The year is almost over! You deserved a long read, and this is a long month so you get one! Woohoo, but maybe this is also one that makes you think. You can escape your own family during the winter doldrums or holidays while you wonder at the drama going on in Ben's because it is a doozy. Then something even stranger enters his life he didn't expect... did you? Make sure you read this story and be ready to share your thoughts!
Designed for You
by @mastershakeme
Length: 83,938
Anthology month continues with the third installment of the 2026 Anthology. I'd like to extend a huge thank you to all who have supported, read, commented, and reviewed all the stories that have been released so far. We've had 11 stories over the past couple of weeks, with 5 more today If you haven't checked out the first two installments, check out the banner at the top of the page, which will take you to the blogs listing the stories. Will there be a fourth installment? You'll have to be s
I originally wrote this blog post in German for another community, but I felt like I give it a try to translate and share it with you folks. This is the first post of a now three series which I’m intending to expand since now and then, I get new ideas or encounter other cases when writing or editing stories.
I'm sorry if it appears to be a bit random, but I wrote it as the ideas came to my mind.
Make sure, to also check out GayAuthor's writing resources!
I'm sorry if the in
I"m curious, how you are doing on your New Years resolutions? I promised to not be mean to Val this year, and I haven't No matter what she says! If you want, share if you made any resolutions. The past two years I resolved to be more of a drama queen and failed miserably both years 😢 Hey, maybe you have a resolution for me
Can you believe we are in 2023 already? I'm pretty sure it won't be long before we talk about it nearly being 2024! Not sure if time flies faster the younger, or the
Off The Rails
Alright...this is for our authors out there who have a whole lot of talent...talent for DAYS...but, as we all know...life sometimes gets in the way. Trust me, I know.
Sometimes we get busy. Sometimes we get sick. Sometimes...every day is not a happy, happy, day and we need time to heal, grieve, or recharge. It happens. Hell, sometimes we just catch a hint of the 24 hour ‘slacker flu’ and want to play couch potato every now and then. Hehehe, I’ve definitely done it myself o
I love the challenge of technical writing prompts. So here are two that hopefully you will like as well.
PT Prompt #103
Choose a setting and an emotion. Write about the setting in a way that evokes the emotion without explicitly naming it.
PT Prompt #104
Two characters are having a conflict with each other but refuse to acknowledge or talk about it. They are playing a game (can be any kind of game), and their true feelings keep sneaking out. Write the scene.
Writing Events in 2023!
We have an exciting lineup of writing events happening in 2023! We're still fine-tuning the details, so stay tuned for further information about each event.
4 months from now we're bringing you a Poetry Anthology - Exploration! All Submissions due Saturday, April 1
Many of the usual anthology procedures will still apply, but ask questions below, and we'll make sure the information is included in the Rules/Discussion topics posted soon!
7
Many thanks for @wildone for covering for me last month. I didn't want anyone to think I had a big head to write the article where I answer Ask An Author questions. Speaking of big heads...
Oh dear. Gay Authors community, I can confidently say none of you are ready for this month's edition of AAA. I know I've said that in a previous article, but this time, the seams might actually rip with this one. This is, without a doubt, the most difficult edition of Ask An Author 3.0 I have ever writte
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Quarter 4, 2022 Reading Report
Top 10 Most Recommended Stories Quarter 4 2022
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This one is one heck of a run, with no prewritting done. So rough ride ahead. Go figure, it all started from watching a tictak. What I was watching was a young dark skinned woman talking about how she left her faith because the Quran has rules and laws for how to treat your slave. So of course, my book collection being what it is, I had to dive into this rabbit hole head first. To elaborate, my personal library has enough religious texts from hundreds of religions. A large enough spread to make
Did anyone else have plans that didn't quite go, well, as planned over the last month of the year? Well, once again you're not seeing a deja vu, I'm giving you a second chance to read Georgie's short fantasy twist and come back to comment at the end of the month!
The little Prince that turned into a Beggar
by Georgie DHainaut
Length: 4,664
Description: An”old” fairytale, but one with a true and modern background in many a real life
A reader said: Very nice story. Long
Well Happy New Year to you all! On behalf of all your peeps here a GA we are wishing you all the very Best in 2023. May it be in health, wealth, or staying wise, our heartfelt wish for all of them. As we continue to move forward day by day, I hope that everyone can settle back into a life where you can choose what you want to do, how you want to do it, and when you want to do it
This program was like all the other ones for regular TV between Christmas and New Years, it was prerecorded at
Does anyone revisit older, completed stories and update them? Not in the “A Starbucks venti used to cost $2.35 and now it’s $4.00 kind of way.” More in the, “I’ve become better at ‘show, don’t tell’ since I wrote this, so I’m going to rewrite this scene and improve it.”
I’ve struggled with this since rereading some oldies of mine. In the end, I decided to leave well enough alone, even though some of what I wrote in the past makes me twitchy. I feel it’s a very personal decision, with no ri
It is wartime England and in a south coast village an old man watches a boy, with a brightly coloured parrot, walk along a train line. The boy is silent, a Jewish refugee from the horrors in Europe, while the parrot cannot keep quiet, happily speaking long sentences in German.
The old man, who remains unnamed throughout the novel, is a famous “Consulting Detective” who has retired to the countryside to keep bees. This encounter with Linus Steinmen, the mute boy, draws the old man into his l
Just the facts:
CAVIL Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
CAVIL Synonyms: 103 Similar and Opposite Words | Merriam-Webster Thesaurus
cavil
/ˈkav(ə)l/
Cavil means to make trivial, petty, or unnecessary objections and complaints about things that do not matter.
You can find more detailed lexical breakdowns on Merriam-Webster or the Cambridge Dictionary.
Part of Speech and Usage
Verb: To raise mino
Cavil—the act of raising petty, frivolous, or trivial objections—plays a vital role in storytelling by driving character development, grounding the narrative reality, and creating micro-tension. While "caviling" is often seen as a negative trait in real life, a writer can use a pedantic or nitpicking character to enhance a story in several specific ways:
Grounding Realism and Audience Proxy: When a character points out trivial flaws or questions minor details in a plan, it mirrors the na
The word cavil originates from the Latin verb cavillārī (to jeer, mock, scoff, or argue scoffingly), which is derived from the noun cavilla (jesting, banter, or raillery). It passed into French as caviller (to carp or raise trivial objections) and then into Middle English.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the word cavil first entered English in the 16th century, with different first-use dates depending on whether it is used as a verb or a noun. The earliest known use of
In storytelling, "brackish" serves as a powerful metaphor from transitional spaces, moral ambiguity, and the collision of opposing worlds. Because brackish water is the literal mixing of fresh river water and salty ocean water, writers use it to represent characters, settings, and themes that refuse to be purely one thing or another.
Here is why brackish spaces and concepts are so valuable in narrative craft:
Setting the Scene for Cultural and Social Tension:
Brackish
The word brackish comes from the Middle Dutch word brak, meaning "salty" or "worthless," combined with the English adjectival suffix -ish. The Dutch root entered English in the 1530s from Scottish or Middle Dutch brak (or brac), meaning "salty". Related forms exist in Middle Low German, German Low German (brack), Danish (brak), and Swedish (bräck). The suffix -ish derives from Old English -isc and Proto-Germanic *-iska-, meaning "somewhat" or "having the character of". Over time, the term ex
Brackish is a standard English adjective—not a formal slang term—that means slightly salty, unpalatable, or repulsive.
Primary Meaning
Literal definition: Water that is a mix of fresh water and salt water, such as in a river estuary where it meets the sea.
Extended / Descriptive definition: Something that tastes or smells unpleasant, stale, or harsh (like old, bitter office coffee or muddy pond water). It can also describe a harsh, unpleasant personality o
Just the facts:
BRACKISH Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
BRACKISH Synonyms: 56 Similar and Opposite Words | Merriam-Webster Thesaurus
brackish
/ˈbrakiSH/
Brackish is an adjective that primarily describes water that is slightly or moderately salty because it is a mixture of fresh water and seawater.
Key Definitions
Literal Meaning (Water): Refers to water that is saltier than a fresh stream or river, bu