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Top Stories
Find new, handpicked stories you’ll love, updated daily.
ROCK*s EDGY WINNERS
See that rainbow? Let there be lots of gold, good health and peace for us all. ROCK is so pleased with your entries; it was tough so I called in a PhD. of Library Science from New Zealand, a well read and published professor of poetry from Canada as well as some random/anonymous readers from L.A., NYC, USA and all the way to Lisbon, London plus other EU friends from all walks of life. I, of course, made the final decision which was extremely difficult. I wish I had the pot of gold to give you all a decent tip!
By ROCK aka Andrea Polla (Simmons)3 days ago in Poets
Insurances
When I was asked to move from the big city of Philly halfway across the country to the small town of Centerville, OK, I was excited for the new start and the new job. My insurance company offered me a promotion to move because I'm young and unattached. I was to be one of two agents in the branch.
By Julie Lacksonen2 days ago in Fiction
We Will Bury You. Content Warning.
How do you deal with the vast disappointment and anger and rage and grief and rage and RAGE and RAGE and RAGE when a community icon, who did so much to help your gente, is found to be the type of monster that still makes me believe in capital punishment?
By Ariana GonBona day ago in Humans
The Fae King
It began with a girl. Black-haired and sweet and gone too soon. It is the way of mortals to die, of course. Most pass within a few decades, unless they can be tempted away to fairyland and persuaded to stay there. Even then, mortals live only as long as they can go without visits to friends or family that allow time and the weight of years to catch up to them.
By Natasja Rose2 days ago in Fiction
Challenges
Enter themed storytelling contests to put your creativity to the test.
Say It Plainly
Write a poem that states its central concern directly without metaphor, indirection, or symbolic substitution.
$200 Grand Prize5 days leftThe Rule Everyone Knows
Write a story centered on an unspoken rule that everyone in the story understands and follows, allowing the rule to emerge through behavior.
$200 Grand Prize10 days leftSomething Is Beginning, I Think
Write a story that opens at the edge of a beginning that feels uncertain, partial, or reluctant and avoid resolution.
$200 Grand PrizeClosed
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Resources
Discover tips, guides, updates, and spotlights from our team.
📢 Raise Your Voice Thread: 03/19/2026
Our “Raise Your Voice Threads” are hosted most alternating Thursdays at 12PM ET to offer creators more avenues to uncover exceptional stories on Vocal. As we are continuously searching for fresh creators and inspiring stories, this thread provides an opportunity to exchange and discuss the stories that have moved and motivated us on Vocal.
By Raise Your Voice by Vocal3 days ago in Resources
Everyone Is Acting Normally Challenge Winners
In the Everyone Is Acting Normally challenge, something is clearly wrong, but no one stops to name it. Across the shortlist, that wrongness appears as resurrections, surveillance, disappearance, and denial, each treated as part of daily life.
By Vocal Curation Team4 days ago in Resources
A Transparent Look at Vocal Challenges and Top Stories
Almost three years ago, we shared a resource article that served as a place for people to suggest new challenge prompts. We thought it would be a good idea to refresh that thread, and take the opportunity to answer a few common questions about top stories, how challenges are judged and how submissions are reviewed.
By Vocal Curation Team10 days ago in Resources
A System That Isn’t Working Challenge Winners
Systems promise order. They organize behavior, distribute opportunity, and suggest that if everyone follows the rules, things will work. The entries in A System That Isn’t Working look closely at what happens when that promise begins to slip.
By Vocal Curation Team11 days ago in Resources
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