Latest Stories

Most recently published stories on Vocal.

World War III
Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter — What If? Writing Exercise for Fiction Writers prompts The Exercise — Choose a story to work with that is still in an early draft form. Read it through so you are thoroughly familiar with it and with the characters. Then find a place in the story to complete and insert the following sentences underlined below (change the pronoun as necessary.) Then come up with a few of your own inserts. The Objective - To experience how your semiconscious imagination is capable of conjuring up material that is absolutely organic to your story for each "fill-in" from the above list. Writers who do this exercise are always amazed at how something so seeminly artifical can provide them with effective additions to their stories.
By Denise E Lindquist18 days ago in Writers
I am you ?
DARK is not just a series; it’s a state of mind. When I started watching it, I honestly thought I was mentally clear and sorted. That confidence didn’t last long. If you feel very sure about how life works, watching DARK slowly dismantles that certainty. And if you are already a little confused about life, this show doesn’t make things easier either. Yet, strangely, no matter how lost or mentally exhausted you feel, you don’t stop watching. I didn’t. There is something about DARK that keeps pulling you back even when your head feels heavy, because it is genuinely worth the effort. What surprised me the most was discovering that the writer of this series is Jantje Friese. I had to pause there. A woman writing a time-travel science fiction story with this level of depth, structure, and attention to detail felt both surprising and deeply impressive. Time travel mixed with science fiction, philosophy, and extreme detailing has been attempted before, but I personally haven’t seen it executed this precisely anywhere else. Time-travel stories usually bend logic when it becomes inconvenient, but DARK does the opposite. It pushes logic to its limits. The story moves across timelines like 1888, 1953, 1986, 2019, and 2053, while also introducing parallel worlds that exist side by side. Every action has a consequence, and every consequence triggers another event, creating a continuous chain reaction that drives the narrative forward. At some point, I stopped trying to perfectly track every timeline and simply let the story unfold, and that’s when it became overwhelming in the best way. Each major character exists in three versions: young, middle-aged, and old, and this happens across both worlds. Characters deceive others, deceive themselves, and relationships become tangled in ways that time itself cannot easily fix. There were moments when I had to stop and think, and moments I am still not sure I fully understand, but that uncertainty feels intentional. The familiar story of Adam and Eva, usually seen as heroic figures, is completely reversed here. In DARK, they are lovers and enemies at the same time, fighting to protect their own version of reality even if it means destroying another. Just writing about it makes my head spin, and imagining how someone even conceived this story feels unreal. My only real disappointment was the budget. If DARK had the scale and visual resources of shows like Stranger Things or Squid Game, it could have been even more visually terrifying. But what stayed with me after finishing the series was not the science fiction itself; it was a question. We often say we shouldn’t trust anyone and that we only have ourselves. But what if time challenges that belief? What if, as time moves forward, the person we cannot trust anymore is not someone else but ourselves? So here is a question I keep thinking about: if your older self met your younger self and they refused to believe you, what is the one thing you would say to make them trust that you are truly them?
By Agila18 days ago in Fiction
A Tale Of Two Kitties
Introduction This is just another excuse to share pictures of some of the cats that I see on my walks, and that sometimes come to demand treats at my back door. There was just Mrs P at first, but now she is followed by another that finishes the treats that Mrs P leaves if the magpies and birds don't get there first.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 18 days ago in Petlife
Breathe
First things first Breathe Life comes as it may From moment to moment We twist and turn As currents of air and water
By Mythos Monkey18 days ago in Poets
P̷o̷l̷l̷i̷n̷a̷t̷o̷r̷ o̷f̷ L̷i̷e̷s̷
He sips from all flowers, swears each one tastes like destiny— same SWEETNESS, new LIE.
By Komal18 days ago in Poets
The war between Alpha-A and Robot-I 🤖
The slightly mechanical voices caught my attention as I sat on the comfy barstool sipping my Mai Tai Tiki Cocktail. One had to lean in really close to hear the lilts and nuances of the speech in order to realize that the words were wholly humanoid in inflection.
By Novel Allen18 days ago in Fiction
The Day Nothing Changed And Why That Mattered. AI-Generated.
On the morning of his thirty-fifth birthday, Arman woke up expecting something to feel different. It didn’t. The ceiling looked the same. The fan made the same tired noise. His phone lay beside him, silent, as if it too had decided not to acknowledge the occasion. No sudden clarity arrived. No wave of motivation. Just another ordinary morning.
By shakir hamid18 days ago in Motivation
Lemonade Isn’t Meant for Wine Glasses
News flash, news flash! Come hear, one and all. For the upcoming spring and summer, you’ll want to be free to let loose and enjoy all the outdoor festivities. One thing, however, must be kept in mind. One thing must be known, above all else:
By Gabriel Shames18 days ago in Fiction
Succession Planning for Immortals: A Roadmap from HR and Compliance
0800 MT Olympus HQ “Why can’t he just keep it in his pants?” Athena asked no one in particular as she reviewed the fourth sexual harassment claim that had crossed her desk that morning.
By Jazzy 18 days ago in Fiction
How To Use Digital Signage For Churches To Support Clear Communication. AI-Generated.
Churches share information constantly. Service times, weekly gatherings, special events, volunteer schedules, and community programs all need to be communicated clearly and consistently. In many spaces, printed boards and paper notices struggle to stay current, especially when details change on short notice.
By AIScreen18 days ago in Trader
Valplekar: Guide to Essential Nutrition for Healthy Puppy Growth
Raising a healthy puppy requires more than love and attention; it involves providing them with the right nutrition for growth. Puppies undergo rapid physical and mental development during the first year of life, making proper nutrition essential for their long-term health and wellbeing.
By Backlinks Cart18 days ago in Petlife
My Experience Writing on Vocal Media
It’s a screenshot of my Vocal stats. On one side, reads. On the other, likes. And if you look closely, you’ll notice something that feels… wrong. Almost embarrassing to admit.
By Aarsh Malik18 days ago in Writers