Process
The Effect of the Green Socks. First Place in Writers Challenge. Top Story - August 2023.
She preferred to be called THE Rankin instead of Mrs. Rankin. It seemed odd to us in her eighth-grade gifted class to be called by just her surname, but she also wasn’t your average caffeinated teacher. She was assuredly one of those souls so far outside the box she wasn’t even in the same state as the box. Her honey-sweet Alabama accent made our small class feel like home. Best class ever.
By Barb Dukeman2 years ago in Writers
Want to Feel Special. Read This
Author's preface: A comment on a recent story published here (thanks Kendall DeFoe) triggered something in me which caused me to recall a story I had written many years ago, way back in 2016. That article was published on a different web publishing platform, which I will not name, but rhymes with tedium, from which I have since been twice suspended and (apparently) permanently banned. It was written as part of my 1000 page view up all night write-athon which was some stupid thing I thought to try and do after I finally hit 1000 page views. I had started publishing there in early 2015 so it took me a solid year to hit the 1000 mark with close to 200 stories published in that first year. I was quite prolific back in those days and, exactly like today, I was not very popular, as those dismal stats clearly indicate. That said I was very proud of the achievement, and decided I would try a stunt where I stayed up all night (5pm until 8am the next day) and try and write and publish as many articles as I could in that time span. I conceived of the idea the day I hit 1000, and initiated the challenge the following evening so I did not have time to think much about how difficult a thing that actually could be. Also, exactly like today, I did not tend to think very much in advance about stuff, and figured it would just work itself out in the end. This other unnamed platform did not have a ludicrous and absurd minimum word count requirement like Vocal, nor did it have a roving censor brigade, and one could get away with just about anything in those early days on the site. As per my typical MO, I tended to take a very laissez-faire attitude with respect to the "rules" which obviously ended up hurting me fairly badly many years later when I got my first suspension, and then again a year after that when I was suspended a second time. This was about two years ago and that suspension has yet to be rescinded, despite several petitions, so amounts to a permanent ban. In any event I can't actually recall how many stories I banged out, but think I got close to fifteen. Below is just one of them which surprisingly holds up even today both in terms of its truth value (I am still an almost never read writer) and its overall quality (fair to middlin at best). Crazy how the computer references seem so dated and ancient. It really was not that long ago. lol! Enjoy!
By Everyday Junglist2 years ago in Writers
The Importance of Using Writing Prompts
What is a Writing Prompt? A writing prompt is a short statement or question that gives a writer a starting point for their work. It can be used to spark creativity, generate ideas, or help writers overcome writer's block.
By Timothy A Rowland2 years ago in Writers
her
I'm sure that in my childhood years I wrote many stories, crafted many tales. But the first one that really meant something to me was the Luke Hemmings short story fanfiction. If you're unfamiliar, Luke Hemmings is the lead singer of the pop-rock band 5 Seconds of Summer. And if you're unfamiliar with the term or the inner-workings of fanfiction, well, then, maybe this article isn't for you. Fanfiction has always been (and will likely always be) a staple in fandom culture, but I feel like it had a true resurgence in the early 2010s, specifically 2013-2016, years that some affectionately don The Tumblr Era. One Direction were at the peak of their fame, YouTube was forming into an entirely new beast, and K-pop was on the rise. The opportunity for fandom and fanfiction was greater than ever. So, as a young teen obsessed with both One Direction and 5 Seconds of Summer, I thought I would try my hand as a writer on the infamous app/website Wattpad.
By Raine Neal2 years ago in Writers
why so many countries are abandoning the dollar
Glancing at recent headlines can stir up anxiety in the minds of Americans. Phrases like "The dollar is done" and "End of dollar dominance will also spell demise of US Hegemony" create fear-inducing scenarios. However, before hastily converting dollars to trivial items, it's essential to consider a more nuanced perspective.
By shannan leon2 years ago in Writers
What Stories Should We Tell?
Reposted for Vocal's new Writers community. What stories are we allowed to tell? I would argue this question is as old as what constitutes literature and is especially provocative in our current socio-political climate. Everyone has a story inside them, but what stories are you allowed to tell? How far are you allowed to share them? With fiction, this is a complicated question. It can lead to angry fans who claim you did not portray a culture or gender correctly. It can lead to backlash from individuals who find an experience too narrow, even if it relates to your own experiences. However, creative nonfiction comes with its own problems as well. In some ways, the questions are more intense because nonfiction writers are bearers of truth. They discuss real people and real stories, which creates ramifications about everything they write. So, the ramifications don’t just land on them, but on other people as well. The truth is enough, but when is the truth too much? When do we hold back? When do we plow forward? What are willing to give up to have our stories told? The truth is not simple. It is complicated. But, sometimes a story just needs to be told. We decide what stories we are allowed to tell by deciding what is most important to us in our pursuits of the truth.
By C.M. Vazquez2 years ago in Writers
The World Is Our Oyster
Introduction Very often people are stumped for things to write about. On the train today I was trying to watch an episode of "Supernatural" and then the train wifi took a hissyfit and decided it wasn't playing anymore so I started observing people and things, and started thinking about inspiration and story prompts, and thought when I get home maybe I could make a story out of this.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 2 years ago in Writers
