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Paul and John's 47-Words Short Story Unofficial Challenge
Brevity is important. So d the man of wordy sentences and paragraphs. The man who adores Tolkien for his dense descriptions. Brevity is important.
By Paul Stewart40 minutes ago in Writers
To My Beloved Grandson
Grandson: I’m writing this to you now, even though you are so young you’re unable to read or comprehend it, because I feel we are at the edge of a great precipice morally and idealistically and practically. I publish this letter in its entirety in the present, the year 2026, when you are but a scant few months old. A copy will reside with your parents to hold in trust for you, that you may have a physical reminder of me and my thoughts and my love for you even after I’m gone. I recognize it as a quaint old custom, the passing along of an old fashioned letter written on paper, by hand, in a form of script that you may look at and never actually comprehend. To you, when you are finally presented this artifact, it may be as alien a form of communication as I found Sumerian cuneiform, or Egyptian hieroglyphics, or Incan knot language. I’m hoping your mother and father school you a bit in the art of what is known as cursive writing in the here and now, even if the educational system abandons the practice. I believe it is important to be able to write and especially to read cursive, and the most important founding documents of our nation were written in that script. I believe it is vitally necessary to be able to read those primary sources in their original form, rather than rely on an unknown human or machine mind’s translation.
By David Muñozabout an hour ago in Writers
escapism: a virtual writing retreat
On more than one occasion, as a child, lil Oneg liked to sneak out of class and run down the hill in the back playground of school. They would sprint downhill and right before the ground flattened out, jump. Oneg wanted to fly. And escape school.
By 4wordsa day ago in Writers
The Benefits Of Reviving Your Old Stories On Vocal
Introduction This is just a short piece about the benefits of reviving old stories (if you consider five years old in my case). I do treasure most of my Vocal writing and am disappointed when the Vocal Story fails to load. While I have the original text, I can't always remember the videos, pictures, links and other ephemera that I included. Also, I don't want to recreate the stories in case Vocal do get their act together and restore the failing stories.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred a day ago in Writers
Readers are Leaders
I used to think reading was just a hobby—a quiet escape from the chaos of life. But one rainy afternoon, curled up with a book I barely understood, I realized something that shook me: readers aren’t just dreamers. We’re leaders.
By John Smith2 days ago in Writers
Unofficial Vocal Challenges: March 2026
Introduction This list of unofficial Vocal challenges will grow as I find them, so it will be short when this is first published.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 2 days ago in Writers
13 Best Low MOQ Custom Packaging Suppliers for Startups in 2026
For many startups, packaging becomes a major operational decision earlier than expected. Once a product is ready to ship, founders quickly encounter the realities of minimum order quantities (MOQs), pricing structures, and customization limitations. Large manufacturers often require thousands of units per order, which is not always practical for businesses still validating demand.
By Abbasi Publisher2 days ago in Writers
Managing Credit Resources with Awareness
Credit is often treated like a safety net. Swipe now, deal with it later. For many people, that later moment arrives with surprise and stress. Interest accumulates quietly. Minimum payments stretch for years. What started as convenience turns into pressure. Managing credit resources with awareness means refusing to let that happen on autopilot.
By Abbasi Publisher2 days ago in Writers
John and Paul's Three-Word Haiku/Senryu Unofficial Challenge - The Results!
Well, fuck. That was every bit as impressive as I was sure it would be when we set this devious challenge. From this point forward it is worth noting that all the bracketed bits will be John's words, and the non-bracketed are mine.
By Paul Stewart3 days ago in Writers
Observations On Vocal's Excellent Free Prompt Articles
Introduction I was looking for something to write about and couldn't see anything immediately in the official and unofficial challenges, so I then went to the Resources Tips page. Unfortunately, this has not been updated in over two years, but that does not mean it is not useful.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 4 days ago in Writers
A Writer's Fantasies
As writers, most of us have big dreams for our stories. You know. The usual. Your novel becomes a best seller. Or it gets adapted into a movie.
By Jasmine Aguilar4 days ago in Writers
It’s a fact awards
Do you ever feel that non-fiction writers are the poor relations of the Vocal community. I do! Those nice people at Vocal Media heap much sought-after $200 prizes on poets and story smiths, left, right and center, while leaving us fact factors out in the cold.
By Raymond G. Taylor4 days ago in Writers