As an Orato.com citizen correspondent, you tell your own story or help people to tell theirs in a first person voice. This means that you will be doing "I witnessed," "I lived this" or "as told to" pieces and crafting them into stories with a beginning and an end, using only the subject's or your own words. Unlike in traditional journalism, where "I" is a bad word and subjectivity is suspect, Orato.com actually encourages the "I" and the personal perspective behind the news.

Wondering just what "news" is? Quite simply, news is information that is interesting, relevant and useful to your audience; it's an invaluable public service. It's people sharing their stories.

News is current: What's going on around you right now? Breaking news always fulfills the need for currency, but that's not the only kind of news Orato.com is looking for. For example, you may be able to add information or context to a news story that's current because of your own personal experience.

News is meaningful: If an event or experience means something to you, chances are other people will be interested in it, too.

If your idea meets these criteria, you've got news!

We all know that writing is easier said than done, and it's hard to offer practical suggestions to what is sort of an intuitive art. Here are a few words of advice: Write simply. Use common words and try keeping your sentences short, preferably with no more than one thought per sentence. If you write more than 2,500 words, your train of thought may wander off the track.

If doing an "as told to" piece, your subject must be aware that you are transcribing his or her conversations and that you are writing stories in his or her own words. We require writers to send us the contact information (address, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses, if possible) for the main subject. Each correspondent is responsible for providing the photographs, videos and audio clips that may accompany a story. Photographs are 640 x 480 pixels wide at 72 dpi.

We won't print libelous statements, nor will we accept stories we find to be fabricated or plagiarized. Check your facts, because accuracy is the key to Orato.com's credibility. If there are any facts that are found to be false or copyright infringements, Orato.com will remove the story from the site and ban the writer from the site. Please see our Terms of Use.

Don't fancy yourself a writer? Orato.com has a number of multi-media platforms to choose from: text, audio, video and photo essay slideshows.

Orato.com is breaking new ground in pioneering citizen journalism. If you're still unsure what an Orato.com story looks like, check out some of our sample stories listed below. These are some of the best of the best that Orato.com has showcased...Real citizens with extraordinary stories.

Why don't you join our community and post your own story!

- One Step Forward, Two Steps Back: 9/11, Iraq And Northern New York
- Back To School At Virginia Tech
- 18 Years On Death Row
- I Escaped Scientology
- Operation Buzzed: 171 Starbucks In One Day
- Hurricane Katrina: Big Broken Drive By
- Bug Chasing: The Shocking Quest To Become HIV-Positive
- I'm A Rock-N-Roll Realtor
- Unassisted Childbirth: Beyond The Fear
- Even A Hollywood Gossip Queen Has Her Line
- A Toilet Tale of True Love: My Life In Shambles
- I Was Kicked Out Of The Air Force For Posing Nude In Playboy
- Corey Haim: Lost Boy Found
- Deep Breaths
- Gordie Johnson: Travel And Rambling In Austin
- Deconstructing Achewood
- My Brother Loved Anna Nicole
- Gimme More Britney!
- I Am The Luckiest Man In The World
- Piece Of My Womanhood
- Owen Wilson: After The Laughter
- Was Beckham Worth The Money?
- Rescuing Maasai Girls From Circumcision
- I'm A Pin Up
- Is 28 Too Late?
- Real Life Little Miss Sunshine
- The Truth About Sharks
- Holocaust Historian David Irving Released From Prison
- The Bridge: Looking Into The Abyss
- I Believe In The Right To Bear Firearms Despite Virginia Tech Tragedy
- Oscar-Nominated Jesus Camp's Leading Lady Speaks Out
- The Prince Of Pot Prepares For Battle
- My Journey Through Bi-Polar Motherhood
- It's Short Person, Not Shortie
- Seal Hunting Is My Life
- Tao Of The Naked Cowboy
- David Suzuki: If I Were Prime Minister
- My Son Was Executed
- The Executioner's Story
- Watermelon's Bust
- Real Life Magnum PI
- Photo Essay: Canada's Poorest Postal Code
- The Shame And Sham Of Senator Larry E. Craig
- John Sinclair: Two Joints, 20 Years And Life
- I Was A Punk Before You Were A Punk
- Melissa Smith: Who Says The Girl Next Door Isn't Sexy?
- I'm An Exotic Animal Broker
- Global Warming: The Cold Hard Facts?
- The Rachel Files
- Hitchhiking 50 State Capitals In 50 Days
- Children Of Men
- Lived To Use And Used To Live
- Hard Road and Healing
- Learning To Hear The World: I Heard My Own Voice For The First Time In 42 Years