IT'S THE SOAP FAN'S TURN.....

"Like sands through the hour glass, so are the Days of Our Lives." Those are the words that sparked my daily addiction, obsession, thousands of conversations, excitment and entertainment. McDonald Carey's infamous voiceover has greeted us since its' debut November 8, 1965. I have been watching soaps since I was 11 years old, captivated by Bo & Hope's love story which unfolded on Days of Our Lives. Like most soap fans, I began watching because my mom did and during that hour each day, we not only became completely submerged in the lives of Salemites, we also got closer as mother/daughter. It strengthened our bond as I hit my teens and by then I had a large group of friends watching...including guys! As is the case with all teenagers, there were times when my mom and I wouldn't get along, but all of our differences melted away for that hour. Funny how a silly soap opera was the reason for our temporary truce. By the time I got to high school, I had to tape it every day because I wouldn't get home until after 4:00pm. There were numerous times my little sister or brother 'accidently' recorded over the show and I can tell you there were many very heated arguments! Talk about a catfight...they should have seen the one my sister and I had when she recorded MTV videos over my show! Needless to say, I was hooked and now as I look back I realize how much soap operas impacted my life. For people outside the genre it is hard for them to understand our passion, dedication, loyalty and why we consider the actors to be an extension of our families. After the devastating ABC announcement on April 11, 2011 that both long running soaps 'All My Children' and 'One Live To Live' were being cancelled, fans have cotinued to rally in an attempt to let their voices be heard. Though we have various campaigns designed to inspire fans to get involved, tell the writers/producers of the remaining 4 network soaps what they want to see, fans still feel shut out. There hasn't been anything out there that clearly depicts our dedication to soaps until now.... 'MY STORY' is a new web series by Heather DiPietro, who has been a soap fan her entire life. You might recognize her as an Associate Producer of the 'Soap Life' documentary created by Matthew DeMatto who chronicled the cancellations of 'All My Children', 'One Life To Live' and subsequent Prospect Park fiasco. 'MY STORY' not only pays homage to the soap genre, but is also a beacon for all fans of daytime and online serials. It's unique, as well as relatable as it depicts how deeply soaps impact our lives, how connected, invested, passionate, loyal and emotional fans become. 'MY STORY' centers around a college student, an avid soap fan who watches 'Moments Of Our Time' as her own dramatic life unfolds. It is innovative in that not only will we see the life of our dedicated soap fan, we'll also watch her soap as the series unfolds. 'MY STORY' is one of the first web series that will weave soap fan's stories into the show, finally highlighting a lacking ingredient within modern network soap operas. How did you begin watching soaps? Was it with your mother, grandmother or did your soap opera help get you through a traumatic event in your life? Did it bring your family or friends closer together? Were there characters you identified with because you were going through a similar situation in your life? Most fans just want to be heard, to be counted and after the last 1 1/2 years of getting treated like a dog kicked to the curb, this series needs to be out there! Fans will get to tell their stories and become a part of soap opera history in the new online medium as the genre slowly migrates to the online platform. Ultimately a soap opera within a soap opera, this series is for all fans, shot from a fan's point of view, created by fans and truly is the Fan's Voice! Help us ensure this project will be completed. Want your soap story told on 'MY STORY'? Join us Friday, May 18th for the 'Pimp My Story' Event...it's simple. Donate $5 and we will include a special thank you in the credits of each episode for Season 1, but that's not all! Tell us your story- how you began watching soaps, how your life has been impacted and your feelings about the cancellations. Heather DiPietro will review your story and then pick 2 that will be highlighted in Season 2! You won't get an opportunity like this again, so let's ensure this web series is completed- help us include you in the history of the soap genre. This is the fan's chance to finally BE HEARD! Go to www.indiegogo.com and lets make some noise!