James & Oneg’s Summer Writing Extrav-again-AGAIN-za!

You might be wondering, "what's with the pineapples again, guys?" Well, let me tell you, pineapple is the only fruit that Oneg is not sick of. Also, they look absolutely fabulous adorned in glassware. If you disagree, see yourself out.

But if you're on board with fruits in various attire, get ready to celebrate another super whack August with your best pals (and lowkey deserters), James and Oneg!

That's right, we're back (barely), with another August filled with zany and pulled-out-of-our-asses challenges just for you! Aren't you special. And this time, we've added in some potential flammable laptops along with the best Kiwi in the world. Kiwi the great, Kiwi the poet, Kiwi the non-tennis-playing doggo!

Did we do it? Did we lure you in? Perfect!

Well, if you don't know anything so far, or maybe just the basics cause you've been around, James and I (Oneg) do this wild thing where we give you a bunch of challenges for this month. This year, we barely scraped by. Mostly because Vocal has been continuously going down the shitter and so has the world. We're exhausted.

Butt.

We wanted to maybe try and lift our drained selves out of the void for a hot second, light some Teslas and laptops on fire, and give you some writing prompts that are sooooooo much better than whatever Vocal keeps recycling. (C'mon Vocal, do better already.)

The Unusual Water Works (there's been a Jell-O Leak):

A new challenge will be released and announced every Monday for the month of August, the first, starting today (so make sure you read all the way to the end for a Kinder Surprise)

You can choose when and which challenge to participate in or do them all. There is NO deadline to finish, but you can choose to use the weekly stretch as one if you’d like.

For those who go the extra mile and actually finish them (wow what a hero), you get a metaphorical gold-starred rusty water hose that’s been in storage way too long, and an octopus thrown at you because we're scared of it and couldn't train it to high-five without giving ourselves black-eyes. Do what you want with Gerfunkle. And no, you don't get Kiwi, so stop asking.

We will be announcing/posting the challenges mostly on Facebook in the various Vocal groups such as, but not limited to:

The Medium Writers and Vocal Creators Support Group | Facebook

Vocal Social Society | Facebook

Voices in Minor (ViM & Mus'd) | Facebook

Queer Vocal Voices | Facebook

Along with the Facebook posts, we will be releasing our own examples/stories (or will we...) and tagging you (if only Vocal had a tag option- C'MON!! HOW DO WE STILL NOT HAVE THIS) to play in!

We will also be updating this page here with the updated challenges so you can keep track of what has been released and when. So, make sure you check back here from time to time. Make sure. We don't want to have to remind you.

To Participate in the Fruit Flavored Madness:

Here’s what you need to do to participate to the best or half-caliber of your ability. It's been a summer. A year. A life. Too much madness, so try your best.

-Make sure you put the challenge title in your subtitle; it helps keep track.

-Give a brief intro of what the challenge is somewhere, either in the beginning or end.

-Make sure you link this main page as reference for others.

-Link another creator’s entry at the bottom of your story. Maybe even two. Just do it. Support each other. Read each other’s tributes to this madness. Be a community (or a cult...)

And hey, while you’re at it, why not challenge another creator to the task? You might have to let them know they’ve been challenged or “tagged” through other social media means. But the goal is to share the word. THE WORD IS THE BIRD.

Lastly, have fun ya whackadoodles! Be creative with these prompts, and if you want to tweak it to your liking, go for it! We won’t even get mad. Might not even notice! Gosh, anything can happen during an EXTRA-VA-AGAIN-AGAIN-ZA!

So, let's get cracking with the Challenges!

August 4th- All Night Long - This challenge asks you to create a story or poem that spans a whole night. What happens? How do you make it through to dawn? But here’s the twist: you must not use the words “light”, “day”, “night” nor “dark”.

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August 11th - Alphabet Soup - You find a message in your soup. It defines the following 24 hours. Write the story.

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August 18th - Megaphone - Write a poem that isn’t silent, a poem that’s all about standing up for something. Be loud.

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August 25th - Fuck Summer - Summer isn’t always all it’s talked up to be. Write about a fucked up summer moment, memory, or entirety. And fuck the mosquitos.

*Thanks for joining the shenanigans this year!*