Did you read Cap's story, Parker & Brody: An Alliance? This recent submission has 5 stars, 3 reviews, and several comments on every chapter which is impressive for a new site author! Wonder how Cap writes realistic military men? Hmm... check out this interview! 

 

Do you eat your fruits and vegetables?

Yup! I’m an avid fan of fruits—essentially my candy. I currently have some pineapple next to me (I’m told it has many benefits).

On the veggie front, I do a 'Let’s Go Green' day at least once a week. Soups usually get better the next day, so those often turn into a two-day affair. Plus, if you haven’t tried Japanese okonomiyaki, those cabbage pancakes are great and easy to make.

What’s one location you’d love to go to research for a story?

Hmm… Honestly? My bed with the right kind of music playing. But when the weather permits, my primary research coordinate is my boat. There is something about being on the water that clears the mind. (The second volume taps into that).

What is something about you readers would be surprised to learn?

That I have served? Ha—that probably hit everyone's radar long ago.

Perhaps the real one might be that I actually find the sex scenes the hardest to write. They function as the physical side of the character studies; but keeping the 'what am I trying to say here’ alive and the text relevant is hard. I never thought I’d do text like that, since I don’t personally see the need or point to write about that… personal fantasies or preferences. The narrative is in the third person, the goal is to get inside the characters' heads and reveal something new—not just repeat positions and mechanics. Honestly I thought to cut them all out, not to be prude, but to keep the text fresh and moving. On the other hand then the characters would lose that side and it’s a part of human experience.

Also... I have a garden that produces a harvest of different berries. It’s my version of maintenance—good for the sweet tooth, cooking, and making jams!

What brought you to GA?

The active community. This looked like a site that allows readers to interact with the text more than any other platform, and the engagement seemed right. Witnessing that signal firsthand has made the writing more fun; it makes it much more rewarding to learn from the feedback.

What’s the first thing you do when you start to write a story?

I explore the different facets of the possible narrative. I try to ask myself honestly: What am I trying to say about this topic, and what is the most authentic way to deliver it? I look at the overall trajectory and check if it 'feels' narratively hardened. Usually, this is a mix of background research and sketching out outlines. 

Is there anything you find particularly challenging when you’re writing?

Feeling the authenticity… sometimes it doesn’t come naturally, and other times it just 'comes out like a rocket'—to quote my favorite writing advice.

For example: in the first installment, the big breach scene at the Nail. I knew I wanted to include the real part of the culture where bars are just seized for real, but then that took about half a page. Plus the Navy reveal. But those two together are not much of a scene, so… I had the idea that maybe they just sing it all out, but within that culture… errr. Unlikely? Certainly not unheard of, but just a tad bit too camp, perhaps?

Anyhow, I just rolled with it; brooding men can do stuff other than shooting beer cans as well, so sue me! It happened, and then I got the feedback that some of you read it twice. That was my answer right there.

Authenticity, as I see it, is a mix of buildup and having the right circumstances—devices—in place, but the really hard part is keeping it true to the characters. I wrote the second installment in a blur; it just came out, and once I read it again, it felt like a thriller with some spice. I wasn’t happy at all, so I did the rewrite and it expanded from five parts to seven.

And actually… waiting long enough after writing. Before posting, I mean. That’s hard. Plus, writing the sex scenes. Especially the dialogue during them.

What inspired the military characters/theme in Parker & Brody: An Alliance?

Originally, it was just supposed to be that one scene in the chow hall. A slice of life and nothing more. It was intended as a character study on how two serious, adult men who were very much boxed into a mold could begin their joint life. Then came the opening scene (I figured we needed some setup, right?)… then the gym. But those needed a bridge. And finally, the narrative had to lead somewhere, since the tension clearly promised a sweaty collision. So I found myself writing the way out of this pickle I created.

The characters simply wouldn’t leave me alone. I realized I had something to say about men in those environments that force them to be a certain type—to fit the mold. The norms cut them off from things that civilians can approach with more freedom. The environment gives them a level of brotherhood and camaraderie that is bizarre by civilian standards, but that makes everything so much more dangerous if you have 'the illicit taste.' The fear is crippling. One might lose everyone; every touch might come loaded.

So, I wanted to show a utopia where things don’t have to be that way. Where everyone can give their full self to the service.

There’s also the aspect that masculine men are often labeled as either performative or toxic. Sure, there are toxic masculine traits, but not all of it is automatically radioactive. Even the brooding guys need a safe hug. And maybe a solid dude to sleep on top of.

I’ve also witnessed the cost. I’ve seen the absolute ruins of where that path can lead for some men—the ones at the tip of the spear.

Do you identify more closely with Parker or Brody?

Parker is crafted from many of my own experiences… Ex-Navy. Survivor of the true horrors of the pasta aisle alone. Uses dry humor to deflect. Loses the ability to speak when facing a mountain of smoking hot capacity…

Though to be fair, there’s someone else who is more precisely a sort of author's alter ego in the full series.

Seeing inside Brody’s head is actually fun and challenging at the same time. He could so easily slip into a caricature—flat and one-dimensional. Just the jock, the stud, the meat. But these men have vivid internal lives, just like we all do.

I also have a weakness for writing Brody as too comical or too vulnerable. Partly because I find it so endearing and straight-up cute when those kinds of guys feel safe enough to drop all their defenses. So, sometimes I need to remind myself to stay true to the character, or as close to it as I can get.

Do you have a favorite line or scene in the story?

Should I be picking favorites?

Now looking only at the 1st part…

I am quite happy with how the bar 'breach of masks' turned out in its full length male mayhem. The parts involving the silkies—ranger panties—are fun to write. And yeah, I’ll admit it: I'm weak for when Brody uses his brows to communicate with Parker. Like the morning after in Qatar, or the morning after the bar.

Okay, I’ll do it: it’s the moment when Brian 'vanishes' in bed and Parker diffuses it instantly by calling the PsyOp bluff. That was a very late addition to the script, but I find myself going back to it often. I like the playfulness of it.

…or the very first sentence ever appeared on the screen: “You smell perfect.” Or the “Bossy” in the shower.

…or Mack teasing Brody about the walk and ‘the alien.’ See! I can’t decide! 😅

Can you share something about your current or upcoming work with readers?

Well, I guess this is the right place to tell you: the duo hasn’t let me be.

I’ve taken some long walks and found a new aspect to explore. Then a conflict. And now, finally, the thing that I feel needs to be said.

So, the third part will happen—their story is going to be a trilogy.

Consider this as your WARNO (Warning Order) being dropped. 😉

 

Don't forget to leave your thoughts on this interview or Cap's writing below!