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Featuring everything new and experienced authors need to develop creative and technical skills. Check out writing development articles, our Word of the Day, writing prompts, anthology opportunities and more!

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Writing Tips

Writing Tip: Stolen Stories! Blast From An Angry Author

Yep, I'm pre-empting Blast From the Past this week to inform members of a story that's been stolen from GA then put up for sale on Amazon. The story stolen was Chasing the Shadows by K.C. Grim and it was posted under Embraced by Shadows by K.J. Fleur back in May. We only found this out when a concerned reader emailed the admin account to find out if the story was stolen and posted on GA. That proved to have happened in the reverse, and KC had his story ripped off.   All this author did was cha
Cia

Cia in Writing Tips

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Writing Tips

Writing Tip: Believable Characters

K.C. has helped by stepping up and writing a great self-interview on creating believable characters. I found it a fantastic read - hope you do too. THANK you KC!   How do you develop believable characters?   What makes a great character is goes beyond skin deep. We know that every sexy main character is six feet tall, has a full head of lush gorgeous hair and a flawless smile…right? Wrong! Fiction is where anything can happen, so why not throw out the cookie cutter molds and start thinkin
Trebs

Trebs in Writing Tips

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Writing Tips

Writing Tip: Waiting For The Next Chapter

It's time to climb into the time machine and take a trip to the.... PAST! Today we're going to look at a little gem I found that should call out to both Authors AND Readers. It was taken from a May 2004 Newsletter. Enjoy and as always, share your thoughts about it.   The Gay Authors Newsletter - May 2004 Waiting for the next chapter ... By Jevic   Nothing is more frustrating than reading a great story and suddenly find yourself hanging with nothing left to read. Sure there's
Renee Stevens

Renee Stevens in Writing Tips

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Writing Tips

Writing Tip: Fantasy

For our Tip Thursday we are bringing you an awesome tip from Cia. Have you ever been writing a Fantasy story and worried that you might be writing something that will turn your readers off to your story? Cia writes this time as a reader, about what keeps her interested in a fantasy story. Enjoy! Fantasy – From a Reader’s POV   So, this is coming from me, as a reader. Recently I’ve read a few fantasy stories. One was a modern fantasy, one is a futuristic alien fiction, and two were pure
Renee Stevens

Renee Stevens in Writing Tips

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Writing Tips

Writing Tip: Getting Directions

Don't let the title fool you - this isn't about how to get from here to the store, it's how to get from plot point A to plot point B. We thank Comicfan for this look at "Getting Directions"! If you have a tip you'd like to share with the community, let me know!   Getting Directions by Comicfan69   Everyone enjoys a great story. You read along following the action, learning about the characters, seeing the problem, and finally getting to the conclusion. It all seems so smo
Trebs

Trebs in Writing Tips

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Writing Tips

Writing Tip: Getting In The Mood - Part Deuce

So, last week we brought you one part to a tip on getting in the mood. We received so many wonderful thoughts from the authors here at GayAuthors that we just couldn't fit them all into one blog entry. With that in mine, today, we bring you "Getting in the Mood: Part Deuce". Enjoy!!!   Hosted Author: Comicality   Well, I kind of do things backwards. Meaning that I let the mood dictate what I write instead of the other way around. One of the reasons that I have so many stories going at once i
Trebs

Trebs in Writing Tips

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Writing Tips

Writing Tip: Sequels

A nice lazy Saturday, the perfect time to crank up the way-back machine and look at a GA Newsletter entry from Nov 2006. Here is AFriendlyFace's take on Sequels... Enjoy!   An Article on Sequels Featuring: Staking My Claim by Nickolas James   Many people have a love-hate relationship with sequels. Oftentimes, fans are elated to see their favourite characters back in action and there's always the hope that more loose ends will be tied up or more mysteries revealed. For many,
Trebs

Trebs in Writing Tips

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Writing Tips

Writing Tip: Getting In The Mood - Part 1

Getting in the Mood: Part One Compiled By Renee Stevens   Have you ever wondered how your favorite authors are able to write what they write? What gets them in the mood to create these wonderful works? We have, so when Podiumdavis came to us suggesting a tip on getting in the mood for writing we thought this would be a great idea; not only just to be able to feel what an authors characters are feeling, but to really set the mood for the story. You can read his thoughts on this
Trebs

Trebs in Writing Tips

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Writing Tips

Tuesday Toss-Up: Publishing, Part 2

So, last week we featured Part one of a two Part interview that K.C. conducted on the subject of publishing. Last week it was his interview of AnytaSunday and this week, I am going to feature his interview of Nephylim. Enjoy!   Interviewee: Nephylim Interviewer: K.C.   Your story “The Unfairness of Life” is set to be published 2012 by Romance First Publisher, how did you feel when you found out that a publisher wanted your story? It was actually released early in January. How did I feel? I
Renee Stevens

Renee Stevens in Writing Tips

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Writing Tips

Writing Tip: Publishing, Part 1

We are very appreciative of everyone here at GayAuthors that has stepped up and offered to help in some manner. One of our volunteers, K.C., did some interviews with AnytaSunday and Nephylim recently about publishing. Here is part one of his two part contribution.   Publishing Interviews by K.C.   You said you were going to do it! You swore you were going to do!   Even a few of your friends laughed at you, but you’ve finally did it, you finished that novel that’s been spinni
Trebs

Trebs in Writing Tips

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Writing Tips

Writing Tip: How To Find A Beta

So, a couple of weeks ago we talked about what an author should look for in a Beta Reader. I thought that today we could maybe talk about how to FIND a Beta Reader. There are many ways to go about it, but here are just a few! You could always post in your Chapter Note or Chapter End notes that you are currently looking for a beta reader! I wouldn’t personally put everything I want from a Beta Reader in there, but you could always tell your readers that if they are interested in beta reading for
Writing Tips

Writing Tip: Ingy Verbs

Ingy Verbs - Where They Don't Belong by Cia   Interesting title, no? I thought it was better than if I hit you with 'Present Participle Phrases Do Not Belong at the Beginning of a Sentence' because that's just confusing right? I mean, who remembers what those grammar rules and names were for all the little bits of a sentence? *puts hand down* Soooo not me. So, if you're like me and it has been a long time since you took grammar lessons in school, I'm going to go with laymen's terms
Trebs

Trebs in Writing Tips

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Writing Tips

Writing Tip: From Imagination To Publication

Today we look at a writing Tips by VLista... That still hold true today! This was from the December 2006 newsletter. From Imagination to Publication Steps every writer should know   You never know when it’s going to hit. You could be lying in bed trying to sleep, at the movies with your friends or family, driving down a long stretch of highway.   Oftentimes, when you least expect it, your brain starts moving at a rapid pace, formulating and creating an idea for your next master
Trebs

Trebs in Writing Tips

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Writing Tips

Writing Tip: What To Look For... In A Beta Reader

So, you’ve written your story, and you’ve even found an editor to help point out all those pesky missed commas and misspelled words. That’s it, right? I mean, what else could you possibly need? How about, a Beta reader!   A good beta/author relationship is worth its weight in gold. If you do decide to find a beta reader, be forewarned that it might take you a couple tries before you find one that you really mesh with. I personally have had countless beta readers before finding my current team
Writing Tips

Writing Tip: Editing - Getting Started

So it's time to look at something that a lot of us probably never saw! Today we're bringing you a little gem that was published in one of GA's old newsletters. Have you offered to edit for someone and receive the first chapter only to realize that you have no clue where to start? If so, this editing tip could be very beneficial to you! Even if you don't currently edit, it's still a helpful tidbit full of good advice! Editing Tips...Getting Started   Volume 2: Edition 1 October 2006  
Writing Tips

Writing Tip: Life In The Fishbowl

We asked for tips - and you responded! Here is K.C.'s tip on Life in the Fishbowl! Do you have one that we can feature? If so, let Renee Stevens or myself know.   Life in the Fishbowl by K.C.   As I swim around Gay Authors, I see a wide range of different users here. Those who write put a great deal of time, effort and themselves into bringing amazing and entertaining stories to the GA community. Those who read have the opportunity to talk to the writers, to comment on th
Trebs

Trebs in Writing Tips

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Writing Tips

Writing Tip: Pleonasm

For Tip Tuesday we are bringing you another interesting little tid bit that is brought to you by Cia. Enjoy and we'd love to hear your thoughts. Pleonasm More weird writing terminology   So here's another weird word to describe a common writing mistake. A 'pleonasm' is a phrase where redundant words are used to express the meaning of the sentence. Like... a free gift. A gift is always free, because it is given to you. So obviously the use of the word 'free' is redundant but so co
Writing Tips

Writing Tip: Character Building

Interesting characters are usually one of the most important elements of good writing. That's why this great tip by CassieQ is a welcome addition to our GA News Blog. If you have a great tip that you'd like to share with the community, let me or Renee Stevens know.   Character Building by CassieQ   To be 100% honest, writing about characters was hard. Characterization is something that always seemed to flow naturally, so trying to take it apart and explain the mechanics o
Trebs

Trebs in Writing Tips

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Writing Tips

Writing Tip: Brainstorming Past Your Block

Brainstorming Past Your Block   Especially when writing a short story, there will often come a time in your plot when you get stuck. One of the best ways to move past a block in the action is to brainstorm what could happen. Then... pick one! Often when I'm trying to figure out the loose overall plot I will do a 'this happens, then that, then this' in a timeline fashion. Sometimes I can't figure out what I want to have happen next and that's when I start brainstorming. I'll do this on my
Trebs

Trebs in Writing Tips

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Writing Tips

Writing Tip: The Editing Process

So - glancing over some of the past newsletters, I found this gem from Feb 2007, about editing from a writer's perspective. I hope you enjoy!   Editors and Writers   The Editing Process: From the Writer’s Point of View By Talon Rider   Finding an editor can be a problem sometimes. You think to yourself, where can I find someone? Do I ask another author who they use? Do I post something in a forum somewhere? Has an editor made their presence known? Either one of those methods may
Trebs

Trebs in Writing Tips

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Writing Tips

Writing Tip: Synonyms

Synonyms   In writing, especially when doing character pieces, you need to watch for repetition. The words used when writing can give clues to accurately express how the character appears or acts depending on what synonym is used. Physical cues are very important when it comes to showing and not telling. However, using the same word repeatedly is boring. Below are a few common actions and examples of synonyms you can use to highlight them in different ways.   Expression: noun-outward ap
Trebs

Trebs in Writing Tips

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Writing Tips

Writing Tip: Setting "the Scene"

Today's Tip is brought to you by our prompt guru, Comicfan. Thank you for this wonderful little lesson on setting the scene for a story! If YOU have a tip for a future blog entry, let Trebs or Renee Stevens know!   The Scene by Comicfan   Ever notice how important a scene is? I don’t mean the action; I mean that place it is located in. Sometimes it can add to the overall sense of what is happening or it can make it a tragedy. It isn’t very hard to have a story go wrong by the
Trebs

Trebs in Writing Tips

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Writing Tips

Writing Tip: Writing For Technical Geeks

For today's tip - we have a great writeup by Myr that we hope will be useful to you as an author. If you have a tip you think the community would find useful, please let Trebs or Renee Stevens know!   Writing for Technical Geeks by Myr   As many know, I'm a rather technical person by nature. It is in my blood to research stuff into the ground so that I can understand all the angles of a thing. I think and rethink on things all the time. It is thus when I went into a writing blo
Trebs

Trebs in Writing Tips

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Writing Tips

Writing Tip: Blogging For Exposure

How to get more traffic to your stories is frequently something author's are concerned about. What use is it to write a fantastic story, if people don't know about it. Here is one way - Cia writes about blogging as a way to increase your exposure. Check out her tip and let us know what you think! Also, if YOU have a tip, let me know. It may be one we feature on a future news blog entry.   Blogging for Exposure by Cia   Do you blog? I didn't until about 3 months ago. I've writin
Trebs

Trebs in Writing Tips

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Writing Tips

Writing Tip: Editing

I love looking back over older GA Newsletters. This gem about editing was published in the December 2006 issue - but is still very relevant today. I hope you enjoy!   Editing Tips... How Far Should You Go?   There can be little doubt that editing is an extremely complicated process. Sure, anyone with basic literacy skills and a spellchecker can read through a story and correct spelling and grammatical mistakes. It's not exactly brain surgery. Yes, it takes a certain degree of skill a
Trebs

Trebs in Writing Tips

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