Comedy in a story can elevate an interesting tale into one you can't put down. There are several types of humor, but perhaps one of my favorites is the sarcastic retort. Nothing can fuel a character like some witty, and biting, humor. Let's try some examples with a, well, not first line, but first exchange with two main characters.
Have fun with it.
#209 - "This is the last time I'm going to trust you with being the lookout."
"What's my next job? Poison
There's still time to get some poems written for the 2024 Poetry Anthology - Seasons! We're already seeing some submissions come in, so let's make this a great anthology! We need participation for these anthologies to continue, so even if you're new to the art of poetry, give it a try and see where it takes you. A great starting point is checking out @AC Benus's prompts in the Poetry Forum.
https://gayauthors.org/forums/forum/369-poetry/
Guidelines can be found here:
Do you know how tempting it was to copy and paste the intro to this article? The weather has been absolutely insane. California is buried in snow, and the high today here in Banjoland was 75 degrees Fahrenheit. This is wild! But you're not here to talk about the weather. What was that Oscar Wilde quote? "Conversation about the weather is the last refuge of the unimaginative."
I would also say you're not here to read quotes, but this is an Ask An Author interview, so I suppose you could quo
Top 0 Most Read Paranormal - Cryptid
Features creatures from folklore, mythology, or cryptozoology, such as Bigfoot, Loch Ness Monster, or Chupacabra. The narrative often revolves around encounters with these mysterious beings.
No stories
Top 0 Most Read Paranormal - Cursed Objects
Focuses on objects with supernatural or cursed properties. The plot typically involves characters trying to understand or break the curse associated with the object.
This month is the beginning of the spring Sports season at high school (ask me how I know, track mom here!). How many of you remember playing sports in high school? Man, I was a disaster in softball, hence my my kids did/do track, lol! So I thought I'd share a story to bring back the nostalgia of the season for myself, and others, with Libby Drew's story Running Far Afield.
Running Far Afield
by @Libby Drew
Length: 15,560
Description: Aaron thought nothing would be different
So what is that saying? February Showers brings March dumps of snow?
After a tropical February around here, it stated snowing on Thursday night, and it snowed, and snowed and it snowed I'm sure we are over a foot but you know what, a foot here is multiple feet in the mountains to the West. Without this bump up in the low snowfall in the Rockies, we would and may still be in a drought for the summer. So if any of you are going to tell me about your bulbs starting to shoot up, maybe planni
Gosh, it's been busy around here lately. We have done a number of updates in the background and some front facing.
First up, if you didn't click on the announcement banner, Gay Authors has switched from our own dedicated server to our own cloud dedicated server. From a technical standpoint, that means we abstracted one layer giving us future flexibility and ease of upgrades. This also got us off a server we could no longer upgrade who's Operating System was going unsupported in June. As
Ambiguous Endings
Now, there are many many times that I get razzied by my readers for not having all of my stories wrapped up with a pretty little bow where they’re all finished and done with and folks can read them and then roll over and go to sleep without saying anything or even clicking a ‘like’ button. Hehehe! I’m always writing on all of them as quickly and as often as is humanly possible, and always try to put forth my best effort each and every single time. No shortcuts. I’d rather n
We're just a couple of weeks away from drinking green beer and eating corned beef and cabbage, so let's celebrate all things St. Patrick's Day!
PT Prompt #207
HR calls you into their office based on a report of an unfortunate pinching incident on St. Patrick's Day. Who made the report, why, and is it true?
PT Prompt #208
After a night of drinking too much green beer and Guinness, you wake up in a strange bed that's much too small for you. Next to you,
Thank you to all who voted for the 2024 GA Anthology theme! We had six great themes to choose from, and the votes have all been tallied. So now it's time for the big reveal!
The 2024 Anthology theme is...
In too Deep
I already have a few ideas swimming around for this one. Please see the guidelines below, and it's not too early to start writing!
2024 Anthology - Due: October 1, 2024
2024 Theme is: In too Deep
Feel free to interpret the theme
Top 9 Most Read Non-Fiction - Autobiography
is a self-written account of one's life. Takes stock of the autobiographer's life from the moment of composition. While biographers generally rely on a wide variety of documents and viewpoints, autobiography may be based entirely on the writer's memory.
Luke Hanson's Mind & Punishment: A Teen in Despair by James Matthews Complete
An Advent Calendar by Aditus Complete
Pride Month, and other Haibun by AC
Did you catch this month's CSR Feature by @AusGlitterati? The Weakest Link: Teenage Triumphs Edition & the follow-up story are both available for you to enjoy, if you haven't already, but make sure you read this interview first.
Chocolate or Vanilla?
Vanilla all the way! I always have to wonder why vanilla gets a bad rep as the boring or basic flavour. Vanilla is actually lit, and it deserves more respect on its name - chocolate is the basic flavour. That's the hill I will die on. 😁
Newly coined word? 2012?
As if our dictionaries, don't have enough to offer.
One of my personal favorites, don't laugh.
*ipty boppity boo
"Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" is the iconic magical incantation used by the Fairy Godmother in Disney's 1950 animated film, Cinderella. It is the spell that transforms a pumpkin into a carriage, mice into horses, and Cinderella's rags into a beautiful ballgown.
At least with this one*, at the appropriate time, the clock struck 12, everything w
Just the facts:
SONDER Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
SONDER Slang Meaning | Merriam-Webster
SONDER in Thesaurus: All Synonyms & Antonyms
SONDER Synonyms: 30 Similar Words & Phrases
Instagram
Sonder is the profound realization that every random passerby is living a life as vivid, complex, and deeply personal as your own.
Key Meaning
Main Character Effect: You recognize that every stranger you see is the protagonist
Sonder—the realization that every random stranger is living a life as vivid, complex, and deeply felt as your own—is the cornerstone of rich, resonant storytelling.
Why Sonder Matters in Storytelling:
Breaks Main Character Syndrome: It shifts a narrative away from a single, ego-centric perspective, reminding the audience (and the creator) that the protagonist is only the hero of their own bubble.
Deepens Characterization: It forces writers to treat background figures, minor charac
Sonder is a modern neologism (a newly coined word) created in 2012 by author John Koenig for his online project, The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows.
Because it is an artistic coinage rather than a word with a traditional historical evolution, its construction draws from a mix of roots: German sondern: Meaning "to separate" or "set apart". French sonder: Meaning "to probe," "to fathom," or "to measure the depth of" (such as dropping a sounding line into water). Folk Etymology / Inspira
In storytelling, the concept of ensorcell—which means to enchant, fascinate, or place under a magical spell—serves as a powerful tool for shaping character arcs, driving plots, and controlling narrative pacing. It bridges the gap between literal magic and psychological influence.
Here is how the concept of ensorcellment impacts storytelling:
Driving the Plot and Creating Stakes: Ensorcellment often serves as the central inciting incident or conflict in a story.
The Inciting Inc
The verb ensorcell (meaning "to bewitch" or "to enchant") originated in the 1540s and comes from the Middle French word ensorceler, an alteration or dissimilation of the Old French ensorcerer. It is the combination of the prefix -en, meaning "in" or "into" (or an intensive prefix meaning "to cause") and sorcier, the French word for "sorcerer" or "wizard", derived from the Medieval Latin sortiarius, and the ultimate Latin root meaning "lot," "fate," or "destiny".
According to the Oxford