Latest Stories
Most recently published stories on Vocal.
The Silk and the Shrapnel
History is a lazy and superficial artist. It loves straight lines, clear-cut motives, and people who fit neatly into the boxes someone else marked with a thick Sharpie a long time ago. In those boxes, a warrior is a stone-carved archetype: someone who smells of cheap tobacco, wears a low-slung baseball cap, and hasn't taken off a faded camo jacket in the decades since the last howitzers went silent in the distance. There is this unspoken, almost religious dictate that trauma must be visible, abrasive, and unkempt. If you don’t look broken on the outside, the world doesn’t believe you’ve ever seen the abyss on the inside. Society demands that your sacrifice be displayed like an exhibit in a museum of defeat, rather than your triumph in the form of elegance.
By Feliks Karić23 days ago in Fiction
French Love Letters
By Stephen McClure On a crisp October afternoon, I was sitting on a bench beside the pond in Zenpukuji Park, admiring the gold and crimson leaves shimmering against a blue sky. The water reflected autumn like a moving tapestry. I sipped canned coffee and breathed in the cool air.
By imtiazalam23 days ago in Humans
When Prison Becomes Home: Why Some Elderly Japanese Choose Jail Over Freedom
Japan is often seen as a land of prosperity, discipline, and social harmony. From the neon streets of Tokyo to the quiet countryside towns, the country symbolizes modern success. Yet behind this image lies a growing and troubling reality: an increasing number of elderly Japanese citizens are deliberately committing minor crimes in order to go to prison. For many, prison offers something they can no longer find in society—food, shelter, healthcare, and human connection.
By Irshad Abbasi 23 days ago in Criminal
This Is How To Build An Audience For Your Book While You're Writing And Editing It
When I published my first book on Amazon, I made one fatal mistake. Ok, sure, there were a couple of big mistakes, a dozen small ones, but there was one that was my kryptonite. And I know I'm not the only one who has done this.
By Ellen Frances23 days ago in Writers
What I Wish I'd Known About Book Categories Before I Published
I picked my Amazon categories for my self-published book in about three minutes. "Literature & Fiction > Women's Fiction" seemed like the obvious choice. My book focused on relationships, personal growth, and the emotional journey of its main character, so placing it under "Literature & Fiction > Contemporary Women" felt like a natural fit as well.
By Ellen Frances23 days ago in Writers
