FanStory

This is a good place to share your writing, improve your skills, and grow. When I joined I found a dedicated group of writers in various stages offering friendship and encouragement to me - the newbie. During my time here, I have seen many inexperienced writers grow and improve with the help of the more experienced writers. The contests offer a challenge and encourage me to try different forms of writing. I never thought I would write a sonnet! The rankings encourage me to keep writing and strive to only post polished writing that will be well received by reviewers. If you are new to writing or an experienced vet I think you'll find a home here.

There's quite a diversity here at this site and I think that's a good thing. If you're a hobbyist looking to interact with other writers and enjoy yourself, this is certainly the place for you. It IS a friendly atmosphere and you'll find most people are helpful and not out to slam anyone.
However, there ARE many serious writers and if you establish your desire for serious input, you will receive it.
It's up to you what path you choose to follow. There are professionals enrolled in the membership in all facets of writing from publishing to editing. They are here of their own volition to help and give back. If you seek them out, you will find them and they will help.
I've improved beyond my wildest dreams.
Many expect to receive rewards without putting in effort. Life doesn't work that way. These are the impossible to please folk we find in all walks of life.
Of course there are things to complain about and issues to address. Complaints are addressed and issues are discussed on a regular basis here. Improvements are constantly made.
You'll find a vast majority of the membership are delighted to be here.
No other site offers the instant interaction and access that this one does. Believe me, I've tried them all.
I recommend NONE higher than this.

Your time is limited. As is your money. And there's one thing your hard-earned money and precious time can't buy on Fanstory--no matter how much of either you spend on this archaic site--and that's how to become a proficient writer within a practical time frame.

With a few exceptions, most of the feedback I received on FanStory for my writing were rarely helpful and tantamount to no more than a ostensible lets-stroke-his-ego pat on the back. Giving me wrong grammatical advice will not get me to where I want to be as a writer, either. I just can't take serious any writing site endowed with a plethora of supposedly knowledgeable writers and reviewers, many of whom don't know the basic rules of grammar, punctuation, or spelling, or who arrogantly rewrite stories to their satisfaction rather than constructively critique them for the sake of the author submitting them.

If you're a decent writer with interesting stories, I truly believe you'll find FanStory's not a desirable site to promote your writing. You could end up finding yourself victimized by spending more of what the site owner really wants--your money--before you even come close to being recognized for your overall writing skills and storytelling ability. Believe me, there are easier and less expensive ways to promote your writing effectively and FanStory is simply not among them.

If you really want to learn to write, to learn from other writers--many of them published--who really know the craft and the pitfalls that come with it, please consider looking elsewhere beyond FanStory. Check out well-respected well-known sites like Scribophile.com and/or your local community's writers' group.

I spent very little time or money at FanStory, but unlike some of the poor souls who have--a lot of them pensioners--I know there are much better sites to practice our craft, places on the web where our time and money spent really means something and gives back an equitable and fair return for their exchange.

I firmly believe this site preys on vulnerable fledgling writers through its unconscionable practice of openly and blatantly giving its members the option to spend additional money to be recognized and reviewed and then hopefully move their way up the site's ranking's ladder. The truth is if you're a good writer, gaining recognition shouldn't be a problem and you should NEVER have to come out of pocket to enhance what's already there. Your writing will speak for itself, but that criteria doesn't seem to fit the modus operandi on FanStory. The bottom line is you'll need deep pockets to get from FanStory what you should have been getting all along at a minimal cost, even free, like the more reputable sites such as Scribophile.com and others do.

Some may call FanStory a sham, while others may call the site the greatest ever, but I call it what I really think it is--a regretful, exploitive waste of time and money.

In my opinion, FanStory runs on a business model imbued to pull the maximum dollars from its users with little concern for their creativity or the quality of their writing. The site's alternative to getting noticed and reviewed is getting members to use their PayPal money--real dollars--to pay their way to the top, so to speak, even after paying a basic membership fee. This means the membership paid for is just short of worthless and gives you little in return for value. And their FREE TO REGISTER prompt is just as worthless. On other sites I've received something in return or at least had the opportunity to contribute just by simply registering.

On FanStory, I also had to contend with obnoxious pop-up ads, even after signing up for and paying for the basic membership fee. My inquiry with the owner as to how to eliminate those ads from my page yielded a quick but canned response from him. His return message implied it was simply part of the site's way of doing business but the subtext underneath read to me as "deal with it, live with it."

To conclude, I believe this website completely violates the creative spirit of writing and sharing through its selfish, extreme for-profit self-serving practices.

My writing has improved greatly since I joined. Everything I post (I share poetry and book chapters) gets feedback. When I post my writing I get feedback very quickly. Usually the feedback is detailed and helpful. There are many, many writing contests that I can enter that have cash prizes. Highly recommended.

Your writing gets generally fair reviews by other writers. There is an opportunity to gain deep learning and skills in poetry. The costs are not unfair and controlled by you. Tom, the owner has always been helpful, reasonable, and fair in my dealings over four years. I have been able to learn as well as teach and share with others which I find to be an honorable and positive undertaking. I cannot in any way understand some of the horrible reviews I've read here by others! I can only guess their expectations were way out of touch with reality!

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

I am a "fan". If you enjoy writing poetry, stories or are working on a book this is an excellent site for you. I've always felt something deep within me to write. I was embarrassed to reveal it. Because of my experience here that has changed. I've overcome my fears. The feedback I have received has been very positive. There are things I need to work on and the reviewers (many published authors) have shown me where I can improve my writing.

For me the best part of the site is the feedback I receive. It's often quite helpful. I tried other sites before finding this one and I found the reviews at other sites pretty useless (often one or two words). Here I get detailed help that is greatly appreciated. The contests (there are new ones every day) are fun. They challenge me to try new things (I never wrote poetry before I came here). I'm becoming a getter writer thanks to the experience I receive here.

A complete and total joke. I have to think that the ballot box was stuffed considering all the favorable reviews (C'mon, 5 stars that often?) As others have stated, it is not cost effective to belong to this site if you want constructive feedback... way too expensive.

By the way, I signed up -- and paid for -- for two years (as it was cheaper). When I reached my one year anniversary, Fanstory told me it was time to renew my membership. When I told them I had paid for two years (check their records) good old Tom basically told me to "prove it." Can you imagine that... they supposedly DON'T have the records of member transactions? I think it was simply a ploy to get me to pay again, if I couldn't provide proof that I had indeed paid for two years. I was able to prove I had paid for the second year, which really didn't matter at that point because I told them what they could do with their con-game disguised as a writing site.

There are many sites far more worthy of your hard earned dollars (and they will require far less of them too). Try writing.com, scribophile, and others. Just stay away from Fanstory. Your best interests are the LAST thing on their collective little minds!