Overboard Challenge Winners
An inside look into the Vocal Curation Team's favorite stories from the Overboard Challenge
Congratulations to a new Vocal creator, Tattoos & Tarot, for their evocative winning story Tiburón — which conjures the sea, familial love and conflict, in language plain and compelling. ‘My body yearns for the tight hug and crackle in my ears from the weight of water,’ the narrator says as he prepares to dive, recalling in words all he has lost. Bravo, and welcome to Vocal!
And maybe there’s something about fathers and sons and the sea, because we also loved Reid Christmann’s A Morning At Sea, in which a father and son scatter a grandfather’s ashes. We loved the observant detail of this story, which carried so much emotion: ‘The boat was littered with ropes and 2x4’s, and a small platter of apple-tart pastries was displayed on the cover of the fish-hold, alongside a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a package of cupcakes.’ Love it. Reid also places in a Challenge for the first time — well done!
There were some excellent runners-up, me hearties. Parvathi J’s She lived! reveals a widow reclaiming her life, and has a real freshness; Jean McKenney’s Rusalka drew on Russian folklore to create an enchanting tale; we enjoyed the snappy noirish dialogue of Noah Husband’s The Diamond of Tonga. And so many more… thanks to all of your for sailing aboard the good ship Vocal!
You can check out the full list of winners HERE and learn about our current challenges below:
About the Creator
Vocal Curation Team
Collaborative, conscious, and committed to content. We're rounding up the best that the Vocal network has to offer.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Keep reading
More stories from Vocal Curation Team and writers in Vocal and other communities.
L*pogram Challenge Winners
Top marks to Joyce Sherry for How Helen Katasko Lost Her Job, our winner of the L*pogram Challenge which gives a nod to Patricia Highsmith’s Ripley, at least that’s what it felt like to us. We enjoyed the cleverness of the language that turned constraint into virtue. “Up the creek sans paddle,” Helen says, the lack of the letter ‘i’ telling you something about her character. A nicely propulsive plot and a sense of the briny sea brought added enjoyment.
By Vocal Curation Team2 years ago in Resources
Early March 2026: 4 Goals Accomplished
It's early March and I've now accomplished my 4th writing goal for the year of 2026. Before diving into the behind-the-scenes of it... why not tell you up front what that accomplishment was? I was published in a 2nd publication for this year. Published in Helix Literary Magazine out of Central Connecticut State University. You can read it for free right now!
By Stephen Kramer Avitabile7 days ago in Writers
Comments (21)
Congrats to winners
Thank you for the kind words! I feel very honored and grateful for the encouragement this community provides 😊 looking forward to creating more!
nice one
awesome work, congrats
Congrats to all the winners of the Overboard Challenge!
Bravo, congrats!
Thank you, and congratulations to all winners.
Congratulations to all the winners 💞🎉🎉
Well done and congrats to the winners and all those who put the time in to enter this challenge! I honour all here!
Congrats everyone
Congratulations to all the winners!
Congratulations everyone!!🥳🥳
Woohoo!!! Congratulations!!!❤️❤️💕
Great job 👏
Congrats guys and gals!!😀
Congratulations to everyone who placed! 🤗
This was a great challenge, loved reading the stories and it now appears I have more reading to do. Congratulations
Congrats everyone!
Congratulations to the winners!
Well done, folks! ✌🏾
great news- looks like I have some reading to do. Congratulations to the creator writers that entered this: I had a dickens of a time coming up with a story and just couldn't make it work. look forward to reading these entries.