Top Stories
New stories you’ll love, handpicked for you by our team and updated daily.
Punctuation Overload!
In the family of punctuation, where the full stop is daddy and the comma is mummy, and the semicolon quietly practises the piano with crossed hands, the exclamation mark is the big attention-deficit brother who gets overexcited and breaks things and laughs too loudly. — Lynne Truss
By Pamella Richards2 months ago in Chapters
FPS: Villanelle of Regret Challenge Winners
Some feelings don’t fade. They repeat. The Villanelle of Regret challenged poets to write into that return. To let regret, longing, and obsession build with each pass, rather than resolve. The strongest entries trusted repetition to carry the weight.
By Vocal Curation Team2 months ago in Resources
Confession: I am Not Nice
As a woman, I am very aware that I am supposed to be nice. I am supposed to be warm and giving and understanding; according to my very Church of Scotland upbringing I am also supposed to be a wellspring of calm, quiet compassion. No wrath, no hysteria (though this is deemed to be understandable due to the naturally delicate temperament of women). I am, in short, supposed to be ladylike. Feminine... and, if at all possible, graceful. The problem, lads and lassies, is that I am very few of these things most of the time and none of them very often.
By S. A. Crawford2 months ago in Humor
A Map to Success
When it comes to getting published as a writer and for it to really make a difference for your career, it’s tough. But I had sat back in reflection for a while and did some high-to-medium-quality thinking. I had a theory, a whole big plan… a manifesto? I had to look up the definition to be certain. Sort of? I detailed a lot of it here if you’re interested in the long explanation.
By Stephen Kramer Avitabile2 months ago in Writers
Them.
The storm raged wildly outside. With the fast pace of the train, the raindrops almost looked like razor blades slicing through the wind and the trees. It was difficult to see much beyond what was right outside the window. It was hot in the train cab, muggy. I could feel the beads of sweat starting to form around my scalp. I leaned my forehead against the window and let the freezing glass calm down the uncomfortable feeling.
By Leah Suzanne Dewey2 months ago in Fiction
The Hidden Costs of Hustling
People do not need to be reminded of the murky, colourless and dull picture of what burnout resembles, of either 'taking on too much' or 'hustling too hard.' I truly get it. Burnout is real for both entrepreneurs and employees alike; and when we push our bodies to the brink - aches and pains, and perhaps a few viral infections and mental exhaustion (only to name) come knocking on your domain. And these pesky guests do not give two hoots as to whether or not they are invited to the party - let alone into your own personal space. Life is expensive, and it is only becoming more commonplace and familiar. It is important to put in the effort, yet that effort needs to be inspired. It does not matter what line of work you engage in, provided you are in the flow. The healing starts with you in getting to the bottom of your trauma and inner child. Doing the inner work.
By Justine Crowley2 months ago in Psyche
Breaking Free From Trauma. Content Warning.
Do you believe that we are put on this earth for a reason? You don't have to be spiritual to believe. I believed in something more when I was growing up. It was my way of surviving my childhood as a sex-offender's daughter.
By Elizabeth Woods2 months ago in Psyche
Bugonia
Okay so I have a love-hate relationship with Yorgos Lanthimos. He is either brilliant, or he’s a self indulgent mess with no message of any kind and there really doesn’t seem to be any in between. So watching his movies is tedious. That said he always manages to pull in actors that I love so I always bite the bullet and watch whatever he puts out. This year's entry is Bugonia. And from a hit or miss director this one is a hit.
By Alexandrea Callaghan2 months ago in Geeks
The Forgotten Room Challenge Winners
Some doors stay shut because crossing the threshold changes something. In The Forgotten Room, writers stepped into spaces thick with dust, memory, and silence. What they found there wasn’t always safe or clear, but it was honest, layered, and unforgettable. Here, setting isn’t background noise; it’s the heart of the story, carrying the weight of what’s been hidden or avoided.
By Vocal Curation Team2 months ago in Resources
