Renee Stevens

Good luck! Hope your idea works out I might be able to, but only by about a week. The deadline was chosen as that was when I had an available day in the blog, but there's two May dates that I need content for, so that might work. Sounds incredible busy, tim! I'm going to try to come up with a couple more of these that I can use for future blog posts, so there should be other chances

Yeah, I didn't know about Cia's latest writing game when I thought of this. I meant to change today's blog post and do this one later, but then I forgot. Oopsie!

I was sitting here the other day, trying to come up with some new blog ideas when the idea for this blog popped into my head. There may be future challenges, but we'll start with this one. Renee's Writing Challenge #1: Different Choices Have you ever wondered what would happen if your character made a different choice? Wondered how it would affect the overall story and whether or not your story would end the same? Now is your chance to find out. The challenge is to write two short stories (they can be flash fiction). Same characters. Same beginning. The catch is, that there must be a "turning point" in the first story near the beginning. For the second story, when you reach that turning point, the character must make a different choice. Some examples could be: Example 1 Story 1: Character starts out having a horrible day at work and things have been going downhill for a while. He's ready to quit when he's offered a promotion. The promotion will mean even more work, longer hours, is more stressful, and it comes with minimal pay raise. Your character chooses to take the promotion. Story 2: Same beginning, but when the character is offered the promotion he asks for time to decide. In the end, he decides that the promotion is not worth continuing to put up with everything going on at work. He declines the promotion, and instead turns in his resignation. Example 2 Story 1: Dave is single, and hasn't been having much luck with dating. He's ready to give up. Then Dave gets a phone call or a visit from his friend, Mark. Mark wants Dave to go on a double date with him. Mark's girlfriend's brother, John, is in town and the girlfriend asked the friend to find someone to go with them to dinner as John's date. Marc assures Dave that everything he knows about John makes him believe that John could be a great match for Dave. Dave hate's blind dates, but Mark tells him that the date will be completely on him, and Dave agrees to go despite his reservations. Story 2: Same beginning, but Dave can't get over his hatred for blind dates. He doesn't care who's paying, he doesn't feel like sitting through what he figures will be an uncomfortable dinner. He tells Mark that he'll have to find someone else. How does making a different choice affect the rest of the story? Can the 2nd story reach the same conclusion as the first one with such wildly different choices? If your goal is to reach the same conclusion, what other changes did you have to make to get there? Keep these thoughts in mind. Post your challenges as a single story, with separate chapters, and then share the link in the thread, no later than May 13th. On May 16th, I'll post all the stories in a blog post for discussion on your experience with the challenge.

R.I.P Moggy.

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 Travelling Home by podga. Hopefully you'll like what you read and it will prompt you to go and read the story itself! Travelling Home podga Reviewer: Timothy M. Status: Complete Word Count: 24,715 With this review I pay homage to the author who brought me to GA five years ago, and to a story which warms my heart every time I read it. I’m sad to say podga disappeared before more of his stories, including the companion story to Travelling Home, got posted on GA. All of his tales center around the theme of adult guys trying to find love through the obstacles of shyness, family, not being out, a broken heart and other hang-ups from the past, or simply work schedules and conditions which make it difficult to build relationships and be open about them. The latter is the case with Jordan who falls in love with a man he meets at a conference in Stockholm. They travel all over the world, but mainly Europe, and their relationship progresses through five meetings in different cities. The one in London is my absolute favorite because of the hilarious descriptions of their growing attraction and teasing interactions in and out of bed. The ‘drilling into the mattress’ quip has me every single time. Jordan is half Greek, half American, and spent his childhood in Athens and his college years in the USA. He feels rootless and wary about committing himself, and a few remembrances during the story explain why. In both good and bad ways I guess you could say his past comes back to haunt him. I like Jordan who is real, normal, intelligent, self-aware, and easy to relate to, especially when he’s trying to hide how much he cares about David and the potential for love and a permanent home. As one reader @sorgbarn said back in 2012: I still think this story has a more realistic feeling to it than most romance or relationship fiction I've read online. Give this journey a try, and I hope you’ll love it as much as I do. Category: Fiction Genres: Romance Tags: mature adult, gay, europe, 20th century Rating: Mature

Wow, Sir! A powerful piece and one that i think will resonate with the majority of authors, if not all of them. i know it did with me. Thank you for sharing, Sir.

Hope everyone had a good week. Don't forget that the deadline for the novella contest is the 15th. So far we only have one entry, so I'm hoping to see at least a couple more before the deadline is here. Now, let's take a look at the past week. Contests 2018 Summer Novella Anthology: Summer - Due April 15th, 2018 Anthologies 2018 Spring Anthology: Now or Never - Due May 15th 2018 Spring Anthology: Encounters - Due May 15th 2018 Fall Anthology: Fight Back - Due Nov 15th 2018 Fall Anthology: Good Intentions - Due Nov 15th Blog Opportunities Story Critique: Open to all GA authors. Sign up here. Ask An Author: Send your questions for your favorite authors to @Carlos Hazday (no questions = no Ask An Author) 3 Story Promo: Open to all GA Authors. PM Renee Stevens to participate. Author Interview: Open to all GA Authors. PM Renee Stevens to participate. Favorite Self-Written Story: Open to all GA authors. PM Renee Stevens to participate Story Recommendations: Open to all GA authors & readers. PM Renee Stevens to participate. Premium Updates: Harbinger by Cia *Premium* Classic Updates: Losing Kevin by Ronyx Signature Updates: April Musings by Valkyrie Denied by Cia Exes and Ohs by Headstall Geeks by CassieQ GFD: Dark Favor by Comicality GFD: Donor Fail by Comicality GFD: Fanboys by Comicality GFD: Midnight Caller by Comicality GFD: Piece Of The Action by Comicality Mojo by AC Benus Shadow Honor by Cynus Promising Updates: April Weather: NaPoWriMo2018 by Parker Owens Here Kitty, Kitty by Caz Pedroso Will I or Won't I ... napowrimo 2018 by Mikiesboy ***Check out this GA Classic*** Not A Kiss jian_sierra Daniel is haunted by his first ever kiss. He couldn't fathom though how this could possibly happen as he's never been kissed before. But for awhile he had this dream of what could have been and he hasn't had that dream for years until now.

Well... as the title of this blog says, OOPSIE! I didn't realize that I was out of prompts, so didn't send to @comicfan to get new ones! Since I forgot, I decided to go through and pick a few recent ones that showed zero responses in the forum. Creative First Line Word List So there you go! Hopefully I'll have some new prompts for you next week!

Thanks! I like to occasionally do some graphic work

I don’t think there’s such a thing as too emotional when it comes to losing a beloved pet and companion. Pets definitely work their way into our hearts and become so much more than merely pets. Just from reading your thoughts and past discussions about Ripley, it’s plain to see how special he was and how strong a bond you had with him. You’ll never forget him, and you’ll always carry your memories of him with you, and that’s just as it should be.

I hope everyone had a great week this past week. Time to take a look back to see what you might have missed in the various GA staff blogs. Contests 2018 Summer Novella Anthology: Summer - Due April 15th, 2018 Anthologies 2018 Spring Anthology: Now or Never - Due May 15th 2018 Spring Anthology: Encounters - Due May 15th 2018 Fall Anthology: Fight Back - Due Nov 15th 2018 Fall Anthology: Good Intentions - Due Nov 15th Blog Opportunities Story Critique: Open to all GA authors. Sign up here. Ask An Author: Send your questions for your favorite authors to @Carlos Hazday (no questions = no Ask An Author) 3 Story Promo: Open to all GA Authors. PM Renee Stevens to participate. Author Interview: Open to all GA Authors. PM Renee Stevens to participate. Favorite Self-Written Story: Open to all GA authors. PM Renee Stevens to participate Story Recommendations: Open to all GA authors & readers. PM Renee Stevens to participate. Premium Updates: Harbinger by Cia *Premium* Classic Updates: Losing Kevin by Ronyx Signature Updates: A Love Story by CarlHoliday; Book 2 of Warnton Stories A Man in a Room, and other poems by AC Benus; Book 6 of Verse Denied by Cia Dinner is Prompt-ly at Eight by Cole Matthews Exes and Ohs by Headstall Mojo by AC Benus Promptings from Valhalla by Valkyrie Shadow Honor by Cynus Promising Updates: Here Kitty, Kitty by Caz Pedroso ***Check out this GA Classic*** A New Life TheEggman Meet Preston O'Brian, his mom, Margaret O'Brian, and Keith Hundser, his brothers Drew and John, and his parents Jim and Jennifer.

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 660- Creative Tag – Dirty Dog On your way to a wedding a little boy almost knocks you off your feet. While you manage to barely keep your feet, you turn to check on him, missing the dog he was playing with sliding into you and sending you head first down the side of a muddy hill. The dog and the little boy slip down after you. What happens next? Prompt 661 – Creative Tag – Artwork You were given a copy of a famous painting you love. What painting is it and why do you like it? Did you write a prompt response last week? Don't forget to share it below.

I hope you all enjoyed the last Improve & Encourage feature, because it's time for another one. These features are meant to both provide feedback to authors and, similar to story reviews, point out stories that readers might not otherwise have found. It's similar to a review, in that the person doing the critique tells you what they liked about the story, but it differs in that they also provide constructive criticism. Each author signed up to participate, and sign up's are still open! These will post once a month until the last author signed up is critiqued. If you'd like to provide a critique for the blog, sign up in the thread. I'm hoping to have a lot more authors sign up, and just remember, by signing up, you are also volunteering to have your story critiqued and featured. Between a Rock and a Hard Place Dodger Critique By: Sam Wyer Please give us a short summary of the story you chose. Charlie and Roger are two teenage guys who have been friends since fourth grade. Their friendship turns a corner and teeters unpredictably for the few awkward moments it takes for both of them to realise what is really happening. What do you see as the strengths of the story/poem? The most obvious strengths are the key players in it, as both Charlie and Roger are well characterised. Given it’s a relatively short story, the introductions don’t feel rushed, and you get a very good sense of who the two of them are, and how close their friendship is. Whilst written completely from Rogers point of view, Charlie is still very easy to relate to. Yes, so maybe it is a ‘classic’ storyline, but it’s done really nicely here, and it develops well in a short format. It’s definitely towards the realistic end of story telling, and the dialogue works well throughout. What do you see as the weakness of the story/poem? As for weak points, it’s honestly hard to point to much here. There’s very little wider context to Charlie and Roger, so you don’t get much of a sense of how they relate to other people, other friends, or their families. There are nods towards this, but that’s all. How do you think the story/poem could be improved? So could it be improved? The lazy answer is definitely yes, by writing more! These two guys are very likeable, engaging, and well written, and I know I’m not the only one who thought that it would be good to hear more about them. Other than that, a bit more context for the wider worlds of Charlie and Roger would be nice, as I mentioned above. I’d also like to know how they manage the next, but unseen moments / days / months / years. I don’t mean the sex, I think we all pretty much know how that works, but emotionally they are very different people, and for me, there’s a lot of questions about how the interplay that has worked so well as friends transforms with their relationship. What was your favorite part? My favourite moment in the story takes up the whole of the second half of the final chapter, and is brilliantly managed. To give you a flavour of it:

I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend so far. Don't forget that the deadline for the Summer novella contest is April 15th! Now, let's look at what we had going on this week. Contests 2018 Summer Novella Anthology: Summer - Due April 15th, 2018 Anthologies 2018 Spring Anthology: Now or Never - Due May 15th 2018 Spring Anthology: Encounters - Due May 15th 2018 Fall Anthology: Fight Back - Due Nov 15th 2018 Fall Anthology: Good Intentions - Due Nov 15th Blog Opportunities Story Critique: Open to all GA authors. Sign up here. Ask An Author: Send your questions for your favorite authors to @Carlos Hazday (no questions = no Ask An Author) 3 Story Promo: Open to all GA Authors. PM Renee Stevens to participate. Author Interview: Open to all GA Authors. PM Renee Stevens to participate. Favorite Self-Written Story: Open to all GA authors. PM Renee Stevens to participate Story Recommendations: Open to all GA authors & readers. PM Renee Stevens to participate. Premium Updates: Harbinger by Cia *Premium* Classic Updates: Losing Kevin by Ronyx Signature Updates: Denied by Cia Exes and Ohs by Headstall Insomnia by CassieQ Mojo by AC Benus Shadow Honor by Cynus Promising Updates: Disasters, Delights and Other Detours by Parker Owens Georgetown: Over The Rainbow by Carlos Hazday; Book 8 of CJ Timmy's Journal by Mikiesboy timmy's poetry by Mikiesboy ***Check out this GA Classic*** Carter's Army Topher_Lydon A young immigrant to Canada discovers that love can be found in the most unlikely places. Andrew isn’t the run of the mill team Captain, can he show Will what it means to be in love? And can he coax the awkward, non-social boy out of the closet? Events spiral out of control after stolen kisses are caught, and gossip begins to spiral out of control.

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 658 – Creative Tag – List of Words Use the following in a story – a bee, red roses, yellow rain boots, a pink balloon, and a squirrel. Prompt 659 – Creative Tag – First Line I just got the results of the blood test and you better sit down. Did you write a prompt response last week? Don't forget to share it below.

Hey Y'all! Hope you have all had a great week. Before we get started on the wrap up, a really quick reminder that it's less than a month before the deadline for the Novella contest. Make sure to get your story in before April 15th! Now, let's take a look at what happened in the blogs this week. Contests 2018 Summer Novella Anthology: Summer - Due April 15th, 2018 Anthologies 2018 Spring Anthology: Now or Never - Due May 15th 2018 Spring Anthology: Encounters - Due May 15th 2018 Fall Anthology: Fight Back - Due Nov 15th 2018 Fall Anthology: Good Intentions - Due Nov 15th Blog Opportunities Story Critique: Open to all GA authors. Sign up here. Ask An Author: Send your questions for your favorite authors to @Carlos Hazday (no questions = no Ask An Author) 3 Story Promo: Open to all GA Authors. PM Renee Stevens to participate. Author Interview: Open to all GA Authors. PM Renee Stevens to participate. Favorite Self-Written Story: Open to all GA authors. PM Renee Stevens to participate Story Recommendations: Open to all GA authors & readers. PM Renee Stevens to participate. Premium Updates: Harbinger by Cia *Premium* Classic Updates: Losing Kevin by Ronyx Signature Updates: A Love Story by CarlHoliday; Book 2 of Warnton Stories Denied by Cia Exes and Ohs by Headstall Mojo by AC Benus Shadow Honor by Cynus So Weeps the Willow by Cole Matthews The Hollow Hills by Valkyrie The Kissing Game by Comicality Promising Updates: Disasters, Delights and Other Detours by Parker Owens Georgetown: Over The Rainbow by Carlos Hazday; Book 8 of CJ Here Kitty, Kitty by Caz Pedroso timmy's poetry by Mikiesboy ***Check out this GA Classic*** New Brother Graeme David finds out something unexpected about one of his friends when the friend comes to stay.

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 656 – Creative Tag – The number Most of us have a number that means something to us. Whether it is the day you were born, the number of children you have, or your anniversary there is a number that stands out. Write a story based on your number and the importance of the number. Prompt 657 – Creative Tag – The accident Imagine going for your driver’s license and getting into an accident. What happened? Did you write a prompt response last week? Don't forget to share it below.

Wow, it's been a while since we've done an author promo. This month we're taking a look at northie. Northie was asked to pick three stories and answer the three questions: What gave you the idea for this story? What was your favorite thing about writing this story? & Please tell us something about this story that is not already in the description. If you would like to do an author promo for the blog, please check out the blog feature opportunities thread. Now, let's take a look at what northie has for us. northie Author 13 stories · 593 comments · 126,539 total words The Bard's Tale Description: A bard decides to take action to recover unpaid monies due. A perfectly reasonable task which involves him in unreasonable and unintended consequences. What gave you the idea for this story? Strange as it may sound, the original inspiration came from playing Last post wins here on GA. Many of the players assume characters and this drew on two of them. I'll leave you to guess which. They appeared first in an early poem posted in my GA blog, but when the Spring/Summer 2017 Antho came around I realised it was a perfect match. However, it wasn't allowed as an entry, so I took the general outline of the poem and worked it into a much, much longer prose piece. What was your favorite thing about writing this story? This is a difficult one because I enjoyed so many things about writing it. Allowing myself to experiment creatively is what I'm going to say. Format, subject matter, genre, tone – all a matter of experiment. I wrote it in February / March 2017, when I'd only been writing prose for four or five months. I learnt so much from it. Please tell us something about this story that is not already in the description. It is collaboration with my editor, Parker Owens. Parker very kindly wrote the poems for the bard which form a central part of the plot. He is such a wonderful poet – he took my rather vague requirements and turned them into poetic gold. Incy Wincy Spider Description: Dave Harrison is late for work, again. Turns out, that's by far the least of his worries. What gave you the idea for this story? It's actually a prompt response. One of the creative ones, where you're given a scenario and left to continue it. Very often I look at those without much of an idea, but this one grabbed me from the outset. In fact, I'd hardly finished reading the prompt before the ideas started bubbling up. I had so much fun with the story, it became long enough to be my first separately posted story apart from The Bard's Tale. What was your favorite thing about writing this story? Personification. Making the spiders come alive. Describing them. Making them interact with our hapless hero. Imbuing each with its own personality and traits which came partly from the truth and partly my imagination. This was my first experiment in personification and I loved it. Please tell us something about this story that is not already in the description. The spiders are real in the sense that they are species which I see around me all the time. I like spiders (or at least the ones which live in the UK) and I do observe them. At the end of the story I give a 'cast list' with their proper names. Night Thoughts Description: What would your thoughts be if you were alone, at night, imprisoned only for who you are? One man gives us his. What gave you the idea for this story? Again, it started out as a prompt response. This time to a challenge prompt which asked you to 'write a scene where it is not possible to see anything'. This type of prompt is something to use to push your writing technique. Straight away it suggested a cell, a prisoner, but I didn't immediately make a start on it. I left it for a couple of weeks lurking in the back of my mind while I got on with other things. When I did finally sit down to write something, it still wasn't very clear in my mind what was going to happen. One thing I was clear on – it had to be from the point of view of the prisoner as he was living it. It was only when I got started that the whole thing just poured out, pretty much as it is now. A crie de coeur from a nameless prisoner, jailed simply because he's gay. What was your favorite thing about writing this story? I'm going to use that phrase again: the chance to experiment. I'd decided it was going to be written in the first person. My first attempt at that. But I also decided that the word 'I' was never going to appear. Another layer of complication. However, I enjoyed writing it immensely. It has opened up a new channel for my writing – one which can be used for short, intense, immersive pieces like this one. This story is the first of a projected series of 'Night thoughts'. Please tell us something about this story that is not already in the description. The description is deliberately fairly bland. Which makes the shock, you, the reader, hopefully experience when reading it all the more intense. I wasn't trying to shock for shock's sake – it's more, the way I've written it, it should draw you in. Place you right next to the poor soul incarcerated in the cell who opens up his heart and mind over the course of one night.

Well, we're at the start of another week and this week we are going to look at a story written by Parker Owens called "Predator Prey". If you like what spikey has to say in the review, why not go check out the story and leave the author a review! Also, if you've read a story you've enjoyed lately, and would like to see it featured in the GA News Blog, simply shoot me a PM and send me a review. I'm always looking for reviews. Predator Prey Parker Owens Reviewer: spikey582 Status: Complete Word Count: 75,843 Being part of the Review Team here on GA, I often find myself on the look-out for what will be the next story I review. So, I pretty much had my eye on this fantastic story since about mid-2017 when Parker Owens posted the final chapter. In Predator Prey, Parker Owens introduces us to a character, who’s extremely hard to care about at the beginning of this tale. This person is a predator, preying on vulnerable people, using and abusing them in the worst ways possible, and then tossing them aside on the hunt for his next victim. Something happens to the predator early on in this story, the tables are turned on him, and he becomes the victim of another predator possibly even worse than he is. He has to leave, to get away for his own safety. But, the question becomes, who will he turn to? He has no friends, no potential allies, just fellow predators and past victims. So, who does such a person turn to for help. And, possibly more importantly, does he even deserve help in the first place? I personally think this story is some of the best writing that Parker Owens has posted to the site. The main character is every bit as reprehensible as I described, and yet through Parker’s talented prose, I found myself finding sympathy with this predator. I became enthralled with his story, eventually finding myself caring about him, and rooting for him to overcome his struggles, even those of his own making. I don’t want to say too much more for fear of potentially spoiling something. I will say, this story definitely does start out in a dark place. However, it doesn’t stay there. It is the epitome of a roller coaster ride, filled with drama, romance, and thrills to satisfy all. Category: Fiction Genres: Drama, Romance Tags: young adult, gay, university, rape, modern, abuse Rating: Mature

I hope everyone has had a great week. I realized I forgot the GA Classic last week, but don't worry, it's back this week! A quick reminder that there is just over a month left before the GA Summer Novella Contest is due. There's been a lot of great blogs this week, so let's take a look at what you might have missed! Contests 2018 Summer Novella Anthology: Summer - Due April 15th, 2018 Anthologies 2018 Spring Anthology: Now or Never - Due May 15th 2018 Spring Anthology: Encounters - Due May 15th 2018 Fall Anthology: Fight Back - Due Nov 15th 2018 Fall Anthology: Good Intentions - Due Nov 15th Blog Opportunities Story Critique: Open to all GA authors. Sign up here. Ask An Author: Send your questions for your favorite authors to @Carlos Hazday (no questions = no Ask An Author) 3 Story Promo: Open to all GA Authors. PM Renee Stevens to participate. Author Interview: Open to all GA Authors. PM Renee Stevens to participate. Favorite Self-Written Story: Open to all GA authors. PM Renee Stevens to participate Story Recommendations: Open to all GA authors & readers. PM Renee Stevens to participate. Premium Updates: Harbinger by Cia *Premium* Classic Updates: You Promised Me a Tomorrow by Ronyx Signature Updates: A Love Story by CarlHoliday; Book 2 of Warnton Stories 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) Denied by Cia Dinner is Prompt-ly at Eight by Cole Matthews Exes and Ohs by Headstall Insomnia by CassieQ Mojo by AC Benus Northern Exposure by Mark Arbour; Book 8 of Bridgemont Promptings from Valhalla by Valkyrie Shadow Honor by Cynus Shelter by Comicality; Book 1 of Shelter The Hollow Hills by Valkyrie Promising Updates: Georgetown: Over The Rainbow by Carlos Hazday; Book 8 of CJ Here Kitty, Kitty by Caz Pedroso The Poetry of D/s by Mikiesboy ***Check out this GA Classic*** Bad Boy Gone Good Colinian When you’re a teenager it’s easy to be led astray. What’s hard is getting out of a bad situation. Mature or distressing themes and strong language. This story deals with issues that are, unfortunately, true to life for some teens. Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!

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 654 – Creative Tag – Foreclosed Write a short story where the main character is either having their house or business foreclosed. Prompt 655 – Creative Tag – Happy Dance We all have something that will make us smile. Is it a song? A movie? A person? Write a story where something happens and all the character can do is smile and share their happiness. Did you write a prompt response last week? Don't forget to share it below.

Eek! Sorry for the lateness of the wrap up! I completely spaced that today was Sunday when I went to bed last night. Before we get started with the wrap up, a huge thank you to @wildone for doing the wrap up for me the last couple weeks! Since I'm already late doing this, lets get right to the wrap up! Contests 2018 Summer Novella Anthology: Summer - Due April 15th, 2018 Anthologies 2018 Spring Anthology: Now or Never - Due May 15th 2018 Spring Anthology: Encounters - Due May 15th 2018 Fall Anthology: Fight Back - Due Nov 15th 2018 Fall Anthology: Good Intentions - Due Nov 15th Blog Opportunities Story Critique: Open to all GA authors. Sign up here. Ask An Author: Send your questions for your favorite authors to @Carlos Hazday (no questions = no Ask An Author) 3 Story Promo: Open to all GA Authors. PM Renee Stevens to participate. Author Interview: Open to all GA Authors. PM Renee Stevens to participate. Favorite Self-Written Story: Open to all GA authors. PM Renee Stevens to participate Story Recommendations: Open to all GA authors & readers. PM Renee Stevens to participate. Premium Updates: Harbinger by Cia *Premium* Classic Updates: You Promised Me a Tomorrow by Ronyx Signature Updates: A Love Story by CarlHoliday; Book 2 of Warnton Stories Black Widow by Mark Arbour; Book 16 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP) Denied by Cia Exes and Ohs by Headstall Mojo by AC Benus Shadow Honor by Cynus Spirit of Fire by Stellar 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: Disasters, Delights and Other Detours by Parker Owens Georgetown: Over The Rainbow by Carlos Hazday; Book 8 of CJ timmy's poetry by Mikiesboy

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 652 – Challenge Tag – Description Most times as a writer we will skip or give the bare minimum of a description so we can move ahead to what we want to tell. Then a reader begins asking for details and we realize what is lively in our imaginations begins to fall flat on the written page. Look out your window and focus on one action, animal, person, or plant. Now write about it including as many details as you can, but keep the scene you are creating moving, not stagnant. In other words, don’t go “Alice, 5’7’ tall, stood approximately two feet from her property line, bouncing a faded rubber ball for exactly five minutes in green shorts and yellow shirt.” Prompt 653 – Creative Tag – First Line So, what did he take you for your first date? Did you write a prompt response last week? Don't forget to share it below.

The Improve & Encourage feature is back!!! These features are meant to both provide feedback to authors and, similar to story reviews, point out stories that readers might not otherwise have found. It's similar to a review, in that the person doing the critique tells you what they liked about the story, but it differs in that they also provide constructive criticism. Each author signed up to participate, and sign up's are still open! These will post once a month until all listed authors have been critiqued. If you'd like to provide a critique for the blog, sign up in the thread. I'm hoping to have a lot more authors sign up, and just remember, by signing up, you are also volunteering to have your story critiqued and featured. Jager Cole Matthews Critique By: Dodger Please give us a short summary of the story you chose. Jager, is a moving and powerful story about an elderly gay couple whose lives—after more than forty years together—are disrupted when one of them is affected by dementia. Despite the serious underlying theme, this is basically a love story with an interesting twist that should have you fooled. It was originally written as an entry for the 2016 GA Secret Admirer, Short Story Competition and unsurprisingly it finished in first place. Jager, incidentally, is the name of the couples wooden rocking horse, which swings during the course of the story from hero to villain and back to hero again. The story is told through the eyes of Glen as he and his partner Adam prepare to host their annual St. Valentine’s Day party. What do you see as the strengths of the story/poem? I enjoy reading stories that are a little out of the ordinary or from an unusual perspective. Something that perhaps doesn’t follow the normal well-trodden paths and this story is a good example. It is a truly beautiful tale, well-written and almost guaranteed to pull at your heartstrings. Part of its strength is its simplicity although this is not apparent until the end. To get there you will need to put your trust in the author, but you won’t be disappointed as everything begins to unravel. The story has a very slow, retired feel to it, as the narrator delves into the past in an attempt to explain the present. I don’t think that there are many authors who would have been brave enough to want to include dementia in a Valentines Day story, but Cole Matthews expertly strikes a good balance and the reader is constantly reminded of the couples love for each other which overrides everything else. What do you see as the weakness of the story/poem? I enjoyed this story so much that I felt a little robbed in the end because it didn’t go on long enough. Cole handles the subject exceptionally well but 3322 words don’t do it justice and it wasn’t enough detail in it for me. I feel that there was enough room to get to know the characters and their history a little better, without giving anything away. It seems almost criminal trying to find fault in such a wonderful story but it says a lot, I suppose, if my only worthwhile complaint is that the story is too short. How do you think the story/poem could be improved? A little more character development would have been good for me. I would like to have known more about their past and their early lives together even if the recollections weren’t entirely lucid. I know that it wouldn’t have been easy for them in the early days and perhaps more could have been made of this. I obviously know why the author felt the need to limit what information was fed to the reader, but it seemed a little rushed at the end. Maybe I’m asking a little too much but Cole has set a consistently high standard and this is one of his best. What was your favorite part? My favourite part of the story is the final paragraph, including the last four words at the end, just before you reach for the tissues. However, it’s impossible to quote this without spoiling the story for anyone who hasn’t read it.

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 650 – Creative Tag – List of Words Use the following words in a story – a soldier, a school, a note, a red coat, and a large truck. Prompt 651 – Creative Tag – First Meeting Two shy people are sent to do the initial meeting between their families entering into a business contract. How does the meeting go and what sort of contract are they discussing? Did you write a prompt response last week? Don't forget to share it below.