Cia

“I think you have all forgotten that I am the captain of this ship,” Captain said. He stood with his arms folded behind his back while the rest of us sat at the table in the conference room. He looked at each of us in turn. I squirmed when it was my turn, just as Freska did. His steely-eyed stare was uncomfortable when I knew I was in the wrong. Danie sat and stared, but he didn’t know better. He’d learn—even a machine could make an error. Maybe he wouldn’t feel what we did, but Captain

Thank you to all the site authors who took the time to respond with such measured, supportive responses and showed so much loyalty to GA. I appreciate you have answered quite well why we do have some content guidelines in place for Stories as well as the hard work site staff always go toward trying to make fair decisions when working with authors who choose to make GA a home for their fiction that might address sensitive subjects. I will elaborate more on the other areas of the site, because, yes, the other public areas for the site community do have more restrictive content guidelines. That is because we are restricted by Google's policies in order to be able to run their ads which maintain the revenue needed to keep the site running and up-to-date.

Reading is and always will be my relaxation of choice. I don't get to do enough of it... Okay, okay, no matter how much reading I could do, I'd say it wasn't enough. LOL Audiobooks have been a help to get in an extra hour a day--and get me out of the house in the chilly January rain at 5:30 AM for that morning 3.5 miles because I try to limit listening to them to just my workouts. Otherwise, reading is usually just a nighttime thing and I'm giving up sleep. On the other hand for me, burnout usually means a project has dragged on too long or I am facing a block because of a deadline or expectations to finish the story and am struggling to power through it. That leads to me being full of well... I won't say it here, but it rhymes with bukitol. So my usual means is to overcome burnout, without giving in to the urge to stop writing, is to write something else because a short break leads to that becoming a LOOOOONGER break for me. I like to stay productive, so I'll look to something new, like flash fiction, or a challenge, or a contest I know is coming up online, or the anthologies. And, to make it fun, I'll write something completely opposite of what I'd usually do or incorporate some sort of writing challenge to adhere to in style. The result might get trashed, or I might develop a character or plot I like and keep just those bits for another story. But it keeps me writing while not pressuring me to do anything about the projects I already have going. And sometimes the new content sparks just what I need to get back into them.

“What did you do, Kohen?” Captain stood, approaching the navigation console and looking at the screen. He frowned. “You know I can override this lock out. It’s a maintenance code.” “I know.” I shook my head once, tilting it. “Did you really think I would try to stop you?” Captain turned slowly without changing out heading, even though we were going to jump soon if he didn’t. “I don’t know. You’re not acting like yourself, and that bothers me. Especially after… what happened.” He gl

Welcome to 2019! The Can't Stop Reading book club continues, and this winter month drags on without a holiday and with so many facing a post-festivities let down. So let's have some fun with fanfiction story by @Laura S. Fox titled Nude Pics Please! She shares some information and backstory on the original Chinese comics this is based on in her story note, so make sure you check out all the info! So enjoy the story and come back to catch my review with Laura and share your thoughts on this 23k novella on the last Monday of the month, January 28th. Nude Pics Please! by Laura S. Fox Length: 23,019 Description: To give a little bit of context for anyone who didn't read the manhua, the characters starring in my little fanfiction piece here are He Tian and Mo Guan Shan, two boys who are sort of in a cat and mouse game. This story starts after He Tian sends Mo Guan Shan a dick pic to tease the guy. The characters are aged up, so they are in their last year of high school and of legal age. A Reader Said: Great story! Really enjoyed reading this. ~ Ricknc Don't forget to come back and share your thoughts on the Discussion Day on Monday, January 28th!

“Kohen, are you up to talking?” Captain was still holding me. His hand was gentle on my head and neck as he stroked me and rested his hands on my skin, letting me absorb his warmth. “How’d you know I was awake?” I asked. “I could sense it. Like I know how much you like this.” He had his hands wrapped around my neck from behind, his palms against the sides of my neck and across the bare skin of my shoulders. His thumbs stroked up and down the knobs of my spine on the back of my neck

This month's featured CSR story was Geron Kee's The House of Storms. Did you catch the feature at the beginning of the month featuring it? There were a lot of positive thoughts urging readers to check it out! If you did, make sure you share your thoughts below in the comments, but first, as always I pumped this month's author with all sorts of questions during an interview, so check that out! Are you a person who makes their bed in the morning, or do you not see much point? I make my bed. Or rather, we do. If you were an animal, what would you be? A porcupine. Even a tiger will not mess with a porcupine. And porcupines know it! What's your favorite room in your house? Do you plot or write there? My home office-library. I write here, and I read here. If you had to only work on one project for the next year... what would it be? That's a tough one. I have a folder of unfinished stories, that were interrupted by one thing or another, and to which I just never got back to. If the contents of the folder could be taken as a single project, I'd like to finish those tales. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? Deadlines. I use a lot of my free time to write, and there never seems to be enough of it. I tend to no longer write entries in anything that has a specific date for which the work is required. If you are referring to the mechanical aspects of writing, I feel fairly comfortable with that. Mostly, I just wing it! Were the Hardy Boys a childhood favorite of yours? I found them very quickly after coming to The States at age 9. My dad had a large library in storage at his parent's house, which was reclaimed when we moved here. I think my dad has never parted with a single book in his life. He had most of the Hardy Boys series, and they were the editions published in the forties, before they were abridged in 1959. The Abridged editions are patently inferior to the originals, and I was able to get a really good dose of the best of that series. Your characters use fun time period slang, like “the gas”. Was it easy to sprinkle in time-period specific phrases or did you find modern slang creeping in? If there was any accidental modern slang in the story, no one pointed it out to me. I generally research anything that I am unsure about before adding it to one of my stories. That said, we all have some 'fake' facts in our heads - things we think are true, but aren't. Those sorts of things can get into a tale under the guise of a fact I feel certain of, and then just prove to be wrong later. But, again, no one said anything, so I hope I got it right. Do you have a favorite scene in The House of Storms? Actually...I kind of smile at the scene where the power is out at the hotel, and then comes back on, and Frank and his boyfriend, who are holding each other in their room, and Joe and his boyfriend, who are doing the very same thing in their room next door, turn and spy each other through the open connecting door between rooms. Neither brother knew the other was gay until that point. Great pair of detectives, huh? Was there any red herring or detail readers didn’t pick up in the mystery you wish they would have? I don't think there was any discussion on the clues, so I actually don't know if people missed things or not. There were a few red herrings, but I kept them to a minimum. Hardy Boys stories tended to telegraph a little bit of what was coming, and I did the same, so I am not certain how much of a surprise the ending was to readers. As a boy, my general reaction to having the bad guy revealed at the end of a Hardy Boys story was, "I knew it!", rather than, "Didn't see that coming!" I think most readers simply had their suspicions confirmed at the end of my version, too. Can you sum up The House of Storms in one sentence? If it was as fun for readers to read as it was for me to write, than I consider it a successful tale.

Actually, I'm an 8. It depends on usage. Sometimes popular usage does outweigh "correct" usage, especially when it comes to writing fiction. It all depends on the characters and usage the author is going with (narration versus dialogue). Certain things I am a super big stickler on like people are who, not that. Dialogue punctuation is HUGE because I think even if people don't know they know the rules, done incorrectly, it does distract readers. I like these kinds of topics because it shows respect for the craft when authors want to know or improve the basics.

Danie’s invasion into my brain was neither painless nor left me unaware of his foreign presence. Unlike the link with Captain, this wasn’t welcome. I couldn’t stop it, just like all those other times. Like a vid that I couldn’t stop watching, my past flashed through my mind. I knew Danie was in there, seeing it too, and that pissed me off. But then something new happened. When my anger flared, my mind latched onto Danie’s. The connection between us went both ways, and as he saw my past, I

Oh, just a single chapter. This was for the anthology, so I wanted to show the theme in a different way than I usually write. Thanks, Parker! I have kids, and I work with them, so I get to see and hear and experience how their minds work a lot. He is very literal, isn't he? And he definitely ends the story in a good place. Sometimes the real surprise is how little it takes to make a child truly happy. Life is rough for many, including kids. They can be super versatile and capable of seeing the silver lining and making the best of things. The little things can be the best, if you have the right attitude. Thank you, Mikiesboy! I always write hoping that the story will feel "real" to readers, no matter what it is. I don't often go for regular contemporary stories, but this one was vivid when I got the idea. I'm glad it resonated with you, and this is a beautiful review. Thank you. Barrett makes what could be a depressing story seem cheerful and fun and amusing, which is exactly what I was going for! Yes, they do. Kids love heroes, and dress up, and being important. Barrett got to do all of that, and he really was a hero. I'm so glad you enjoyed the story! Just the story as is, unfortunately. This was for the anthology, so it'll stay a short. I do tend to write things that could go longer, but don't always expand them. And since I have kids and work with them, I get to observe and experience life through their eyes all too much (sometimes) so it wasn't that hard to really sink into the characters. Thank you!

There should be content to read at this time. Thank you for the heads up.

Danie approached me. I put down my fork, suddenly not as hungry as I’d been before. “Hello,” the A.I. said. I nodded to him briefly, chewing the bite in my mouth. “Hello,” I said politely when I could finally swallow. I had to wash it down, and still it felt like a lump stuck in my throat. “What are you doing here?” That came out harsher than I intended. “Just getting something to eat.” Danie shrugged and glanced away. “Sorry I bothered you.” “No, I’m sorry.” I was being rud

Did you catch Monday's feature of this month's Classic story, Someday Out of the Blue by LittleBuddhaTW? We shared the ad and a graphic you can add to your signature, plus a glowing review from a fan. If that didn't convince you to read the story, how about this excerpt below? I picked this excerpt because I wanted to point out all the drama this poor guy is going through. And, while most teenagers think they have a lot to shoulder under or face burdens that feel super dramatic and heavy, Connor really does. But, like so many other teens, he thinks he has life under control. He can handle it. He knows what's best... or does he? Want to read more? Click here.

“I am Repel!” He stood with his elbows stuck out, akimbo, small fists planted on his hips. Repel liked that word, akimbo. His teacher had read it in a book that week. “All the bad things bounce off of me and stick to the bad guy!” “Resmell is more like it,” his older brother said. “Go take a bath.” “But… this is my super hero outfit,” Barrett said. “That’s the neighbor’s dog towel, and it stinks. I swear, Barrett, if it has fleas and you got them in here….” Gideon yanked the

Barrett just wants to be a superhero, no matter what anyone else thinks. Even mean ole Gideon!

Not sure why it wasn't working before. I just checked and it is now. Thanks for the heads up!

Well the year is nearly over, but we have one last feature for 2018 for readers to enjoy from our Classic Authors. This story features some of readers' favorite themes here on GA: coming of age, first love, and jocks/geeks themes. Length: 223,509 Description: Connor Matthews, a shy boy who comes from an abusive family is accidentally hit in the head by a lacrosse ball one day, which leads him to meet Ryan, an attractive redhead, and his younger brother, Toby. Connor gradually learns to come out of his shell, but not without some traumatic experiences along the way. A Reader Said: Without a doubt one of the best stories I've ever read. ~BadBart If you want to spread the word about LittleBuddhaTW'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!

“What did Kohen do to save the day now?” Deke asked. He raised one eyebrow when I sputtered out an objection. “Seriously, kid, you keep noticing things that none of us even begin to think of or notice. And that’s a good thing, by the way, not a complaint. We’d probably still be rescuing,” his tone made it clear exactly what he thought of what they’d been doing and how he felt about how they’d been used, “those victims just for them to be sent back into those nightmares.” “But now they aren’t

I just checked some stories, and I don't see that you have the newest anthology stories posted followed individually. Are you getting notifications from the stories posted by the authors you follow (such as Mikiesboy, who posted an anthology story) but then not the stories by authors you don't follow? Because you would have to click on the "Follow" button on individual stories in order to get notifications from each story or have the authors followed to catch anything they post. Then you also have to have your notification settings set to get comment notifications as well (scroll below the general notification settings to do individual settings).

@Myr Oh you poor author, you! I tell you we need to see, hear, feel, etc... what your characters are doing more often than not. Detail, yes, but detail that paints the picture in a visceral way rather than leaving things blankly described. That's what I struggle with as well. Telling the story in such a way the reader feels as if they are in the tale along with the character. What I find is that too many authors describe things they characters should already know/see in order to get it all out there for the reader right away. Do I think about my best friend's hair color when I see her? Not usually. Would I mention it if she's dyed her hair, or has a new style, or wears something that sets off her hair in some way. I also rarely give all the character's description all at once. Characters who are important to the story get described over time, painting the pictures of who they are, what they are like, etc... The same goes for setting. I don't catalog my home as I walk in the door each day, so a character shouldn't either. But as they move along they can share different elements of the home as they move through it. Grabbing a drink out of the fridge, tossing their lunch bag on the counter covered in such and such material that was more of a pain in the ass to maintain than they thought, sinking into the comfy chair that looked god awful ugly but felt like heaven under his aching body after a long day, flicking on the TV that cost more than two weeks wages, etc....

Not forgetting about it but considering it resides on one of them at all times, having a critter that was active/moving about a lot would be extremely distracting and disturbing, don't you think? He's able to almost "blend" into their skin and anchor himself behind their ear/neck area and "lock" into place. And his weight is negligible. So he's not going to factor in to every intimate scene or be a pet they need to coddle as they move through their activities of daily life. He's almost a... worry stone sort of pet. Does that make sense?

“You need to rest,” I told Captain. He had gained new lines on his face in just the last few meetings the crew had. Worse, for all the worry and talk, no decisions had been made. The course laid in was completely random; it was drawn out to take advantage of some sources of raw, natural materials that the ship might need or could use for trade, but we weren’t moving in a direction on purpose. We had to have a purpose first. “But—” “No.” I grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the cha

Indeed! And be on the look out for the author interview I'll be sending you soon via a PM message that will get posted on the last Monday of the month to kick off the sharing, then readers can comment below the blog. Check out past month's CSR posts in this blog for examples.

@Renee Stevens Thank you so much for posting this month's CSR Feature!! I hope everyone will enjoy @Geron Kees story and be ready to discuss it at the end of the month!

If members mention governmental policies, political bodies, parties, organizations, etc.... they will be moderated for political commentary outside The Pit, and this topic will be moved. To avoid that, let's keep the discussion more in the line to conversations about the realities of societal expectations, perceptions, and the realities faced by different fields, the wage issues being faced by those dealing with increased expectations without due compensation from changing technologies, the constant shift away from middle-management increasing responsibility on the average worker without training and/or compensation, the blue-collar worker challenges of companies down-sizing for various reasons both industrial and economical, etc....