks for reading