FanStory

Very disappointed. No critiques are provided from the contest judges. Not once did the feedback I receive from other members address technical aspects of my writing.

There seems to be a cultural expectation that all pieces are rated 5 out of 5. And yes, scoring a piece a 3 can result in one of your pieces being subjected to retaliation scoring.

Members are generally cordial. Some appreciated my feedback – they reworked their piece and asked me to provide feedback on the edits. So that was a positive experience.

Definitely not of value to writers who want meaningful critiques of their writing.

I'm closing my account.

If you enjoy writing you'll love Fanstory. The writing contests challenge you to try new things. The people that are part of Fanstory are really wonderful. My biggest hesitation was sharing my writing with strangers because I was so new to writing. Heck, I had never even heard of any of the poem types in the contest listing. But everyone was so helpful. The reviews were really supportive. I really look forward to sharing my writing each day and seeing what my friends are writing. Don't worry! You'll love it!

I recommend it to anyone who is a writer or wants to learn writing, you will enjoy it so much, you will not find all what you want or like but it will be enjoyable in your free time. 🙂

I am so happy to have found this wonderful community of writers. I enjoy the feedback I get for my writing. I love the contests. You'll love it!

You'll enjoy it. The writers and reviewers are wonderful. The contests are fun and challenging. You get feedback for everything you write including your contest entries. It's a wonderful site with wonderful people. Enjoy!

I've been writing on Fanstory for seven years. The feedback that I have received has really helped me grow as a writer. The contests are fun and challenge me to try new things. The site is wonderful for anyone that enjoys writing even if you are just getting started. Go ahead and join – you'll be glad you did!!!

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 finishing what I started writing. I've been on here most days since I joined. I have finished my poems and stories and and received helpful feedback. This has boosted my confidence no end, and now that I have started writing, I am finding it really hard to stop! It's a great idea and it WORKS.

Learning, reading, friendship and it is addictive! Been on the site for nearly nine years, I am staying. Aussie.

I was hesitant to join because I was afraid there would be harsh criticism. But I was pleasantly surprised to find most criticism to be helpful in improving my writing. Everyone was welcoming and so supportive. It is great to be part of a community that supports the craft and offers endless help In many ways. I have realized that opening yourself up to criticism is a great way to become a more confident writer as well as happily passing on lessons learned to other newcomers.

In my opinion this site is absolutely brilliant. Never before have I had the opportunity to have my writing reviewed like this. It has been better than any writing workshop could be. There are some wonderful people in this community and I have enjoyed it. I have grown as a writer and this site is great at getting you motivated. So many contests to enter! For a poet to have such a sounding board is a treasure.

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

If it had not of been for this site my writing would have remained the same. The feedback helped me improve. It is important for a writer to get encouragement and support from others. FanStory is the perfect place to share and improve. Comparing my prior writing to that of today shows great improvement – all because of FanStory. I recommend this site to any aspiring writer.

Great for writing contests and for getting feedback for you writing. The feedback has gone a long way to help me become a better writer. It has also motivated me and I'm writing more. It's fun to enter the writing contests and they offer challenges that I normally would not try.

You'll love this site. The ranking system is amazing, it's so nice to see how well my writing is doing in every category. The review system is great. I like hearing what others think about the writing that I share. I know I have a lot to improve and the community that makes Fanstory what it is are so willing to help me. It's easy to use. I can see from one glimpse everything I need, there is always so much to explore and I have never been bored being on this site. Feedback is always required for improving quality. I will give FanStory.com five stars anytime.

A terrific site for anyone that enjoys writing. I have only been a member for about a month and have found the community to be friendly and supportive. I enjoy the writing contest. Am learning from the feedback that I get from other writers. It may be a little confusing at first but I learned quickly how to do everything including entering the poetry contests and sharing my writing for feedback from other writers. The support staff was very helpful with any questions that I had.

I joined for the contests. They are fun and give me the opportunity to try new things. I haven't won yet but my writing is improving thanks the feedback I receive from other writers. So perhaps one day! The site is easy to use and when I have questions I usually hear back pretty quickly. The other members on the site (that give me feedback) are usually very kind and helpful. This is a fun site but also everyone seems serious about improving as a writer. There are even published authors on the site that participate and give me feedback. There is also a fan base system in place as you get fans (and become a fan) you'll find your popularity grows and you get more feedback – and also will improve in the rankings. It's kinda like a game that helps keep it interesting (and keeps me motivated to write more).

I don't consider myself a writer. However, I saw the long list of poetry contests and thought it would be fun to enter the contests. I'm glad I tried it out. The contests are fun to enter. I get feedback from other members when I enter. And it's easy to participate. A fun site everyone should try.

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.

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.

A fun site to share poetry, stories and even a book. Contests are fun and I enjoy the competition. The best part though are the wonderful people. Always a friendly review offering help and support.

Based on many years experience in literary criticism and several years on Fanstory, I believe that most writers on this site believe in its fundamental literary purpose. The vast majority seek honest reviews to enable them to progress to the next level with their writing.

To be generous, your piece lacks literary qualities that might otherwise commend it. It is not original, it is not creative literary art–it is your rambling prayer, lacking lyricism, personification, metaphorical reference, alliteration, et. al.

There are many sites available to accommodate those who wish merely to drone on about political or religious beliefs. Click on them, and rant, as you please.

This is a literary site. Most writers here earnestly want constructive literary reviews. Perhaps you should consider another venue for your "work."

This is a unique writing community. I get feedback for everything I write here. As soon as I post something I start checking for reviews. Usually in 15 minutes or so I get a couple of reviews. Like some sites, I don't have to write reviews to get reviews. But I do enjoy writing reviews (once I got past that fear factor) and by doing so I am rewarded with the option to get more feedback. The feedback I receive has gone a long way in helping me improve my writing. I'm primarily a poet but I have been encouraged (by my greedy desire to win a contest) to try other forms including horror writing. There are so many contests to enter with new ones announced every day. The daily writing prompts (which aren't just prompts but contests) are interesting as well because they give you a daily challenge. One of the features I like are the rankings. When you write something it impacts your rank. I'm ranked as a poet and a short story writer. That rank goes up (or down) based on how your writing is received. This is a fun feature. If you are a top five writer you even get a trophy (a real one, they mail it to you). Really fun site with plenty of opportunity to improve.

There's no doubt in my mind that in the years since I've joined Fanstory, my writing has grown by leaps and bounds. The people on the site are very giving and helpful to fledgling writers and I've made several friends there. I've also learned how to accept criticism without getting offended and use it for the better of my story. The contests are many and varied. I've also learned to become a better reviewer through my time on Fanstory. The administrator has been extremely helpful and answers every question. The downside to Fanstory is the people who think it's a fast track to publication and try to trash others work instead of giving helpful criticism.
The bottom line is if you're a new writer, the good people on Fanstory can teach you a lot if you're willing to listen.
I know they helped me.

If you love to write you'll love this site. Easy to use Writing contests are fun and committee judged. . The community is made up of helpful and caring people. I started off as a true beginner but now am considering publishing.

It made me a much better writer. When I first joined I didn't really understand how to write a poem – keep a rhythm, or what makes the poem stand out. However, through feedback from writers I learned more about what poetry is all about and worked hard to improve. I enjoy sharing my writing. Entering challenging contests – and learning.

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.