Share Personal Stories Online
On Fireside you can publish personal and true stories for free, with no application and under a pen name – you never have to give your real name. You keep the rights, and you can edit, unpublish or delete it at any time. Fireside is an online platform for reading, writing and publishing short stories and personal stories – true or invented, automatically in German and English.
Some things you have lived through want to be told: a goodbye, an encounter, a summer that changed everything, the story of your own family. Not everyone wants to share that on social media, where colleagues and relatives read along – and not everyone wants to write a whole book about it.
Here is how to share personal stories online, what to keep in mind and how it works on Fireside.
Write a personal story →Create a free account
What is a personal story?
A personal story tells something you have experienced or that matters to you: a memory, a turning point, a person who shaped you, an ordinary day on which something happened. It doesn’t need to be complete or chronological – often a single moment is enough.
Fireside welcomes both the lived and the imagined. Many stories sit in between: told close to life, with names and places changed.
A pen name instead of your real name
On Fireside you appear only under an alias you choose. You never have to give your real name, a profile picture is optional, and other people can’t see your email address. That way you can write about things you wouldn’t share under your own name.
Good to know: published stories are public – readable without an account and findable through search engines. The pen name protects your name; what you reveal about yourself in the text is up to you.
Readers, not a friends list
People on Fireside come for the stories. Instead of likes, readers leave resonances – short personal responses to what your story stirred in them. Anyone who wants to can follow you or send you a direct message; you can block individual people or turn off messages entirely.
You stay in control
The rights to your story stay with you; Fireside only receives a simple, non-exclusive licence to display and translate it. You can edit, unpublish, republish or delete any story at any time – and hide your profile or delete your account.
Tell a life story in parts
When a memory grows into more, you can set up your story as a series and publish it part by part – chapter by chapter, decade by decade. Readers who saved the series are notified about new parts. Fireside is not a book or memoir-writing service: you write and publish yourself.
Automatically in English and German
Every story appears in English and German when you publish it. A family story you write in English can also be read by relatives and readers in German-speaking countries.
What to keep in mind
If you write about other people, change names and identifying details – especially for family, former partners or colleagues. Fireside automatically checks every publication, among other things for other people’s private data.
If writing about something painful is hard, you don’t have to publish right away. You can save your story as a private draft and share it only when you are ready.
Read first
Want to see how stories are told on Fireside first? Stories by authors are on the reading page; to browse by theme, start here:
- Written by people
- Biography & memoir
- Memory & time
- Grief & loss
- Aging & transitions
- Marriage & partnership
Frequently asked questions
Where can I share personal stories online?
For example on Fireside: you can publish personal and true stories there for free, with no application and under a pen name. Every story appears automatically in English and German, and readers respond with personal resonances.
Can I share a personal story anonymously?
On Fireside you appear only under an alias you choose – your real name is never required, and your email address is not visible to others. You do need an account to publish, but nobody can see who is behind the alias.
Does my story have to be true?
No. Fireside welcomes both lived and invented stories. Many personal stories change names, places or details – what matters is that they tell something real.
Is there a platform for life stories?
On Fireside you can tell your life story in short stories or publish it as a series, part by part. Fireside is not a book or memoir-writing service – you write and publish yourself, for free and under a pen name.
Who can read my story?
Published stories are public: anyone can read them, without an account, in English and German, and they can be found through search engines. Stories saved as private drafts are visible only to you.
Can I delete my story later?
Yes, at any time. You can edit, unpublish or delete any story. Deleting it also ends Fireside’s licence, as far as technically possible.
Does it cost anything?
No. Writing and publishing on Fireside are free and unlimited. Optional plans add features such as more AI reviews, but you don’t need them to publish.