I have always had the passion for writing. Between my fictitious stories, I tried writing short essays about things I was passionate about. It was never more than a couple pages but I always tried to put into words the things that ran through my head and I wished I could tell others about. It was all my opinions, beliefs, personal stories, and troubles in choppy little Word documents, hidden from the eyes of others. I dreamed of one day having a blog people would read, and it being filled with all these little wannabe articles. It was always a dream to have my writing out where the world could see it, and it became a reality when I applied for Odyssey.

Everyone has something they so desperately want to talk about but the time never comes to say anything. The topic may never be discussed, or maybe it is but not in the way that makes it okay to say what’s bottled in. These feelings about whatever it is, sit, dwelling inside and there’s no one to listen. No one will read a long-winded Facebook status about it; that’s so 2008. Twitter doesn’t offer nearly enough characters to express everything. So these feelings build and are left to wait until the right time, which may never come.

Odyssey is the best outlet for all of these thoughts and emotions. It offers the opportunity to word everything just right. You can talk about yourself, others, whatever you please really. It opens the door to reach a much wider audience than the few hundred Facebook friends. Odyssey is a great way for readers to identify with others and have the feeling to connection with someone they may not know. These mutual feelings spread and grow and suddenly, Odyssey writers realize how many others feel the same.

Odyssey has received much criticism from journalists and also everyday people. It’s been said to have “ruined journalism” and become a mess of misinformed millennials. If anything, Odyssey seems to help young adults understand the world a little better. Those who write about current events are able to write in a way that makes the news easy to understand. We writers get that the news isn’t always clear cut and it likes to throw in extra, unimportant information. That’s where we come in. We understand we appeal to young adult audiences and we want to make sure what we write is something others are willing to read. So we keep it short and simple, only throwing in what’s important. Some of us might not know much about a current event in the world, but if something happens, someone will get together all the important info and make sure it’s easy to understand and to the point. Some people might post opinions on hot topics, and that’s OK too! Odyssey is a safe place for sharing opinions and viewpoints.

Content creators for Odyssey come from widely different backgrounds. Some are conservative and some are liberal. Some might have strong faith and others might be in the grey area of religion. Everybody who writes for Odyssey has a different background and no two writers’ stories are the same. We might share similar experiences, but coming from such different places in life gives us the opportunity to express those times through writing and learn even more about each other. Sometimes you won’t know something about a fellow writer until an article is published. You create a whole new group of friends—no, family –all through the power of writing. Everyone supports each other, even if they don’t agree on some points. With being a content creator is a sense of community. You feel a connection to other writers, even if they’re not from your school. Even just working for the same site, you quietly support and cheer on other writers because you understand they have the same passion to express themselves. It’s amazing how such a broad, widely used site brings people together.

Joining Odyssey is one of the best decisions I have ever made. It’s allowed me to speak up about things I feel strongly about, but also create casual content that makes for fun, quick reads. I’ve written about everything from boys, to abuse, to music, to sports. I know there is no limit on my creativity as a writer. I am free to express my anger, sadness, joy, and confusion in every way possible. I often find myself in conversations with others trying to explain my feelings or an experience, and I know that I could very easily direct that person to an article because, chances are, I’ve written something about it. There is so much to say in this world, so why limit yourself to Facebook statuses and shady tweets? Why not put it out there for others to read? Express every deep down emotion and become a part of a community. You can debate endlessly with others about something, or put every single thought into one article addressing the issues you feel so strongly about. We write to entertain, inform, and connect. There is no limit on expression with Odyssey.

Request an invite to join an Odyssey community today at https://www.theodysseyonline.com/apply