I Wrote This
Write the story only you could tell—then prove you wrote it.
Prizes
- Grand Prize:
- $500
- Second Place:
- $200
- 15 Runers-up:
- $15
10 Honorable Mentions will receive badges
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
May 14, 2025
Submissions closed
Jun 28, 2025 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Jul 11, 2025
Prizes
- Grand Prize:
- $500
- Second Place:
- $200
- 15 Runers-up:
- $15
10 Honorable Mentions will receive badges
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
May 14, 2025
Submissions closed
Jun 28, 2025 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Jul 11, 2025
About this challenge
The Prompt
Write the story only you could tell... then prove you wrote it.
We’re living in the age of AI, deepfakes, and bots that can churn out content in seconds. But there’s still one thing they can’t replicate: you.
This challenge is about reclaiming the personal, the raw, the real. Write a story about a moment that reminded you you’re alive. Something you felt in your chest, your bones, your skin. A time you laughed until you cried, or cried until you cracked open. A spark. A shift. A truth.
Then say it—out loud.
In order to qualify for this Challenge, you must record a video of yourself reading your story. Doesn’t have to be polished. Doesn’t have to be perfect. But it has to be you. Upload the video to YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, or anywhere you share, and embed the link in your submission.
For bonus points, show us the behind-the-scenes: your scribbled notes, your writing space, the face behind the story. Let us see the human behind the words.
This isn’t just about great writing. It’s about real voices in a world of fakes. And yours deserves to be heard.
In order for your submission to qualify, it must be:
- A narrative story between 600 and 2,000 words
- Accompanied by a video of you reading the story aloud, either embedded or linked in your story
- Submitted to the Writers community. Your story will be disqualified if it is submitted to any other community.
- Submitted before June 27, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST.
- Your work must be original and unpublished.
The Prizes
- Grand Prize: $500
- Second Place: $200
- 15 Runners-Up: $15 each
- 10 Honorable Mentions: Badge
How to enter
For your story to be eligible, it must be between 600 and 2,000 words and adhere to our Community Guidelines.
Stories published on Vocal and entered into the Challenge up until June 27, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.
The I Wrote This Challenge is exclusive to Vocal+ members. To learn more and upgrade to Vocal+, visit https://customer-opinion.top/vocal-plus%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/a%3E.%3C/p%3E%3Cp class="css-1923z11-Text">To be eligible to win the grand prize, second place, or runners-up prizes, you must be over the age of 13 and reside in a country where Stripe is available at the time of entry. A complete list of countries where Stripe is available can be found here—winners will need a Stripe account created and connected to receive prizes. Entrants located outside of these countries will not be eligible to win.
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Challenge resources
Mismatch Challenge Winners
Blending genres isn’t about stacking elements side by side. It’s about what happens when two sets of expectations refuse to cooperate. The strongest entries in the Mismatch Challenge understood that tension and leaned into it. Rather than smoothing the edges, these stories let their chosen genres complicate one another, creating friction that carried through voice, structure, and consequence.
By Vocal Curation Team14 days ago in Resources
Public Announcement Challenge Winners
For the Public Announcement Challenge, writers were asked to work inside voices built for control. These were notices, warnings, and updates meant to inform rather than confess. The strongest entries committed to that form and didn't break from it. Corporate memos, formal government alerts, and internal policy language were held consistently, allowing emotion, fear, grief, or humor to surface indirectly through pressure rather than declaration. The following poems recognize the voice of authority, and let human feeling slip through despite all its rules and restraint.
By Vocal Curation Team19 days ago in Resources
