Top Story Index
An unhumble brag
A day may come when Vocal gives us a Top Story tab on our profiles. Alas, today is not that day. Until then, those of us who want to show off a bit (despite the fact the accolade feels somewhat diluted at times)...
Current count: 75 (that's almost ~10% of all my stories on here)
JUNE 2022
1. The Scientist's Daughter (Fiction)
My first ever Top Story. You cannot imagine my excitement. Maybe you can, but (let me set my zimmer frame aside for a moment) back in those days top stories were much harder to come by... This felt like a terrifically huge deal at the time.
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APRIL 2023
2. Lost (Fiction)
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MAY 2023
Seven Top Stories this month. I must have been on fire! A year ago, it felt like they were harder to get.
3. You Write What You Read (Motivation)
This one should have been in "Writers", but alas (picks up zimmer again), we didn't have a Writers community back then...
4. What's the best strategy for posting on Vocal? (Interview)
This is my first and most-read entry to this community. It's my second most-read piece.
5. Hey, You. Yes, You. Write Something! (Motivation)
6. Never Have I Ever (Writers' Edition) (Motivation)
7. Creative Constipation (Poets)
My first T.S. in the Poets community, and close to my heart (because it's full of shit).
8. Mummy Took Me To Watch The Hanging Today (Fiction)
Always bothered me a little that this one got TS, and "25 seconds and more of agony" didn't.
9. Distractions (Poets)
JUNE 2023
Four this time...
10. The Vocal Plus Secret Society (Fiction)
This was the first time I got two TS, back to back. (Distractions, then this one.)
11. The Jewel (Fiction)
Another two TS, back to back! This one, and then The Worst Heist (below)
12. The Worst Heist (Fiction)
It shot to the top of my most read stories shortly after being given top story. It's finally been dethroned, but it took some doing.
13. The Little Mermaid (Geeks)
This was my first submission to this community. It's a review of the live action Little Mermaid. It got a lot of reads very quickly. It's my most read piece in Geeks, and my 5th most read.
AUGUST 2023
Seven again this month. Here they are, for your eyes:
14. Critique - Oppenheimer (Critique)
Only 100 words, and I'm actually pretty proud of this review!
15. Run, Run, As Fast As You Can... (Fiction)
This one also placed first in a challenge. I think it is one of my best pieces on Vocal. I might never top this sucker.
16. Lord of the Rings (Critique)
Another two TS, back to back: this one and then East of the Sun (below)
17. East of the Sun & Text of the Moon (Fiction)
18. Shaun of the Dead (Critique)
19. Critiques That Didn't Squeak (Critique)
20. Bloody Hell (Viva)
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SEPTEMBER 2023
Four TS this month
21. Schäfer's Round Up - Third Time's the Charm (Journal)
I've since stopped doing these, but I do try to include a shout out to other creators when I do a reflection on recently closed challenges.
22. Reflection on 4K Reads, AKA "How Writing is a Bit Like Sex" (Writers)
This felt huge at the time. Last time I looked, I'm up to 21k all time reads. I think this was my first entry to the brand spanking new Writers community.
23. Meat, Walking (Fiction)
This one also placed first in the Fantasy category of the Vocal Writing Awards. Nobody was more shocked than me.
24. You Know You're a Writer When... (Writers)
OCTOBER 2023
Three TS in October, two of them back to back (this one, and then the next one).
25. Couch to 5k Reads (Writers)
26. Summer Leaves (Poets)
My second TS in this community
27. A Barn Owl & A Blood Angel (Fiction)
Another two back to back (this one, then Good-Big). It was almost four in a row!
NOVEMBER 2023
Two TS in November...
28. Good-Big (Writers)
29. The Next Big Thing (Writers)
When I first floated my Story A Day plan to you all. Oh, boy, you must all be sick of me by now! Fear not, at the time of writing, only one hundred and one days to go!
DECEMBER 2023
Two TS in December, back to back.
30. Ten Lessons I Learned From My Dog (PetLife)
This was my first Top Story in the Petlife community.
31. A Story Every Day in 2024 (Writers)
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JANUARY 2024
You'll notice the Top Stories drop off sharply here! No more "seven in a month", hardly any back to back top stories...
I've been patiently reviewing my posts for 2023, and I had a TS on pretty much every page. That stops sharply at this point. Something changed in the new year. It might just have been my frequency and consistency in posting, but maybe there were changes behind the scenes at Vocal, as well.
I have a much less frequent top stories from this point on. This is despite posting daily, and (I think) the quality generally going up. (There are a few duffers, mind.) Curiouser and curiouser...
32. A New Beginning (Fiction)
I do love that my very first post out of the gate in my yearlong challenge got a bit of recognition. Thanks, Vocal!
33. Hitting Snooze on the New Year (Poets)
My third TS in this community
33. burn (Poets)
My fourth TS in this community
34. Clip Clop (Fiction)
FEBRUARY 2024
35. The Little Robot (Fiction)
36. Quick and Cold (Fiction)
MARCH 2024
37. Get Out (Fiction)
38. Tea, is it? (Poets)
My fifth TS for this community:
APRIL 2024
39. Fucked Up Fairytales - An Unofficial Challenge (Writers)
40. The Goblin (Fiction)
41. Chimera (Filthy)
My first ever toe-dip in the Filthy community, and my third most-read piece.
MAY 2024
42. Dying Later (Fiction)
43. Forced Compliance Not Necessary (Fiction)
44. The Write Equipment (Fiction)
JUNE 2024
45. I am Jack's tumour (Fiction)
46. The Syrup Dream (Fiction)
JULY 2024
47. Sleeping Beauty (Fiction)
48. A Perfect Evening (Fiction)
49. I Miss the Auras Most (Fiction)
AUGUST 2024
50. Bend in the Road (Fiction)
51. Poison Gown (Fiction)
SEPTEMBER 2024
52. The Hunt (Fiction)
52. His Raven (Fiction)
53. The Wretched Womb (Fiction)
OCTOBER 2024
54. Time Capsule
55. Imposter
56. Queen
NOVEMBER 2024
57. My New Stepmother
58. Silent is the Night
DECEMBER 2024
59. Cellar Door
60. Gone
61. Going Down
29 in 2024, if I've counted right. Gosh.
+++++
JANUARY 2025
62. Vampire Flu
63. The Lost Children
FEBRUARY 2025
64. So Brave, So Proud
65. Severance Package
Nothing for March! (I didn't post at all! FAIL!)
APRIL 2025
66. The Bond
Aaaand, back with a bang
67. The Wishing-Dream
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MAY 2025
68. For Glue
69. A Funny Story About Typos
JUNE 2025
70. Easily Spooked
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71. Milk of Human Kindness
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JULY 2025
72. Brenda
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73. Cuck-oo
AUGUST 2025
74. Whinberries
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75. Man Maid
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SEPTEMBER 2025
76. Nona
77. Butter Buns (my first feasty Top Story)
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OCTOBER 2025
77. Daria's Mum
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I'm going to put my challenge places here as well, and I don't think you can stop me. There are 11 of these. I appreciate they
Run, Run as Fast as You Can
First place in the Tales Retold challenge
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Meat Walking
First Place in 2023 Vocal Writing Awards (Fantasy Fiction)
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Runners Up
I Love It Here
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Poetry
phoenix wisdom ii
burn
Runner-up in Breakup Nonet Challenge
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+++++++
Thank you for stopping by!
About the Creator
L.C. Schäfer
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Summer Leaves (grab it while it's gorgeous)
Never so naked as I am on a page
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I'm not a writer! I've just had too much coffee!
Sometimes writes under S.E.Holz
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Comments (29)
This is great! I'll catch up on more as soon as I can. ⚡💙 Bill ⚡
This is fantastic! I might do this myself so I can boost my confidence!
Holy heck, this is an incredible achievement! Congratulations on so many recognitions!! I kinda want to try this for myself now just to see what my stats look like. :'o
Top Stories are still a nice touch, many platforms do not offer this incentive. Congratulations on your many TS. All well deserved.
Whoaaaa, you have 74 Top Stories! That's so cool!
Congrats! This is so awesome, I'll have to go back again and look through them properly - it was about mid 2024 where I started recognising them (I was but a little Vocal newbie before then) ✨😄
Many congrats. Very inspiring. I am not even 3 months properly. I have 4 TS and 1 leaderboard feature. They are such confidence-boosters.
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Wonderful writing
This idea is really great! It is so inspiring to see how many top stories you have! 10% is actually incredible!!!! Keep it up LC!!!!
Very interesting
Girl. FRIENNNNNN!!! You are beyond AWESOME and then SOME!!! Creative genius! 🤩
Wow! I'm truly just stunned by how many TS you've had! Great job! Your writing is #1 on my list to revisit and spend time reading! :)
Fabulous effort and achievement… such variety in your Top Stories ✅🤩. Many of the ones I just checked out, I had already read & liked 😊.
Honestly, just found it interesting to see how the numbers per month have stabilized over time. Kind of surprising since you'd think there'd be the opposite correlation with the one-a-day challenge (more output = more TSs). Makes you wonder what Oz the Great and Powerful is up to back there.
That listing of Top Stories is pretty darn impressive! This piece was also an amazing idea for a recap of them.
I remember your first top story too. I remember sitting up and thinking wow.
You never disappoint, my dear!
Ten percent of your posts made TS?! Since I read you regularly and know the quality of your posts, I should not be surprised unless it was that the number isn't higher. Congratulations on your achievements! Richly deserved!
Wow!!! Fabulous achievement!!! 🥂 Cheers!!!❤️❤️💕
Great achievements here! And yes I feel like the TS is harder to come by, but moreso because fewer are awarded each day
Wonderful collection :) I enjoyed the look back at your Vocal TS journey. I'm entirely too lazy to do this, lol.
Congratulations! A TS Tab is an excellent idea. Hint, hint, Vocal Media. I have only a handful of top stories in comparison, but it is a blessing each time it happens. Keep up the fantastic work. 👏👏🥰
I love this idea! Might have to steal it lol
#Goals right here! I also wish that Vocal would create a TS Tab! That would be AMAZING!