“Let the words flow…” No, this isn’t some pithy saying written on the whiteboards of English classrooms worldwide in an attempt to assist students with their mind-bending essays. It is the motto of FitcionPress.com, an online community, where anyone from novice poets to published essayists can post their works for the world to see and critique.

For the past two years I have been addicted to this website. Every time I get online, regardless of my initial intent, I always end up on FictionPress.com. I have logged countless reading hours on this site, even sneaking onto Meredith College’s computers at Governor’s School last summer to get my fix of a few particularly captivating stories.

FictionPress.com began as an attempt to unite both writers and readers, and over the years it has grown into a community of over 139,000 writers with more than 819,000 published works. These numbers literally grow daily, as more members join in search of either a legitimate place to post their writings or a safe haven from the gossip that pervades much of the Internet.

Membership to the website is completely free, and anyone who is over the age of thirteen that has a valid e-mail address can sign up. By joining, members are able to post their own works, critique the work of others, and save authors and stories to their favorites so they can return later to read more.

With posted genres ranging from action to fantasy, thriller to romance, in both prose and poetry, it is easy for any interested reader to find something that suits them. Those who have finally tired of the tales of Saturday night rides or the lasted gossip posted on your best friend’s MySpace can try surfing over to FictionPress.com.