Process

Gardens of Dreams
In the heart of a bustling city, hidden behind an unassuming wrought iron gate, lay a garden unlike any other. It wasn't just a garden of blooming flowers and winding pathways; it was a sanctuary where dreams came to life. The Garden of Dreams, as it came to be known, was a place where the boundaries between imagination and reality blurred, and the most extraordinary visions found their footing.
By kinjays3 years ago in Writers
Writer: Advice for doing better on Vocal.
Is it enough to put words on a page? Is it enough to craft worlds and characters that feel like family to have them do the impossible?
By Jazzy 3 years ago in Writers
My First Story In The Writer’s Community On Vocal
My name is Mariann Carroll, I am a writer on Vocal. My first few creations on Vocal was not approved. They were actually stories. I try to enter them at the Challenges.
By Mariann Carroll3 years ago in Writers
The Voice in My Head When I Write
Recently I have started paying much closer attention to the voice in my head when I write. If you are a writer you probably know what I am talking about, or maybe it’s different for you. For me, the voice is the one that reads the words (‘out loud’) in my head as they move from my fingers, through the keys, to my screen. Depending on the topic of whatever particular writing project I am tackling at the time that voice varies considerably. It moves in tone from haranguing lecturer to sarcastic asshole to gentle comforter, and everything in between. Of course finding the words to match the voice is the real trick, or is it the other way around really? The hard part is finding the voice, the right voice for the right application, and then channeling that voice to the page in a way that conveys what the spoken word can, but in (at least) one less dimension. Without the spoken voice and body language that goes with it communicating what you really want to convey, what you really think, can be what feels like an impossible task. The joy of writing for me comes on those few occasions when that task is managed effortlessly and the words on the page and the voice in my head align just so. When that happens the missing dimension(s) disappears, and it is like I am there in the screen with the words talking directly to the reader. Like I have left a part of myself on the page, an imprint of my actual presence, but without all the messiness that comes with physical interactions between strangers. I get to say my peace, the stranger (reader) can take it or leave it, love it or hate it. In either case I did what I set out to do, and they got stuck with a little taste of my voice in their head if only for a brief moment in time. Imagine living with that voice for your entire life. That would suck now wouldn’t it?
By Everyday Junglist3 years ago in Writers
The Beam Retold
...I have to reach back to childhood for this (and rely on my mother's insistence of this as fact). The "first" piece I ever presented to her was something called, quite simply, "The Beam."
By Kent Brindley3 years ago in Writers
My Very First Time*
Anyone who follows me on Vocal should have noticed my proclivity to bend, but never break, the prompts to fit my narrative.
By Matthew J. Fromm3 years ago in Writers
The Writing Circle. Top Story - August 2023.
It seems we are called, of late, to self-reflection. The Vocal challenges on offer at present have created, for me, a kind of momentum. A natural progression perhaps, from reflecting on the work of others, through the impact of others’ work on our own lives, into consideration of what drives us to create our own work, and how that evolves. We each have our own reasons for being here, sharing pieces of ourselves. And I think mine become clear as I reflect on my writing journey.
By Hannah Moore3 years ago in Writers
The Art of SEO
In the vast expanse of the digital realm, where websites vie for attention and prominence, the mastery of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) stands as an art form that can transform a virtual canvas into a masterpiece. The intricate dance between algorithms, content, and strategy shapes the destiny of websites, orchestrating their rise to the forefront of search engine results.
By Saiful Islam3 years ago in Writers
Shedding Light On My First Vocal Media Submission
On June 8, 2020, Vocal Media published my first story, a poem, and my first love of writing. Flash forward three years later, and I am reflecting on my Villanelle with an open mind, reminiscing on my newbie days when although I was inexperienced, my love for words would not let me miss one opportunity to create worlds with poetics partnered with my larger-than-life imagination.
By Marilyn Glover3 years ago in Writers
Dear creative writer me, where did you go?
Writing has been one of my biggest interests ever since I was a child. I wrote my first story when I was seven, and the passion never stopped since then.
By Simona Rosso3 years ago in Writers
Writing from the Original Position Behind the Veil of Ignorance
I have been thinking and writing about writing a lot these days. Mostly it has been in response to other articles I have come across which suggest various ways you can become a more popular or successful writer. As is my usual m.o., I have taken some of these articles to task with satirical replies that attempt to illustrate with humor just how ridiculous such advice typically is. An example of one of the satirical pieces and one with a (slightly) more serious tone are linked below to give you a sense.
By Everyday Junglist3 years ago in Writers
A Druid and an Elf Walk in a Tavern
The spark of an idea came to me one day when I was working. I had never written for my own enjoyment before, and I found myself imagining the characters my wife and I had played for a Dungeons and Dragons campaign going on adventures of their own. Once I got home, I pulled out the computer and started typing away until I had a full chapter, that I titled “A Druid and an Elf Walk in a Tavern”.
By Georges-Henri Daigle3 years ago in Writers