“Do You Remember Your First Story?” — A Call to the Writers Who Dared to Begin

There’s a quiet kind of bravery in pressing publish for the very first time.

It doesn’t make headlines. There’s no applause. No instant recognition or viral celebration. Just you, staring at the screen, your heart somewhere between your throat and your stomach, wondering, “What if nobody reads it?” or maybe worse — “What if they do?”

And yet, you did it.

If you’re here reading this, chances are you’ve published something on Vocal. Or maybe you’re about to. Either way, you’ve stood at the edge of that creative cliff and taken a leap. And that deserves recognition.

I Still Remember Mine

My first story on Vocal was a motivational piece. Simple, sincere, and probably a little rough around the edges. It wasn’t about perfection — it was about starting.

I had been thinking a lot about self-discipline, mental clarity, and the invisible battles people face every day. The article was titled something like “Train Your Brain Like a Muscle” — the idea being that self-discipline isn’t just a trait you’re born with; it’s something you build.

I didn’t know if anyone would read it. But I knew I had to write it.

And I remember the feeling after publishing — a strange mix of relief and vulnerability. The words were out there now. The rest was out of my hands.

The Comments That Matter

That story didn’t go viral. It didn’t rack up thousands of reads overnight. But it got something more meaningful: a comment. Then another. And another.

People shared how they related. How they’d been struggling with procrastination or doubt. How the words helped, even just a little.

That’s when I realized something:

Writing isn’t just about expression. It’s about connection.

Your first story — no matter how simple or strange or unpolished — is the foundation of that connection. It’s the moment you stepped out from the silence and said, “Here I am. This is what I think. This is what I feel.”

A Community of Courage

Since then, I’ve written more motivational pieces. Some about self-control, others about resilience. I’ve explored why we chase empty pleasures, how dopamine tricks us, why saying no to yourself can sometimes be an act of self-respect.

But that first article? That was the spark.

It reminded me that we don’t need to be experts to speak. We don’t need to have it all figured out. Sometimes, the act of sharing what you’re learning — while you’re learning it — is enough.

And the beauty of Vocal is that it offers a space for all of us, regardless of where we are in our journey. Some of us are seasoned writers. Some of us are just starting out. But we all started somewhere.

So Tell Me…

Do you remember your first Vocal story?

Was it a poem about a heartbreak you never told anyone about?

A rant about something that drove you crazy?

A piece of fiction you were too shy to show your friends?

A motivational essay you hoped might help someone out there?

Whatever it was — I want to hear about it.

Leave a comment below with:

The title of your first story

A quick summary of what it was about

A link to it (if you're comfortable sharing)

And what you’ve learned since then as a writer

Let’s turn this comment section into a timeline of beginnings — a space to revisit the moment we each became real writers.

Because the truth is: there is no such thing as “just a story.”

Every story is a marker of who you were, what you believed, and what you dared to say out loud at that time.

If You're Still Waiting to Hit Publish…

Maybe you haven’t posted your first story yet. Maybe you’ve been writing drafts in secret, wondering if they’re good enough.

This is your sign.

Stop overthinking. Stop aiming for perfect. Just write from where you are. Speak to one person. Write the article you needed a year ago.

Because somewhere out there, someone needs your words — even if you don’t know it yet.

Here’s Mine — What’s Yours?

👉 [Insert link to your actual first story on Vocal]

That was the beginning of a journey I didn’t know I needed. And I’m still learning, still growing, still writing.

So now, I pass the mic to you.

What was your first story?

Let’s celebrate how far we’ve all come.

Drop a comment, tag a friend, revisit your roots.

We started with one story. And look at us now.