Friday Feature: @Prose.

In keeping with the many recent changes around here, we’re taking a slightly different approach to this week’s "Proser Showcase."

It is imperative that you all remember that each and every one of you is an asset to this community. As we stated in a comment earlier, we wouldn't be here if it weren't for your words.

The vision behind Prose was born out of love for language and the power that words grant us both as individuals and collectively.

Writing is not a game. It's not about winning or losing. And while it may be a fleeting compulsion or fair-weather hobby for some, this community is built upon writing as a lifestyle. A means of breaking through any barriers presented by convention and the "noise" associated with the contemporary social sphere.

If we consider the word "challenge" by definition, we can all agree that the implication is one of exercise, provocation, and thoughtfulness.

As administrators, we discovered that the functionality and intended purpose of the original Challenge feature was compromised.

Since we launched last year, we have been observing all features here. We also have been impressed by the creativity and organic zeal that radiates from this place. That passion and profundity is credited to you as Prosers.

Know that there are countless unspoken and unreleased initiatives being explored. Our goal is and has always been to ensure that the Prose mission remains intact.

What is that mission?

We will stop at nothing to provide a uniquely challenging experience for you. That begins with raising the bar, setting higher literary standards for the entire community. We provide the vehicle here but you are the engine that propels it.

By offering the opportunity for outstanding Prosers to play a more active role in executing the mission, as in the Partner Program, we are striving to strengthen the community and the relationships within it.

If we remain united, nothing can break us apart.

Newcomers need as much support, if not more, than the most "popular" writers here. We aim to give proper recognition to those that put forth the hard work that it takes to produce high-quality literature in any form. Hence the new Spotlighting feature, a privilege granted to those that have been selected as Partners.

Get to know your Prose Partners. (They have been tagged in the comments below.) Reach out to them with your ideas. They have been chosen, as one Proser stated earlier, to share in the responsibility of helping to grow our literary community.

With regard to the age limitation, we must have this specification in place for professional and legal reasons. Be advised, however, that consideration for the best interests of all Prosers are at the forefront of every decision made here.

There will be ample opportunities for both Partners and non-Partners to contribute to the evolution of Prose.

At our core, we are all Prosers. As such, our identities are shaped by a respect and admiration for literature. We're here to express that to the best of our abilities.

Why write? Because Prose.