The Stories I Have Written On Medium And Vocal In About Three Years

As long as I continue to write on Vocal Media and on Medium.com, this story will continue on. I write on and publish most of my daily writings on both sites. Yes, I write daily and publish most days. It didn’t used to be that way, but with time, I have found a way to publish both places most days.

On Medium, I started reading first many years ago. It has been almost three years since I became a member and started publishing. It has been over three years since I started writing and publishing on Vocal Media. I am happy to be writing every day.

I also write yearly for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and in my writing and yours on my Facebook group page. On Facebook, I will post top stories. I will also let others know when the group writes a Poem a Day in February, or rhyming on the eighth of every month.

In February, I hold 4 contests. One each week, complete with prizes. The contests are judged by myself and other judges. My material is not included even though I probably contribute more material than the others.

Prizes are poetry books from the month's writings, notebooks, clothing, cups, gift cards, other books, and similar items.

I’m not sure how long ago I decided to write every day. It has become a habit and I rarely miss it. There have been times when I have written my writing down on a napkin, notepaper, or typed it in my phone in notepad.

This year I started using Rupi Kaur’s Writing Prompts after I saw her quoted in other people’s writing. I started with a book of gratitude prompts. When I finished those, I bought her balance and self-love writing prompts.

When I purchased Kaur’s prompts, I got the You Are a Badass deck by Jen Sincero for free. I am enjoying all three of those writing prompts. I hadn’t heard of Jen either, but I liked the idea of being a badass. I don’t consider myself that but a person or two have alluded to that in my past.

On Vocal Media, I will submit a story for an occasional challenge. Even though I have received many top stories, I have not won or placed in any of the challenges. And I don't expect to. There are so many great authors here who write and enter the challenges.

Recently, I told myself when I get three top stories in a month it will be time to publish a book. Last month, I was given three top stories. Before that most months, I was getting two top stories for several months in a row. It has been more than a year since the top stories started happening monthly.

My goal was to be a better writer. Have I met that goal by receiving top stories? I don’t know. Could it be an algorithm-decided thing, and all I have to do is to keep writing and publishing daily?

Either way, after writing 700 plus stories on Vocal and 700 stories on Medium, I am going to work on publishing a book in the next year or two.

Since 2010, I have written and self-published several books. Some with the assistance of NaNoWriMo and others for memorials and fundraisers. My mother died in 2009 and my sister in 2010. I had my mother's recipes and I wrote a cookbook for memorials to share her recipes with family.

When my sister died, I wrote another cookbook, sharing her recipes. Then I wrote an Ojibwe language calendar for one year that included her art and one with her recipes for another year for memorials and a fundraiser.

That is how it started. I also wrote a book about cancer, diabetes, Reiki, and one that had stories and poems about the culture, all for the Powwow for Hope Fundraiser going to the American Indian Cancer Foundation.

Attached, please find the story I wrote and published here on Vocal last year.

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Adapted from this story first published by New Writers Welcome on medium.com