Process

My First Attempt. Runner-Up in Writers Challenge. Top Story - September 2023.
When I was 17 I decided that I'd start writing a fantasy novel. Seems reasonable, right? Did to me at the time, too. I knew absolutely nothing about writing a book, so I simply took up a notebook and a pen and began scribbling. I wrote seven pages in that feverish first session, and figured upon reading that it was good enough (it wasn't, by a long shot!) and that I enjoyed it enough (this, however, completely fair and reasonable) to continue.
By Dave Rowlands2 years ago in Writers
Vulnerability as Art Separation. Top Story - August 2023.
Before getting into the continuation of my last essay, On Art & Separation, I realized that I had found a much more poetic way of saying it all along. E.E. Cummings, one of my favorite poets, wrote some advice for young poets back in 1955. The bit that I read is quite short—a minute read, tops—so I won’t say anything more on the subject except to quote what I believe to be most relevant to the subject of personas in art:
By Mackenzie Davis2 years ago in Writers
Storytelling: Where do Ideas Come From?
… but I don’t even know what a skunk smells like? How do you tap into your creativity? Where do ideas come from? Whatever stage we're at, we can often get into a pit of ‘stuckness’.
By Teresa Renton2 years ago in Writers
I have decided to write a memoir.
I never thought I would really write a book. I have dreamt of it time and time again but did not think it would ever happen. I thought the reality was that I would want to do it but I would never in a million years actually start it. After all, my perfectionism is out of hand. Eight years of therapy and I still have no grasp on it. If that much therapy is unable to help it, what will? Well, I received that answer today when checking my email. I asked a published author of an amazing book for some tips. (The book and author I am referring to is View from the Floor by Kate Berger, in case anyone is interested.)
By Rene Peters2 years ago in Writers
How to use AI responsibly
Are you shocked by the number of ChatGPT generated articles that are appearing on Vocal and other platforms? You know the ones I am talking about. Cliché-ridden turgid tosh with six or seven subtitles and a conclusion. You learn nothing reading it, it does nothing for the creator's reputation, and it's about as entertaining as watching paint dry.
By Raymond G. Taylor2 years ago in Writers
I Got A Top Story On Vocal
Introduction These are just some thoughts, observations, and musings about when I drop into other creator's stories and see they have only a few comments and hearts which implies not many reads.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 2 years ago in Writers
Becoming a writer
I can't remember the first piece I ever wrote. I expect it was a Christmas story involving elves and a lot of "And then"s to link my ideas. I expect I was at school and it was a task set. I really don't know.
By Rachel Deeming2 years ago in Writers
Losing My Vocal V-Plates
The first piece I wrote for Vocal was called The Squinch. Here it is: I'd come out of a long spell of not writing very much at all (don't ask how long), so I was very rusty. I knew it.
By L.C. Schäfer2 years ago in Writers
The G.O.A.T. of Football
In the quiet village of Soccerdale, nestled between rolling hills and lush meadows, lived a most unusual hero – Leo, the Goat of Football. While the world celebrated human football players as the "Greatest of All Time," in Soccerdale, the term took on a whole new meaning.
By Samuel Zigwai Timothy 2 years ago in Writers
The tale of the paramecium who lived happily ever after. Top Story - August 2023.
Early on in my childhood I decided I needed to study science so I could prove what I was thinking was true. I have always been curious to find answers with reasonable explanations. For example, it seemed reasonable that Moses was able to part the Red Sea because he was educated and knew about tides. I reasoned that Jesus turned water into wine by diluting it. I was always drawn to explain myths. That is not to say I do not believe in miracles. I have seen them happen. Within my realm of thought, it is not impossible to believe that a gut feeling is attuned to cosmic elements, and results in rare, unexplained serendipitous events.
By Katherine D. Graham2 years ago in Writers
10 Works Of Literature That Are *Technically* Fan Fiction
Fan fiction--the popularist fiction written by normal people (usually girls and women) and posted online/in a public forum--is frequently deemed trashy. Similar to salacious magazines a teenage boy hides under his bed, fan fiction readers are forced to hide their hobby and penchant for fan fiction. While the internet made the dissemination of fan fiction easier and more accessible, it is not uncommon to hear stories from parents and grandparents about a fan fiction that was passed around high school hallways chapter by chapter.
By Alisan Keesee2 years ago in Writers
The Power Of Poetry And Prose
Introduction I was out walking, as I usually do each day, and started thinking about whether it is better to write poetry or prose when creating something that may be fictional or observations on defined things like people, places, pets and more.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 2 years ago in Writers