I'm about to zero in on a point I want to make -- maybe thereby committing 'social suicide', but I feel it's really the only worthwhile gripe I can make about FanStory that, oddly enough, really can't be 'blamed' on FanStory at all. I hope to write something that at least proves 'food for thought', and hey, I don't expect anyone to laud my opinion, but at least I think my review will be quite different from many you will read for this contest.

One discouraging thing for me about posting here sometimes is this: I seriously do NOT like interpreting my poetry for my reader, and my use of metaphor is not like some poets, in my opinion -- impossible for anyone but the author to decipher.

But it would seem "gossamer butterfly wings", as one example, is hard to figure out for some readers, even within the context of my tiny poem, "Beautiful Billie". It seems plain to me. I meant "beautiful and fragile", etc. -- " a life fraught with difficulty/delicate/short-lived". Sheesh. It's poetry, not prose. Maybe I should post ONLY one or the other! Sometimes (after numerous glitches with my account) something as seemingly OBVIOUS to me but apparently NOT to others who also write poetry, is very disheartening.

Or is it me? Is what I write not as obvious in its meaning to others as it is to me? Then again, maybe I am being 'typecast' because of my prose or some of my poems -- those poems whose language might be less than traditionally 'poetic'.

I always try to "stretch my literary muscle" with my writing, as well as reaching new heights of originality and imagination --"Ideasaregems" is my pseudonym, after all -- but it seems to be to my detriment here, which is sad, and not just for me. That's a drawback to this site that I believe can only be rectified by preaching about it, bringing light to a touchy subject. There's no shortage of opinion on what constitutes 'expertise' on ANY kind of writing on this site. Occasionally, with the additional stormy influences of outside, worldly events, I feel like I am drowning in despair! My craft is that important to me, and I bet, to a lot of FanStory members. I know we've lost a good many wonderful writers since I joined...

I LOVE FanStory for many different reasons, the first BEING the people. But the "yang" to the "yin" of that FACT is that some of FanStory's members seem determined to "box" a writer in, to parcel and label us as a certain kind of author. They "know" all about us and our craft.

I write novels, many of which have been posted here, in addition to short stories and poetry. That prose might be mainly straight-talk, just like many of my autobiographical essays, or my nonfiction writing, but that kind of writing is worlds apart from poetry. Technical writing, or how-to articles can't be compared to a 'fireside chat' type of expression either. A cookbook usually relates the facts, period -- clearly, if it's any good. Ingredient list -- check. How-to -- check. Not a lot of room for simile or metaphor in a cookbook. Yet I actually wrote and posted a lengthy poem that WAS a recipe. How's THAT for originality?

As for the site itself, I have complaints -- lots of them -- BUT it comes down to this: where in this world is there absolute perfection? What's truly important is that there is enough goodness to outweigh the negative aspects of FanStory for me. The inspiration gained from reading so many talented writers, the knowledge 'gleaned' by such a wide variety of topics and cultural influences, the gauging of marketability by the reaction of a public at large -- a treasure trove of learning. That's not to say I will not voice my objections from time to time, even rant about things like PDFs not downloading correctly, or work disappearing from my profile.

But overall, it's the apparent lack of caring enough to be thorough (by some folks) that truly hurts my heart. God knows, there's little I write that doesn't come from that place.

I guess what I want to point out in this review of Fanstory is that we must, as artists, treat ANY work with the utmost respect, and that means an investment, not of money, or member dollars, but of time. FanStory can't be held responsible for that, can it? Before reviewing for a writer, we should first try to familiarize ourselves with that author's work (and standards/qualifications) to properly assess and comprehend what we read.

(On second thought, in my case, with the many glitches my account seems to harbour, I guess that's asking the impossible if a reader can't get beyond page one of my portfolio.)

Not everyone is here for the same reasons, and that's fine -- more than fine. But those of us who ARE serious writers can be so easily scarred by flippant attitudes. Is it okay to kibitz, to socialize? Of COURSE! It's part of FanStory's appeal. I've met some fabulous people here -- ones who have become REAL FRIENDS. But it's time-consuming, so that has to be a consideration.

THAT, my friends, is my honest review of FanStory. I don't think, as a global site, it can truly be much improved. Like the church, it's the people, not the building. A little care goes a very long way, and while most members of FanStory DO honor and respect the craft and the ones who employ it, some take the reviewer's responsibilities a little too lightly.

Maybe a few people with the power to evaluate (that is beyond that of a reviewer) do the same, also. I'm just sayin'... That, friends, if it's happening, is unacceptable.