Cia

Also, fyi, if you're attributing copyright, it's fine to do so within the story and/or chapter notes, and not in the text itself.

I definitely didn't break the mold on the gay coming of age teen story, I agree with you. I did try to focus mostly on the characters in this plot as a character driven piece. I'm glad you enjoyed the secondary characters as well as the story in general! Thanks for the review, Tiggs!

Just like some women are straight but think nuts are gross and don't want to touch/lick/handle at all. *shrugs* Just because a person is or isn't attracted to a gender doesn't mean they appreciate all aspects of that gender's sexuality. And honestly, most people aren't completely 100% one end of the spectrum, so appreciating how sexy a man or woman is doesn't mean wanting to do anything sexually with them. Friendship often blurs boundaries, too. Some people are super comfy with touch and others aren't. I'm very hands off, don't like to be touched even by the majority of my family beyond a hello/goodbye hug, but I'm very comfortable snuggling with my female best friend of 28 years. However, if you're attracted to him and want to be with him in a romantic way, all that would have to be confusing and frustrating. Sorry!

“I really don’t like being down here,” Teddy said. “There’s no such things as ghosts.” “But it’s dark.” Teddy was right behind me, nearly treading on my heels with every step. “It’s always dark inside a cave; the fact that it is dark outside doesn’t really change that.” Still, I sent a little more power to the lantern I held to light up the area around us. “Better?” “Not really. I really don’t want to go out there, either.” We were nearly through the tunnel leading out of the city. We’d had

And we're glad to have you!! I use the Briefers to keep me writing free fiction as well; when I just don't feel like writing, I can't help but at least get that 1k piece done each week because I've made that commitment to my fans and the group. I once went 3 months without writing a single update on a serial novel--but that flash got done every week!

My objections stem from the fact that placing it publicly on the site on your signature, status updates, topic and blog titles, etc... makes it visible to random visitors and members who will not know the context you might intend. It's termed vulgar and offensive by people and could reflect poorly not only on you, but our site, as well. Placing something in context in a story or within a blog or topic is different because it has that information to balance the offense of the term.

Can we tell how old this is? Writing is definitely an evolution. We all make rookie mistakes and learn from them--and each other!

Please be aware that site staff are not moderating this blog and its current and deleted posts--the blog owner made that decision as to what is and isn't visible to other members. Our comments, as staff, automatically are approved which is why members can see them when they can't see what everyone else has said. Apologies are only sincere if the person actually means what they say and acts accordingly. Second chances may be given, but forgiveness is earned through actions over time.

You'll find that termed the 'dossier description' and it's right up there with the 'bathroom mirror description' when it comes to showing the amateur chops of the author using it. The challenge as an author is that you need to share information and descriptions of characters from your POV character--even their own description. One way to share the description of your main character, if you don't alternate POV to another character, is to use dialogue between characters. "Dude, your hair is down to your shoulders. Coach is going to make you cut it!" could share the character is both a jock and has long hair. Does it tell the reader how tall he is or the character's build? No, but it gives us a rough image to visualize, which is all we need to get started. As for other characters, does it make sense to notice the physical description of your character's mother or partner as soon as they come on scene? Not really, not unless there's some reason for your character to share that information. The odds are that the main character isn't going to know his love interest's height and weight, so you can't share that. Then there's also the point of keeping it specific enough to visualize but not so exact that you don't allow for your reader to use their imagination. I've employed different methods depending on the story which let me show character information, sometimes in very small doses, and others in larger amounts. I'll share 2 examples below. These are the first 2 paragraphs of one contemporary story. I couldn't share as much here of the 2nd character from the POV since the mental place the first character is in doesn't really allow him to notice much, but they have a physical moment so I try to give the reader a way to see both characters, even at this very beginning point. Unfortunately, I also fell into a common POV mistake authors make. Do you spot it? In the first chapter of a fantasy story I have one character, a young acolyte priest with forbidden magic, summoned to the palace by the queen to help heal the prince--as they were childhood friends--of deadly wounds earned during an attack by a neighboring country. This one let me show a lot more of the characters as they'd known each other but then had been separated for years for their training for their adult roles, plus he was examining the prince for wounds.

Are you enjoying July yet? This is the pivotal month of the year, hottest or coldest depending on where you live. Most of us just try to get through it, hiding inside whenever possible to enjoy the heat or AC. So, while you're inside, why not check out a new story? Frozen Heart by Dianjin Length: 34,082 Description: Ice, the best barrier one could hope for. A Reader Said: Very sweet. Thanks for taking the time to write. ~ Fiddlerbob101 Don't forget to read and review! Plus you can come back and share your thoughts on the story overall (or the series, this is Book #1 in a series) on the CSR Discussion day taking place on Monday, July 27th.

Freedom of speech is a right many take for granted--we speak our minds and damn those who try to say we can't. I understand where you're coming from, but sometimes it's a good thing, and sometimes it's not. When, where, and how that free speech is shared is crucial, of course. At GA, we try to allow members to express themselves as freely as possible, while maintaining the site without disruption. We also allow members the right to dictate some of that with moderation approval on their profile and personal blogs, pictures, etc... Overall, though, we always ask others to keep in mind this is a private site, and, as such, some things may be restricted or allowed for a variety of reasons. Such decisions are never made lightly, nor solely by a single site staff member, but by the whole moderation team even if we can't share the reasons with the membership as a whole.

LMAO. My husband soooo would've gone for the pizza. Or everyone would've had cereal.

“You seriously want us to wait for them to force us into the king’s palace?” Teddy asked. “That sounds dangerous. We’d be under guard.” “Not necessarily. It is unlikely they would transport you as prisoners, so the king will likely manufacture some sort of need for you to come to him, to allay suspicions. Once you’re there, then you sneak off—” “Just like that? We lose whoever our guide is, all the guards that are always there, and traipse around looking for a way down to what must be a hidden

You'll find no end of people to argu... uh, discuss things with on GA. Welcome!

This month we featured a compelling story about an orphan and his journey to find a home in Where Life Takes Us. Did you get a chance to read it? What did you think? Today we're going to discuss and share thoughts with the author, Kuragari129, one of our newer authors on the site--though not new to writing--so don't be shy with the feedback!! Of course, first you get to enjoy my interview with him! Single people often have more time to write. Are you single? I am Single Chocolate or Vanilla? We talking Ice Cream? Vanilla either way What are you wearing (and no fibbing!)? Sweats, a hoodie and a Jack Skellinton Toque What do you like to do when you’re not writing? Mostly Video Games and reading Manga. I've never been one for sports. I have all the leading game consoles and play on them regularily. As for manga, I look forward to the weekly releases of Fairy Tail and the monthly releases of Fairy Tail Zero and Pandora Hearts. What inspired you to begin writing your first story? Well I first found Gay Authors in 2012 while on vacation. Paradox of friendship is the story that stands out for me at that time. From there I discovered Nifty and looked into what it took to submit stories to these sites. Then I began production on Life's Expectations(LE), my first story. I had read a story on Nifty called “The Big Time” or started to, before the story telling me it was a squeal to “The Perfect Game”. So naturally I went back and read it first. The story focused on a group of kids each with their own plot lines, intertwined with one another. I liked that Idea of swapping Point of Views between characters. So I decided I would focus LE on 4 central characters. I wrote the first three chapters while still on vacation, but when got home and re-read them, I decided to rewrite them. What you see on nifty now was that product. In short, reading other people's work on Gay Authors and Nifty inspired me to write. Is there anything you find particularly challenging when you write? Explaining the little details in things, specifically sex scenes. I've never been a fan of reading books, weird I know. I find the detailing in them to be extensive, while it does bring you into the tale more. I'm impatient and I just wanted to read the story. So when I go into details on things, I know I could describe them better, during sex scenes especially. Every time I finish one I feel like it could have been done better but can't figure out how to get it better. That said though, Greyson in My Life Started at the End of the World(MLSEW) has some of my best little details. Little known fact about Greyson: he's blind. So when I go into detail with him, I REALLY go into detail. In fact I had a blind reader email me(He has a program that lets him do it) and tell me how good of a job I did with Greyson. He even gave me pointers on it. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment? Funny you ask this next. I consider the email I got from that man to be one of my best compliments, if not the best. I actively ask my readers on Nifty to email me what they think of the story and what they think will happen next. That way I can see where they see it heading and I can get to see the story at a different angle. Sadly, since all my stories on GA have been just transferred over, you guys haven't had your chance yet. It is coming though. A while back, I got an email about my story Little Life of Nolan Parks(Because of it's content it cannot be posted on GA, Sorry.) and he gave me details about every character. It was so insensitive that I saved it and took many of the things he saw could happen and made them so. As for toughest criticism... I had a guy tell me he didn't like how I started at ended chapters on Nifty. To quote him: “At the beginning of each chapter, you prattle on needlessly at a length which rivals the length of the chapter itself.” He further went on saying “you recapitulate each of the previous chapters, and explaining how you considered different scenarios in the plot. Likewise, at the end you recapitulate what has happened in the chapter and preview what is coming next..” I was kind of taken back. MLSEW was in it's early chapters, just over a year ago now. And I had done this for all of my chapters in LE, Where Life Takes Us(WLTU) and Colby's Life Expectations(CLE). So I wasn't sure how to take it. Pretty sure I told him if he didn't like what I did to move on. He wasn't wrong, I just didn't know anything different. I still do it, just to a lesser value. What brought you to the GA? Like I said before, I had originally found the site in 2012. I think I thought the idea of the account to be stupid, or something. And I decided to post on Nifty. As my stories got popular I opened my facebook page and then thought about posting them on other sites. At first I did so on another site but that didn't work out. I re-found GA and posted MLSEW and WLTU. Which have turned into this apparently! Did something inspire you to write Where Life Takes Us? To be completely honest I don't remember if something did. What I believe it was, I was bummed out laying on my best and I just started thinking. I thought of Wyatt laying alone in the orphanage. From there it took off. I started with the names of the Luis family. They are all named after League of Legends champions, other than Grandpa Nickolas. Talon is Talon. Caitlyn is Caitlyn. Kayla is Kayle. Diana is Diana. Kenneth is Kennen. WLTU is just a a story that I made up. Some things inspired by my life experience, but mostly what I thought up. The story involves a character who’s been in the system. How did you nail down Wyatt’s emotional upheaval through the story based on his life experiences with that aspect? Growing up I wasn't the happiest kid. I never really felt accepted into a group of friends until I was in grade 10. So I more than likely tapped into that to get into Wyatt's emotional states. When he starts to feel accepted, he's also scared of his budding sexuality. I mean, kids who are born into a family go through that fear. When your adopted it's gotta be more difficult. You want to feel wanted and you feel like this will not only disappoint your parents but they might disown you, in Wyatt's case they could have even sent him back to the orphanage. I'm a theatre kid, a techie more specifically. I have acted though. When you're on stage you become a different person. You are not you anymore, and that's how I like to write. I like to try and think as the characters would. Wyatt is afraid, so I am. He's sad, so I put myself into that state. Alone I even act out some scenes, weird I know, but it helps with my writing. What was your favorite part of the story? Dam... that's a loaded question. My favorite part to write was Wyatt's reaction to Grandpa Nickolas' death.(Spoilers?) My favorite part of the story has to be in the epilogue though. Wyatt has become a teacher, and teaches at the orphanage he grew up in. Above that, Wyatt and Talon have chosen to adopt a pair of twins, who have the odds against them to be adopted together. It's that giving back moment that I like so much about it. Can you share a little about your current work with us? Well I have 4 stories currently active and a few in the wings waiting. The active ones being Life's Little Lies(LLL), My Life Started at the End of the World, Little Life of Nolan Parks, and Those Nights of My Life(TNML). MLSEW and TNML are in their ending stretches. They will be finding their ends rather soon. LLNP is nearing it's end with less than 10 chapters left. LLL has just gotten off hiatus and is ready for almost 20 more chapters. That's not the juicy stuff though, the waiting ones are. In total I have 4 ready to get started. One will be a GA exclusive, you'll get 5 chapters before Nifty gets one. Another will be released in three burst of five chapters at a time. There is a sequel planned for one of the active stories. And finally I'm going to bring one of my favorite reality TV shows to a story. Now, cause this is GA I will focus on that one. Like I said, you get 5 chapters before Nifty will get chapter 1. The reason for this, I think this site will be able to do what I want with it better than Nifty. This story is going to be a co-operative effort between author and reader, more details will arise when the story comes out on GA. Thank you Cia for featuring Where Life Takes Us on CSR Book Club feature. I know I didn't talk much about Where Life Takes Us, it's been almost a year since I finished writing it. If this happens again in the future I'll be sure to talk more about the story that is featured. Thanks again! Kuragari129 So much great information to get to know him, so I have to thank Kuragari129 for taking part in the interview too. Now, let's get to the discussion! Kuragari will try to be online around 7 PM, Pacific Time, but leave your thoughts and questions here in the meantime!

Just start writing--and try to take feedback from more experienced authors and readers in the light it's given. Most people you'll come in contact with here on GA just like to help each other out.

Week 1 you showed me how good you all are, so Week 2 I put in that all the authors were Signature promoted authors. Week 3 they were all Classic Authors, and Week 4 they all were tagged as "Coming Out" stories.

Actually, I put in a few glitches on purpose. Even if the person didn't catch it, they were entered, but if someone caught it--or the themes--they got an extra entry. I really needed those secret tricks, everyone playing was SO good at figuring out the scrambles. LOL I still ended up with an 8 way tie for the contest winners and had to use random.org to choose winners.

Week 1 Scrambled A Sclas by Hmilsfe by Icmociaylt A Wen Flie by Asciade Atsndgin in Shadows by Kirsat Atrils dan Bttrlinouais by Lbily Rmanti Eht Ardoniry Us by Ulkdoma Laryeb Xegtisin by Euhirnessdn Alarits and Scoaelrs Tssick by Ritirtdredwre Dcsra no the Abtel by Ahedstall Dirtec Nocnsfuio by Hsasa Idsnta Ttrhu and Elsi by Hnheeudrteoodstr Week 1 Answers A Class by Himself by Comicality A New Life by Acedias Standing in Shadows by Krista Trials and Tribulations by Billy Martin The Ordinary Us by DomLuka Barely Existing by Redsunshine Lariats and Lacrosse Sticks by Reddirtwriter Cards on the Table by Headstall Direct Confusion by Sasha Distan Truth and Lies by Underthehoodster Week 2 Scrambled Ta hte Griht Time by Aijn_Riesra Iamwhtn’s Eesy nad Acvafy’s Days by Ca Nbeus Nfigall Yllwso by Cetommwhaay Hteriage Cehriet by Luhg Raolsity Siks: Ktae the Sirk by Jhnaothan Lcoourfidel Uftrue Cfimperet by Llbi W Eth Dmu Rwom by Loodesr Ebstena Lqaetui Irnleosevat by Namn Gbrlmians Het Osnw Mna of Rmlaia by Eltcelhie Xma’s Ggaera by Ylravkie Week 2 Answers At the Right Time by Jian_Sierra Whitman’s Eyes and Cavafy’s Days by AC Benus Falling Slowly by ComeWhatMay Heritage Heretic by Lugh Solitary Kiss: Take the Risk by Johnathan Colourfield Future Imperfect by Bill W The Mud Worm by Dolores Esteban Tequila Revelations by Mann Ramblings The Snow Man of Lamair by Celethiel Max’s Garage by Valkyrie Week 3 Scrambled A Afmsliy’y Rsowro by Mcnilakossaej8 A Hsot fo Buboron by Osdhoadwg A Rsyot for Kmiie by Ivv Obokostre by Lmeliact Aercmon by Lavsit Rcater’s Rmay by Ehptor_Lyodn Rcveihl by Clu Vyesd'n Gsno yb Adaebgel Fdifneter Cocihes by Cjka Ecsbir Gdoo Eniittnons, My Ifrden by Itff Week 3 Answers A Family’s Sorrow by NickolasJames8 A Shot of Bourbon by Shadowgod A Story for Mikie by Viv Bookstore by Mellicat Cameron by Vlista20 Carter’s Army by Topher_Lydon Chervil by Luc Devyn’s Song by Dabeagle Different Choices by Jack Scribe Good Intentions, My Friend by Tiff Week 4 Scrambled Aewring Rpuple by Ndoyerads Hte Plorat by bhntalteroitl Raoscs hte Lpoo by Ncuys Sertirckt by Orn Jj dna ‘Eth Obys’ by Acmy Onec Puon A Rotfgoten Tmhirscas by Irkyc On Ginbgan by Dadiabv Tjsu Leov Mhi by Oidn Srioepm by Naaysutdyna Nlfia Epos by Lcar InidAvc Week 4 Answers Wearing Purple by Dynoreads The Portal by albertnothlit Across the Pool by Cynus Trickster by Ron JJ and ‘The Boys’ by Camy Once Upon A Forgotten Christmas by Ricky No Banging by DavidAB Just Love Him by Dion Promise by AnytaSunday Final Pose by Carl DaVinci

June 30th has a Tech blog post I can't supersede so the contest ended today. I was just a bit late getting the information to Renee, so I had to update and post the winners today.

Bulletin ..................... Bulletin ..................... Bulletin I hope you've enjoyed this month's story and author title scrambles in honor of Gay Pride month, and maybe even found a few gems to read! This has been a momentous month, and I'm so glad we've had the chance to celebrate in our way here on GA! Now, I'm sure you guys want to know the winners, right?! First Prize: Craftingmom 1 Year Digital Membership to Out! Magazine (or 3 months premium since I've had some askers about a different prize) Second Prize: Puppilull 2 Months Premium Membership Third Prize: Blake Logan 1 Month Premium Membership Thank you so much to everyone who participated in this month's contests!

“All this activity can’t be good for your shoulder.” Teddy was hugging his arm to his chest since I’d removed the sling to undress him, and I could see he was sore. There were shadows under his eyes that hadn’t been there before, his weary expression aging him. “Let me give you a massage.” I helped Teddy maneuver until he was flat on his stomach, his arm cushioned comfortably on a down pillow. I climbed onto the bed, straddling his thighs. The long, lean muscles of his back led to a generous po

This is a gross topic. LOL

A few tips: Posting shorter chapters more frequently, say 3-5k every week, instead of a 10k every 2-4 weeks, will lead to more readers following your story because they like consistent posting and shorter gaps between updates in order to stay with the storyline. If you have a complete story, that's not as much of a concern since you're not as likely to space out posting in order to finish work, but it's still a factor. I like to begin and end a chapter depending on what is happening in a particular scene, but one or the other should be an 'active' moment. There should be an arc within each chapter just as there should be an arc in a story. You should have some active event or progression of the plotline in each, or you end up with 'filler' chapters that don't interest readers. A great way to keep readers coming back is to ensure you're led to them needing to ask 'Why is this happening...?' or 'What did so and so mean when they said...'

Bulletin ..................... Bulletin ..................... Bulletin I can't believe it's already the 4th week for this contest! So many people have been following all month long and enjoying the scramble. Have you taken a stab at them yet? You never know what story might catch your interest as you search for titles and author names. And, as always, these have a few tricks! Figure out what these have in common and my little twists—if there's one—and it might make your descrambling a little easier or earn you an extra point in the contest. The month of June here at Gay Authors we are celebrating Pride Month. We're going to run a fun scramble in Games & Humor every Sunday. The scrambled words? Titles and author names from stories here on GA! There will be 10 every week posted in a topic and then you PM your unscrambled answers to Cia. DON'T post your answers in the public areas of the site--or you hurt your chances of winning! What are you playing for? First Prize: A year's digital membership to Out magazine Second Prize: 2 Months Premium Access Third Prize: 1 Month Premium Access Rules: Both parts of the scramble must be correct to count. The person with the most correct answers at the end of the month wins the first place prize, 2nd most correct 2nd, etc... If there are ties, Random.org will be used to determine the winner, and those not winning will be entered in the 2nd and then 3rd place prizes as necessary. Scramble Week 4 Aewring Rpuple by Ndoyerads Hte Plorat by bhntalteroitl Raoscs hte Lpoo by Ncuys Sertirckt by Orn Jj dna ‘Eth Obys’ by Acmy Onec Puon A Rotfgoten Tmhirscas by Irkyc On Ginbgan by Dadiabv Tjsu Leov Mhi by Oidn Srioepm by Naaysutdyna Nlfia Epos by Lcar InidAvc REMEMBER-- PM YOUR REPLIES TO CIA!! Missed it last week? You can still play all month long! Check out the previous scrambles pinned here in the Games & Humor forum!