Cia

“He’s an assistant model. He can carry luggage in this form and travel a variety of terrain, or he can compact down and then work as a mech doing menial tasks like recording, errands, and act as a remote terminal when a comm isn’t good enough.” Ases walked over to the mech, and the guards tensed, but luckily for them they didn’t try to grab me again. Tapping a sequence on the side, Ases reset the mode. The mech whirred and then compacted down. The central barrel slid downward, and the tread

Who enjoyed reading Ridley by Krista? If you did, please make sure you share your thoughts on the story in the comments below. In the meantime, enjoy the interview with her below! If you were an animal, what would you be? – I used to be into nature documentaries, until I found out they were mostly stock footage with a fake story/narration based on loose science. I’ve always liked Leopards though; they are beautiful and female leopards are one of the more elegant animals in nature. I know I’m aiming high, but since I got to choose that’s what I would be. What's your favorite room in your house? Do you plot or write there? – It is the living room, because that is where I force the family to be after I get off work so that we can have some time together. I do write in there a little, but I mostly retreat to my bedroom reading nook to do most of my writing since it is quiet and has a nice view. I also prop the laptop up and write in bed before I go to sleep. What’s something personal about you people might be surprised to know? – I’m a natural brunette? I don’t know... Lol. I’m tall, 6’3” the same height as my husband and I wore flats to my wedding so that I didn’t tower over him. I do like heels though, so sometimes he just has to get over it. What do you like to do when you’re not writing? – Writing is what I do when I have free time. For what I like to do, I don’t really know, I have a garden that I’ll be getting to work in whenever things start growing again. My city born husband wants to be a farmer/rancher, so I’ve attempted to train him up. Most of the time though, I am cleaning, I have a full-time job, and I am a mother of four, seven if you count the dogs. I do like a good bubble bath. Is there anything you find particularly challenging when writing? – Yes, dialog structure and motivation. Going into writing knowing that I have a set way of doing dialog and it not be structurally correct has weighed on me a lot. It would be a relearning and difficult habit to break for me to learn dialog structure now as well. I honestly don’t see myself doing it the correct way, since this is a hobby and not something I wish to pursue professionally on any level. Motivation is difficult, especially when I try to write far ahead of what I post. I do want to know what people think as I post a chapter and before I start a new one. It isn’t the best system for me, since I have so little time to write, I get behind and slow to post doing it this way. After reading, I know why Ridley chose basketball, but why did you, as the author, chose to write about basketball? I played basketball. I also live in a state known for basketball, although we don’t have a professional basketball team, if you don’t count the University of Kentucky. Like Ridley, I was a “big fish,” in a very shallow pond. I broke tons of school records that are still pretty much intact today. I wasn’t basing any of my experiences with basketball on this story though, I definitely approached the sport far differently than he did. It was also something that I felt a lot of sons play with their fathers, or an interest they could share together far easier than say Football, aside from just playing catch. I also have a story all about Football, so that dynamic for me has already played out and I didn't want to do it again. How did the nickname/real name plot theme come to you for Ridley? – Riddles came first. I had an idea in my head, wanting to write about a character that was different from my usual characters. I have a type: outgoing, talkative, sort of goofy, with close-knit friend groups. Cory and Jackson are different on paper, but their worlds are so mirrored, especially if you read one right after the other. Then Christian isn’t that much different from them. To save myself from complete same-ness I get in a mood where I want to try something new. I thought about a character that didn’t like the world around him. I didn’t have a reason to start with, that part I did have to think a lot on before starting. Riddles as a nickname was more or less, a two-meaning nickname for him, playing off his name became the primary reason eventually. Secondly, he didn’t really act the way a high school basketball star should. Complete indifference is something that a lot of people don’t really respond well towards, so Riddles just stuck. Then Ridley, I think I got from hearing the name from some movie trailer? I think maybe Ridley belongs to a director/producer of some kind, I don’t know. I’m not a movie buff and since they both started with R, I went with that. Ridley also sounds like a decent last name, which is important. The Cafeteria scene in the beginning was the entire idea that got me started I had the image stuck in my head for a week or more. Him looking out the window alone, not caring that he wasn’t part of what was happening around him started the idea. Did you attend your high school “special events” or were you the popcorn & movies loner type of teen? – I pretty much lived at school. I was a three sport athlete, I went to football games, all of that good stuff. I am the complete opposite of Ridley in every way imaginable (basketball skills aside), it is probably why I enjoyed writing about him so much. I am far more like Jackson, if I were to compare myself to any of my current characters, although I did behave a lot better than him. Is there a line or scene in the story you love the most? – I liked the Homecoming surprise scene before the game started and the first kiss scene. On a smaller scale, I liked every scene where Ridley and his sister Cara interacted. For lines I liked: Can you share a little of your current work or future project with readers? – I don’t really have anything ready that is set in stone aside from the next chapter to, “The Best Year,” so I guess a small paragraph from that will be all there is at the moment. I did send something to @wildone, to gauge his reaction to the writing. After TBY my plate is empty.

Unless, of course. You're William Shatner, and you just. Can't. Stop. Pausing. 😆

I was sure of Ases though. As soon as we’d gotten away from the planet and his family’s suffocation, he’d returned to the man I’d known. He’d sent so many questions via the comm. Everything about him screamed someone who was ready to seize the joy of his new life with both hands. And by the way Bouncer just rubbed along his side, he approved too. Traitorous little shit. Eses hadn’t even fed him. Was it the animal thing? Like calling to like? I cocked my head. “Come on. I’ll take you f

Monday I featured Bill W's recent anthology story, A Friendship Lost and Found. Has anyone else ever experienced that reconnection with a long lost friend, especially in this day and age of social media? How did it feel? Maybe something like below? Want to read more? Click here

How's your March coming along, like a lion or a lamb? I don't know about you, but sometimes this time of year, it feels like the weather is shifting back and forth, coming and going... maybe just like the characters were coming and going in each other's lives in the anthology entry by Bill W that I'm featuring this month. Did you read A Friendship Lost and Found? If you haven't, now's your chance! Length: 12,029 Description: Tristan Rader and Gavin Munson met as four-year-olds and almost immediately became best friends. However, their time together ended the summer before fifth grade when Gavin’s father got a new job and his family moved away. As the pair grew older, their paths would cross and bring them together in unexpected ways, only to have fate intercede and cause them to lose contact yet again. Will the journey of life win in the end or will fate triumph? Only time will tell. A Reader said: Tristan and Gavin experience the ups and downs of growing up, friendship and losing friendship. This is a beautiful story that leaves us wanting more, not everyone is as lucky as Gavin and Tristan. ~ chris191070 If you want to spread the word about Bill W's story, download the graphic below and add it to your signature! Make sure you come back on Wednesday to see the excerpt I chose to share!

When I read "guidelines" I equate that to consistency. For me, I believe that rules are important, but however a writer chooses to pursue their passion they need to do so in a logical and consistent way even if it breaks the rules. That's my anchor, regardless of what event or deadline I'm writing for. Thanks for another great post on writing, and for talking up our great anthology events!

The release of tension from getting out of the atmosphere and not being intercepted by anyone else, again, sent a wave of exhaustion through me. I’d been planning on stripping in the confined space, straddling Garjah, and teasing him until all four hands were stroking my aching skin. Instead, the pulled me onto the bed and curled around me. Yes, he was touching me, but instead of revving me up and sending us over the edge into a streak of orgasms that would sate my need for him, he took it

Yes, but if you're in a job that traps you inside away from the sun, that "extra hour" of sunlight shifted from moving the clocks forward an hour means you have hope of seeing it when you emerge from the daily soul suck of earning a living. I personally hate the sun no matter what time it is, but hey... some people feel this insane need for it.

“You can’t do that!” Sonez blustered. The Heeze whispered in his ear. “It’s dereliction of duty!” “Watch me.” Garjah had let me handle my former captain until that moment, but when he took another threatening step forward, he decided to get in on the action with Bouncer. He brought one thickly-muscled arm up and pointed right at the red-faced captain who thought he could bully me. “If you touch him, I will remove your arm. And since you only have two, I don’t think you will function ve

GA tends toward preferences of praise over pressure and, at most, gentle critique over critical feedback. I like that we have a good mix of authors and readers who support each other. I often refuse to edit for newer authors, though, because I'm just too overwhelming to someone newer to the craft; a very thorough reviewer may be the same. Now, I don't know the exact tone and language used to refuse a less than 5 star review, but to me, that feels more of a desire for non-critical feedback only to be viewed by prospective readers than someone who desires for their story to reflect honest feedback, with the excuse being story reads suffering. However, by the metrics Myr has shared many times on the site, there's a lot more criteria readers are using to pick stories than just reviews; they don't tend to create a huge surge on otherwise non-popular content, for example. They are helpful to other readers, yes, but I think a prospective reader is far more likely to check other meta data than just less than 5 star reviews. In fact, it may have readers taking a closer look they might have skipped, giving authors a chance to hook them in.

Welcome to March's CSR! I've decided to feature a short-novel length story that's bound to create a connection for many of us to those youthful teen days which resonated with the many readers who read, commented, and reviewed Ridley by Krista. I hope you will enjoy the story if you haven't read it yet and will come back on the discussion day to help encourage Krista to write part two... if she isn't already. Hmm... maybe a question for the interview? Ridley by @Krista Length: 33,422 Description: Ridley wants a lot of things. To be left alone, for people to forget a stupid nickname, and for time to stop and rewind two years. What he doesn't want is to be featured in the school paper. A Reader said: ... This story was phenomenal. From start, where we experienced Ridley's self-denial, to finish, where we rejoiced in the main character's awakening, @Krista immersed us in mixed emotions we all remembered from our youth. I couldn't have asked for a more compelling short story. ~ Danners Don't forget to come back to share your thoughts on Monday, March 28th!

“I shall go back and prepare my people for your ambassador’s visit.” Garjah tilted his head, one fist over his chest in salute. I guess he respected the Fertet who’d agreed to come in place of the Glo’ots the Council had tried to send in the first place. I’d vetoed that immediately, ignoring my mother’s hiss behind me. They were a species long part of the Galactic, but they were stuffy, bureaucratic types who would not do well with Garjah’s people. No, to foster a relationship, they’d neede

Well, for once I've no interview to share with you, fellow GA readers! So I thought I'd share an excerpt from The Connecticut River Boys that I liked, and you can share your favorite line, scene, character, or any thoughts from when you read the story below. The Connecticut River Boys by @Tallguyct Don't forget to share your thoughts below!

You wouldn't be "wrong" either way, as both are accepted past-tense forms of burned. But unless you're writing someone as a snooty asshole, then you typically wouldn't use burnt for a verb because it sounds pretentious since the current common usage is either used as an adjective (as you correctly did with your title) or to indicate historically common spelling/phrasing. Grammar has a lot of hard/fast rules and then some like these which are more dependent on consistency. That's why I'm always for learning what the rules are because then if an author decides to break them, they can do it consistently. That, above all, is what I strive for when I write.

This isn't so much undecided but more dependent on grammar usage. Burnt is most often used as an adjective directly preceding the noun (burnt orange, for example), while you'll find burned more common as a verb. Irregular -t verb endings are typically ones you just have to memorize since the part of speech doesn't always dictate the spelling, though. I can't even tell students to just spell it how it sounds because some -ed endings still sound like -t. Super frustrating since most grammar does have a reason or rule, even if they look at me cross-eyed because I'm telling them "We spell words with this vowel team, unless it's followed by this, this, or that letter, or occasionally this one." 🤯 Also, I can't tell you how many times I correct young students with "We goed..." Um, no "You went..." Irregular verbs are right up there with pronoun confusion of she/her.

Sleep was not my exactly what I’d planned when we left the park, but by the time we got back to our quarters and Bouncer had found his spot in the corner of our room on the blanket he dragged off the bed, I was too tired to do anything else. The bed was soft, but I almost felt like I was going to float away laying on it. I appreciated the weight of one of Garjah’s arms and his legs tangled in mine. I hadn’t noticed the lower gravity while we were up and moving, but it was disturbing once I was p

Did you catch Monday's feature with the graphic for this month's Classic Author feature for The Other Side by Mellicat? We try to bring these older stories to light so new members won't miss out on the great content from our past promoted authors who might not be actively be posting on GA anymore, and this is no exception. To tempt you further to read this coming of age story about 3 college graduates going about this great adventure called life, I'm sharing an excerpt below. Enjoy, and I hope you'll read further! Want more? Click here

Thank you, @Valkyrie

Life... it's those dramatic events that keep on happening while we try to keep our heads above water! The last few weeks have been a strong reminder of that for me, and my daughter's 18th birthday this last weekend just drove it home. What happens when these young adults all finish school, split to New York, California, and Texas, and start to find their way in life on The Other Side by Mellicat? Well... I hope you'll read it and find out! Length: 29,083 Description: Three friends set out on new lives following their graduation from university. A Reader said: This turned out to be a great story...it was kind of ironic that... (censored for spoilers! Find out more in the final chapter of the story) ~Headstall If you want to spread the word about Mellicat's story, download the graphic below and add it to your signature! Make sure you come back on Wednesday to see the excerpt I chose to share!

“This is not the path you were expected to take.” Mother folded her hands tight. She moved toward a set of benches along the path. I followed in her wake, much like my father and I had always done. Father didn’t really seem bothered by it; he was often more involved in his research and lab work. Mother did the bulk of their networking, but she banked on the name. Probably why she resented his name being bandied about by those in charge. He’d been named for his great-grandfather who’d famous

I turned 40 last August, but some days that feels decades off, especially with as little sleep as I get trying to do everything. I also got my youngest his driving permit this last week! That'll take years away too. 😵

1. There is a bug we've posted repeatedly telling authors not to edit chapters that are post dated. If you edit chapters once they are post dated they will revert back to the date you posted them, not the date you set them to publish. If you could go back in time, it would appear in the recent updates queue, just not today. All the chapters you have repeatedly edited will have to be deleted. If you post date them again, do NOT edit them once they are posted! You MUST wait until they publish. 2. If you PM site staff for help, wait for help. We need at least 24 hours to respond. We are all volunteers. For example, I work full time, I'm in college full time and today is my oldest kid's 18th birthday. We are all busy. We want to help, but we don't have paid customer service staff waiting at all times. Please be patient.

As if sensing my distress, Bouncer stood, his tail whipping. He bounced on his forelegs and rumbled. I interrupted Garjah before he could say anything else about the planet. “I think it’s time to break for today,” I said. Bouncer insinuated his head under Garjah’s hand not joined with mine, and I leaned forward to rub his back. He’d been more than patient, but he struggled when cooped up and it’d been too long for him. “We have space at the Institute that would be safe,” Dr. Chabney sa

Well, can you believe we're already one month into 2022? How's your year going? Do you have plans for this month's love fest day? Or is the day after chocolate discount day more your thing? Whatever your love life is like, you can enjoy this month's tale of love, loss, woe and wooing in Tallguyct's short novel, The Connecticut River Boys. The Connecticut River Boys by Tallguyct Length: 45,178 Description: Following the party where Dave and Craig, both in their 60s, celebrated forty years of love and togetherness, a life changing event shattered their world of happiness. Forty years earlier, two very different appearing guys in their 20s, an auto mechanic and a college student, met during a Vermont snow storm. Their different backgrounds helped blend them into a loving couple. After the tragedy following the fortieth anniversary party, the move forward is complicated and challenging as a brawny Scotsman and a twenty year old naive nephew intertwine with the life of a sixty year old. A reader said: I liked how this story started out somewhat simmering but reached a full boil by the climax. Keep writing. Hugs ~alexlittel Don't forget to come back to share your thoughts on Monday, February 28th!