Top Stories

New stories you’ll love, handpicked for you by our team and updated daily.

Community Symbiosis
I grew up In the desert, an ecosystem So delicate, every Living thing must be Sturdy to survive The heat, the monsoon
By Bex Jordan23 days ago in Poets
Natural Queen. Content Warning.
My natural body's a sin to mankind... It's hairy in places that men do not like. Sorry, I'm a grown woman, Not a Chia pet for trimmin',
By CT Idlehouse24 days ago in Poets
the berserker's tale - part I
The water cascaded noisily over the stones in the riverbed and though the spring floods came early it was still not deep enough to keep men and horses from fording. On any other morning the sound of it rushing would have carried over the lowing of the cattle in the surrounding meadows. But the waters ran red with blood, the groans and cries of the wounded drowning out both the gurgling river and the neighboring livestock.
By John Cox21 days ago in Chapters
A Gathering of Evil Bosses
“I’m the queen of chin jutting while I smooth my hair, attacking, insulting, and deflecting to protect my appointer.” “Oh, please, Blondi, my hair is curled, highlighted, and longer than yours. I feature television commercials telling immigrants that we will give them a free plane ride home, and if they voluntarily turn themselves in, they will be allowed to legally apply for re-entry. It runs everywhere, and I look good in it! You can’t compete because of your blond hair. Mine is nicer, and my lips are prettier than yours.”
By Andrea Corwin 23 days ago in The Swamp
Flame of Sunlight
What if she had been raised by sunlight, by the gentle pull of dreams? What if she had been raised by sunlight, by the gentle pull of dreams?
By Tina D. Lopez24 days ago in Poets
A Pen
Growing up I loved to write. I wrote stories and series for myself and it would be pages among pages of hand written stories or books. I remember I had written 500 pages of a book more than ten years ago that I still open and edit. All of these were handwritten first. I would use a paper pad and a pen. I was was always very picky when it came to using the writing equipment. My journal has a specific pen I use otherwise it feels like I had committed a crime. I once bought a Swarovski pen specially for my leather journal. The weight of it was perfect, but I had written with smoother pens before. Yet, this pen reminded me that I can sparkle too because of course it had Swarovski crystals in it. I kept it in a box that I would take out every time I journaled. This was not my favorite pen though. The easiest pen I have ever used was from a company that you could purchase from Chapters/Indigo. It was called poppin because they had used bright, fun, colors to make writing supplies wonderful. I remember the first time I used it. I was in university and was in need of very good pens because I did not have a reliable laptop to carry to my classes. I picked up the box I bought and picked one out of the box. I took the little gel bead off the top that blocks the ink. I placed it on the paper and it started to flow, it was the most pleasant feeling I felt in a long time. As soon as it touched the paper the pen wanted to write more, it wrote so smoothly I immediately hid the other pens back into my backpack so no one could “borrow” it we all know that meant you were never seeing that pen again. The ink was deliciously smooth writing across my notebook. I wanted to keep going even after I was done. I started doodling and found joy in writing again. That’s how much a pen can change your day. I know it’s such an adult thing to say. I wrote with other pens too such as the frixion pens because an erasable pen that actually erases. All that’s left is the indent on the page how ingenious! I remember in elementary they were “erasable” but you could still see remnants of blue on the page and if you wrote on top of it, it looked sloppy.
By Ada Zuba20 days ago in Writers
The Cairn Beside the Lake
And so it came to pass that King Ertharion, Tenth King of Lombaia, stood beside the still lake below unrelenting and unassailable cliffs with the remainder of his harried host. In what was the tenth year of his reign and his forty-fourth upon this great green earth, Menigo the Betrayer, cousin of King Ertharion, pressed home his false claim.
By Matthew J. Fromm21 days ago in Fiction
The Witch and Kind Girl
In a deep forest, under an old oak, in a small cabin, lived an ugly witch with many warts on her face. In a nearby meadow, girls were picking berries,
By Seema Patel25 days ago in Poets
There's A Hole in My Bucket
It’s a well-known fact that Liza Dufresne was always the brains in the family. She was the one who always came up with the brilliant schemes the Dufresne kids carried out when they were younger. Like when they tricked Mrs. Claybourn into paying for a trip to Disney World. Liza convinced her that their parents had been kidnapped and were being held for ransom for the total price of three tickets. In reality, they were away on a weekend getaway for their anniversary. When they returned, Liza told the Claybourns that they did not like to talk about the ordeal. Their parents never found out how they got the money. Mrs. Claybourn never found out that the Dufresne parents were never really in any danger.
By David E. Perry22 days ago in Fiction
My Top Five Movies of 2025
As the Oscars approach, and some favourites become clear (I haven’t seen 'Sinners' I’ll be honest), I’d like to share my personal choices for the best films of last year – I don’t think the academy quite agree!
By Matty Long25 days ago in Geeks
Instructions for a Feeling Challenge Winners
This round asked writers to give instructions for a feeling. What arrived were poems that treated emotion as something you can rehearse, delay, invite, sidestep, or practice in small, deliberate ways.
By Vocal Curation Team21 days ago in Resources
𝔸 𝔾𝕠𝕕𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕕
You know everything about me but how..... I don't know how you know but you know but I'm pretty sure you know what I ate for breakfast
By Colleen Walters21 days ago in Poets
Green and Pleasant
In 1857, Lieutenant Commander Joseph Dayman was dispatched by the Admiralty at the helm of HMS Cyclops to take deep sea soundings in preparation for the first transatlantic telegraph cable. The laying of this cable, which ran between Ireland and Newfoundland, was as monumental an undertaking as any of its time and, inevitably, its completion was accompanied by lavish celebrations and rambling tributes to engineering excellence.
By Ian Vince25 days ago in Earth
The Big Book Review: "Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman (Pt.1)
This book is split into parts but honestly, the parts themselves have so many ideas that I have no idea how I could fit everything I wanted to say into ONE review. I know I haven't done this since 'Reliable Essays' by Clive James, but I'd like to try that structure again. Sorry if it's not something you enjoy but I really wanted to share this...
By Annie Kapurabout a month ago in Geeks
The Looking Glass Self. Runner-Up in The Unnecessary Line Challenge.
I. One year, a procession of cardboard boxes, the hereditary lances I discover on my tongue. Barbed reaching for not my milk in not my refrigerator,
By Morgana22 days ago in Poets
Faustian Bargain
"My name is [REDACTED] and I'm here with Ms. [REDACTED]. "She is not bound by any legal obligation or coercion. The information she will share is done of her own free will.
By Kristen Keenon Fisher22 days ago in Fiction
Gráinne
Introduction This is my fifth piece inspired by Justine G. Cappelli's gorgeous artwork. This is a Catena Rondo
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 23 days ago in Poets
"Wuthering Heights" (2026)
There are so many opinions about Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights”, it has become dizzying. Last night, my partner and I went out for pizza and then onto the cinema.
By Rachel Robbins23 days ago in Geeks
Salt
My shins left indents in the sand from s t a y i n g as the sun fades from the mild waves I pat the mound of smooth sand-
By Michele Nampalli23 days ago in Poets
📢 Raise Your Voice Thread: 02/19/2026
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 Vocal22 days ago in Resources