100 Million Words Contest #1

[Cia]

 

Contest # 1

 

Prize: 1 Month FREE Premium Membership

 

We have authors and readers from all over. Share what prompted you to join GA? A story? An author? Our awesome community?

 

**Contest runs from now until Saturday, 12/20, at 7 PM, Pacific. Winner will be chosen by Random.org.**

Members who wish to comment but not enter the contest just need to state they are not entering this contest in their post.

 

 

[JamesSavik]

I came for the stories: Dom Luka and Comicality are legendary awesome.

 

The more I dig in the archive, the more gold keeps coming out. If you've never read any of VLISTA's stuff, go find it NOW!

 

What's really cool is a lot of cross-decking and coaching goes on too. Editors and writers, beta-readers and writers, writers and writers- it's a good place to work on the craft.

 

Every so often someone new shows up with a killer story to tell.

 

I stay for the community. It's quite a wide spectrum of people and cultures- quite rare and unique in my experience.

Edited December 13, 2014 by jamessavik

[Wicked Witch]

I came because of Cia. I'd been reading there work on another website, and wanted more like it, so googling around I stumbled onto this place and joined up, and I was immediately hooked when I went into chat and actually met Cia. That was like meeting a celebrity to me, so amazing. And then all the rest of the community welcomed me in, and I've been here ever since. 

[Mann Ramblings]

I finally got the push to post the story I wrote and was terrified to share it. I never imagined how the whole thing would take off so well.

[Houdinii]

I came to GA in search of stories that held a plot line containing gay characters, which I rarely found elsewhere. I enjoy putting myself in the character's shoes, and it is hard to do so with mainstream literature, especially on a budget. What I found was a community that cared about the written word as a whole rather than a collection of stories and reviews. In the end I found a community of people that helped me through some of the toughest times in my life as well as fostering a talent I didn't know I had.

[Valkyrie]

I'm a big fan of Rob Colton's work and followed him here from another site.  I think it was a couple months before I signed up as a member, but it didn't take long after that for me to volunteer to be an editor.  I started writing again, courtesy of Comicfan's Prompts, and can't even begin to describe how happy that makes me.  The sense of community on this site is something I haven't found anywhere else, and I've met people on here that I can now call my friends. 

[Daddydavek]

I first came to the site in 2008 because Mark Arbour's Yahoo group was on yahoo groups which was sometimes buggy about loading and when he mentioned his stories were available on GayAuthors.Org I came over as a guest to read his updates.   I started browsing some other stories as well and eventually in April 2009 I joined the site so I could comment.  I found the site to have some of the best gay stories anywhere and the stories prompted me to try to write as well and I have had some modest success as well.  

[Cole Matthews]

I followed Reddirtwriter here to read Wrangler Butts. However, what kept me here and inspired me to write again was this awesome community.

[scotty94]

I was a newcomer to GA early last year, and in was really looking for place I could chill, make a few virtual friends and solely to read stories. I was directed to the site by a small link I spotted on another website decided to click on it and arrived. At first I though I was gonna be one of those site that exist but isn't very active but after I created an account and entered the amazing world of  GA I became and addict instantly the forum lit up to me and became a place I could post my though and get involved with other people conversation, GA became a place where I wasn't going to be judged for who I was, and a place I could share things openly and freely and get an honest and heartfelt response.

Edited December 14, 2014 by scotty94

[comicfan]

I joined because of Lugh. I was looking for something to read and found the site almost by accident. Then I came across Lugh's work and realized if I joined the site I could comment. Needless to say I joined, finally got into chat, and before I realized it had become one of his minions. Been here a while now and just can't keep up with all the stuff to read and review, but I try to read something from the many talented authors on here.

[faxity]

Comsie brought me here; I read a few of his stories on Nifty, loved them, and then came here (without knowing he was here too, I was just looking for more reading material) and found that almost every story I loved was by him . That showed me how much better GA was than nifty for finding stories and things like that, and as I found more and more of the nifty stories on here I dropped nifty entirely . Been on here ever since, and I've loved every minute of it

[Simonjames30]

I joined GA after reading some of Comicality work on Niffy and then promptly read all of his stories here. I then quickly found people like Dom Luka and just when from there really and now I am always on the hunt for a new author I like.

[Slytherin]

I found this site thanks to Rob Coltons story "The Degan Incident". The story was posted on another site and he wrote on his profile that more chapters of the story was already published on GA so I came here to take a look, liked  what I found and became a member the same day  One of the reasons why I have Premium Membership here is so I can go back and read Rob Coltons stories

 

I didn't know when I joined GA  that I would love this site so much, I love the people here and I love the community. If I have a really bad day at work I can always come here and someone will cheer me up

[Palantir]

I joined because I was always trolling the net for gay reading sites and GA looked good.

I started posting stories because of encouragement from Cia, Lugh, and AnytaSunday.(Eternal gratitude is due and felt!)

I've stayed because the site that looked good back then just keeps getting better.

[Robert Rex]

Like a lot of folks here, I found Nifty first....but always wanted more.  I wanted writing that focused on a variety of genres;  I wanted writing that was actually good, with thought going into crafting the words into emotions and believeable scenes.  Above all, I wanted plot lines that actually told a story, didn't run from gay and alternative lives, and weren't just a vehicle to get into the next sex scene.  (Not to say that sex isn't sometimes a part of a good plot line!)

I read a story from the Goodreads M/M Romance group, and learned of GA there.  What a pleasure to discover all that GA offers:  serious writers, lots of stories across genres, and a community of people dedicated to celebrating human nature in all it's diversity--and capable of lightening up and welcoming new members and budding writers.

And it just keeps getting better.......

[Winged_Wolf]

I ended up joining GA when i followed an author i was reading (Tucker McCallahan just for information). after having caught up on all that tucker had posted, i went exploring the site, finding that you had a chat room, as well as some great stories that i quickly fell in love with.

having fluttered around the site for a couple weeks without an actual profile, i decided it was time to join the ranks and created a profile. since then GA has been the only online site i visit when i am looking for a good, heart warming story.

[craftingmom]

I originally came here looking for the stories.  I read several before deciding to join and make it easier on myself so I could mark them to follow and I could find them again easier.  I think Paradox of Promises, Waiting in the Wings, and Weeping Lily were the first stories that I read here and came back for.  Then I discovered several more of Nephylim's stories and was hooked.  I had just started posting Tears of the Neko at two other sites, so I decided to post here as well.  While I made a mess of trying to post it, Cia was so wonderful and helpful that it just helped solidify how nice the people were here.  When I started posting the Tears of the Neko, I received soooo many helpful reviews that not only told me what they liked but also what bothered them or questions they had that weren't answered in the story.  It's the reviews and posts here that prompted the revision of the Neko, making it even better!  GA has now become my go-to site for posting.  While I did post All In at the other two sites, they were a couple days behind the posts here.  And the Neko Shorts are only available here. 

 

It's taken me a while, but I've also started joining in responding to some of the forum posts and status updates because I now feel so much more comfortable here.  I've always been rather shy, so posting comments and such has never been really my thing.  I mean, I don't even post on my Facebook.  So my husband finds it amusing that I've finally found a place I can enjoy so much.  I always refer to it as "my site" when I'm talking to him about what's happening.

 

So thank you everyone!  You have all been so nice and welcoming!

[K.C.]

I had toggled back and forth from Nifty to GA over many years only as a reader.  At that time I wrote mostly Sci-Fi or Fantasy Fiction where the only "Gay" of the story was the author, LOL.  I didn't want to share any of my "Gay Stories" which I had dozens of notebooks filled with because they were too personal and I was scared of being judged.  I joined because I wanted to send a message to one author in particular, who sadly is no longer on GA.  

 

I'm glad I joined....I'm glad I've stayed...I've made some wonderful friends over the years!!!

[LitLover]

I found the site by following an author, Rob Colton, here. I started reading other stories by other authors and was impressed by the wide range of stories and genres available. There is a lot of talent here. I started by just reading a few stories now and then, then I joined as a member so I could follow stories and authors more easily. As I've been on the site more and have read more stories I've also started followng blogs and threads and have felt more comfortable reviewing stories. I love how supportive everyone is in this community. There seems to be a great support system for the authors, which does not seem to be found on other sites I've been to. I've been considering posting a couple of stories that I have written and I'm sure that, if I decide to take that leap, I will have access to some great advice and resources to make my writing better.

[Efmaer]

I wanted to read The Degan Incident again and found from Rob Colton's profile on another website that if was only available on GA and on premium. If you're not a member you can't get premium. After I joined I was delighted to find that Cia, Sasha Distan and Nephylim were here too.

[Ron]

I'll add my two cents worth: I was reading on that other site, and (memory fails) someone posted a link to GA, which led me here, where, before signing up, I read voraciously for about six months. Like quite a few others, I wanted to comment on what I was reading, and I wanted to be able to participate in some of the forums, mostly the lounge at that time. I ended up staying here, mostly, because of the community of like-minded people here. I was fifty-three years old and I had never been a part of an online community before, and I thought that this one was something special. I still think that it is.

 

Oh, and I caught the writing bug. It's all, you all's fault.

Edited December 20, 2014 by Ron

[Graeme]

I can't remember all the details as it was too long ago, but I do remember learning about GA when someone told me about a post here regarding one of my earliest short stories (now also here at GA). I came over and had a look at what people were saying, but I didn't join at that time. I was a member of a couple of other communities, and they were taking my focus. In addition, my life was just starting to settle down after coming out to my wife earlier that year. I wasn't prepared to join another online community.

 

Unfortunately, the main community I was started dying. I was by that stage also a member elsewhere, but the community here was more vibrant and broad, so I joined. I can't remember the exact reasons or circumstances, but I'll just say it was a long time ago

 

I joined in, made some good friends (several of which are still here) and then they made me a staff member. They've been stuck with me ever since

 

PS: Please don't include me in the draw.

[apjordan]

I'm pretty sure I first found GA by following Dom Luka's stories (it's been long enough ago I can't be entirely certain). But I quickly found many more good authors to follow and have enjoyed being a frequent visitor.