Recently, while wallowing through the garbage that
constitutes most of my e-mails these days, I discovered
a Pearl. It was an invitation to join a website for
writers. www.PearlSoup.com

They are looking for real-life stories and anecdotes in
a wide variety of categories. The word count they look
for is between 100 and 1000 words. What they aren't
looking for is FICTION.

I immediately went over to the site to snoop around and
was pleasantly surprised. First off, there are no monetary
rewards (sort of like epinions ?). You do earn "Community
Support Points" which only reflect recognition. They are
not convertable to currency, gifts, cd's, toilet paper,
inflatable dolls, etc. They merely accumulate and elevate
the writer to one of four community status levels:
1- Philosopher
2- Thinker
3- Supporter
4- Visitor

You earn Community Support Points in a number of ways.
Submitting a public profile, Commenting on a submission,
Submitting, rating, logging on etc.

Their rating system is as follows:
***** Love It! Superb!
**** Very Good
*** Worth Reading
** Needs Improvement
* Didn't Like It

Categories available cover a wide range of topics and emotions. They include:
Self-Skills (Self-Awareness, Self-Esteem, Self-Discipline)
Transitions (Adoption, Birth, Death, Divorce)
Character Traits (Aggressiveness, Alertness, Courage)
Contexts (Relationships, Success)
Skills (Achieving Dreams, Communicating, Learning)
Values (Balance, Beauty, Control)
Feelings (Anger/Frustration, Anxiety, Boredom)

The above list is not complete, just a thumbnail to give
you an idea of the topics available. There is also a section where you can "Suggest A Topic". In all honesty, I've just joined, so I can't tell you how receptive or quick the staff is to react to a request, but I will
update as soon as I experience it.

Sign-up is a snap. Choose a user name (I chose "mike24" )
now isn't that original ? Submit your e-mail address and
they send you a password. Simple as can be.

The site is a breeze to navigate and seems to respond
rather quickly.

Obviously, I can't predict the future of PearlSoup, but
in my eyes, it is a promising outlet for anyone that loves
to write and convey life experiences. They are trying to
establish a community of writers and people. I'm willing
to bet the ranch, that at some point, if they succeed,
there will be the usual sniping, back-biting and pettiness that we see in every "community" but so what ? Since most other sites aren't paying for our words, why not give this one a shot ? At least you can take a break from those
"dry" product reviews, open up a little and share a part
of your life experiences and feelings with others.

Go ahead, tell me a story. Submit a Pearl.
I'm willing to listen.


Recommended: Yes