Jump to content

Renee Stevens

Classic Author
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    8,392

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by Renee Stevens

  1. Renee Stevens

    Writing Prompts #612 & #613

    By Renee Stevens,


    Prompts
    Hope everyone has had a great week so far. It's time for this weeks writing prompts. If you're stuck, or you're considering writing for the first time, these might be perfect for you. Don't forget that stories under 1,000 words must be posted as part of a collection.
     

     
    Prompt 612 – Creative
    Tag – The Costume
    You’ve been invited to a costume party and your partner has sated they will take care of your costume too. On the night of the party you are mortified by the costume, but have no time for anything else. What is your costume?
     
    Prompt 613 – Creative
    Tag – List of words
    Use the following words in a story – a sweater, an apple, a dead tree, a flat tire, a turkey.
     

     
    Did you write a prompt response last week? Don't forget to share it below.
  2. Renee Stevens

    Plagiarism Strikes Again

    By Renee Stevens,


    News Archive
    We hate making these types of blog posts as we generally do not share moderation issues with the site membership. There are very few exceptions to this rule, and plagiarism is one of them. Plagiarism comes in many forms, and to make our position perfectly clear:

    STEALING OTHER PEOPLES WORK WILL NOT BE TOLERATED ON GAY AUTHORS!!

    Posting plagiarized content on GA is an immediate banning offense. Generally, when plagiarism strikes GA, it involves stories, but not always. In this case, the now banned member posted stolen song covers and claimed them as their own work. A member of site staff found the (copyrighted) originals entirely by accident and recognized them as being identical to those posted on site. All the original song covers were done by the same person, who was NOT the person on site that was posting them and claiming them as their own.

    While this instance was not plagiarized stories, we urge authors on site to be pro-active when it comes to plagiarism. Cia has provided some great tips in how to protect yourself and your work.
     
    How to check your stories for plagiarism:
     
    1. Pick a distinctive phrase such as: Nyle looked up nervously as he rode under the portcullis.
    2. Search the phrase within quotation marks "Nyle looked up nervously as he rode under the portcullis.".
    3. Repeat search with a distinctive phrase without names: "The austere chapel and rigorous training had been a sharp contrast to his youth".
     
    Tips: Search on both Bing and Google. Search phrases from the first chapter and later chapters. DO THIS OFTEN.
     

    How do I get the story removed if I find one that's been stolen?
     
    How to report plagiarism:
     
    1. Look for a report button or a contact us link.
    2. Copy the story link to the stolen story.
    3. Share the stolen story title, author name, and links to your original. Haven't posted online? Keep copies of all sent mail to beta readers/fans with advanced reader copies of your work to prove when the content was written and sent. Offer to provide a forwarded copy of said email. If you really want to protect your work, purchase an official copyright, especially if you might publish later.
    4. Follow up. Most sites will work with you to remove the content. Sometimes you have to take it further to the ISP.

    If you suspect a story or other content on site has been stolen, please report it! This not only protects the site, but protects the authors, and the original artists.
  3. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up (Sep 17 - Sep 23)

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Hope everyone has had a wonderful week so far. It was a busy week here at Gay Authors, and not all of it was good. We had the unfortunate task of dealing with a plagiarizer. If you want to find out more, make sure you check out the blog post, Plagiarism Strikes Again, which also explains how to check online to see if your stories have been plagiarized elsewhere. Now lets look at the various blogs!
     
    Contests
    New Contest Announcing Soon Anthology Announcements:
    ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team***
    2017 Fall Anthology: The Fall Out / Secret Spaces - Due November 15th, 2017 Anthology Theme Selection: Suggestions due by September 29th! Premium Updates:
    Negative Splits by Cia *Premium*
     
    Classic Updates:
    Brittle as a Bird by Ronyx
     
    Signature Updates:
    Mine! by Cia
    Rivers of the Dead by Cynus
    So Weeps the Willow by Cole Matthews
    Spirit of Fire by Stellar
     
    Promising Updates:
    Changes by Mikiesboy
    Disasters, Delights and Other Detours by Parker Owens
    Headstall's Reflections by Headstall
    Spice Rack by Parker Owens
    timmy's poetry by Mikiesboy
     
     
     
  4. Renee Stevens

    Writing Prompts #610 & #611

    By Renee Stevens,


    Prompts
    I hope everyone is having a great week! It's time for this weeks prompts, supplied by our prompt guru, Comicfan. Just a reminder, and for those who haven't worked with the prompts before: prompt responses under 1,000 words must be posted as part of a collection.
     

     
    Prompt 610 – Creative
    Tag – Broken Confidences
    For years, you’ve been the one to keep everyone’s secrets and confidences. Now, the one man you’ve always desired comes to you admitting he has been cheated on by your best friend. You know about it, but are trying not take sides. As this hunk cries on your shoulder, do you follow your own desires or keep your secrets?
     
    Prompt 611 – Creative
    Tag – First Line
    “Do you think we can do it again?’
     

     
    Did you write a prompt response last week? Don't forget to share it below.
  5. Renee Stevens

    Featured Story: 9.11

    By Renee Stevens,


    Featured Stories
    Normally, I'd write an introduction to this week's story, but honestly I just can't think of a good opening on the anniversary of 9/11. Maybe there isn't one, but today I'm going to let Timothy M's opening for a review of Mark Arbour's 9.11 say it for me.
     
    9.11
    by Mark Arbour
     
    Reviewer: Timothy M.
    Status: Complete
    Word Count. 440,371
     
    There are some events which fix themselves in the collective mind of humanity. You’ll always recall where you were and what you were doing, when you heard. In our modern information society, such news spreads at the speed of light, but there are also examples from before internet and mobile gadgets keeping us constantly online. The older generations may mention the assassinations of President Kennedy (1963) and John Lennon (1980). The death of Princess Diana was breaking news 20 years ago, and as a Scandinavian, I’ve a clear picture in my mind of the moment I heard about the Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme being killed (1986). But of course the big one, which everyone over a certain age recalls today, is 9/11/2001 – the airplane attacks on the WTC's twin towers and the Pentagon, which Mark Arbour entwines into 9.11, his 13th book of the CAP series.
     
    Naturally, it doesn’t make sense to recommend reading 9.11 on its own. You’ll have to start with the first book of the series: Chronicles of an Academic Predator. This way you’ll gradually be introduced to the main characters in 9.11, and you’ll be engaged in their lives, whether you like them, love them, or hate them. Since some of them experience the attacks on the twin towers up close, the event has a huge personal impact in CAP, as well as the wider national and international consequences. If you were among those of us who watched the horror unfold on 9/11 (mostly via TV), I’m sure Mark’s descriptions will bring you back to the stunned disbelief, the anger and the sorrow. If you’re too young to remember, the story might give you a taste of what happened on that fateful date sixteen years ago, and why most people older than 25 can immediately answer the question “What were you doing on September 11th, 2001?”
     
    There are plenty of things I admire about the CAP series and about Mark Arbour as an author. Brilliant writing, memorable and whole characters, interesting plots and story lines, lots of hot guys in action and reading material for months of enjoyment. But perhaps one of the most impressive achievements of Mark and his diligent team of beta readers and editors, is the way history, politics, culture, matters of ethics, conflicts of both society and humans, as well as specific events in the U.S.A. and the world, have been woven into CAP in a natural and logical way. JP, the first and main character of the whole series, will always be a beloved and ideal character for me, for his personal integrity and his understanding of the complex lessons of history and human struggles.
     
    Go make his acquaintance, and you’ll soon be caught up in the CAP world. It’s a great place to be, and Mark is slowly catching up to the present day, since his current CAP story starts out in 2003. If you’ve forgotten what was hot more than ten years ago, take a trip down memory lane, and don’t forget to visit the story forum for pictures, songs, trends, and discussions related to each time period. 
     
    Category: Fiction   Genres: Drama, Historical, Romance   Tags: teen, young adult, mature adult, gay, brothers, friendship   Rating: Mature
  6. Renee Stevens

    Featured Story: The Navigator

    By Renee Stevens,


    Featured Stories
    Monday, Monday, Monday. What could we possibly have for you on a Monday? Oh yeah! We have a new featured story for you. This week, courtesy of Timothy M., we are taking a look at The Navigator by Cynus. Hopefully you'll like what you read and it will prompt you to go and read the story itself!
     
    The Navigator
    Cynus

    Reviewer: Timothy M.
    Status: Complete
    Word Count: 93,473

    The title of this story is sheer genius, and I’ll never forget the person or the concept which prompted the name. As we begin the compelling journey mapped out by Cynus we meet Silas Drake, his dog, and the band who has given him a ride as they travel from one gig to another. Even though their ways soon part, Cynus keeps track of both parties. Drake as he stops over in a small village and encounters several people, both good and bad, who will change his life. The band as they struggle to find success and deal with missing the young man who helped them navigate from place to place.
     
    While some of the dramatic events and villains in the story may seem over the top, the important thing is how Drake reacts to each challenge. He is both intelligent and sensible, shaped but not destroyed by events in his past. He does what’s needed to survive, but his integrity keeps his choices honorable. Even though he has been hurt by other people, he tries to avoid harmful actions, and though his trust is hard to gain, his loyalty to friends is unshakable. He’s not perfect, but that makes him all the more believable and admirable. The way he cares for his dog, Adelaide, who is a faithful protector, will win many readers’ hearts, and she plays a crucial role in the story.
     
    In addition, the story is well-written, with good dialogue and plenty of interesting characters apart from the Navigator. There is also a discussion topic, where Cynus answered questions, and readers had heated discussions on various story details, including the importance of Cinnabons. 

    At one point Cynus said: I'm glad there are people to analyze this for me. I never would have figured that out on my own.

    To which Puppilull answered: If you want analysis, you're in the right place! You will probably also get far out speculation, wild theorising and just nosy questions in general... 
     
    Cynus has talked about a sequel, which his fans would love, but The Navigator is worth reading as a complete and wonderful tale by itself.

    Category: Fiction   Genres: Adventure, Drama   Tags: Teen, Serious, Crime, Music, Religion, Abuse   Rating: Teen
  7. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up (Sep 10 - Sep 16)

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Hey all!  I hope you had a great week. It was a momentous week here at Gay Authors as we celebrated the 15 Year Anniversary of the start of Gay Authors. Curious as to how the site has changed over these many years? Check out the blog that Myr posted. In it, you'll find what many authors had to say about GA over the years. Some of the authors featured have been with GA from the start. Do you know who the first author (besides Myr) to be hosted was? You can find out by reading the blog! And just a quick reminder: don't forget to visit the anthology forum to offer up your theme suggestions for next years themes!
    Contests
    New Contest Coming Soon Anthology Announcements:
    ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team***
    2017 Fall Anthology: The Fall Out / Secret Spaces - Due November 15th, 2017 Anthology Theme Selection: Suggestions due by September 29th!  
    Premium Updates:
    Negative Splits by Cia *Premium*
     
    Signature Updates:
    A Class By HImself by Comicality
    Black Widow by Mark Arbour; Book 16 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)
    Mine! by Cia
    Northern Exposure by Mark Arbour; Book 8 of Bridgemont
    Rivers of the Dead by Cynus
    So Weeps the Willow by Cole Matthews
     
    Promising Updates:
    Buy One, Get Two and Three... by Caz Pedroso
    Changes by Mikiesboy
    Cozy Contemplations by Headstall
    Disasters, Delights and Other Detours by Parker Owens
    Headstall's Reflections by Headstall
    Ripped by craftingmom
    Spice Rack by Parker Owens
  8. Renee Stevens

    Writing Prompts #608 & #609

    By Renee Stevens,


    Prompts
    Hope everyone has had a great week so far. It's time for this weeks writing prompts. If you're stuck, or you're considering writing for the first time, these might be perfect for you. Don't forget that stories under 1,000 words must be posted as part of a collection.
     

     
    Prompt 608 – Challenge
    Tag – Description
    Pick an item to your right. Describe it in as much detail as you can. Try to use as many details as you can. You may not name the item.
     
    Prompt 609 – Creative
    Tag – List of words
    Use the following words in a story – lunch bag, notebook, pink hat, broken belt, and a spider.
     

     
    Did you write a prompt response last week? Don't forget to share it below.
  9. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up (Sep 3 - Sep 9)

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Another week is over with, but there has been a lot going on this week on Gay Authors. Two of which are happenings among the forums and you wouldn't have seen any blogs about them!  If you enjoy having a chat option, check out Myr's post!  Also, a reminder: stories for the Halloween Short Story Contest are due by September 15th! We've only had a few entries come in so far, so make sure to get yours in before the deadline!
     
    And after you do that, join us in welcoming @lilansui and @sandrewn to the moderation team!
     
     
    Now... let's see what happened in the blogs!!!!
     
     
    Contests
    Halloween Short Story Contest - Due September 15th, 2017 Anthology Announcements:
    ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team***
    2017 Fall Anthology: The Fall Out / Secret Spaces - Due November 15th, 2017 Anthology Theme Selection: Suggestions due by September 29th!  
    Premium Updates:
    Negative Splits by Cia *Premium*
     
    Classic Updates:
    Down a Darkened Path by Ronyx
     
    Signature Updates:
    319 Winesap Lane by CarlHoliday
    Black Widow by Mark Arbour; Book 16 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)
    Mine! by Cia
    Northern Exposure by Mark Arbour; Book 8 of Bridgemont
    One Hundred and Fifty-Five Sonnets by AC Benus; Book 5 of Verse
    Rivers of the Dead by Cynus
    So Weeps the Willow by Cole Matthews
    The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 2 by Bill W; Book 11 of The Castaway Hotel
     
    Promising Updates:
    A Fall Observation by Parker Owens
    Buy One, Get Two and Three... by Caz Pedroso
    Cards on the Table by Headstall
    Changes by Mikiesboy
    Cozy Contemplations by Headstall
    Disasters, Delights and Other Detours by Parker Owens
    Hunting Season by Carlos Hazday
    Spice Rack by Parker Owens
    timmy's poetry by Mikiesboy
  10. Renee Stevens

    Andes Mint Cookies

    By Renee Stevens,

    Ingredients
     
    1 (15.25 ounce) pkg. devil's food cake mix
    1/2 cup vegetable oil
    2 eggs
    1 pkg. Andes Mints
     
     
    Instructions
     
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
     
    In a large bowl, combine cake mix, oil and eggs.
    Drop spoonfuls of dough onto a baking sheet.
     
    Bake for 6-9 minutes.
     
    Take baking sheet out of oven and while cookies are still very hot, place an Andes Mint on top of each cookie.
    In about 5 minutes, the mint will be melted. Take a spoon and smooth out each mint like frosting.
     
     
    Note: I have found it easier to buy a bag of the andes mint pieces (can be found with the chocolate chips). I mix some into the batter, and then melt the rest to drizzle over top of the cookies instead of using full Andes Mints and having to wait for them to melt and then spread them. You could also melt the extra pieces and dip the cookies and place them on wax paper.
     
    *Recipe courtesy of Six Sisters
  11. Renee Stevens
    It's that time of the week again! In case you missed any of what's been going on this week, never fear, because we'll take a quick peek at everything that we looked at from Monday on. Are you worried you might have missed a story update from one of your favorite authors? We'll help you out there too with the story updates from all of GA's promoted authors.
     
     
    Contests
    Halloween Short Story Contest - Due September 15th, 2017 Anthology Announcements:
    ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team***
    2017 Fall Anthology: The Fall Out / Secret Spaces - Due November 15th, 2017  
    Premium Updates:
    Negative Splits by Cia *Premium*
     
    Classic Updates:
    Down a Darkened Path by Ronyx
     
    Signature Updates:
    GFD: Fanboys by Comicality
    Mine! by Cia
    One Hundred and Fifty-Five Sonnets by AC Benus; Book 5 of Verse
    Rivers of the Dead by Cynus
    So Weeps the Willow by Cole Matthews
    Spirit of Fire by Stellar
    The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 2 by Bill W; Book 11 of The Castaway Hotel
    The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 9 by Comicality; Book 9 of The Secret Life Of Billy Chase
     
    Promising Updates:
    Buy One, Get Two and Three... by Caz Pedroso
    Changes by Mikiesboy
    Cozy Contemplations by Headstall
    timmy's poetry by Mikiesboy
  12. Renee Stevens
    I hope everyone is having a great week! It's time for this weeks prompts, supplied by our prompt guru, Comicfan. Just a reminder, and for those who haven't worked with the prompts before: prompt responses under 1,000 words must be posted as part of a collection.
     

     
    Prompt 606 – Creative
    Tag – The Class
    Your job has decided that everyone needs to keep up with the rapidly changing workplace. Everyone has been signed up for various classes at the local university, completely paid for. When you arrive for the class it only has ten students all super attractive and smart, When the professor walks in your stunned silent. What is the class like?
     
    Prompt 607 – Creative
    Tag – First Line
    “How much longer do we have?”
     


      Did you write a prompt response last week? Don't forget to share it below. 
  13. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up (Aug 20 - Aug 26)

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Happy Sunday, y'all! I hope you all have had a great week. Just a quick reminder that there's only about 2 1/2 weeks left until the Halloween Contest deadline, so make sure to get your stories in by the 15th of September.
     
    Contests
    Halloween Short Story Contest - Due September 15th, 2017 Anthology Announcements:
    ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team***
    2017 Fall Anthology: The Fall Out / Secret Spaces - Due November 15th, 2017  
    Premium Updates:
    Dreams of a Father by dkstories; Book 2 of Dreams of Humanity *Premium*
    Negative Splits by Cia *Premium*
     
    Classic Updates:
    Down a Darkened Path by Ronyx
     
    Signature Updates:
    A Man in a Room, and other poems by AC Benus; Book 6 of Verse
    Black Widow by Mark Arbour; Book 16 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)
    Blue, Brownie, and Wedding White by comicfan
    Caesura by aditus; Book 2 of The King's Mate
    Fanfic by Comicality; Book 0 of Fanfic
    Mine! by Cia
    The Best Year by Krista
    The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 2 by Bill W; Book 11 of The Castaway Hotel
    The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 9 by Comicality; Book 9 of The Secret Life Of Billy Chase
     
    Promising Updates:
    Buy One, Get Two and Three... by Caz Pedroso
    Changes by Mikiesboy
    Cozy Contemplations by Headstall
    Poems, Old and New by Caz Pedroso
    Ripped by craftingmom
    The Watcher: Part Two... Beginnings by Headstall
    timmy's poetry by Mikiesboy
  14. Renee Stevens

    Writing Prompts #604 & #605

    By Renee Stevens,


    Prompts
    Hope everyone has had a great week so far. It's time for this weeks writing prompts. If you're stuck, or you're considering writing for the first time, these might be perfect for you. Don't forget that stories under 1,000 words must be posted as part of a collection.
     

     
    Prompt 604 – Creative
    Tag – List of words
    Use the following words in a story – a coach, a white stallion, a gold ring, a cat, and a pickle.
     
    Prompt 605 – Creative
    Tag – The Change
    Pat laughed as Barbara complained about her boyfriend and her period being late. Barbara was just a normal girl, unlike Pat. Pat was one of a growing number of people afflicted with the change. Every seven days their body completely morphed into the opposite sex. Both sexes lived independently of each other, and could even be gay and straight, bisexual, or even transgendered. What is Pat like?
     

     
    Did you write a prompt response last week? Don't forget to share it below.
  15. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up (Aug 13 - Aug 19)

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Happy Sunday, y'all. What do you think of the snazzy look of GA? Yep, we had an update yesterday. If you find any bugs, make sure to go and let us know in the help forum, but remember, only one question/bug per topic. This update also included Clubs, so go check out what's available. If you're an author, make sure you join the Writer's Circle. If you were a member of The Pit, make sure you go and join the club as The Pit is being moved to a club. So, let's take a look at what happened outside of the update! (And if you're in the US especially, are you ready for the eclipse tomorrow?!)
     
     
     
    Contests
    Halloween Short Story Contest - Due September 15th, 2017 Anthology Announcements:
    ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team***
    2017 Fall Anthology: The Fall Out / Secret Spaces - Due November 15th, 2017  
    Premium Updates:
    Negative Splits by Cia *Premium*
     
    Classic Updates:
    Down a Darkened Path by Ronyx
     
    Signature Updates:
    319 Winesap Lane by CarlHoliday
    A Man in a Room, and other poems by AC Benus; Book 6 of Verse
    Black Widow by Mark Arbour; Book 16 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)
    Mine! by Cia
    Northern Exposure by Mark Arbour; Book 8 of Bridgemont
    Spirit of Fire by Stellar
    The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 2 by Bill W; Book 11 of The Castaway Hotel
     
    Promising Updates:
    Buy One, Get Two and Three... by Caz Pedroso
    Cards on the Table by Headstall
    Changes by Mikiesboy
    Choices by LitLover
    Lyrical Laments by Headstall
    Ripped by craftingmom
    timmy's poetry by Mikiesboy
     
  16. Renee Stevens

    Writing Prompts #602 & #603

    By Renee Stevens,


    Prompts
    I hope everyone is having a great week! It's time for this weeks prompts, supplied by our prompt guru, Comicfan. Just a reminder, and for those who haven't worked with the prompts before: prompt responses under 1,000 words must be posted as part of a collection.
     

     
    Prompt 602 – Creative
    Tag – First Line
    Just tell which room is his, now!
     
    Prompt 603 – Creative
    Tag – Promises
    As a child you had promised a creature your friendship and protection if it would fetch the ring you had accidentally dropped down the well. The creature retrieved the ring, you took it and quickly shoved it back into your father’s jewelry box. Now an adult, the creature has unexpectedly showed up demanding you keep your promise. What do you do?
     

     
    Did you write a prompt response last week? Don't forget to share it below.
  17. Renee Stevens

    Writing Tip: Speech Tags

    By Renee Stevens,


    Writing Tips
    Every once in a while, we like to providing some writing tips to both new and seasoned authors. One thing I've learned as an author is that we never stop learning. Today, Graeme has written up a writing tip for you on the use of speech tags in your writing. Enjoy!
     
    Speech Tags
    Graeme
     
    Speech tags are important to stories, but they can be easily misused and abused.
     
    What do I mean by speech tags? Speech tags are the little bit of narration that proceeds or follows dialogue and is explicitly linked to dialogue. They're used to indicate whose dialogue is being reported. The simplest and most common example is the word "said".
     
    So what is there to talk about with speech tags? The answer is plenty. The first comment is simple:
     
    1. Speech tags should be avoided as much as possible.
     
    Why? Because not only can they clutter up a story if overused, but often they are unnecessary, and alternatives can actually make the story stronger. For example,
    It's more verbose, but it's clear that Michael is the one speaking because of the narrated action, and so stating who spoke isn't necessary. Including the action also tells the reader more about what's going on because the speech isn't happening in isolation of any other activity. When possible, use that activity to not only inform the reader of what is happened, but who is speaking. By combining descriptive narration with dialogue, it's often possible to eliminate speech tags.
     
    Of course, the flip side is that you don't want to overload your story with description when it's the dialogue that's important, so using speech tags to identify the speaker is fine in those situations. This, however, brings us to the next comment:
     
    2. Keep speech tags simple.
     
    What do I mean by this? I'll demonstrate with an over the top example:
    Yes, that's extreme, but all those different speech tags distract from what's being said. What's happening here is the author (okay, me) is trying to tell the user what's happening through the use of speech tags. This is almost always not needed, or even possibly inappropriate.
     
    In the above example, the "I apologized" and "I proposed" are not needed. All the readers will recognize the words spoken as being an apology (in the first case) or a proposal (in the second case) and they don't need to be told again through a speech tag. These lines could be left as simple dialogue, unattributed, if it's already been established that there are only two people present. If something is needed to indicate who is the second person in the conversation, narration can be used to indicate the speaker, as per the technique shown earlier:
     
    The "Michael sighed" speech tag is borderline as to whether it's useful, though I personally would recommend using something to indicate his disappointment. However, a speech tag is unnecessary for this purpose. The words make it clear that he's unhappy, so a simple piece of descriptive narration is all that's needed.
    Changing the comma to a period is all that's necessary to allow the reader to come to the same conclusion, but the sighing is now an action, not speech. As an aside, while it's possible to sigh speech, it's only appropriate if the speech is short. As an exercise, try sighing the this paragraph. I suspect you'll find it's impossible. You can sigh a handful of words, but not long sentences.
     
    The above also contains three examples of where speech tags have been used inappropriately:
    The first line has Michael grimacing dialogue, the second has the narrator laughing dialogue, and the third has Michael grunting dialogue. Now, I don't know about you, but I can't grimace, laugh or grunt statements (though I can come close on the last one if it's a single word). Grimacing and laughing are things you do alongside dialogue. I can speak while laughing, but I can't laugh a sentence. Laughing is not speech, it's an activity. Speaking happens before, after, or in parallel with that activity. Similarly for grimacing.
     
    Speech tags such as grunted, hissed, and growled, can sometimes be okay, but you should be careful. For example, you can't hiss something unless it contains sibilants. Growled implies a deeper tone which isn't always appropriate for the words being used. Overall, it's better to use a different option to portray what you want, rather than a speech tag. In the above example, the last line is better as:
    Though even that isn't that great. Personally, rather than a grunt, I'd have Michael roll his eyes, shrug, or maybe even smirk, either before, during, or after the dialogue, depending on what emotion I'm looking at portraying.
     
    Overall, it's better to keep to a handful of speech tags: 'said', 'asked', and maybe 'replied'. Other speech tags should be used sparingly, and even the simple speech tags should be used with care. If they're not needed, don't use them. In the above example, the opening statement was exclaimed. What other ways can you use to show someone exclaimed something? The answer is via a descriptive narration:
     
    My final comment is on the speech tag companion: adverbs.
     
    3. Keep adverb use to a minimum.

    Adverbs are often used to strengthen speech tags, but it's often better to replace them with description narration:
    This is a good example of where description could be used instead of the speech tag and adverb.
     
    Sometimes, rather than trying to use an adverb to show the tone or volume, showing the response is stronger:
    becomes
    This avoids the adverb while also doing character development by informing the reader of something about both Michael and the narrator. Yes, it's more verbose, but it also reads better. Alternatives could be:
    That's not quite as strong, but it still gives the sarcastic feel to the dialogue without the use of an adverb. Remember, most adverbs are a shorthand for an observable action/reaction. As such, it's often better to show that observation and let the reader interpret it themselves, rather than spoon-feeding them with how they should interpret the dialogue.
     
    Even better than using narration would be change the dialogue to make the spoken words provide that information without support, though that can be a challenge at times. Beginning authors often use adverbs as a crutch to support weak dialogue. As an exercise, each time you've used an adverb, try to work out if you can change the words to make the adverb unnecessary:
    could be re-written as
     
    That last example also shows how you can use a speech tag to indicate a slight pause. The two statements are separated by the speech tag, and the reader will naturally view that as a pause between the two sentences. It's stronger than putting the speech tag at the end:
     
    Having said all of that, there are times when adverbs are very useful. In particular, when you want a contradiction between the words spoken and the tone used. For example:
    You can certainly write this to avoid the adverb, but it's simple and gives the reader the impression you want. This is not a common situation, but when it occurs an adverb is definitely a viable option.
     
     
    So, in summary, use speech tags carefully. Don't over use them, and try not to get too fancy. Try to avoid using speech tags and adverbs to support weak dialogue. Make the dialogue stronger so it carries the emphasis you want without support, or try using description narrative to support the dialogue. Both are both better options most of the time.
  18. Renee Stevens

    Featured Story: Alex and Zach

    By Renee Stevens,


    Featured Stories
    I hope everyone had a great weekend, but now it's time to start off a new week. A great way to start the week is to take a look at a story that can be found on Gay Authors. Today's feature is Alex and Zach by Greg_A. Aditus was nice enough to provide us with this great review. If you haven't already done so, maybe it will inspire you to take a look. If you do, don't forget to leave Greg_A some reviews. Enjoy!
     
    Alex and Zach
    By Greg_A
    Reviewer: aditus
    Status: Complete
    Word Count: 108,013
     
    Almost every time GA members have been asked to recommend a/their favorite story, Greg_A’s Alex and Zach has made the list. So, one rainy Saturday, I finally read it—all in one go.
    The story starts with Alex and Zach having a car accident. Luckily, nothing too bad happens, and the reader is compensated for the initial shock with a flashback showing Zach wearing a sexy pirate costume: ‘black half-pants...made of a shiny, satiny material that was very clingy, nearly melding to his skin’. Not only that, but the accident leads to Alex and Zach confiding their love for each other.
     
    Happily ever after, right? Wrong!
     
    A nagging that can’t be all is put front and center when Alex’s father makes a reluctant Zach call his parents to tell them about the accident. His mother’s only concern is that she and her husband might have to cancel their trip to visit Zach’s brother Mike. We slowly get an idea of why Zach was so sad on his birthday that he didn’t want a party, but just to get drunk by himself.
    During the ongoing story, we learn how deeply Zach has been, and still is, hurt by his family. It makes him doubt anyone could ever love him, even Alex.Alex and Zach has it all: sad moments contrast with happy ones, scathing words with witty dialogue—one moment I wanted to hit someone upside their head, the next I had to laugh out loud.
     
    Next time someone asks me to recommend a story, Alex and Zach will be definitely on my list.
     
    Category: Fiction Genres: Romance Tags: gay, roommates, coming of age, coming out, love Rating: Mature
  19. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up (Aug 6 - Aug 12)

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    I hope everyone has had a great week this past week. If you missed any of this week's blogs, here is your chance to see what you missed. You can also see what stories the promoted authors posted this week. Enjoy!
     
     
     
    Contests
    Halloween Short Story Contest - Due September 15th, 2017 Anthology Announcements:
    ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team***
    2017 Fall Anthology: The Fall Out / Secret Spaces - Due November 15th, 2017  
    Premium Updates:
    Negative Splits by Cia *Premium*
     
    Classic Updates:
    Down a Darkened Path by Ronyx
     
    Signature Updates:
    Black Widow by Mark Arbour; Book 16 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)
    Caesura by aditus; Book 2 of The King's Mate
    GFD: Children Of Sunset by Comicality; Book 0 of GFD: Children Of Sunset
    Mine! by Cia
    Northern Exposure by Mark Arbour; Book 8 of Bridgemont
    The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 2 by Bill W; Book 11 of The Castaway Hotel
    The Hollow Hills by Valkyrie
    The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 9 by Comicality; Book 9 of The Secret Life Of Billy Chase
     
    Promising Updates:
    Buy One, Get Two and Three... by Caz Pedroso
    Changes by Mikiesboy
    Choices by LitLover
    Headstall's Reflections by Headstall
    timmy's poetry by Mikiesboy
  20. Renee Stevens

    Writing Prompts #600 & #601

    By Renee Stevens,


    Prompts
    Hope everyone has had a great week so far. It's time for this weeks writing prompts. If you're stuck, or you're considering writing for the first time, these might be perfect for you. Don't forget that stories under 1,000 words must be posted as part of a collection.
     
     
    Prompt 600 – Creative
    Tag – List of words
    Use the following words in a story – a bloody hand print, a bullet casing, a pink hair ribbon, a pizza, and a diamond cufflink.
     
    Prompt 601 -Creative
    Tag – Stone life
    There was an asteroid that struck the ocean with such force, tidal waves struck from the tip of Brazil to Alaska, from Russia to New Zealand, and Antarctica.  The next day hundreds of volcanoes woke and began to spew lava. Then large rock figures began walking the earth, coming from the volcanoes. What are these stone figures and what do they want?
     
     
    Did you write a prompt response last week? Don't forget to share it below.
  21. Renee Stevens
    Well, things seem to be on an upswing for me lately, most of the time. I'm hoping that applies to my writing as well. While I've had some health issues, they seem to be getting under control. I've had a lot on my mind lately as well, but those things finally seem to be getting worked out, and in some ways, I'm happier than I have been in a long time. That's not to say I don't still have some issues. While I have been mostly happy, my anxiety occasionally rears it's ugly head, and there are times that I can go from being happy to extremely depressed and questioning everything. These times are extremely hard to deal with, as they make me wonder if it would be better to just fade into the background and whether anyone would even care or notice. The answer to that when I'm in the midst of a depression episode is no, but that's okay. Everyone has their own lives and things to worry about and they don't need to be worried about me. But I hope, in time, that will get better as well and that these moments will lessen.
     
    So now let's get to the writing news.
     
    I have decided to finish Forging Trust. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, I started posting a story all the way back in 2012. I was posting as I wrote it, which I usually do, but then I hit a snag. Or a "trap" as you will. It's a trap I've seen others fall into before and to be honest, I thought I would be able to avoid it. I didn't. I quit writing on Forging Trust, put it as On Hold, and started something new. That worked, but knowing it was just sitting there drove me completely nuts.
     
    When I first started writing Forging Trust, I had a plan. I knew exactly what was going to happen from beginning to end. I had just broken the 35,000 word mark and then it happened. The trap was sprung. I love my readers. I love hearing what they think about a story. But there is a specific trap that can be sprung when you're posting as you're writing. That happened to me. Since the story wasn't complete yet, I let my readers influence where the story was going. By doing that, i lost my momentum. I no longer had a clear path to follow. There were suddenly all these twists and turns that I never expected and had no idea how to deal with. I wasn't happy with these twists and turns. They weren't the story that I wanted to write. So rather than write a story that I knew I wouldn't be happy with in the end, I quit writing on it period.
     
    I did manage another chapter almost two years later, but that was it. So, what does this mean for Forging Trust? As of today, it is unpublished, but don't worry. It WILL be back. I am currently working on it, cleaning up and tweaking things here and there. But it will not be reposted until it is complete. This way, I can ensure that the story I post, is the story that I originally planned to write. After so long, I'm working through the current chapters to get a feel for the characters again. I'm tweaking things based on new things that I've learned. Hopefully, when it's finished, it will be a story that was worth waiting for.
     
    I hope when Forging Trust makes it's reappearance, that you'll all join in and read. I will still want to hear your thoughts, what you liked and didn't, but since the story will be complete, I won't be influenced to change it to something that wasn't what it was supposed to be.
     
    And to authors... don't fall into the trap I did. Write your story the way YOU want to write it. Yes, your readers might be angry at you from time to time. You might get those "how could you" messages. But in the end, you must be happy with the story that you're posting.
  22. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up (Jul 30 - Aug 5)

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Hope everyone has had a good week. Before we get started with the wrap up, instead of sharing Myr's site survey (since it's closed) I want to share a different message from Myr. It's currently posted as an announcement, but in case the announcement is taken down, I'm not going to just link to it. Instead I'll post it here for you to see.
     
     
    If you need help, Myr also posted a youtube video!
     
     
    Now, for the rest of the wrap up!
     
     
    Contests
    Halloween Short Story Contest - Due September 15th, 2017 Anthology Announcements:
    ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team***
    2017 Fall Anthology: The Fall Out / Secret Spaces - Due November 15th, 2017 Premium Updates:
    Negative Splits by Cia *Premium*
     
    Classic Updates:
    Down a Darkened Path by Ronyx
     
    Signature Updates:
    A prompt a week by comicfan
    GFD 12: Blood Ties by Comicality; Book 12 of Gone From Daylight
    Left Without Words by Comicality
    Mine! by Cia
    Northern Exposure by Mark Arbour; Book 8 of Bridgemont
    One Hundred and Fifty-Five Sonnets by AC Benus; Book 5 of Verse
    Promptings from Valhalla by Valkyrie
    Spirit of Fire by Stellar
    The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 2 by Bill W; Book 11 of The Castaway Hotel
     
    Promising Updates:
    Buy One, Get Two and Three... by Caz Pedroso
    Cards on the Table by Headstall
    Changes by Mikiesboy
    Choices by LitLover
    Headstall's Reflections by Headstall
    timmy's poetry by Mikiesboy
     
  23. Renee Stevens

    Writing Prompts #598 & #599

    By Renee Stevens,


    Prompts
    I hope everyone is having a great week! It's time for this weeks prompts, supplied by our prompt guru, Comicfan. Just a reminder, and for those who haven't worked with the prompts before: prompt responses under 1,000 words must be posted as part of a collection.
     

     
    Prompt 598 – Creative
    Tag – The picnic
    Your significant other always tries to do something nice, but it always goes astray. This time they plan a picnic. What happens?
     
    Prompt  599 – Creative
    Tag – The Mummy
    You are the last one to believe in hokey things like vampires, werewolves, or monsters. Mummies you know are real because your mother is an archeologist who has just found an ancient tomb in Peru. You were with her when they brought the sarcophagus out. That night you dream of the mummy, and the next morning the mummy is missing. What happens next?
     

     
    Did you write a prompt response last week? Don't forget to share it below.
  24. Renee Stevens
    Let hashbrowns get to room temperature before starting.
     
    2 lbs frozen hashbrowns (I use the cubed ones)
    1 C. Margarine
    2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
    1 1/2 C. Sour Cream
    1/2 t. Salt
    1 med Onion (chopped)
    1 C Mozzarella Cheese (grated)
    1 C Mild Cheddar Cheese (grated)
    1 C Corn Flakes (crushed) in 4 T butter
     
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees
    Melt butter in a pan and saute the onions
    Mix all other ingredients  (except cornflakes) together and add onions and butter and dump into a 9" x 13" pan.
    Top with crushed corn flakes
     
    Bake 45-60 minutes at 350 degrees
     
     
  25. Renee Stevens
    Hope everyone had a good week! Don't forget to join me tomorrow here on the blog for the discussion day for Reece's Choice!!!! Now, let's take a look at what happened this week.
     
     
    Contests
    Halloween Short Story Contest - Due September 15th, 2017 Anthology Announcements:
    ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team***
    2017 Fall Anthology: The Fall Out / Secret Spaces - Due November 15th, 2017 Premium Updates:
    Dreams of a Father by dkstories; Book 2 of Dreams of Humanity *Premium*
    Negative Splits by Cia *Premium*
     
    Classic Updates:
    Down a Darkened Path by Ronyx
     
    Signature Updates:
    319 Winesap Lane by CarlHoliday
    Mine! by Cia
    Poetry by Renee by Renee Stevens
    Sky Light by Comicality
    The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 2 by Bill W; Book 11 of The Castaway Hotel
    Waiting Outside The Lines by Comicality
     
    Promising Updates:
    Buy One, Get Two and Three... by Caz Pedroso
    Changes by Mikiesboy
    Choices by LitLover
    Fractions for fun by Puppilull
    Headstall's Reflections by Headstall
    Lyrical Laments by Headstall
    timmy's poetry by Mikiesboy
     
×
×
  • Create New...