Letters We Received

I'm writing to share how grateful I am for the opportunity to be a member of the FanStory community. I have only been here a short time and I have met many writers who are supportive, friendly, encouraging and very willing to impart their knowledge. I have brought with me previous writing, and without the opportunity for it to be reviewed, I had no clue how effective it was. Now I can grow and contribute, knowing the encouraging reviews have instilled confidence. I am elated to have my entry be nominated for Poem of the Month. This has, as they say, blown me away. I feel as though I have come home to a place where my writing can be developed and nurtured, with the best outcome being the content will appeal and resonate to readers. I have far to travel and I look forward to a wonderful journey. - Diane Merchant

FanStory works! For anyone who has the determination, heart and soul to write, FanStory is the site to hone your skills and work towards becoming published. I want to thank all of the members who supported me along the way to achieve that goal.

I premiered my novel, "Fatal Beauty" on Fanstory 2013-14 and subsequently, from reviews and query letters found an agent/publisher for the book. Without FanStory, I would never have been able to succeed. - Bob Hartson.

When I stumbled onto and into FanStory some five years ago, I was warned by an outsider that it "is just a place for amateurs." On the contrary! Instantly, I found a happy and enthusiastic family of writers in various stages of their writing lives, all offering friendship and encouragement to the newbie as well as the professional and every writer in between. During my years here, I have seen many 'young' writers grow and improve with the help of more 'seasoned ones', and I'm sure all would agree that the staff is to be commended for running a website that is not partial to any particular stage of writing.

While, for some, FanStory is just a beginning, for me it has been a continuation of the writing life I have always loved. Along the way, it has brought unexpected benefits, such as writing classes taught by the late Alvin T. Ethington, followed by an invitation to join seventeen other women poets (all FanStory members at the time) in "Pieces of Her Mind", published in 2012.

A year ago, when I announced the publication of my first book "Snaps, Scraps & Snippets of the Past and Present" on this site, it got overwhelming response from members, fans, and friends. Now, I am happy to introduce my second book, which is just off the press.

"Light for the Burning Soul: Sparks, Flames, and Embers" is a collection of inspirational verse and anecdotes derived from my personal walk with God and from teaching kindergarten-age children the meaning of His Word. Both books contain many of the poems I've posted right here on FanStory, and both are currently available at Amazon. - Lois J. Funk.

For many years I allowed my family members and friends to read my poetry and prose, but because writing wasn't their talent (and they didn''t know any better) they praised everything I wrote. I knew then that if I wanted to know the true nature of my ability, I had to put my work in front of good writers in order to receive critical feedback and instruction. I began to search the internet for a site where I could post my work. I found many sites disappointing: There were technical difficulties and most of the posted writings were not even recent; it was as if the writings were ghosts left behind to haunt the abandoned site due to sheer frustrations on the part of its writers.

Suddenly good fortune smiled as I stumbled upon FanStory. The name, though as plain as the nose on my face, puzzled me at first. But I soon learned that it was the appropriate name. I posted my first poem and right away received feedback from outstanding writers and instructors. I was impressed. I was also arrogant for a while, but soon learned humility and accepted their critique and suggestions. Here I was getting comments from some of the most prolific writers I had ever known. And it taught me the proper way to review others work as well. I can truly say that since being a member of the FanStory family, my writing has improved one hundred percent and rising.

Thanks to many of my FanStory brothers and sisters, my first fiction thriller, The Glass Cat Eye, by H. L. Randall has been published and is listed on Amazon.com. Although the first draft is still posted on FanStory, the book has gone through numerous editing and rewriting, and it has been released in paper back and E-book. In the near future, I plan to publish the thriller in audio. Thanks FanStory fans for all of your help in making my first fantasy thriller a reality. God bless you. - H. L. Randall.

About two years ago, I wrote an essay for FanStory called "Bui Doi," about my experiences as an adoption worker during the fall of Vietnam and the time of the Operation Babylift . I recently learned that it will be published in "Adoption Today" next April, the 40th anniversary of the Babylift.

The support and encouragement I've received here has been invaluable. Some of the critiques can be harsh, but these are always the ones that teach me the most. I'm so grateful to have found this site, and for the many friends I've made here. Many of the authors are very professional, and they inspire me every day. Most of all, this site has kept me writing, and engaged, and in touch with others who also aspire to write and (hopefully) see publication. Many, many thanks to all of you who have offered your reviews, critique, and especially your encouragement to keep writing. This can be a lonely business, at times. I would recommend this site to any who are looking for inspiration, encouragement and support. - Tatarka2

When I started writing, just over two years ago, FanStory was the place I chose to share my first story. From my very first post, I started learning. The feedback was eye opening and illusion shattering. Reality beckoned! I had hoped to be an immediate success; the new Julia Donaldson or Roald Dahl! I quickly realized this was going to be hard work, and I needed to wise up.

One of my first posts was "Florrie the Paci Fairy". It was way too long, lacked direction, and the writing could've been a lot better. Reviewer after reviewer contributed with wonderful suggestions. Two years later, after a couple of re-posts, I've managed to finally produce something I'm happy with.

"Florrie the Paci Fairy" ("Florrie the Dummy Fairy" in the UK), is now available to buy from Amazon. It was one of the most exciting days of my life when I finally allowed myself to give it the green light. Reading my book to my boys for the first time was one of the greatest moments of my life. Closely followed by when they asked me to read it again! Success!

Anthony Crosbie.

For anyone wondering whether or not FanStory is worthwhile, when I first joined, I didn't even know the definition of a speech tag. I spent three years writing an insane amount of content (mostly short stories), knowing that the reviews would help me polish my skills. Since then, I have written for Yahoo! Finance, and many of those articles made the Yahoo! home page. Basically, it led to a career.

Like many of you, my passion is fiction. Thanks to all the strong support received here, I have published three books: Twisted Sick (very high Amazon/GoodReads ratings), The Dark Side of the Felt (just published), and Rawson's Fun House (not as strong as the other two). I will also publish Mindful of Tricks soon.

Overall, FanStory is better than any college writing course by a landslide. There is nowhere else in the world where you will receive such high-quality and immediate feedback. Experience is everything. - Tyler Nals.

I stumbled onto FanStory by accident last January and decided to try it out. Little did I know I had just signed up for the wildest ride of my life! Here we are over a year later and I just published my first book on Amazon, "Miss Mabel's School for Girls." If that sounds familiar, it's because Miss Mabel's started here as a first draft at FanStory!

Without FanStory, I can definitely say that this book would never have happened! I'm so grateful to all I learned and all you taught me. Thank you, thank you FanStory! - kcross11 (published "Miss Mabel's School for Girls")

I'm really glad to have found such a wonderful writing site as FanStory and wish to express my appreciation!

When I joined FanStory, I decided to post some poems for review and was amazed at how quickly feedback appeared. Getting feedback is helpful, encouraging and rewarding and really gives a boost. It's also fun being able to take part in contests from time to time or respond to writing prompts as this gives writers a challenge and is all good practice too. I was pleased to win a contest within weeks of joining.

The talent of writers and poets on the site is absolutely amazing! There is so much wonderful variety in the forms and styles of poetry presented and I've learned so much. This is truly a great place to share with like-minded people and I've made some wonderful friends! There's a sense of community and friendship. I think the friendly atmosphere makes people feel comfortable about sharing life experiences. Such sharing is also nice because we can keep one another in our thoughts and prayers regarding life challenges.

The website is very user-friendly and easy to navigate and one of the things I really enjoy is the opportunity to give poems a nice presentation through the facility to upload images or photos and to add background colour. Although imagery is a key element in poetry, lovely features like this really do enhance poems. If there are any queries, contacting FanStory support staff is very easy and the responses are quick and helpful.

I've been particularly inspired spiritually in writing poems of faith and am grateful to God to have been able to recently publish my first book of inspirational poetry entitled "Forever Grateful", which is available on Amazon. I'm very thankful also for the encouragement of friends I made through FanStory, who are also published poets, when preparing my book for publication.

I thank God for the writing gift He has given us all to share and for the talented creators of Fanstory - a great site which is truly a channel of blessing to many. I wish I had much more time available to me to read and review, but just wanted to express my heartfelt appreciation and to say a very big "THANK YOU" to Fanstory for a fantastic site!!

Christine Mitchell (expressions9)

Like so many of the writers and reviewers on this site, I have found the writing community on FanStory to be a great source of encouragement and mentoring. The writers have shown me new possibilities and the reviewers have exhibited honest and caring interest in helping me to improve my writing skills.

I am pleased to announce the publication of four of my poems (including "Daddy's Home!" which appeared here in April) in a new anthology of poetry (Vol 28 of "The Poet's Domain" series published by Live Wire Press) "Like a Welcome Summer Rain..."

I owe huge thanks to the camaraderie of the FanStory brotherhood for re-igniting my love of writing.

Lorraine Benedetto (a.k.a. Leineco)

More often than not, writing is a lonely pursuit, a passion driven by the desire to dream. Well that is how it all started for me, more years ago than I care to remember. Writers learn as they go, but all too often they go alone, afraid of sharing out of fear of criticism. Put simply its a lack of self-belief.

That's where FanStory comes to the fore. It provides an outlet for the self-doubting writer, an outlet that allows the retention of anonymity. You display your work and have it reviewed. Other writers, many of great ability, assess your work and offer advice on style, structure and grammatical content.

FanStory can be a teacher, a mentor and a motivator. It can establish friendships and most importantly it can install in you, as a writer, the belief in your own ability. From there, who knows? Maybe you'll get as lucky as me and find a publisher. God bless G and J Publishers, I strongly recommend their professionalism.

Bob Cullen author of "The Ultimate Betrayal".

Because of the encouragement I received from FanStory and having posted my novel "Miracle on Snowbird Lake", it has gone on to win a first place publishing contract.

If it had not been for FanStory, I don't think my dream would have come true. In part, it was because of the incredibly encouraging and helpful people who dogged me to finish it. I do owe so much to this site.

Stan Bednarz

I would like to share a recent published story. The Chicken Soup for the Soul group published a story of mine called "Already Blessed". It will be released in August of 2013 under a subtitle of "From Lemons to Lemonade". The story was originally posted on Fanstory. I don't think I would have gotten published without all of help from my FanStory friends!".

Bill Hogg

Omega Publications Press Release on Nov. 15th, 2012
Omega Publications is proud to announce the release of "Pieces of Her Mind" for immediate distribution. It is our pleasure to provide 18 of Fanstory's poets with a platform to display their talents and expertise in this uniquely beautiful form.

Alvin Thomas Ethington, one of Fanstory's talented teachers, applied his editing genius, ending with a volume of poetry that reads as smooth as Japanese silk. Suzanne Fuller's artistic abilities shine through the pages, enhancing the interior presentation and her cover art is exquisite. Publisher liaison, Sue Campion, made what could have been a monumental task as smooth as velvet.

This is a unique and first anthology of senryu, kyoka and haiga poems, with instructive and reflective essays and resources. Laughter, reverie, perhaps a moistened eye, all as a consequence of reading this delightful book. Highly recommended, and something more to think about. "Pieces of Her Mind" is a perfect example of what Fanstory encourages in aspiring writers and an accomplishment of which we can all be proud. Currently available on Amazon as a Kindle book, with paperback and hardcover soon to follow.

I have found FanStory to be the best place for creativity and mastering one's craft. In a short period of time, I have learned more on this site, than I had in my entire lifetime.

The ambiance is very cozy. Filled with warmth, brilliant and talented members lend a hand, teach you to be your best, while themselves providing fabulous reading material to learn from.

The staff is exceptionally helpful with everything from A to Z. The site gives everything a writer can dream of to get their work out there to be read and reviewed.

It's great for anyone interested in writing for hobby or professional purposes to help them reach the top of their game.

Thanks again! - Karina J. Belkin

Without the wonderful writers and reviewers on Fanstory, the publication of my book "She laughs with demons," would still be just a dream. I was given help with grammar, encourgament and gentle critques. They were all given to help me improve my work. Everyone on Fanstory helped me grow as a writer. I will forever grateful

Shirley Bracken aka Shirley B

I want to share with everyone on FanStory, my wonderful news that my first book, "Hedgerow Capers", is now in print! Amazon is taking pre-orders and it will be on the shelves in book stores October 29th, 2012. I have also been asked to do a book signing in a major store, and I am over the moon with excitement! I want to thank you all for the encouragement, the help with reviewing and editing, and just all of you for being there for me. This would not be happening if it had not been for you all. Joining FanStory, was THE best thing I have done, not only because of my book, but because I have met some really amazing people on it. Thank you, each and everyone of you!

Sandra Mitchell

FanStory sponsored a contest to write a novel in two months. I completed it February 29 of this year.

Last night I signed a contract with a publisher.

Thanks so much to the people who read "Melinda Heads West" and helped me by reviewing and sending tips my way. I'm over the moon! I've said this before, I'm saying it again.... I LOVE FANSTORY! Thanks for all you do!

Robyn Corum

I am so very happy to share that Omega Publishing will be publishing my Christian Fantasy Fiction novel "The Gift of Light". Without Fanstory this dream would still just be in my head. I want to thank Fanstory and all the readers, writers, and reviewers here. I learn something new here everyday. The contacts, connections, and friends I have made on this site have become invaluable. Thank you Fanstory for making my dream come true.

Jen contacted us again a few months after her book was published:
My book "The Gift of Light" is now a #1 bestseller on Amazon. I started this book as a novel here on Fanstory and through connections I made here I was able to complete it and improve it and my writing skills along the way. I could not be more thrilled. Thank You Fanstory for helping to make the dream a reality.

Jen Gentry - #1 Bestselling Author of "The Gift of Light"

I recently signed contracts for two of my novels. "One, Most Eligible Bachelor" was started here on FanStory through your Valentine's Day contest. It is slotted for a February 2012 release. The other, "Chancing Faith", was already started when I joined FanStory, but the input I got from reviewers here helped me make it a better story.

This is just to say thank you to FanStory for this platform that taught me so much, and helped me improve my craft and achieve my dream of becoming a published author.

Empi Baryeh

Finding this site three years ago was a blessing to me. I am becoming the writer I wanted to be because of what I've learned at Fanstory. I have had stories published (the publishers came to me), won the state contest last year in the short story category, and have been asked to speak at writers groups. Three years ago I couldn't write a grocery list.

Marti Hurst

Your wonderful writing contests challenged me to write different types of stories and improve on them. Because of that, I sold my first short story to a magazine. I just wanted to say thanks for this website.

El Gato

When I first heard about FanStory, I was a little apprehensive about joining. The thought of strangers reviewing my work seemed to me to be very nerve racking to say the least. After all, the only people that I ever shared my stories/poems with were family members, and several of my close friends. We all know how that goes!

I'd been writing stories and poems from the age of, oh I would say about twelve. I still remember the first song lyrics I ever wrote. Looking at them now, I cringe.

After reading through the pages of some of the authors' works and the reviews they received on FanStory, I decided to give it a shot. I mean, what did I have to lose? At the very least I would know if I was wasting my time.

I posted my first poem nine months ago. It was a nail biting time to see what FanStory members would think of this newbie. I am usually considered a very shy person with very little confidence in my writing ability, but with FanStory, I could hide behind a mask and be me. The first couple of reviews came in, and I was so afraid to read them. When I did, I was pleasantly surprised. Since then I have never looked back.

I have gained confidence through the wonderful members I have come to know on FanStory. I have even been published since joining this group. I would never have achieved this if it had not been for their support.

There are some great authors on FanStory, and it has been pleasure to read their work. Some of the stories/poems have made me laugh, to the point of rolling on the floor. Others have left a lump in my throat and brought tears to my eyes. So many emotions are written on the pages of FanStory. So many wonderful writers have made me feel humble with their kindness.

I'm so glad I made the decision to join, for if I hadn't, I would have never experienced such friendship, encouragement and helpful criticism.

All in all, I would just like to say a big, thank you, to everyone including the staff here at FanStory for supporting me these last nine months. What a great place to be!

If anyone asked me, "Fan Story, what's that?" I would simply say ... "For me, it's everything."

Malcolm Davey

I found FanStory.com on Facebook. I saw an advertisement and I clicked on it. I thought I'd try it and see how it worked. In retrospect, it was the best thing I ever did. I had a feeling my beliefs have led me here. After being here just a few short months I would like all of you to know that I have found the peace in writers, your love of art, and a genuine compassion for others.

I do not state this for points from anyone, but speak of my heart here. I want all of you to know how I have admired you here and have enjoyed your beautiful works I get to read everyday. This site is structured very well. It does not adhere to abuse or negativity of any writers. This, I am proud to say, is a positive place to write what you feel and how you feel. It is exactly the way a poetry site should be. I admire it totally. Many cheers to the ones behind the scenes that have made this all possible for us writers, in an atmosphere of high respect and integrity to everyone.

In closing I want to thank each and every one of you for your readings and reviews of my work and the help along the way. I so much appreciate each and every one of you. I wanted to say to all of you thank you for the love and respect you give to one another here and to myself. It is greatly admired and I am proud to say I am a member of this wonderful site.

When I first joined FanStory, I was a frequent scribbler, but I had little confidence in the material I was writing.

The feedback I received from FanStory was invaluable in turning me from a writer for my own pleasure into a published author. Other authors took time out from their own work to comment on my work, and my writing improved immeasurably. Reviewers have commented that the books seem to get better as I progress, and I can only attribute that to submission to FanStory, and to giving serious consideration to all the constructive criticism I received from reviewers, many of whom were published authors themselves.

I am now a published author. I finished my first and I now have six books to my credit, with the seventh and final book of the series nearly complete. All of these books have been accepted for publication, and I intend to give FanStory and its members full credit in the dedication page of each novel.

I would recommend the friendly and dedicated community of FanStory to any scribe who wishes to improve as a writer

Alastair J. Archibald, author of "A Mage in the Making"

Without FanStory I simply would not be a writer at all. The feedback and friendships I have made here have changed my entire life.

Honest feedback helped prepare me for the real world. The contests have also helped me, and continue to help me. Writing to a topic, and writing to a deadline, is key. There isn't a more valuable skill than to sit down and write about a subject by a specific date. That's the real world.

Jen Horton
Nominated as the best feature writer in the state of Florida

I am honored to receive such a high acclaim from FanStory.com. I did not know about this website but now that I have found it, a new world has opened up for me. Writing is such a solitary occupation. FanStory.com adds other interested parties to the whole process and makes it much more fun and enjoyable. I can't tell you how happy I am about this. It is such a great encouragement. There are a variety of writers on this site, and some of them are absolutely brilliant. Their comments along with their experience make writing a pleasure. Kudos for FanStory.com.

Thank you!

William T. Moersen

"I must commend and highly recommend FanStory.com for the skills I have polished in short story writing in the past year. The reasonable cost of membership drew me in and I am that glad I joined.

My reviewers have been tough at times, giving me advice on how I should have written a story, colored it, shown and told it, trimmed it and polished it. I have discovered that most of my short stories are about suppressed women who find their inner strength, initiate change and succeed in life. But it doesn't stop there. I have written poetry, lyrics and some animal stories that received great reviews - reviews I would never have seen if I had shared my writing only among my circle of friends and acquaintances.

Reviewers at FanStory.com come from all walks of life, all genres, skill levels from all over the world! Thanks, FanStory, for my personal growth in writing!"

- Adora Mitchell Bayles
Author of "Wagons South"

I joined Fanstory as a way of expressing myself with like minded people. I never dreamed or even considered that as a result I would now be the proud author of my first children's book with another two lined up. It's all thanks to the wonderful support from fellow fanstorians who first put the idea in my mind and then offered me constructive criticism to help improve my writing. I am very grateful to each and every one of you who read, reviewed and critiqued my writing. I literally would not have done it without having joined Fanstory. Thank you.

Sharon A Latibeaudiere

FanStory has been a tremendous help for me in my writing efforts. As someone who has dreamed about writing for ages, I now find myself in a position to follow this dream. Finding Fanstory has been a real blessing. The encouragement I receive from other writers is invaluable. I am learning from they many talented members of this site. I learn by reading others work and then reviewing it, but I learn most from those who tell me like it is. The folks who critique my work are honest, caring and gifted writers who want me to excel. I could go on and on, but the most important thing I can say is that this is the one site where I feel at home as a writer, surrounded by new friends who want me to succeed, and I want the same for them.

Judy Webb

Thank you!

Today is my one year anniversary with Fan Story. I am a writer. I write because I have to, and I thrive within that need.

I was blessed when I found FanStory. This community embraced me and supported my work. Through the year, many wonderful friendships have developed, and I have several, truly devoted fans. I appreciate and relish constructive criticism, and am grateful to each and every one of you who have helped me on my journey. I have worked very hard and grown enormously as a writer this past year, and I'm thankful to all of you who have unselfishly taken the time to read and review my work.. I admire and respect you for your integrity, honesty, and loyalty.

It was a year to remember, as I look forward to reading more of all your work in the months to come and your wonderful reviews of mine. Thanks so much.

We received this follow up letter from Judian:

Since I wrote my testimonial for FanStory at my one year anniversary, I have had two book submissions accepted for publication, the second having been recently released in September. Perseverance certainly has paid off for me and it all started with FanStory.

- Judian James

I heartily nominate FanStory as the most helpful website I have ever come across that truly delivers what it promises. Not only is it a forum in which your poetry, stories and essays are reviewed by other aspiring writers (I had 110 reviews of my latest poem!), but I've been able to develop my critical skills by reviewing other members' works, as well. There are contests galore to enter, daily, with generous payouts ... and ... well, I see no reason to go anywhere else!

Jay Squires

I just want to say how happy I am to have found this site. I've always wanted to write, but have always struggled with confidence and actually getting things finished. I've been on here most days since I joined 3 weeks ago, and in that time I've written 5 stories, actually finished them and received good feedback. This has boosted my confidence no end, and now that I have started writing, I am finding it really hard to stop!

So I just want to say thank you for the site, it's a great idea and it WORKS.

- Emma Rainbow

FanStory.com is the greatest source for writers that I have found. I have so many friends with pieces they have written and no place to send it to. The world of print is so limited. Through this on-line community of writing, you can post something and it is read and reviewed by other like-minded people around the world. Thank you for being there for us.

- Jean Lutz

My experience over the past three years of membership with Fanstory has been a very positive learning experience. Here, I connected with a great community of writers and have learned how to write poetry, short stories, books, essays and articles. I wanted to contact you to thank you for Fanstory and to update you on my progress as a writer. Because of what I have learned here I am now an independent contractor/freelance author earning taxable (yippee!) income.

- Kristen Brady

I just received my first check for an article I wrote for the July issue of "Wow-women". I wanted to tell that I feel like FanStory is the best thing that ever happened to me in terms of my writing. The way the website is set-up is brilliant. The reviewing process has done more to improve my writing than 20 college-level writing courses. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for creating and running this website for writers. It is truly a blessing.

- Tracy Horan

Fanstory is a great writing site that has aided me greatly in my writing skills. The friendly and competitive community of writers has become my online family and has fostered deep friendships. The reviews from published writers has helped me grow as a writer and lead to the publication of my first book.

- Stephy Jemmisparks

When I joined this site a little over a year ago, numerous attempts to interest publishers in my writing had failed, and I was disheartened, mainly because no one had pointed out what my writing lacked. It did not take long for this to change after joining FanStory.

My reviews on the site, at first, weren't that great. I resented what I felt were attacks on my work by readers. (What the hell could they know?). But the reviews made sense. I set about editing my writing, making use of these suggestions. Suddenly, and to my surprise, I found my popularity on the site increasing and my ratings rising.

After six months, I completed my first novel ("Nightmare In Alice Springs") and sent the prologue and first chapter to a publisher. Four weeks later, they rang, the excited owner of the publishing house saying she wanted the rights to publish my novel. The book is now in bookstores.

In discussions with my publisher, I have been told what a wonderful job FanStory is doing with authors; she likes the kind things said about her newest author (like when I won the award for Recognized Reviewer or when I am awarded a Seal for one of the book chapters); and she has commented on how 'clean' my writing is compared to most they see, requiring very little editing to prepare it for publication (this is attributed to the skilled reviews offered on the site).

So, without FanStory, my writing would have remained good, but rather ordinary and, although I would have continued writing, most likely would never have been published."

- Barry W. Metcalf, author of "Nightmare in Alice Springs".

I am a recent "fan" of FanStory.com. I've always felt something deep within me to write. But I thought it was foolish and I was embarrassed to reveal it. Because of this site I've grown. I've overcome my fears as a poet. Now I just say what I feel and mean. Thanks so much! FanStory.com is a wonderful place and you really don't hear of wonderful places anymore.

- Troy Pennington

Thank you for the oppotunity to write on this fabulous site with so many gifted writers. I was fortunate enough to have my poem "Radiance" published by the Worldwide Poetry Movement. The book is "Stars in our Hearts". FanStory made this possible. Once again thank you.

- John Minot

A book I pieced together a while back on FanStory is now a real book and is published. "Death & Taxes", a compilation of stand alone stories comprises this new book. Also some folks here may remember "Royal Ferdinand" a PDF Short Story for children. It is also published. They both got their start here at FanStory! I want folks to know this! It can be seen on Amazon, and as of a week ago, it went International with Amazon-Europe. So folks in UK, Italy, Spain, France, etc. will see my book there too. - Don (Greywolf), Native American Storyteller and Short Story Editor

I just wanted to say that I think this site is truly awesome and is a real blessing from God, as I have met so many truly talented and wonderful people on here and the works they all share are fantastic, especially the comments they all leave. They are inspiring, encouraging, supportive and uplifting, even the negative ones. hahaha. Thanks for creating this avenue for people to share their thoughts, views, concepts, talents, giftings, opinions, comments.

- Marama Kelly

If it weren't for FanStory.com, I wouldn't be a tenth of the writer I am today.

For three years I've been a Premier Author at FanStory - posting stories, novels, articles, poetry; giving reviews and rating material; remaining in personal contact with published novelists; and enjoying the hell out of growing as a writer.

Not only does the community of writers at FanStory support and help one another, they compete in a yearly ranking system. At the end of each year, the top five authors in four categories receive trophies in the mail. Related to competing, each month FanStory holds many writing contests in which the winner receives $100. To top that, there is a Seal Committee that brands top-notch work with a Seal of Quality, the author gaining the status of professional.

But that's not all! Based on a 6-star rating system, constant reviews are given around the clock. And guess what, each month a selected reviewer receives $100! So stop by and give a review or two. Enter a few contests.

- Jason Parker

Beginning to write poetry and short stories at the age of thirteen, I strayed from the path of writing until I 'matured' and reached the age of thirty. I had been writing furiously - copying poems, short stories and attempting to write novels, in spiral notebooks here at home.

It wasn't until the year 2005, October to be exact- when I stumbled upon this wonderful writing site through a search engine. I believe I was truly blessed!

I've been writing with FanStory for quite some time now. I usually write on a daily basis, I've recently been published and have sharpened my writing skills to the point of having the ability to execute fine stories and poetry in the 'proper' written form.

FanStory; including the staff and fine writers on the site, have helped immensely. Without this avenue, I would not be where I am today in life; in regards to my writing abilities.

I have learned more about writing here in two and a half years, than I learned in my High School English classes and college combined!

So in short:

FanStory is a great place to write, to BE and to express yourself through writing. This is also a great place for support and friendship in regards to writing and what you write about. I want to thank all the reviewers here as well! Without these reviews, we cannot learn from our mistakes and therefore we move on in positive directions through 'constructive criticism'?

Thanks for allowing me to share my positive experiences with your site. I look forward in continuing ALL my writing endeavors and don't think I'd ever leave this place!

Sincerest thanks and best wishes to all,

Carol Hower-Kelly (Beatlegirl61)
Author of "In HER Life..."

I joined Fanstory back in 2004 and sharpened my skills in prose; however, in my bid for recognized status, one of the reviewers observed that my novels were too "episodic." I needed the scriptwriting instruction that I found here at FanStory.

After falling into a rut of writer's block, I recruited a young writer showing lots of potential, (account name Suki "Hanzo" Rayuda) to collaborate on a story. After nearly two years of almost daily effort on the site, we completed an eight-hour miniseries and a full season TV series.

Last summer, we submitted one episode of the miniseries, "Coal Sack," and the pilot episode, "Star Marshal: Vendetta Pt. 1," (competing against 845 other writers) and were placed into the top 10% of entrants. We are very proud to have received positive reviews by some of the TV industry's top professionals.

Thank you, Fanstorians, for your constructive criticism, encouragement and guidance. This wouldn't have happened without you.

Christopher "Technomage" Woods and Emmanuel "Suki Hanzo Rayuda" Harper

Without finding FanStory.com, I don't think my dream of having my book published in print would have been realized.

I found FanStory.com last year. I received honest opinions on what I wrote and members offered suggestions on how to improve. With the help from others on this site I learned how to write poems that involved rhyming as well as count and meter. This site is simply wonderful and helped me immensely become a much better poet.

In early December, I submitted a sampling of my poems to a large and highly respected publishing house. I received confirmation from the editor of the Acquisitions Department of the publishing house that they had decided that my book "needed to be published". My book "Losing Myself" is now in bookstores.

This is the real deal and one of the most professional writing sites I have been involved with since I started writing my poetry. Thanks to everyone here for all the support

- Robbi-Lee McCambridge-Allen, author of "Losing Myself"

I just have to tell you that this site has really been a wonderful blessing to me. I've gotten some great feedback and found other writers to "talk" with and it's just been such a Godsend!

I am so thankful that I found it. I've been out of writing for a very long time and this site has motivated me and inspired me. So, thank you very much! :)

- Kathleen (Gremlinsmom)

FanStory is an asset to any writer. The worldwide friendships and overall learning opportunities changed my writing into a writing career. I submitted my first chapter at the encouragement of a fellow member of FanStory. The feedback encouraged me to continue. I took the advice of the reviews and with each submission, my writing improved.

Fanstory was an integral part of becoming a published author. Breathless Press and FanStory collaborated to create a Christmas contest in 2009. Because this site is international, I did not see myself winning the contest, but I stepped up to the challenge. I won. Publication became a reality.

"Stellar Surprise", my novella, came about directly because of this opportunity.

If it had not of been for FanStory, members feedback, the FanStory Seal of Quality board, my writing would have remained stagnant and void of a strong "voice". The life of an author needs encouragement from others who understand the need and drive to create. FanStory is the perfect place to share and improve. Comparing my prior writing to that of today shows immense improvement--all because of FanStory. I recommend this site to any aspiring writer.

Summer Falls, author of "Stellar Surprise"

FanStory.com really made me a better writer. When I first joined this site I didn't fully understand how to write a good poem, how to keep a rhythm, or what makes the content good enough to stand on its own as a quality piece of writing. However, through reviews and the will to become better (so I wouldn't get so many bad reviews) I learned more about what poetry is all about and really worked hard to improve.

Had it not been for FanStory.com and the wonderful people I have met on this site, I would have stayed on that mediocre level forever and would have never been able to create something that a publication company would actually want to put into print. I really owe a lot to FanStory.com and will forever be grateful of that.

- David Caudill. David wrote us after he and two other FanStory.com authors signed a book contract with Fidlar-Doubleday and TJMF Publishing in late 2004.