Not to be fake deep or anything, but I truly do believe in the power of fiction. I believe that stories can connect people all across the world.

Writing for Odyssey has been undeniably fun. I love writing about things that matter to me and believe that what I say is reaching people, and I love seeing what other people my age have to say. Another aspect of Odyssey I enjoy is the creative freedom: Our editors make sure our grammar is correct and our headlines polished, but other than that, our words are our own. I'm allowed to freely share what means the most to me.

But, at the end of the day, I'm a creative writer, not a journalist.

I have always loved writing fiction. I've been writing stories since I was nine years old in second grade when I planned an epic fanfiction crossover between "Danny Phantom", "American Dragon: Jake Long", and "Kim Possible." It was silly, poorly executed, and had a plot about as coherent as a DCU movie. But hey, I was nine. It sparked a love of storytelling I still have in me today.

So you can imagine my excitement when I started noticing poems and fictional works popping up on here. I was like a kid on Christmas.

The sole problem was that unless you wrote something that absolutely struck gold, there wasn't a place where your work could be featured to reach a larger audience.

Odyssey, here is my request: Why not create a sub-site solely dedicated to fictional works?

I believe that a sub-site dedicated to fictional works similar to Swoon would be a great idea. Swoon is a platform where articles on romance are featured that has proven to be extremely successful. People can browse through the pieces in categories ranging from hook-ups to break-ups, as well as personal stories of love and woe. Swoon is a network with a specific theme that people have paid attention to and responded to.

Just like romance, there's definitely a budding presence for fictional works on here too; just search "Fiction on Odyssey" into the search bar and you'll find dozens of short fictional stories. "Poetry on Odyssey" yields even more results.

The best part is, we already know there is an audience for fictional works.

Of Monsters and Men is a short story written by Shreya Ravichandran is a great example of writers using this platform to express themselves fictionally. It was featured on the front page of the site and accumulated a little over one thousand views. I really think people on here are just as interested in our fictional work as our nonfictional work.

A sub-site specifically for fictional works would give creative writers a voice, too. There could be sections for genres like romance, fantasy, action, and realistic fiction, as well as a section for poetry. It'd be great; just like a big slam poetry coffeehouse that you can attend in your PJ's.

Think of the stories that could be written if you provided a place where writers could share their experiences narratively. There are some really talented writers on this website, and I think their creative stories could really resonate with people.

There aren't many places on the internet where writers have as much creative freedom as they do on Odyssey. When writers are allowed to express themselves as freely as they want to, beautiful things happen. Who knows? You could be fostering the next Oscar winner here.

So, I think you should give fiction a chance. I promise you that we won't disappoint.

An update: Apparently the site is already working on one! Stay tuned for amazing fiction pieces from me and fellow contributors.