As to your questions:

1. Short answer, yes

2. A fan is just a unique Medium reader that took the time to clap for your story. Once you get 10 fans, there's some sort of algorithm magic beyond my understanding that happens, so I'm told;

3. I think I follow most of these people already

As far as Vocal, for me, it's like a relationship with a middle school boyfriend that chases you, makes a big fuss, things are great for a while, then he ignores you, and just when you're ready to dump him, he gives you enough breadcrumbs to keep you in it and remembering the good times (in this case the "you" being me). I'll continue to enter challenges because I've got the free year, and naively, I still have some hope of winning something again, but honestly, it's tough to write something really great when the idea that you have no shot in hell is sitting back there in your mind, if that makes sense.