Latest Stories
Most recently published stories on Vocal.
The Paris Bed Diary. Honorable Mention in Craft Over Catharsis Challenge.
June 14th, 2017 She got her first full-time job and first stable health insurance plan at 21. Even the ability to go to a doctor when she is coughing up phlegm is not something that was given to her. She had to earn it on her own.
By Leigh Victoria Phan, MS, MFA20 days ago in Fiction
The Online Side Hustle That Changed Everything
At 23, Ryan felt trapped. Every morning, he woke up before sunrise, squeezed into a crowded bus, and headed to a job that paid his bills... but drained his soul. The work wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t inspiring either. His paycheck disappeared the moment it arrived: rent, food, utilities, and a small loan he couldn’t seem to shake. By the end of each month, his bank balance hovered dangerously close to zero.
By MIGrowth20 days ago in Motivation
Author's Notes: The Fairytale of Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast is an old fairytale whose protostory can be dated back to Ancient Greece, and it has always been my favourite fairytale. I grew up with the Disney version, and the beauty of it - the rich colours, the fantastical yet very real and grounded designs, the cleverness of Belle and a Beast who grows to match her... all these things have always resonated with me. As I grew and learned different variations, I realised how changeable and adaptable fairytales are, especially in queer terms. The Beast is a creature transformed, a creature trying to find 'his' humanity again; the Beauty is Other, different, odd. Apart. They are a queer couple even when they are not. This new version mixes several traditional versions with a female Beast, a wise and clever heroine, and a few Disney references because, well, why not?
By Dionearia Red20 days ago in Writers
The Lesions of Devotion . Top Story - February 2026.
Every day I set myself down on the freshly cut lawn and strip myself bare. I take my guitar and finger the frets and pick at the strings, listening for dissonance. My life is dissonance. I twist the tuning pegs until each string sounds bright. Then I kneel, calves pointing behind me, kneecaps facing forward. All exposed to the breeze. I close my eyes and play the melody.
By Paul Stewart20 days ago in Fiction
Un-more
**Un-More** I want to share a concept that has genuinely changed my life: the Un More Theory. It’s not a professional method or a clinical model — just something I’ve developed through real experience as a 40 year old mum of a two year old, living with medicated anxiety and learning how to rebuild my energy, confidence, and balance.
By Carolyn Sternes20 days ago in Motivation
Puss's Boots - Chapter 6
Gwynnë was everything that the siblings thought it would be and more. The buildings themselves shined, and it seemed as though they were reaching up to scrap the clouds. The streets were filled with all new sights and sounds and smells. Merchants lined the gutters, crying out their wares and keeping a cautious eye out for thieves. Their carts were full of polished ornaments and sweet smelling, spicy treats. Perfumes and fabrics overflowed the tables and booths; jewellery, weapons, and various other trinkets caught the light and shone.
By Dionearia Red20 days ago in Chapters
Stories Before a Wedding, or The Little Snow-White
A Royal Wedding the proclamation decreed. The Cursed Prince – now King – Artair had returned at last, and he was to be married. All across the land people rejoiced the upcoming union and rushed to the shops to buy ribbons to decorate their homes or clothing in celebration. As the Prince and his new Consort were to tour the Kingdom on their way to the capital, people lined the streets to meet him and those who travelled with him. At each town and village, the Prince – although he was no doubt tired and wished to see his aging Uncle, his noble and kind regent, as soon as possible – recounted the tale of his being cursed, the woman who had helped to free him, and his future Consort, the one known as Little Snow-White.
By Dionearia Red20 days ago in Fiction
Platform 4
Rushing out of the door and slamming it hard enough to kick out some of the dust, Maxine jabbed the button for the lift and impatiently checked her watch, counting to her impending doom. Her hate for the lift festered, which, out of any day, chose to ruin today. Today, her first interview for her first job, and she was already going to leave a bad impression.
By Ankitaa Arun💕20 days ago in Chapters
