Last Week, On Vocal
Special Edition
Good evening, and happy Monday! If it’s your first time here, welcome! Normally, this weekly blog post will highlight a few terrific poems and stories posted on Vocal Media over the past week, but since I’ve been away for a month, we’ll switch it up a bit this week! If you’re already subscribed, thank you very much, and if not, please consider doing so! This week, we’ll talk a little about NaNoWriMo, and I’d like to point you to the winners of a challenge I posted on Vocal in October.
NaNoWriMo
Whew! NaNoWriMo, the month where we write until our wrists are sore and our eyes are burning from staring at the computer screen, is over! I got in over 40k words but didn’t meet my goal of 50, mostly because I’m in the editing/reviewing stage, but I still had fun! The rough edges are beginning to smooth, and the story is shaping up nicely. I’m glad the month is behind us now, but working toward a goal like that is definitely motivating for me. What about you?
Now that it’s over, my thoughts always turn to ways to stay motivated throughout the rest of the year. I like to use daily reminders, word goals, and a calendar to keep myself on track, but others like routines. I have a friend who can’t stay motivated if she doesn’t go for a run every morning and another who has to read to keep himself in the mood to write. I’d love to read your own methods and suggestions in the comments!
‘Frighten Me Please!’ Winners
In October, I ran a competition challenging writers on Vocal to give me some scary stories, and they did not disappoint! I had 26 excellent entries, but the two below stood out to me as the winners.
In second place, we have an entry by JBaz, 'Salems Saviour' This creepy story takes place in an old village in Salem, Massachusetts (I had to look up the spelling) and involves a little girl attempting to save her parents' lives. Aside from the constant oppressive vibes this story gives, I was most impressed with the narrative style JBaz gives it. The narrator sounds as though he comes from that time period, giving the tale a sense of realism that adds to its overall fear factor. It really is an excellent piece, you should definitely give it a read!
The winner was none other than the fabulous L.C. Schäfer for their absolutely dreadful story, Imposter. It's about a man who has to check a dead woman's vitals for signs of life, and my goodness, is it ever creepy. Here's a sample line from the protagonist that I thought was genius: "I wish I weren't alone. I hope I am alone." L.C.'s use of repetitious elements, heart-pounding descriptions, and well-chosen vocabulary make this story a MUST-Read. Warning: Not for the faint of heart.