Carlos Hazday

LMAO I may do a bit of soapboxing now and then. Bullying has been a recurring theme in a series which has also explored homophobia, religion, politics, veterans affairs, substance use and abuse, the environment, gun control, and a few other issues. I've also used my stories to promote support for certain charities and highlighted the work of a handful of favorite GA authors. It's dangerous. I've been hammered a few times in the comments, I think mostly by readers who took the events/dialogue at face value. On the positive side, some of my favorite comments and reviews have come on the same chapters from readers who understood what I was trying to accomplish even if they did not agree with the position taken by the characters involved. If the theme of mutant acceptance/rejection in the X-Men movies was an allegory for the GLBT community's struggle, I can do the same.

LMAO And therein lies the difference of opinion! I'm helping someone do a little cleaning on a story and the issue came up. They do something similar to what you did, I disagree with it, but mentioned in the end it's their call since it's their story. I wonder if my preference for the phonetic spelling is due to English not being my native language and always trying to pronounce things correctly. Assuming readers can pronounce words properly can be dangerous. Only one GA member has ever heard me speak so y'all probably have no idea what I'm talking about. In 11th grade English, I read the word at the beginning of a film we watched in class and elicited laughter from everyone. The word was FOCUS. I pronounced it tuck us (change that T to an F.)

@Headstall Thanks, Gary. Interesting article even if I disagree with a couple of the things mentioned. I seem to have an aversion to using the initial letter by itself unless it sounds right. An entire dialogue using phonetics to simulate someone's accent can be infuriating to me as a reader. I try to use one or to words to hint at a southern accent for example. Or use a word like mate when writing a Brit or an Aussie. Yeah, I face such problems frequently since my casts resemble the United Nations. In the example gave, I use sh... sure instead of s... sure because the sh sound is more in line with the word being mangled.

Actually, yes it is. I should have explained better. Not referring to an ongoing speech pattern but a temporary loss of words. "I... I'm not sh... sure I understand you, Mr. Headstall."

I'm having a difference of opinion with someone about how to write stuttering. Would love to see/hear how some of you handle it in your stories.

I hope they're joyful tears most of the time! My goal from the beginning has been to create a positive story, without the plethora of heart-wrenching scenes so often found in other tales. It's true a little rain must fall on every life, but I try to limit the sadness and accentuate the happiness.

He[she] thought to him[her]self. It seems a bit difficult to think to someone else but yourself. Unless we're talking about some sort of mind reading/control scenario. The phrase permeates so many stories I've read it's difficult to pinpoint a single instance.

A wizard/sorcerer?

Y'all are spoiled! Thank you. It's quite satisfying to know fans of the series will welcome another installment. Working on it, bud.

Thanks for reading and for leaving a comment. The wait may seem long but time flies and before you know it the guys will be back,

Noted. Y'all may not appreciate how I do it, but I'll fix him. 😈

@frosenblum Thank you. For reading and taking the time to comment! The next book's outlined. At least the major events. The actual details I fill in as I write. It's a work in progress and I'm up to New Year's Eve 2019. Funny you mention Ritchie, he plays a big part in the first chapter of the next book and there'll be a story arc featuring him spread out through the entire thing. CJ has two years left at Georgetown and Ritchie has two left in high school. He'll go away to college after that so I want to feature him.

Thanks, JP. It was still a little sappy but I proved I can do it. Can I be excused from further mushy stuff? Seriously, I'll write the romantic stuff when appropriate but my guys are more on the hard-ass side of things. They have no problem showing their love for each other but they're not going to call each other silly things on a regular basis.

I need to take CJ to a party at LeatherWerks at some point. There's always a living urinal available at those. Didn't want to crowd the event with too many known people so I had the Obamas skip the reception and the Clintons skip the ceremony. Too many Secret Service agents otherwise. We'll find out who some of the other guests in attendance were in future chapters.

You'll do fine. He'll return, I already promised that. As for Hunting Season, one of my more controversial stories because of the gun issue. I felt it fit CJ's personality. I think the comments and reviews were as enjoyable as the story

@BlindAmbition Thank you! The outfits were part Georgetown University preppy and part Hamptons. The boys have been to Fire Island a few times and I've already thought they need to hit the Hamptons at some point in the future. I had them shop at Neiman's because of the connection but Brooks Brothers could have definitely provided the same outfits. I see CJ shopping for business attire at Brooks and more trendy stuff at Neiman's. I can't wait to put him in a seersucker summer suit.

I finally game the guy a name. Carlos will make an appearance in my biker adventure story if I ever get a chance to revisit it. Harley you'll see a lot more of in the near future.

@BlindAmbition Crap! I didn't realize you hadn't read this one. Glad you liked it. Consider yourself signed up. I'll even escort you out on the dance floor but I'm leaving you there afterward. You may have to FEEL your way around.

Did you hear my brother and his wife are moving to Brooklyn later this year?

Thanks, Dan. I know you weren't here at the beginning -- although you've definitely made up for it. I posted this chapter early because I liked the symmetry. The first chapter of Summer appeared on January 1, 2015; this one was published exactly three-and-a-half years later. Who would have thunk it would still be popular after all that time? I'm indebted to all of you who are still reading, reacting, commenting, and reviewing.

Thanks, Def. The first part of Georgetown concentrated on CJ's political involvement and ended on a sour note when Orange was elected. The second one also ended on a sad event with Liz dying. This one I wanted joy and love. Not sure about more 'romantic' stuff in the next one. LOL I see lots of family and friend time ahead with the Squad featured prominently. Hope you don't mind but I may need you to look at a section here and there since they'll spend some time in NYC during 2019 and 2020. World Pride/Stonewall 50 may play a part.

Thank you! I've been to San Francisco once in my life. For three days mostly spent indoors in meetings. I did drive to the viewing spot and eat in Chinatown but I've never been to Napa. Most of this was the result of a few hours research. Nope, I don't write romance stories. LOL I think writing about the location did inspire me to use flowery language not usually found in my stories. Some of it was probably a result of me trying to prove I could do it when necessary. I can almost hear Brett telling me I used too many quarter words!

Thanks for the praise, Def. I gave the final three chapters of this book a little extra TLC. Unfortunately, one boo-boo still made it into the next one and I'm about to go fix it. This writing/editing stuff ain't as easy as it looks! So, you're still hanging on to the idea Brad will get the girl in the end? I'm not certain that's in the cards. OMG, this is a gay-themed story! What the hell am I doing speculating about a couple of heteros getting together?

My apologies for the freaky formatting. Something got lost during the transfer. I have next month's blog well in hand but not much afterward. How about some questions? Particularly for authors not recently featured?

My threat to ask myself questions in a previous entry sparked the following from a GA member: A question or two for you... Or for anyone else with a long-running saga. How do you keep track of everyone? And indeed everything they do? Do you just remember, write notes in a separate file, rely on your beta-reader to keep you on the straight and narrow? Do you ever mix characters up, giving them characteristics belonging to someone else? I decided to accept the invitation to share the question with others and approached the authors of the two longest series on Gay Authors: @Mark Arbour and @Bill W. • • • With sixteen books and nearly four million words, Mark Arbour’s Chronicles of an Academic Predator is a series of historical fiction spanning the late twentieth century and early twenty-first. The author was gracious enough to reply to the question. • I have a really good feel for my characters and their personalities, so I really don't have to worry about losing track of that aspect. When I'm writing, I periodically go back and re-read prior books, and that helps keep me in their heads. That being said, I'm not very good with details. That's where my writing team and my readers help keep me on track. In addition to editing, my team will point out any inconsistencies or grievous errors. With the CAP series, for example, Jeremy (Methodwriter) has been instrumental in watching out for important dates (Iike birthdays) and even set up a reference topic on my forum. My readers have also been amazingly helpful. In the past, when I've had questions about something (like how many people did this character have sex with?), they've jumped in to do the research for me. • • • Bill W’s The Castaway Hotel follows the life of Josh and the children he provides shelter for. At eleven books and nearly two million words, the saga is the second longest one on Gay Authors. Here’s his reply to the question. • I keep notes in a document/file pertaining to the characters, specifically ages and any other information that might change as my story The Castaway Hotel progresses, but mostly I know the characters and their personalities, so I depend on my memory for the most part. I also keep a document with a synopsis of each chapter for easier reference, especially if I need to go back and check to make sure what I'm writing is in agreement with what I've already written. I also rely heavily on my beta(s) and editor to catch any slip-ups I might make, although sometimes the readers still catch things we've missed. • • • I guess it’s my turn. • Excel is my best friend. I have a file with multiple spreadsheets I use to keep track of several things including characters. Name, nickname, physical characteristics, date and place of birth, education, and myriad other things. The more important the character is, the more information I keep. Some of the minor characters have no more than a first name and a few words on who they are. Something like Georgetown Cupcakes baker. Considering I have named around 250 named characters so far, it’s the only way I can track everyone. My team also helps. Mann, Kitt, and Reader1810 have caught me mixing things up a few times. Particularly Reader since she gets to beta read an early draft of each chapter. • • • That’s all, folks. See ya next month.