Blogs

Writing Tip Writing Tip: Revisiting "on-Hold" Stories

Revisiting "On-Hold" Stories By Renee Stevens As a writer, many of us may find times when we get stuck. Maybe we push a story to the back-burner and think, ‘oh, I’ll go back to it later.’ Then the time comes and we realize that we have no idea exactly where we want the story to go. Here’s just a few tips that might just help you get past the block and finish up some of those on-hold stories. Tip #1: When you finish a story and are trying to decide what to work on next, go back t

Trebs in Writing Tips

March 13, 2012

Story Review Featured Story: Three Edged Sword

One of the fun parts about doing the GA News Blog is to highlight authors on the site - especially our Hosted Authors. In this case, it is especially gratifying to share a review of a great short story by Myr. Andy021278 does a very comprehensive review of this five chapter complete fanfic. Enjoy the review, then hopefully the story itself! Three Edged Sword (A Harry Potter Story) by Myr review by andy021278 This piece of fanfiction by Myr is one of the best pieces o

Trebs in Featured Stories

March 12, 2012

Weekly Update Weekly Wrap Up!

So - did everyone (who needed to) remember to change their clocks? Before going into our Weekly Wrap Up for GA, I wanted to share a few quick announcements. First - a hearty thanks to Lugh who had been the Lead on this, the GA News Blog. This past week we switched over and I'll be the Lead for a while - so if you have any suggestions or comments, please let me know. Lugh did a fantastic job getting this set up, figuring out the daily format and rounding up the ton of content in the goal of m

Trebs in Weekly Wrap Up

March 11, 2012

Story Review Blast From The Past!

Going back through old GA Newsletters, you find gems like the below review. Not only was the review good - I remember it led me to TheZot's work which are uniformly GREAT! Here from the Dec 2006 newsletter, a review from the past: You Meet Your Soulmate in the Strangest Places by TheZot With high recommendations from many people I recently checked out this short story written by hosted author TheZot. To say it made me smile would be a grave understatement. Love at first sight, a conc

Trebs in Reviews

March 10, 2012

Prompts

Prompts Writing Prompts #118 & #119

Happy Friday everyone... And since it's Friday, that means it we've got some writing prompts for you, as well as a great piece of writing that last Friday's prompts generated. Today's writing prompts are brought to you by Comicfan: Prompt 118 – Creative Cue – Myths and Legends No matter what part of the world you are from there are myths and legends associated with it. From the leprechauns of Ireland, to the Gods of Norway, the dragons of China, or Paul Bunyan and his ox in

Trebs in Prompts

March 9, 2012

Story Review What's New?

So, we ran out of reviews members have written for the blog about our site authors, so I picked a few stories that members seem to have liked over the last few months, myself included, and pulled a few reviews and comments. If you'd like to share a review on a story you've enjoyed lately please contact Trebs or Renee Stevens. We'd love to feature your thoughts on some of the great work available here! Kiss Me Deadly By Nomoretears Length: 15,941 Status: Complete This s

Cia in Reviews

March 7, 2012

Weekly Update Weekly Wrap Up 2/27-3/3

A look back at this week on GA! This week started off with a review of Tiff's No Fairy Tale World by yours truly! A great story, follow the link if you'd like to see the review if you missed it the first time around. You'll also find a link to the story. We had member reviews of two stories by site authors, Cassie Q and In the mind of Sunshine. Another feature this week was a prompt 114 response story by Andy021278. This weeks prompts, 116 and 117 were both creative cues. One gives you t

Cia in Weekly Wrap Up

March 5, 2012

News Archive

Site News Blast From The Past -- Reader's Choice Awards Recap

We've been having the Reader's choice awards since 2006. I thought it would interesting to take a look at past winners, so Wildone put together this list. Keep in mind that over the years the award categories have changed -- so here it is -- the 2006 to 2010 Reader's Choice Award Recap Best Hosted Story: 2006: Desert Dropping by Dom Luca 2007: Living in Surreality by Shadowgod 2008: How The Light Gets In by Ducan Ryder 2009: Bloodlines by Mark Arbour 2010: Millennium by Mark Arbour Best

Lugh in News Archive

March 4, 2012

Prompts

Prompts Writing Prompts #116 & #117

Today's writing prompts brought to you by Comicfan Prompt 116 Cue – the gift Years ago you came across a child crying because everyone had forgotten their birthday. Feeling bad you took the child into the nearby store and picked up a small gift for them and wished them a Happy Birthday. Well years have passed and it is now your birthday and they have arrived to repay your kindness. What is their gift to you? Prompt 117 – Creative Cue – First Line “What is that smell?” This

Renee Stevens in Prompts

March 3, 2012

Story Review What's New?

Watch out guys! We've got two up and coming stars here... CassieQ's series "Not the Sun" is well received by her fans, of course she's always looking for new fans. "Ground Rules" is in progress and is getting pretty lengthy as well as pretty interesting. One warning though -- there is a little violence so consider yourself warned. The reviewers, as well as myself, would highly recommend that you read each of these. Not the Sun By CassieQ by Renee I had read most

Lugh in Reviews

February 29, 2012

Writing Tip Writing Tip: Head Hopping

How To Recognize a Head Hop Some of you may be asking, what exactly do you mean by a “head hop”. Head hopping is something that many of us have been accused of at one time or another. In this lesson we are going to look at how to recognize a head hop and ways in which to correct it. What is a head hop? A head hop is when you have a chapter or story that is from one characters point of view but you find that you have unintentionally included things such as thoughts of another character.

February 28, 2012

Story Review Featured Story: No Fairytale World By Tiff

I read this story when I first came to GA. I thought the new blog was an excellent place to review it so that other readers who might not have come across it yet can get a bit of a sneak peek at the story and then go read it! You won't be sorry! No Fairytale World by Tiff Review by Cia The title promises exactly what the story delivers. The fact is that most lives, in this world, are not a fairytale. In fictional worlds they are, but not in this story. Here we meet Andy, a thirty-is

Cia in Featured Stories

February 27, 2012

Writing Tip Writing Tip: Those Pesky Words

Those Pesky Words by Cia I was having a discussion with an author the other day about words. Why do we pick the ones we use when we write? What should the focus be on, the words themselves or they image they are meant to convey? When I first started writing, I used a lot of formal language. For example, from my first story, The Price of Honor: The strange color registered with his consciousness but he continued to stare blankly about, trying to process the abrupt disloca

February 24, 2012

Story Review Watt's Gnu?

Ok, ok, bad, bad Lugh... What's new? Well we have two for you -- enjoy! The Mall by Mike00 review by Cia For those who love to read the unexpected, check out The Mall by Mike00. A teenage boy goes to the mall with his mother and something he never would have dreamed of happening, does. Lost in a bizarre new situation, he has to make decisions and face things he never would have imagined. First kisses, dreams, loneliness, and chocolate bars all come together in an en

Lugh in Reviews

February 23, 2012

Story Review Featured Story: A Shot Of Bourbon

This week our story is A Shot of Bourbon by Shadowgod. I hope you enjoy it as much as Conner did. So, give it a shot, and you may find you like... bourbon. A Shot of Bourbon by Shadowgod review by Conner This was the first story by Shadowgod that I ever read. I’ve been a fan ever since. For me, humour and intimacy are an irresistible combination. This story has both in spades. As stories go, this one is on the shorter side – 5 healthy chapters totalling about 38k. The s

Lugh in Featured Stories

February 20, 2012

Weekly Update Weekly Wrap Up

Well, our week with Shane by Vlista is done. I do hope some of you enjoyed the story. Our tips this week were on Research and Plot Bunnies. Comicfan brought us two new prompts and we got to see a poetic response to one of our previous prompts. And finally our week wrapped up with a Blast from the Past -- featured poetry from 2006! Reader's Choice Awards -- Voting will end this SATURDAY, Feb 25, 2012. I've gotten mine in have you? Please READ THE DIRECTIONS as they are VERY specific. If you

Lugh in Weekly Wrap Up

February 19, 2012

Story Review Blast From The Past!

How about some featured poetry from Edition 3, December 2006: His Hand by Nickolas James I used to reach for your hand when I was smaller Now sometimes I push it away. But I’ll never forget how you still loved me the day I told you I was gay. We fight a lot and you still yell at me Every time I act like I don’t care But the truth is I still idolize you From the way that you walk To the clothes that you wear. God blessed me with you But you say that I’m wrong You call me the blessing So

Lugh in Reviews

February 18, 2012

Prompts

Prompts Writing Prompts #112 & #113

Today's writing prompts brought to you by Comicfan are... Prompt 112 – Creative Cue – Poetry, Haiku The Haiku is a Japanese poetry form. In English we usually use a 5, 7, 5 syllable line. The Haiku usually focuses on some aspect of nature and ends with a surprise. With that in mind try writing at least one of your own. Here is one of mine as an example. I hear the screaming And run to find him pointing At a spider. Squish. Prompt 113 – Challenge

Lugh in Prompts

February 17, 2012

Writing Tip Writing Tip: Plot Bunnies

Um... hi again! Sorry about yesterday seems I had a med reaction to the new med. Needless to say I'm back, although not quite together. I'd like to bring to you an essay by Dark today. Hope you enjoy it. Plot Bunnies There’s nothing as nefarious as a plot bunny. Lurking in the corners of a writer’s brain like cockroaches, plot bunnies live to nibble on productivity. Those sharp front teeth bite and gnaw with a crunsh crunsh crunsh until single-minded focus turns into somethin

February 16, 2012

Writing Tip Writing Tip: Research

Many of you noticed the little faux pas I made in the beginning of yesterday's blog. Oops. Well, I received some interesting feedback over it, including a shoutout to this little gem, so I thought I would share.... Cia on Research... So, I read an ebook recently. Big surprise there, lol. Several things jumped out at me as I read it that let me know that the writer was definitely NOT a resident of the state they set it in. Not only did they describe the summer weather as humid, whi

February 14, 2012

Story Review Featured Story -- Shane

Monday, Monday... (sung in his best Beatles impression) Time for a new featured story, so this week we bring you Shane by Vlista. Vlista has been a member since (gasp) 2005 and a hosted author since about the same time, which makes him one of the "older" authors (although he's not really old himself). I will warn you right up front that Shane is not easy reading. It deals wtih subject matter that will be difficult for many people to read. However -- it is dealt with in such a way that is compell

Lugh in Featured Stories

February 13, 2012