On Registration with and Online Publication on FictionPress

For almost two years, I have been reading stories on the website FictionPress, and for several more years, I have wanted to show my works to a broader audience. On the aforementioned site, writers from every end of the earth and every ability may post their prose and poetry for the world’s viewing, give and receive advice on writing, and enter a community filled with like-minded, passionate people. I have previously and unquestioningly accepted your rightful earlier judgment not to let me register with the site, but having become more cautious in the online setting and more capable of avoiding the shifty eyes and baited hooks of the Internet, I wish to present my case once more for allowing me to register with and post on FictionPress.

Primarily, FictionPress is a site dedicated to the recognition of and improvement of storytelling, an art that has continued to evolve from the first cave paintings and hunting tales through the great campfire tales and epic poems to the modern short stories and novels. The writing community at FictionPress is part of this ongoing evolution of the craft, and should I be able to contribute my literary criticisms to the community, I will be aiding the further improvements in this historic art form on a global scale, if only within an online network. Given the number of contributors to the site, FictionPress could also further my own personal writing: a “review” option allows FictionPress members to critique every work posted on the site. By both contributing and receiving literary criticism, I will be able to recognize and correct problems in both my writings and the writings of others, improving at least fractionally the world’s growing body of literature.

Your previous decision not to permit me to register with the website FictionPress had been based primarily on safety. However, neither registration nor maintaining membership requires more information than an e-mail address. A number of online services offer free, false e-mail addresses, like spare house keys hidden under the porch mat, made for similar web requisites. Should I be unable to utilize such services, FictionPress also agrees in the user registration form not to distribute members’ e-mail addresses. In either case, there is no distribution of true personal information and no risk of receiving viruses through the FictionPress network. Because FictionPress is not intended to facilitate social interaction beyond posting stories and criticism, few opportunities will arise for dubious situations to occur. Between members, both parties must initiate and agree to any direct interaction. Members also retain the copyrights to their posted works and the right to remove any of their works from the site, allowing the posters almost total control over the display of their creations.

Two of the first few works that I read on FictionPress, a unique interpretation of the Bogeyman legends and an apocalyptic and philosophical android tale, represent to me the potential of the site. Although neither of these works was of professional quality, both pieces wrested my attention and demonstrated the passion for creative writing within the site’s community. I will respect your decision on the topic no matter what your choice, but I want you to consider strongly my plea before you decide. Ultimately, my wish to register with the site lies in a basic desire proved possible by the above two stories. When you finish a significant accomplishment that gives you tremendous pride, do you never feel the desire to share your accomplishment with other people who share your interest, with the world? I feel this way every time I complete a written work, and if you will let me join FictionPress, I will be able to satisfy that desire.