Jump to content

wildone

Site Administrator
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    10,242

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by wildone

  1. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (Jun. 06 - Jun. 12)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Did you hear the news?  😮 😮 
    The 2021 Anthologies have started to be published  
    A special thank you to all of our authors and volunteers that make these events possible. Make sure to check out his weeks stories and read, like, review and comment   
    Now those started on Friday and hopefully you've had the chance to read, but there was a lot of other stuffs on the site this week  Shall we look at them all? 
    Monday Cia presented us with a brand new Can't Stop Reading featured story and author. Make sure to check it out.
    If you are getting into the Anthologies, why not take a crack of this new Contest by Renee. But don't hesitate, you have less the 3 weeks to enter 😮 
    Thursday Renee brought us another great Anthology flashback. Did you check it out?
    Friday was the big day were Renee released our first two stories of this round of the Anthologies:
    On Saturday, Comicality was back with another super writing tip. Did you check this out? It can help all of us in our writing  
    And Old Faithful, or is it Old Yeller?  Anyway, he was here every day of the week with the Words of the Day:
    Prodigy, Parable, Lollapalooza, Camarilla, Flaneur, Famish, Eolian
    Oh, just about forgot the goals. Here you go  Everyone take a bow  

     
    Anthologies
    2021 Anthology #2 Top Theme 1 - A Winding Path - October 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #2 Top Theme 2- An Unconventional Gift - October 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #2 Pot Luck Themes - October 31st, 2021   
    Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies
    Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies Ask an Author
    Ask an Author 3.0 - Submit a story you like and 3 questions you would like to ask the author about. Send them to @astone2292 and @Renee Stevens **Please submit so Aaron can have a  bank of stories and questions** Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevensor @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M.
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Classic Updates:
    Crossroads: Tales from the Heartland by Altimexis **Complete**
    Let's Do It by dkstories
    Panic2: Draw Me by Dabeagle
    Stuff People Do by Ronyx
    Signature Updates:
    Ancalagon by Cia
    By All Accounts by Aditus **Anthology Entry**
    Flight of the Dodo by CarlHoliday
    Lorca's "Love from the Darkness Sonnets" by AC Benus
    Lucid Truth by Stellar
    My Only Escape by Comicality
    tim's Bits and Pieces by Mikiesboy
    With Pride I Go Forth by Headstall
    Promising Updates:
    Tales from the Refuge by Wayne Gray
    The Cockney Canuck by Dodger
     
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!! (and Recommend with a share to the forum topic!) 
  2. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (May 23 - May 29)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Well hello happy campers .
    I know it is the Memorial Day long weekend in the US of A, and the Late Bank Holiday long weekend in the UK. Also if you live in Australia's Capital Territory, it is the Reconciliation Day long weekend for them. So did any of you get out camping? Do they call it camping in the UK and Australia? I know here we have trailers or recreational vehicles and tents to go camping, but don't you all call them caravans?  Oh wait, if you are out camping, you won't be here to tell me your camping .
    We had a productive week at the GA News Blog this week .
    Monday, @Renee Stevens was kind enough to share a great review done by our super Review Team and especially @Aditus. Did you get to check it out and put on your reading list?
    Then, @Renee Stevens was back to remind you that you have until tomorrow, May 31st to get your anthology into the @Valkyrie for the Anthology Review Team. Click on this entry, or go below for all the details and what you need to do for the process of it getting it published. She also was kind enough to take us back to an old Anthology entry that is a goodie  
    On Friday, the guru of prompts, @comicfan was by with a couple of new prompts for everyone!
    Then on Saturday, @Comicality talked about me  Unloveable. 
    And what happened on Su,M,Tu,W,Th,F,Sa? Well the Word of the Day is what happened!
    Assay, Flamboyant, Cavalcade, Styptic, Zeroth, Fictioneer, Euphoria
    Goals, goals, goals, what is life without goals?

    Anthologies
    2021 Anthology #1 Top Theme 1 - On The Road - Extended to May 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #1 Top Theme 2- Forbidden - Extended to May 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #1 Pot Luck Themes - Extended to May 31st, 2021  
    Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies
    Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies Ask an Author
    Ask an Author 3.0 - Submit a story you like and 3 questions you would like to ask the author about. Send them to @astone2292 and @Renee Stevens **Please submit so Aaron can have a  bank of stories and questions** Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevensor @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M.
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Classic Updates:
    Let's Do It by dkstories
    Stuff People Do by Ronyx
    What You Leave Behind by Dabeagle **Complete**
    Signature Updates:
    Ancalagon by Cia
    Flight of the Dodo by CarlHoliday
    Promising Updates:
    Wayne's Poems by Wayne Gray
     
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!! (and Recommend with a share to the forum topic!) 
  3. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (May 16 - May 22)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Bettlejuice, Bettlejuice, Beetlejuic...................
    Whoops, just about said it 3 times  So this is the Victoria Day long weekend up here in Canadia and in my little neck of the woods, although we consider this is as the official kick off to summer, we are getting rain and snow  So how about my fellow Canucks? How are you making out? And to our 'merican neighbours to the south, any big plans for your upcoming Memorial Day long weekend next week? I know I have to check every year with a friend that writes schedules down there and remind her of the US long weekends or she schedules everyone in as a regular week  
    Oh, Beetlejuice. It was cold and miserable today so I went and was trying to find a movie and found one of the few movies I ever went to see twice in the theatre (Ferris Buhler's Day off, the other). I came upon one of the funniest movies IMHO. So what 'old' movies have you seen in the past little while that you haven't seen in years and years?
    And just to take us into the wrap up  
     
    On Monday, Cia kicked off the week with the May Classic Author Feature:
    Only to be followed up with a great Classic Author Excerpt:
    Then Renee was back with a reminder of the May 31st deadline for Anthologies to be submitter to the proof team. She also followed up with a great feature on one of our previous entries by Carlos Hazday:
    On Friday, Wayne, although under the weather, got everyone a couple of new prompts to tackle:
    Finally on Saturday, we had a brand new article from Comicality:
    And what did Myr bring us all this week for our vocabulary skills? Well here is the list:
    Facilitate, Cabbage, Confidant, Diabolical, Ambient, Hypocorism, Hallmark
    Last but not least, lets check how we did on our goals last week:

    And what a great job you all did!!!!
    Anthologies
    2021 Anthology #1 Top Theme 1 - On The Road - Extended to May 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #1 Top Theme 2- Forbidden - Extended to May 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #1 Pot Luck Themes - Extended to May 31st, 2021  
    Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies
    Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies Ask an Author
    Ask an Author 3.0 - Submit a story you like and 3 questions you would like to ask the author about. Send them to @astone2292 and @Renee Stevens **Please submit so Aaron can have a  bank of stories and questions** Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevensor @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M.
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Classic Updates:
    Doing It Right by dkstories
    What You Leave Behind by Dabeagle
    Signature Updates:
    Ancalagon by Cia
    Cadet by Carlos Hazday **Complete**
    Delicious by Mikiesboy
    Flight of the Dodo by CarlHoliday
    Gap Year by Mark Arbour
     
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!! (and Recommend with a share to the forum topic!) 
  4. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (May 9 - May 15)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Well how the heck are you?  
    First things first, thank you to Cia for stepping in last moment for me last week when I was suddenly hit with a wave of nausea again. Unfortunately still side effects of a new medicine. I know when I reached out to her, she and her hubby had just settled down to watching Justin Bieber's, Never Say Never . Okay, maybe the last part isn't the whole truth .
    I really can't believe how a week can make a difference. Last Sunday, I think we had a high of 2 (37F) and ugly. This weekend, we are sitting in the mid 20's (mid 70's) and it is beautiful. This week I decided to start working off the Covid 19 lbs. that somehow doubled to 38 over the past year . Wish me luck, but I tell you, getting motivated for a walk is so much easier when you don't have to double your body weight in clothing to go out. Hmmm, wonder if I would be more motivated if I walked naked .
    With the disturbing image in your minds  let's see what we have had happen in the GA Blog this week.
    Monday, Renee shared a great story review about one of our longest running stories and currently still posting here at GA. @Timothy M. did the story great justice.
     
    Then we took an extended break until everyone's favourite prompt guru, comicfan, popped in to share a couple more new prompts:
    Finally on Saturday, Myr took the reigns to this rickety cart and brought us a new new discussion on Article Day:
    Now, did you go in daily and learn some new words for not only your writing, but your vocabulary? If not, never too late as they are all condensed here  
     Vanilla, Tatterdemalion, Pyrotechnics, Colloquy, Alopecia, Touchstone, Minuscule
    Lastly, how about those goals!

    Anthologies
    2021 Anthology #1 Top Theme 1 - On The Road - Extended to May 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #1 Top Theme 2- Forbidden - Extended to May 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #1 Pot Luck Themes - Extended to May 31st, 2021  
    Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies Ask an Author
    Ask an Author 3.0 - Submit a story you like and 3 questions you would like to ask the author about. Send them to @astone2292 and @Renee Stevens **Please submit so Aaron can have a  bank of stories and questions** Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevensor @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M.
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Classic Updates:
    Crossroads: Tales from the Heartland by Altimexis
    Doing It Right by dkstories
    What You Leave Behind by Dabeagle
    Signature Updates:
    Ancalagon by Cia
    Cadet by Carlos Hazday
    Disasters, Delights and Other Detours by Parker Owens
    Flight of the Dodo by CarlHoliday
    Northern Exposure by Mark Arbour; Book 8 of Bridgemont
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!! (and Recommend with a share to the forum topic!) 
  5. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (Jan. 24 - Jan. 30)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    So put up your hand if you have had a cold this year  
    To tell the truth, I don't get them that often, but this year wearing a mask and avoiding other people as much as I have, I never thought anything unusual about it. Then Thursday came . I woke up on Thursday AM and had a headache and stuffy nose. The headache seemed to be right in my sinuses. Not having any other symptoms other than the occasional cough, I didn't feel I was on the road to COVID. Thank god!! Well two days later, after lots of water, some cold meds to dry the sinuses and no cough syrup, I slept most of today  
    I actually feel pretty good So was it stress and exhaustion from work? Who knows. Just hope if you have/had a cold, that it is a quick recovery. Don't want to be second guessing every ailment this year.
    Now to this weeks wrap up!
    Monday, Cia fox trotted into the GA Blog and brought us all the January CSR Discussion Day:
    Wednesday, with a rose in her teeth doing a tango, Renee brought us the Author Guess Who Reveal. Did you guess right?
    Not to be forgotten from the previous day, Renee was back on Thursday with a tap dance flourish and brought us a new Anthology Entry Revisited:
    Friday we saw Wayne waltz in with a couple more interesting Prompts:
    Doing the floss (much better than Backpack Boy), Comicality had another great Article to take in:
    Myr finished off the dance week and was doing the macarena every day this week, with a new Word Of The Day (hey, I could have gone with the chicken dance  )
    Domicile, Talisman, Trivial, Futurity, Elephantiasis, Protean and Banausic.
    Time to check in on what we did as far as the Story Goals went. And you all should be doing the YMCA with these achievements:

    Anthologies
    2021 Anthology #1 Top Theme 1 - On The Road - Due by April 1st, 2021 2021 Anthology #1 Top Theme 2- Forbidden - Due by April 1st, 2021 2021 Anthology #1 Pot Luck Themes - Due by April 1st, 2021  
    Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies Ask an Author Ask an Author 3.0 - Submit a story you like and 3 questions you would like to ask the author about. Send them to @Renee Stevens Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevensor @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M.
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Signature Updates:
    A prompt a week by comicfan
    Ancalagon by Cia
    Cadet by Carlos Hazday
    Disasters, Delights and Other Detours by Parker Owens
    Double Concerto by Parker Owens
    Kiss Of An Angel by Comicality
    New Kid In School by Comicality
    One Hundred and Fifty-Five Sonnets by AC Benus; Book 5 of Verse
    Only Prompts by Mikiesboy
    Phases of Moon by Mann Ramblings
    Shelter by Comicality; Book 1 of Shelter
    Sidewinder by Headstall **Complete**
    Waiting Outside The Lines by Comicality
    Promising Updates:
    Broken - A Camp Refuge Story by Wayne Gray
    Exhibit by Sasha Distan **Complete**
     
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!
  6. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (Jan. 17 - Jan. 23)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    First and foremost, let me apologize ahead of time. This blog has been completely done on my iPhone 😁. It appears my computer won’t start anymore 😢. But shall we see how this goes? If any staff see any blaring errors, feel free to jump in and edit 😏. Or everyone can point them out and laugh at me  
    On Monday Cia was here to bring us the January Classic Author:
    If that wasn’t enough to entice you, how about checking out the January Classic Author Excerpt:
    Then on Thursday, Renee reminded us of the upcoming Anthologies and gave us a great look back at one of our many excellent past Anthology entry. Just remember, these are all from people like you who put up their hand and participated.  
    On Friday our resident prompt guru, comicfan, was in with a couple of new prompts:
    Then on Saturday, Comicality wrapped up the GA Blog for the week with yet another informative article:
    We cannot recognize Myr’s efforts in bring us the Word Of The Day:  
    Juggernaut,  
    Bulletin, Bulletin, Bulletin My desktop was suddenly prompting me to try something different so for giggles I started it in Smart Mode. Well when you do that, it needs your full Microsoft Password, not just the PIN, and mine is about 26 random keystrokes long . So after a few tries, went back to my phone to my Microsoft account and put it to something that I could remember, and not is not 1234 or S1t2e3v4e5  So still couldn't get in, so hit the power button and then again and it loaded the login screen again, but not in Safe Mode. So typed in my new password... Wrong Password !!! But, when it reset, it was back to asking my PIN, which was the way it was way back when . So I'm in  . And changed my Microsoft Password again.
    Now back to the rest of Myr's Words Of The Day  
    Containerize, Limpid, Chthonic, Lucid, Sentient, and Qua
    Shall we take a quick look at our Story Goals for last week?

    Anthologies
    2021 Anthology #1 Top Theme 1 - On The Road - Due by April 1st, 2021 2021 Anthology #1 Top Theme 2- Forbidden - Due by April 1st, 2021 2021 Anthology #1 Pot Luck Themes - Due by April 1st, 2021  
    Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies Ask an Author
    Ask an Author 3.0 - Submit a story you like and 3 questions you would like to ask the author about. Send them to @Renee Stevens Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevensor @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M.
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Signature Updates:
    Ancalagon by Cia
    Cadet by Carlos Hazday
    Double Concerto by Parker Owens
    June, 2020 - Hell in a Handbasket by AC Benus **Complete**
    One Hundred and Fifty-Five Sonnets by AC Benus; Book 5 of Verse
    Phases of Moon by Mann Ramblings
    Sidewinder by Headstall
    Promising Updates:
    Broken - A Camp Refuge Story by Wayne Gray
    Here, Kitty Kitty by Sasha Distan **Complete**
    Play Time by Sasha Distan **Complete**
     
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!
  7. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (Jan. 10 - Jan. 16)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    What does everything think of the new upgrade to GA? Myr and I were joking that the new font size was easier for us as we grow older Pretty soon, you might see this font which will be beneficial for both of us  
    Good Day Everyone!
    Now don't worry, I'm sure we will have virtual screens by the day that we need this, no monitors or physical screens any more. Hey, that might be a story idea  thinking how technology could improve older peoples lives. Now that I think of my dad trying to use the remote control, maybe not such a good idea  
    Shall we sashay down memory lane and see what happened in the past week here at the GA Blog? 
    For one Monday of the month, we give Cia a day off Consider it her long weekend. Although I think in her life, there is no such thing as a long weekend  Instead, we had Renee publish in conjunction with our Super Dooper Review Team a summary of all the 2020 Reviews:
    Also on Tuesday, we put out a calling to anyone who might want to be a short term or long term member of the Super Dooper Review Team  Even if it is one review that you do up in 15-20 mins when finishing a great story you read, or one from your favourite story EVER here at GA, why not do one up?
    Then on Wednesday, guess who was here again  Renee brought us the first Author Guess Who of 2021. There is two guesses so far, but I'm not sure if either one is correct.  Who do you think it is?
    On Friday, we had Wayne drop by with two more prompts for all of you to consider:
    Then on Saturday, with kind of a ominous sounding title,  Comicality was back with a second new great article:
    Oh, don't forget to check out the Word of the Day that Myr posts in the Writing Tips Blog each and every day! There is so many things going on in the Writing Tips Blog, and I want to increase all of our vocabulary , so if you don't know any of the below words, just click on it .
    Chiliad, Totem, Cockaigne, Dram, Gridiron, Finicky, and Zest.
    Here is how we ended up the week on our story goals last week:

     
    Anthologies
    2021 Anthology #1 Top Theme 1 - On The Road - Due by April 1st, 2021 2021 Anthology #1 Top Theme 2- Forbidden - Due by April 1st, 2021 2021 Anthology #1 Pot Luck Themes - Due by April 1st, 2021  
    Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies  
    Ask an Author
    Ask an Author 3.0 - Submit a story you like and 3 questions you would like to ask the author about. Send them to @Renee Stevens  Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevens or @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M.
     
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Signature Updates:
    Ancalagon by Cia
    Cadet by Carlos Hazday
    Double Concerto by Parker Owens
    One Hundred and Fifty-Five Sonnets by AC Benus; Book 5 of Verse
    Phases of Moon by Mann Ramblings
    Sidewinder by Headstall
    The Best Year by Krista
    Promising Updates:
    Broken - A Camp Refuge Story by Wayne Gray
    Cold Blooded by Sasha Distan **Complete**
     
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!
  8. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (Jan. 03 - Jan. 09)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Please be forewarned!!! I'm on a staycation and I already did a deep clean on my condo today. So now I'm bored and have nothing to do as there is no traveling and such in my area of the world. So expect to see me creating havoc all over GA  I may be lurking around every corner, ready to pounce on the unsuspected people of GA. I will leave my calling card wherever I have been  . Be scared, be very scared  
    Now if you believe me,  I also have ocean front property in Arizona. Bought it unseen from @C James  So once the pandemic is over, those of you that believe in me can come down for a visit .
    Another very busy week at the GA Blog this week, so enough of my rambling and onto the wrap up!
    We are basically at the beginning of the month, so we had Cia pop in and give us a new CSR Feature. Make sure you check it out!
    On Wednesday, Renee launched an all new version of Ask An Author, version 3.0. Now here is the thing, she needs all of you to pick a story you really like, and submit that story plus 3 questions that you would like the Author to answer.  Your name will remain anonymous to everyone but the one in charge of Ask An Author, but I've made them swear to only tell me. 
    Then, were you happy to see Wayne back on Friday? I was!! So here is his first entry of Prompt Friday by @comicfan in a while:
    Finally, something else new started  Comicality has started submitting all new Writing Tips and Saturday was the first of many to come:
    Now that we are over the New Year's hump, I will go back to showing the story goals weekly. We will save posting the yearly goals towards the end or the year. But if you want to check them yourself, you can just go to here.

     
    Anthologies
    2021 Anthology #1 Top Theme 1 - On The Road - Due by April 1st, 2021 2021 Anthology #1 Top Theme 2- Forbidden - Due by April 1st, 2021 2021 Anthology #1 Pot Luck Themes - Due by April 1st, 2021  
    Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies  
    Ask an Author
    Ask an Author 3.0 - Submit a story you like and 3 questions you would like to ask the author about. Send them to @Renee Stevens  Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevens or @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M.
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Signature Updates:
    After Practice by Comicality
    Ancalagon by Cia
    Cadet by Carlos Hazday
    Double Concerto by Parker Owens
    Left Without Words by Comicality
    Miles To Go by Comicality **Complete**
    One Hundred and Fifty-Five Sonnets by AC Benus; Book 5 of Verse
    Only Prompts by Mikiesboy
    Phases of Moon by Mann Ramblings
    Sidewinder by Headstall
    Promising Updates:
    Broken - A Camp Refuge Story by Wayne Gray
     
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!
  9. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (Dec. 27 - Jan. 2)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    I said my New Year wishes on Friday, so in case you missed them, Happy Hopeful New Year  
    I thought I would start the blog off a bit different as it was the last week of the year. How did we do on our Story Goals for the year? Well, I'm happy to say that I'm proud of everyone that contributed to the site over the past year from Authors, Poets, Readers, Editors, and everyone else that has a membership at GA  I was also thinking, just imagine our numbers if we had the 1000's of guest that pop in daily to join up and read, write, review on the site? So here is what we ended up doing the year ending 12/31/2020:

    Well last week, I asked to see what we could do to get towards meeting those goals, and you all deliverered:

    Now what else happened in our year ending week at the GA News Blog!
    Monday Cia was in to share the CSR Discussion Day for 3 different stories
    Then on Wednesday, we had the Author Guess Who Reveal:
    Friday we were back to the Prompt Fridays. And pay attention to next week, as we have a bit of a surprise for you all  
    Also on Friday, Cia announced a couple of new contests for the first day of 2021:
    Finally, on Saturday, we had a re-feature of a Comicality Writing Tip:
    Now usually I would usually post the Words of the Day. This is under the Writing Tips Blog, but now we seem to have a lot lot lot more in that GA Blog There is Word of the Day, Prompts, Writing Tips, and Fun and Games. So not to overwhelm us all, just click on the Blogs tab in at the top of the page and you will see all the blogs posted in the past week.
    Prompts
    Suggest a prompt(s) - Recommend a few prompts to be featured on Prompt Friday! PM @Renee Stevens and/or @wildone with your ideas. Anthologies
    2021 Anthology #1 Top Theme 1 - On The Road - Due by April 1st, 2021 2021 Anthology #1 Top Theme 2- Forbidden - Due by April 1st, 2021 2021 Anthology #1 Pot Luck Themes - Due by April 1st, 2021   Reveal hidden contents Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevens or @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M.
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Signature Updates:
    Ancalagon by Cia
    Cadet by Carlos Hazday
    Double Concerto by Parker Owens
    Gap Year by Mark Arbour
    Northern Exposure by Mark Arbour; Book 8 of Bridgemont
    On Fire by Cia
    One Hundred and Fifty-Five Sonnets by AC Benus; Book 5 of Verse
    Phases of Moon by Mann Ramblings
    Sidewinder by Headstall
    Promising Updates:
    Broken - A Camp Refuge Story by Wayne Gray
    Catch! by Sasha Distan **Complete**
    Do The Plank (the gym is closed) by Sasha Distan **Complete**
    Race You For It by Sasha Distan **Complete**
     
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!
     
     
     
     
  10. wildone

    Author Guess Who #11 - The Reveal

    By wildone,


    Author Guess Who
    Well, well, well. Have your new toys still capturing you full attention? If not, well maybe this will interest you! It is time for the Author Guess Who #11 The Reveal. Since tens of people participated (some in silence ) I don't want to keep any of you in suspense anymore! This month's mystery author was...
     
    comicfan
    (aka Wayne)
    Was that who you were thinking it was? Now you can check out some stories from @comicfan
     
     
     
     
     
  11. wildone

    Staff Prompts #13 & #14

    By wildone,


    Prompts
    Happy New Year!!
    Hope you have a Happy HOPEFUL New Year
    Well I think after the past year of 2020, we are all really not in the mood for making New Years Resolutions, are we?  Well just in case you have, and one of those happen to be to do more writing, they you have come to the right place. Especially for the first day of the New Year  So, let's start the year off with a couple of great prompts from the ever lovely, Cia  
    Prompt #13 - First line by @Cia
    He found something that would mean he'd never be poor again - but there was a catch...
     
    Prompt #14 - Creative what if by @Cia
    I am going to be invisible for the next three hours. How will I make the most of this time?
     
    If you do choose to tackle one of these, let everyone know about it in the topics here!
  12. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (Dec. 20 - Dec. 26)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Have you digested your Christmas Feast yet? Did anyone actually have some figgy pudding? Have you made tallies to see if the holidays was in the profit column or the loss one? Have you had enough of this year's Christmas holidays? Did you even celebrate the holidays? 
    Well, Santa seemed to skip over my house once again this year  I know I was really really really good this past year (not like I got out to anywhere ). I know he skipped my house because I didn't get my usual lump of coal  . In past years I've been able to make this into a diamond  .
    Now it is time to start looking forward to the New Year, which happens in only 4 days  . Are we even bothering with New Year's Resolutions this year? All I'm hoping for all of you, is a Happy Hopeful New Year!!
    Although it was the holidays, the staff here at GA were diligently at work pumping out the GA News Blog daily for everyone's enjoyment. Shall we review what all happened?
    On Monday, it was time for Cia to announce the December Classic Author Feature:
    Now that got my interest, as I'm not sure if I've read Sara before. So my interested really got piqued after the Classic Author Feature Excerpt:
    On Thursday, Renee came in to give everyone of an overview of all the participants and their stories that were submitted for the 2020 Fall Anthology. Also a shout out to all the people here at GA that put the anthology together for us:
    Saturday, Comicality was back to feature another one of the great Writing Tips brought to us.
    I also wanted to shout out a reminder that you have until tomorrow to check out this past month's CSR Stories and prepare for the CSR Discussion:
    Now, among our writing tips blog, there was a word of the day each day. Make sure you check them out, it is always great to increase your vocabulary. Especially from a crackerjack like Myr  
    Now, we need a plan  An action plan so to speak. We had a pretty darn good week last week on the goals and it look like for the 2020 Yearly goal we hit the number of new chapters. So, do you think in the next 4 days, we can get 9 new stories? 49 new reviews? 51 story comments? Or even 1002 chapter comments? Come on folks, it is the dash for the finish line!!  

    Prompts
    Suggest a prompt(s) - Recommend a few prompts to be featured on Prompt Friday! PM @Renee Stevens and/or @wildone with your ideas. Anthologies
    2021 Anthology #1 Top Theme 1 - On The Road - Due by April 1st, 2021 2020 Anthology #1 Top Theme 2- Forbidden - Due by April 1st, 2021 2020 Anthology #1 Pot Luck Themes - Due by April 1st, 2021   Reveal hidden contents Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevens or @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M.
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Signature Updates:
    Baby, it's cold outside! by aditus **Complete**
    Christmas Confidential by Valkyrie
    Double Concerto by Parker Owens
    First Snow by Cia **Complete**
    Holiday Rush by Comicality
    Lyrical Laments by Headstall
    On Fire by Cia
    One Hundred and Fifty-Five Sonnets by AC Benus; Book 5 of Verse
    Sidewinder by Headstall
    Watching You, Watching Me by Comicality **Complete**
    Promising Updates:
    My Thoughts Are Dirty But His Welds Are Clean by Sasha Distan **Complete**
    Sweet Temptations by Sasha Distan **Complete**
    The Cockney Canuck by Dodger
    The Reluctant Consort by lilansui
     
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!
  13. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (Dec.13 - Dec. 19)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    On Behalf Of The Staff Of GA To All The Members And Guests Of GA Geseënde Kersfees (Afrikaans), 메리 크리스마스 (Korean), Nadolig Llawen (Welsh), С Рождеством (Russian), sretan božić (Bosnian), メリークリスマス (Japanese), god jul (Norwegian), boldog Karácsonyt (Hungarian), Nollaig Shona (Irish), feliz Natal (Portuguese), Krismasi Njema (Swahili), ਮੇਰੀ ਕਰਿਸਮਸ (Punjabi), Շնորհավոր Սուրբ Ծնունդ (Armenian), Gleðileg jól (Icelandic), срећан Божић (Serbian), ပျော်ရွှင်သောခရစ္စမတ်ဖြစ်ပါစေ (Burmese), veselé Vánoce (Czech), среќен Божиќ (Macedonian), kereseme e monate (Southern Sotho), ಮೆರ್ರಿ ಕ್ರಿಸ್ಮಸ್ (Kannada), Jabulela Ukhisimusi (Zulu), 聖誕節快樂 (Chinese Traditional), Раштуа белән (Tatar),ବଡ଼ ଦିନର ହାର୍ଦିକ ଅଭିନନ୍ଦନ (Odia), Eguberri on (Basque), Noheri nziza (Kinyarwanda), maayong Pasko (Cebuano), Craciun Fericit (Romanian), vrolijk kerstfeest (Dutch), manuia le Kirisimasi (Samoan), god Jul (Swedish), Gëzuar Krishtlindjet (Albanian), Feliz Navidad (Spanish), (Arabic)عيد ميلاد سعيد, veselé Vianoce (Slovak),Nollaig Chridheil (Scottish Gaelic), Nollaig Chridheil (Kinyarwanda), Milad bayramınız mübarək (Azerbijani), መልካም ገና (Amharic), ikini ọdun keresimesi (Yoruba), মেরি ক্রিসমাস (Bangla), ,לעבעדיק ניטל(Yiddish), З Калядамі (Belarusian), Ikrismesi emnandi (Xhosa), Весела Коледа (Bulgarian), 圣诞节快乐 (Chinese Simplified), krystdagen (Western Frisian), Bon Nadal (Catalan), Giáng sinh vui vẻ (Vietnamese), bon Natale (Corsican), Rojdestvo bilan (Uzbek), sretan Božić (Croatian), روژدېستۋو بايرىمىڭىزغا مۇبارەك بولسۇن (Uyghur), glædelig jul (Danish), میری کرسمس (Urdu), feliĉan Kristnaskon (Esperanto), щасливого Різдва (Ukrainian), häid jõule (Estonian), Täze ýyl gutly bolsun (Turkmen), Maligayang Pasko (Filipino), mutlu Noeller (Turkish), hyvää joulua (Finnish), สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาส (Thai), joyeux Noël (French), క్రిస్మస్ శుభాకాంక్షలు (Telugu), Bo Nadal (Galician), கிறிஸ்துமஸ் வாழ்த்துக்கள் (Tamil), შობას გილოცავთ (Georgian), мавлуди Исо муборак (Tajik), Fröhliche Weihnachten (German), Wilujeng Natal (Sundanese), καλά Χριστούγεννα (Greek), મેરી ક્રિસમસ (Gujarati), Ciid wanaagsan (Somali), Jwaye Nwel (Haitian Creole), vesel božič (Slovenian), Barka da Kirsimeti (Hausa), vesel božič (Slovenian), mele Kalikimaka (Hawaiian), සුබ නත්තලක් (Sinhala), חג מולד שמח (Hebrew), ميري ڪرسمس (Sindhi), क्रिसमस की बधाई (Hindi), Kisimusi yakanaka (Shona), Zoo siab heev Christmas (Hmong), Wesołych Świąt (Polish), ezi ekeresimesi (Igbo), (Persian)کریسمس مبارک, Selamat Natal (Indonesian), کرسمس مو مبارک (Pashto), buon Natale (Italian), Khrisimasi yabwino (Nyanja), Merry Christmas (Javanese), मेरी क्रिसमस (Napali), Рождество құтты болсын (Kazakh), Зул сарын мэнд (Mongolian), រីករាយថ្ងៃបុណ្យណូអែល (Khmer), मेरी ख्रिसमस (Marathi), Noheri nziza (Kinyarwanda), Meri Kirihimete (Maori), Kirîstmas piroz be (Kurdish), il-Milied it-tajjeb (Maltese), Рождество майрамы менен (Kyrgyz), സന്തോഷകരമായ ക്രിസ്മസ് (Malyaalam) ສຸກສັນວັນ Christmas (Lao), Selamat Hari Natal (Malay), felicem natalem Christi (Latin), tratry ny KRISMASY (Malagasy), Priecīgus Ziemassvētkus (Latvian), среќен Божиќ (Macedonian), linksmų Kalėdų (Lithuanina), Schéi Chrëschtdeeg (Luxembourgish) Merry Christmas to all!!!
    It is the time of the year that we wish the best to everyone through to and into the New Year . You may not celebrate Christmas, but we offer you the greeting and wishes of the spirit of the season, which is bigger than the words. So we hope you all have a great season and we will still be here over the next few weeks as well!!
    Now, should we see all that happened here at the GA Blog this week?
    Monday, our Super Duper Review Team surprised one of their own, as well as two others with a Featured Story:
    And on Wednesday the ever eager beaver Renee Stevens, informed everyone about the First Anthology in the New Year:
    And that was just to get everyone in the mood to see the next installment of the Fall Anthology:
    Then on Saturday, Myr popped in and shared another great article by Comicality. You should pop in and leave a comment .
    Oops, nearly forgot all the Words of the Day 😮 
    Now, we are getting close to the end of the year, so lets check in how we did last week on the story goals, and check out the year so far. And a WOW for last week everyone!! Some of those goals were blown out of the water!

    Prompts
    Suggest a prompt(s) - Recommend a few prompts to be featured on Prompt Friday! PM @Renee Stevens and/or @wildone with your ideas. Anthologies
    2021 Anthology #1 Top Theme 1 - On The Road - Due by April 1st, 2021 2020 Anthology #1 Top Theme 2- Forbidden - Due by April 1st, 2021 2020 Anthology #1 Pot Luck Themes - Due by April 1st, 2021   Reveal hidden contents Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevens or @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M.
    Premium Updates:
    Classic Updates:
    The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 4 by Bill W
    Signature Updates:
    Ancalagon by Cia
    Baby, it's cold outside! by aditus
    Christmas Confidential by Valkyrie
    Double Concerto by Parker Owens
    Gap Year by Mark Arbour
    Holiday Rush by Comicality
    Northern Exposure by Mark Arbour; Book 8 of Bridgemont
    Phases of Moon by Mann Ramblings
    Sidewinder by Headstall
    The Keys to the Far Castle by CarlHoliday **Anthology Entry**
    Promising Updates:
    First Kisses Are The Best Ones by Sasha Distan *Complete*
    Getting In Step by northie **Anthology Entry**
    How Do You Like Your Eggs? (Two Fists in The Parking Lot) by Sasha Distan *Complete*
    Privately Dedicated by Sasha Distan *Complete*
    Publicly Decent by Sasha Distan *Complete*
    Soft Soap, Hard Water by Sasha Distan *Complete*
    Sweet Temptations by Sasha Distan  
    Wayne's Poems by Wayne Gray  
     
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!
     
  14. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (Dec. 6 - Dec. 13)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Just the facts man, just the facts!
    We are now 12 days from Christmas. Fact. If any Christmas shopping for pressies (for our Australian and English brethren ) isn't done yet, you're probably SOL. Fact. If you're mailing anything, probably want to do it sooner that later. Fact. If you haven't sent me my Christmas present yet, you will be on the naughty list. Fact.  
    Well as the world is getting busy, but not as busy as past years , the one thing is consistent year over year here at GA, we are getting busy too! Just take a look at what all happened this past week just on the GA Blog  
    Monday, Cia was here with the December Can't Stop Reading Feature. But not the usual one feature, not two features, but 3 features  
    On Wednesday, we decided to have some fun in the blog  Check out the latest in the Author Guess Who? Do you want to hazard a guess?
    And if that wasn't enough . Thursday, Renee in conjunction with our Anthology Team came out with the first round of the 2020 Fall Anthology
    Most weeks I would be sated with just that 😛, but nooooo. @Comicality was back with what is considered a classic Writing Tip:
    But let's not forget all the Words of the Day that Myr supplied us with. Check them all out here:
    After a week off of reporting on my behalf, I was shocked, shocked I say  LOL.  Well it wasn't all that bad. We are definitely nearing 100% of our new chapters yearly goal. Thank you authors, poets, and everyone else helping to give us so much new content every week of the year!!!

    Prompts
    Suggest a prompt(s) - Recommend a few prompts to be featured on Prompt Friday! PM @Renee Stevens and/or @wildone with your ideas. Anthologies
    2021 Anthology #1 Top Theme 1 - On The Road - Due by April 1st, 2021 2020 Anthology #1 Top Theme 2- Forbidden - Due by April 1st, 2021 2020 Anthology #1 Pot Luck Themes - Due by April 1st, 2021 Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevens or @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M.
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Classic Updates:
    The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 4 by Bill W
    Signature Updates:
    A Whole Other You by Comicality **Complete**
    Ancalagon by Cia
    Baby, it's cold outside! by aditus
    Battle for Souls by Cia **2020 Fall Anthology Entry**
    Born Again by Valkyrie **2020 Fall Anthology Entry**
    Double Concerto by Parker Owens
    GFD 12: Blood Ties by Comicality; Book 12 of Gone From Daylight
    On Fire by Cia
    Phases of Moon by Mann Ramblings
    Sidewinder by Headstall
    The Apostles by Cole Matthews **2020 Fall Anthology Entry**
    Promising Updates:
    Warlords by Sasha Distan **Complete**
     
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!
  15. wildone

    Author Guess Who #11

    By wildone,


    Author Guess Who
    Who are you? Who, who, who, who?
    Who are you? Who, who, who, who?
    Who are you? Who, who, who, who?
    Who are you? Who, who, who, who?
    Well did I get you in the mood?  It has been a while since we had one of these so I was saying to my self, "Self, ask Renee if she has one loaded up and ready to go!" Well lucky you, she did! Now I challenge you all, I dare you, no, I double dog dare you to hazard a guess on who our mystery Author is.
     
    What is one thing that most GA members might not know about you?
    I was a theater nerd in high school and have a minor in theater as well. I've directed, stage managed, acted, and sang in a number of plays over the years. Some things never change.
    What prompted you to write your first story?
    Fear. I was afraid if I didn't start writing and sharing my work, I'd let a part of me die. I'd seen first hand how supportive people could be on GA and took the plunge.
    What genre of books do you enjoy reading and have you written for that genre?
    I tend to read mysteries and fantasy. I've attempted both at various times to wildly differing degrees of success. 
    Is there a genre that you haven’t written for that you would consider trying later on?
    I've never written anything with cowboys, but I might attempt it someday.
    What do you like most about publishing on GA?
    The nice thing about publishing on GA is the feedback. You will hear the good and the bad, usually in a respectful way.
    Do you have any unique writing habits or rituals to help you get into a writing mood?
    Mood music helps me write. Happy, sad, angry, excited, and more are all types of playlists. Total silence is usually a distraction, because then anything I see when I look up from my notebook or computer can capture my attention and take me away from my story. However, the music helps me stay focused.
    How has your writing style evolved over time?
    My writing has changed. I try to show more, tell less, and add more details before my beta reader has to ask. I had a tendency to be a bit brief
    Do you have a significant other?
    Well, no ring on my finger and my bed is full sized with loads of pillows.
    Do you have any pets?
    A dog is a necessity. 
    Do you post multi-chapter stories as you write? Do you wait until you’ve finished writing the entire story? Or is it something in between?
    I've been good and bad with my multi-chapter stories. Some I have completed, split into chapters, corrected, and published once a week until the story was done. Other times it has struggled along, in spurts, with stops, and then falls exhausted over the finish line complete with me swearing never again, only to do it again.
    What is your favorite television show?
    My favorite television show is The Great British Baking Show. I love the four stars and how they interact with the contestants each year.
    What is your favorite movie?
    My favorite movie? That is like asking me to pick a favorite child! There are three movies my family grew up watching and I'll still watch them no matter what. They are The Wizard of Oz, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
    Do you write poetry? Prose? Or both?
    I've attempted both, but anyone who has read my poetry will tell you it is not my forte. Prose works best for me.
    If you could meet one person, living or dead, who would it be?
    Meeting someone famous ... hmmm. That comes down to a toss up between two very talented authors - JK Rowling and Stephen King. Both have incredible imaginations and their world building skills are beyond belief. The ability to sit and pick their brains, even for a half hour, would be a dream come true
    What would you say is your greatest accomplishment?
    My greatest accomplishment is my ability to get up and keep trying. At times life has knocked me down and at times it felt impossible to go on. It has happened to me professionally, in my writing,  and my personal life. It is how you deal, not with your triumphs, but your failures. I've learned I always have me and just keep going.
    ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
    Happy Guessing my friends  
     
     
  16. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up Nov. 29 - Dec. 5

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Yes, it is December already!  Only 19 more sleeps until 🎅 comes to see all the good boys and gurls at GA  If he is still alive  
    I'm going to be short and sweet, I have a killer headache and body aches. Note to anyone out there that if you have a prosthetic leg and you and not wearing said leg, and stand up and turn around to put your residual limb (stump) on your wheelchair, ensure wheelchair hasn't moved 4 feet away I saw my fall in slow motion, not as graceful as Keanu in the Matrix though. I have a black toe, a sprained pinky finger and my head and neck are in pain. Oh well, I'm good for one of those a year  
    On Monday, Monday was our monthly CSR discussion day! Can you believe how quickly November flew by?
    Then Wednesday was a sad day After 3 years, our much beloved @Carlos Hazday was announced was leaving the much popular Ask An Author 2.0  So drop by and let Carlos know how much you appreciated everything he did on his 3 year tour of duty. Also, a call out to see if someone would be willing to pick up the feature going forward:
    On Friday we had a couple of great prompts from Cia in the Staff Prompt feature:
    And as promised, on Saturday, Myr brought us the first of many Writing Tips:
    But was Myr done with that? No, he also gave us a word of the day all week long. Make sure you check them out here: Myr is so Fecund
     
    Well I can't forget to check in on the story goal, can I? Wait, I can't , @Myr, I can't find last weeks goals 😢 In the meantime I will show you how we are doing year to date  

    Prompts
    Suggest a prompt(s) - Recommend a few prompts to be featured on Prompt Friday! PM @Renee Stevens and/or @wildone with your ideas. Anthologies
    Stay tuned here for more information about the 2021 Anthology Themes!! Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevens or @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M.
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Classic Updates:
    I'll Be Home for Christmas by Bill W **Complete**
    The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 4 by Bill W
    Signature Updates:
    Ancalagon by Cia
    Baby, it's cold outside! by aditus
    Double Concerto by Parker Owens
    Gap Year by Mark Arbour
    Phases of Moon by Mann Ramblings
    Picture Me And You by Comicality
    Sidewinder by Headstall
     
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!
  17. wildone

    Staff Prompts #11 & #12

    By wildone,


    Prompts
    Hi-de hi-de hi-de-hi
    (Hi-de hi-de hi-de-hi)
    Hey-de hey-de hey-de hey
    (Hey-de hey-de hey-de hey)
    He-de he-de he-de he
    (He-de he-de he-de he)
    Hi-de hi-de hi-de-hi
    (Hi-de hi-de hi-de-hi)
    Nothing like a little Cab Calloway to kick off our weekend programing . Yes, it is Friday, the day we all used to look forward to  Well if you have nothing planned this weekend, why not for the heck of it, sit down with a pen and paper and crank out a story!! I'm sure you can find someone here that will be willing to read your hand writing and convert it a typed document to share on GA  
    Or  even better, write it out and snap a few pics of the handwritten text and put the pictures up in the associated topic  You can find them here. So are you willing to craft a creation in cursive?  
    Well this weekend is a all Cia weekend again. Ya, baby, ya! Said in my best Austin Powers voice  
     
    Prompt #11 - Creative what if by @Cia
    A private investigator is taking photos of someone who spots what they are doing. What happens next?
     
    Prompt #12 - First line by @Cia
    Who would have poisoned the old man's dog?
     
  18. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (Nov. 22 - Nov. 28)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Wow, what a busy week here at the GA News Blog. I should have started this earlier so I could have it maybe done by midnight local time. It is already 11:30 😮 
    So without large flashing lights and sirens, maybe an announcer with a mike dropped down for the rafters like at a boxing match (I believe he was busy with the Mike Tyson match ), we will be a bit more subtle today in the Weekly Update. So here it goes, we have two days left to get your edited copy for the Fall Anthology into the Anthology Proof (No, I did not say poof  ) Team, so they can review and then with Renee collaborate to have  release dates. Please see the announcement below for Wednesday's Blog.
    So, what all happened this week, you ask?
    Let's start things off a little different. Why don't we look at some of the words that Myr brought us all on the Word of the Days:
    Now back to our usually scheduled Monday, where our great GA Review Team, including @aditus, did up another great review:
    Then on Wednesday, Renee posted an Anthology Reminder to remind everyone to get your stories in :
    Usually we would be finishing off the week with a couple of Staff prompts, one by the lovely Cia, the other by some schmuck :
    But it wasn't!  Myr dropped in on Saturday to let us know that the GA Writing Tip Blog is back! Many writers have used and learned from these. Make sure to check them out! A lot are done by long standing and prolific Authors here at GA.
    Lastly, here are last weeks results on the Story Goals:

    Oh, I nearly forgot 😮 One reader of the blog suggested to me to maybe repost the blog on the Can't Stop Reading blog for the month, two or three weeks before the CSR Discussion Day. Now I know you technically have only 1 day to read,  but let's give it a try.
    Prompts
    Suggest a prompt(s) - Recommend a few prompts to be featured on Prompt Friday! PM @Renee Stevens and/or @wildone with your ideas. Anthologies
    2020 Fall Anthology - Shadows -  amended: Due by November 30th, 2020 2020 Fall Anthology - Bridges - amended: Due by November 30th, 2020 Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevens or @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M.
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Classic Updates:
    The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 4 by Bill W
    Signature Updates:
    Ancalagon by Cia
    Baby, it's cold outside! by aditus
    Double Concerto by Parker Owens
    Gap Year by Mark Arbour
    Northern Exposure by Mark Arbour; Book 8 of Bridgemont
    Shelter by Comicality; Book 1 of Shelter
    Sidewinder by Headstall
     
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!
  19. wildone

    Staff Prompts #9 & #10

    By wildone,


    Prompts
    So here we are again on a Friday, and not much to do in my little world  Maybe, just maybe, I'll see if I'm inspired by one of these prompts  Who knows  
    Oh, did anyone notice that mess that I posted last week  Guess I shouldn't be too reliant on copy and paste.
     
    Prompt #9 - Creative scene by @wildone
    You run into school knowing you are late, again. You quickly stop at your locker and ditch your jacket and grab some books. As usual the halls are quiet during classes. You dash to your classroom, open the door and start on your explanation and stop. No one is there. No teacher, no other students. You leave and look at other classrooms, all empty. You check your phone and it is actually a school day and not a holiday or anything else. What's happening?
     
     
    Prompt #10 - Use the following in a story by @Cia
    date free entice straight sandwich popcorn
     
    If either of these so motivate you or even both  make sure you post a link to your works here.
     
     
  20. wildone
    Monday, bloody Monday...
    Okay, just me whining But what got me looking forward to today is this great review by @aditus from the Review Team!
     
     
     
    How I Accidentally Slept With My...
    by Ethan
    Reviewer: Aditus
    Status: Complete
    Word Count: 29,049
    Are you trying to come up with who my... is? I did, and with all the possibilities going around in my mind, I had to know.
    I’m tempted to begin with a classic first line: Two guys meet at a bar, hook up— Well, actually the story starts with two guys in bed, having tons of fun. After the deed is done, one of the guys (James/Jamie) notices a tattoo of a heartline, a scar, and the number 17 on the other guy’s (Cameron) shoulder.
    The ‘17’ makes him think of a nickname he once had, and the story of the scar reminds him of someone he once knew. When Cameron is in the shower, James checks his wallet, and we learn my... is Cameron. But who is Cameron? James's first reaction to his hook-up’s name is to wash his sheets three times. And here the story becomes a page-turner.
    It turns out James and Cameron come from the same town. To ease the rising tension between the students of the public high school and the private school, the schools invented an anonymous pen pal project. The boys immediately hit it off; they even continue writing letters to each other after the project runs out and meet in person. There is a kiss and some feelings—and then it ends. And both have a perfectly plausible explanation of why it wasn’t their fault.
    What I liked was the constant anticipation, the plethora of sensations I went through while reading, the getting-to-know you banter before the hook-up, James's inner monologues, the sex scene, and the story idea. What I didn’t like was the abrupt ending, but, hey! others totally liked it.
    Read the story, tell me I’m wrong about the ending, and how you completed my.... !
    Category: Fiction  Genres: Drama, Romance, Mystery  Tags: young adult, gay, university, casual, coming of age, coming out, love, friendship  Rating: Mature
     
    If you have a review of a story that you'd like to see here, write one up, like this one, and submit to @Timothy M. or @wildone and we will try to get it featured soon!
  21. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (Nov. 15 - Nov. 21)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    **Bulletin**Bulletin**Bulletin**
    Well guess what buckaroos? You have exactly 8 days to finish up your Fall Anthology and submit to our eager and waiting Anthology Proof Team. Please submit now and our proof team members are standing buy. Call 1-800-... oh wait, this isn't a telethon or infomercial. But we would really like to see your name on the list of anthologies for the Shadows or Bridges Fall Anthology.
    Before I forget, why don't we all collectively say a Happy Thanksgiving to all our American Friends down south. You have a later than normal one this year and I really hope all of you do whatever possible to be safe and careful. It is up to everyone to do their own risk assessment and stick to it. We all wish you and your families a safe and thankful holiday!
    Now what happened at the GA blog this week?
    Monday, Cia was front and centre as she brought us the November Classic Feature:
    Wednesday, Cia was around again and had the November Classic Feature Excerpt:
    Friday, Cia took over again  as she provided another couple of great prompts in the Staff Prompts:
    Myr was up to his usual good all week long  with the Word of the Day:
    Lastly, lets check up with our goals for the week. Give yourselves all a pat on the back!!

    Prompts
    Suggest a prompt(s) - Recommend a few prompts to be featured on Prompt Friday! PM @Renee Stevens and/or @wildone with your ideas. Anthologies
    2020 Fall Anthology - Shadows -  amended: Due by November 30th, 2020 2020 Fall Anthology - Bridges - amended: Due by November 30th, 2020 Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevens or @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M.
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Classic Updates:
    The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 4 by Bill W
    Signature Updates:
    Ancalagon by Cia
    Disasters, Delights and Other Detours by Parker Owens
    Double Concerto by Parker Owens
    Gap Year by Mark Arbour
    GFD 12: Blood Ties by Comicality; Book 12 of Gone From Daylight
    Give It To Me Straight by Comicality **Complete**
    My Only Escape by Comicality
    Phases of Moon by Mann Ramblings
    Promptings from Valhalla by Valkyrie
    Sidewinder by Headstall
     
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!
  22. wildone

    Staff Prompts #7 & #8

    By wildone,


    Prompts
    Well this week was gone in a flash! Speaking of flash, are you feeling motivated to write a prompt in a flash? Well we actually got a response to one of the prompts last week, so make sure you pop over to this topic and see what anonymous penguin crafted a story  
    Since we have got a few great prompts from Cia, why not a couple of more this week?
     
    Prompt #5 - Use the following words in a story brought to you by @Cia
    dodge help deep bodyguard strawberry wind
     
    Prompt #6 - Creative Dialogue brought to you by @Cia
    "You must be mad, coming here like this." The captain stalked to his desk and leaned over it. His piercing gaze struck me and turned my icy determination to water. "I dare you to say that again."
     
    If you so feel motivated to give one a shot, why not post a link in one of the two topics that are here!
  23. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (Nov. 8 - Nov. 14)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Is late better than never?  
    Okay I need a show of hands from the 10's of 1000's of you that read the weekly update religiously every Sunday  Yesterday I sat down to watch the heavily advertised Alex Rider Point Blanc. I thought maybe one, maybe two episodes and I'll be good. Next thing you know you are done the whole season and you look at the clock and it is 12:15 AM
    Have you done this? If so, what show(s)?
    Just a short preamble this week. Let's see what happened at the blog.
    Monday, @ancientrichard submitted a most excellent review to our GA Review Team.
    We did not have anything for you on the Wednesday but picked things up again on Friday with a new Staff Prompts.
    We did have a daily contribution from Myr though.
    Now let's check out the scoreboard of stats last week.

    Prompts
    Suggest a prompt(s) - Recommend a few prompts to be featured on Prompt Friday! PM @Renee Stevens and/or @wildone with your ideas. Anthologies
    2020 Fall Anthology - Shadows -  amended: Due by November 30th, 2020 2020 Fall Anthology - Bridges - amended: Due by November 30th, 2020 Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevens to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M.
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Signature Updates:
    After Practice by Comicality
    Ancalagon by Cia
    Disasters, Delights and Other Detours by Parker Owens
    Double Concerto by Parker Owens
    Gap Year by Mark Arbour
    Phases of Moon by Mann Ramblings
    Sidewinder by Headstall
    Promising Updates:
    The Reluctant Consort by lilansui
     
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!
     
     
  24. wildone

    Staff Prompts #5 & #6

    By wildone,


    Prompts
    Good Friday to you all  So, any plans over the weekend? Mine will be more or less that same as what I've done since March . Well, I might have one thing I'm doing that I haven't done in years . Stay tuned!
    So for Staff Prompt Friday, it is an all Cia week  I'm on holidays  
     
    Prompt #5 - First Line brought to you by @Cia
    He'd never forgotten those teenage years.
     
    Prompt #6 - Creative What If brought to you by @Cia
    There's an old tree I fell asleep under. I dreamed about the family who picnicked under it 50 years ago, and the family who will picnic under it in 50 years time.
     
    If you take part in this weeks festivities, make sure you drop a link in here.
  25. wildone

    Featured Story: Rothenian Tales

    By wildone,


    Reviews
    Is it Monday already  What happened to Sunday  Well without much more delay, here is a great review on one of my all time favourites here at GA! Thanks for @ancientrichard for bringing this most excellent review!
     
    Rothenian Tales
    Mike Arram
    Reviewer: ancientrichard
    Status: Complete
    Word Count: 787,516
    Michael Arram's Rothenian Tales focus on events in a mythical central European state which the author tells us was inspired by Anthony Hope's Ruritania, though a good deal of the action takes place in other parts of the world, especially England where the series begins. It is wise to read the stories in the order in which they were written as characters introduced in one story usually appear in many of the later stories, which contain many references to earlier events.
    Mike's story The Eskaton is actually the tenth story in the series, though it is not labelled as such. His story The Golden Portifor is also set in Rothenia, several centuries before the events in the other stories, but there is no need to read it first, it could be read at any stage and is well worth reading.
    The saga begins around the end of the twentieth century, when  the collapse of the Soviet Union and the consequent end of the Communist dictatorship in Rothenia  was still a fresh memory. In the first story, The Heart of Oskar Prinz, we are introduced to Rothenia in the company of a young English Schoolmaster, Will Vincent, whose life is transformed by an encounter with a young Rothenian aristocrat seeking restoration of the family estates. Later stories involve the revival of the Rothenian monarchy.  Much of the action is seen from the point of view of English school friends of the young king.
    There is a strong supernatural theme in these stories. Just a hint in the early stories, the otherworldly component had become the dominant theme by the end. The supernatural can be tricky, but Arram handles it very well. While the righteous mostly triumph in the end, they don't have an easy ride. Characters are not black and white but realistic shades of grey. The 'good' characters have their lapses.  In Mike's world not even angels are entirely angelic, and, with the possible exception of a distinctly disagreeable mother in law, not even the most abominable are entirely beyond redemption though redemption is far from painless. Not many authors manage such a balance.
    Mike says that he was more in love with the country than with any particular character, and I sympathise. I wish there really were a Rothenia, but I do have a favourite character. Henry Attwood, who appears as a schoolboy in the third story and is at the centre of much of the action in the later stories. Kind but not sentimental, brave but not foolhardy conscious of his own weaknesses with a well developed sense of humour,  he is the embodiment of balance and calm self critical reflection, the calm centre of the exciting turbulent world Mike has conjured up for us.
    All the stories are exciting and extremely well written, the personalities of the principal characters are well developed and we see them grow as they progress through the stories of the series; these stories are about people one can believe in despite the extraordinary situations in which they find themselves.
    The plots have multiple strands which gradually come together. As the main adventure progresses the individuals develop from naïve schoolboys into formidable men. Although the stories are linked by common themes and common characters,  Mike has something new to surprise us in every story.
    Some of the Rothenian words are puzzling. I'd love to know how to pronounce 'Vwyszh'.
    Category: Fiction  Genres:  Romance, Thriller/Suspense (+ more)  Tags:  young adult, europe, modern, school, ghosts, politics, fostering (+ more)   Rating: Mature
     
     
×
×
  • Create New...