Valkyrie

I'm so happy I can post again, that I might post in all the threads

In honor of our Anthology theme, I thought it would be fun to do some warm-up exercises. Maybe these will even turn into a complete Anthology story. So let's go creature hunting! PT Prompt #263 First line: "It's behind me, isn't it." PT Prompt#264 You buy a new pet and surprise your partner with it, only to find out they are deathly afraid of it. What is it and how do you deal with the aftermath? Please include the prompt number either in your story/chapter description or title to help readers who would like to search for specific prompts. Also, please remember that stories less than one thousand words must be posted as part of a collection. If you check the subgenre 'prompt' in your story tags, then people/readers can find everything here: https://gayauthors.org/stories/browse/subgenre/prompt/

I may have to write a couple of stories for this theme. One of them a comedy

I'm super excited about this year's theme! There are so many possibilities.... Do I go with a cute fluffy kitty? Or maybe a fire-breathing dragon? Or an army of Norse penguins fighting Canadian otters? It's a good thing there's a lot of time before the deadline, although with my prowess at procrastinating, I probably won't start till the week it's due The guidelines for this year's anthology are posted below. So now that we know the theme and the parameters... start writing! 2025 Anthology - Due: October 1, 2025 2025 Theme is: Creature Feature Feel free to interpret the theme in any way you want. The anthologies are not exclusive, but inclusive, so don't worry if you think your entry has only a tangential link to the theme. If you are inspired, then write a short story, poem, or play! Please read these submission guidelines carefully. You may address these themes in any style or genre you choose. Be creative! However, please note this is an anthology of short stories. By definition, a short story must stand alone and not require reading a prior story. It therefore cannot be a chapter in a serial. Who may participate: Everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate. However, you must be a member here at GA with author or poet status (which is free and can be purchased through the Activities tab: Store link). Please RSVP to the 2025 Anthology Creature Feature event (can be found by accessing the activity tab, then events) to receive reminders and also to give the anthology team an idea of number of participants. Submission Guidelines Submission Date: October 1, 2025 Please Note: Submission date is for submission to the Anthology Proof Team. Non-Poetry No Story Limit: Each story submitted must meet quality and editing guidelines. Each story posted as its own submission Minimum word count per story: 1,000 Maximum word count per story: 25,000 Poetry Unlimited number of poems, up to 10,000 words total Posted as a single submission (a collection) Submission Procedure *Please read carefully* Once your story is complete and has gone through your beta and editing team, please complete the following steps: Contact @Valkyrie via PM. Include in the PM the following information: Title, original editor, genre, synopsis, word count, and excerpt in the body of the PM. Attach your story file as a Word document. Please send as a .doc or .docx if possible. We have had issues with .odt documents. You will be paired with a proofreader from the Anthology Proof Team who will perform a final proof for the anthology and return the file to you. *Please Note: Prior editing required before submission.* Once you receive your proofed file, complete your edits and submit your story into the GA Stories Archive. For help, please read How do I upload my anthology entry into GA Stories? o Make sure the story stays unpublished (DO NOT click on either the publish or publish now buttons for the story itself or later when adding a chapter/chapters.) Select “Fiction” as the category. It will be moved later by staff. A maximum of four chapters may be included, but submitting the story as one chapter is highly preferred. Due to site limitations, if there are multiple chapters submitted, one chapter will post every 24 hours. This is not something we can change. When submitting multiple chapters, DO NOT SET A DATE for the ‘story’ or the chapters. Site staff will set the dates for you once they are moved to the anthology category. The ‘story’ and first chapter will publish on the anthology release date, and subsequently, additional chapters will post every 24 hours after that. Not following this guideline results in a LOT of extra work for staff, and you will risk your story not being included in the anthology. Mark your story status as COMPLETE. Only completed stories are allowed in the anthologies Please note that once you submit a story it will NOT show up in your list of stories until the anthology has gone live. Copy the URL for your story (not a chapter page) and paste it in the announcement thread in the Writer’s Circle so your submission may be checked to ensure it meets submission guidelines and is moved to the anthology category. ***Please do a visual check of your story once it has been uploaded to ensure that it posted correctly. If it did not, contact @Cia or @Valkyrie. IMPORTANT: Please DO NOT do ANYTHING with your story once it has been submitted to the anthology. We lock edits to anthologies, but we can only lock so much and making ANY changes can cause issues with the system. If there is something with your story that absolutely needs fixed, added, etc, PLEASE contact @Cia or @Valkyrie. Thank you! Extensions Occasionally things happen that prevent an author from meeting the deadline. If you need an extension, contact Valkyrie before the deadline (not the day of or after), and something may be able to be worked out. If you have NOT made arrangements prior to the deadline, your anthology story will not be included. You are welcome to post your story independently and include a story note stating it was originally meant to be part of the anthology. Story Titles Please do not use the anthology theme or your GA Username as a title. Be as original as you can. In case of duplicate titles within the anthology, we will request that titles be changed. Unacceptable entries & Content Warnings Entries that are obviously unedited (containing many errors) or that violate site guidelines will be either declined or changes may be requested as a condition of entry. For information on what is considered to be unacceptable, please see the Story Content Rules FAQ. Please include a Content Warning in the story notes if your story contains sensitive content, e.g.: abuse-physical, mental, sexual, extreme violence, taboo topics, etc.... Previously posted stories (whether at GA or elsewhere) are not eligible for inclusion into the GA anthologies. Editing All entries MUST be edited prior to being sent to the Anthology Proof Team. If you need an editor, please visit the Editors section of the Writer’s Club to request one. Please make sure to follow the guidelines when requesting an editor. The proof team is under no obligation to provide a proofread of a story until it has been edited. Proofreads should take no more than 72 hours once you have been paired with a proofreader. If you have not received your story back within 72 hours, please contact Valkyrie via PM. If you send your stories in within the last 48 hours of the deadline, you have 48 hours after receiving it back to upload it in order for it to be included in the Anthology. Copyright As with all content in GA Stories, the rights remain with the individual authors. Your story will post with a simple 2025 copyright notice, using your GA user display name. If you have another preference (for example, a different name, or a Creative Commons license, or specific copyright wording you'd like to use), please include that with your submission. However, with this anthology, by submitting your story, you are giving GayAuthors.org first worldwide rights with 14 days exclusivity. What that means is you are giving GayAuthors.org permission to archive your story on its website, distribute it via RSS, kindle, iPhone, iPad, eyeball… and you agree not to publish it anywhere else for two weeks. If you later decide to post your story at another site, please mention at the beginning or end of the story that it was first published as part of the 2025 Gay Authors Anthology – Creature Feature and include a link back to GA if possible. If you have any questions, please post them in the Anthology Forum.

Thank you to all on the review team for bringing us these great reviews! Your hard work is very much appreciated

It's just been cold here, thankfully. Although the lake is still open (not frozen), so that means lake effect snow. Monday-Wed morning we're supposed to get hit, although thankfully the worst should stay south of where I live. My heart goes out to all affected by the LA fires and the weather in the south. I know you guys aren't used to the ice and snow like we are here.

I had to laugh at the anthology theme recap. I think you're channeling a bit of Steve I'm glad your family is safe, and I hope that they continue to be

Fixed This is what happens with no editor

I like getting comments/reviews/feedback at anytime, so I am enjoying reliving these anthology stories through your comments. I realize this was a bit short, but the story I wanted to tell was the process of getting the diagnosis. I don't generally write follow-ups to antho stories, so I don't see myself writing a continuation. This story was based on something that actually happened to an individual I used to see for therapy. It's been a few years now since I've seen her, but she recovered back to her baseline. Since Davey is based on her, I would say he went on to make a full recovery. Thank you for the lovely comments!

The GA Poetry Anthology is returning for 2025 with the theme "Diversity"! It's the perfect theme to show off the diverse world of poetry and its various forms. I look forward to reading what our site poets come up with! Please note the earlier due date. The extra few days will give me more time to get submissions ready for the big reveal in April to celebrate National Poetry Month. 2025 Poetry Anthology - Due: March 30, 2025 The 2025 Theme is “Diversity” Feel free to interpret the theme in any way you want. The anthologies are not exclusive, but inclusive, so don't worry if you think your entry has only a tangential link to the theme. If you are inspired, then write some poetry! Please read these submission guidelines carefully. You may address this theme in any poetic style. Be creative! However, please note that this anthology, UNLIKE the other GA anthologies, is an anthology of poems. Therefore, no prose allowed, unless it is prose poetry. Who may participate: Everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate. However, you must be a member here at GA with author or poet status (which is free and can be purchased through the Activities tab: Store link). Please RSVP to the 2025 Poetry Anthology – Diversity event (can be found by accessing the activity tab, then events) to receive reminders and also to give the anthology team an idea of number of participants. Submission Guidelines Submission Date: March 30, 2025 Please Note: Anthology submissions must be uploaded into Stories and the link posted in the 2025 Poetry Anthology Diversity Links topic, which can be found under the Anthology tab in the Writer’s Circle Club, by midnight EST March 30, 2025. Your entry must include the following: At least one poem – there is no upper limit; however, submissions may not exceed 10,000 words total. Posted as a single story submission A maximum of five chapters may be included (“chapters” may consist of multiple poems). Due to site limitations, if there are multiple chapters submitted, one chapter will post every 24 hours. This is not something we can change. When submitting multiple chapters, DO NOT SET A DATE FOR THE ‘STORY’ OR CHAPTERS! Site staff will set the dates for you once they are moved to the anthology category. The ‘story’ and first chapter will publish on the anthology release date, and subsequently, additional chapters will post every 24 hours after that. Submission Procedure *Please read carefully* Once your poetry collection is complete and has gone through your beta and editing team, please complete the following steps: Submit your poems into the GA Stories Archive. For help, please read How do I upload my anthology entry into GA Stories? Make sure the story is unpublished. Select “Fiction” as the category. It will be moved later by staff. Mark your story status as COMPLETE. Only completed works are allowed in the anthologies. Please note that once you submit an unpublished story for the anthology, it will NOT show up in your list of stories for readers until the anthology has gone live. Copy the URL for your story (not any chapter page) and paste it in the links topic so your submission may be checked to ensure it meets submission guidelines and can be moved to the anthology category. [*]Please do a visual check of your story once it has been uploaded to ensure that it posted correctly. If it did not, contact @Cia or Valkyrie. IMPORTANT: Please DO NOT do ANYTHING with your story once it has been submitted to the anthology. We lock edits to anthologies, but we can only lock so much and making ANY changes can cause issues with the system. If there is something with your story that absolutely needs fixed, added, etc, PLEASE contact @Cia or Valkyrie. Thank you! Extensions Occasionally things happen that prevent an author from meeting the deadline. If you need an extension, contact @Valkyrie or @Cia before the deadline (not the day of or after), and something may be able to be worked out. If you have NOT made arrangements prior to the deadline, your anthology entry will not be included. You are welcome to post your poetry independently and include a story note stating it was originally meant to be part of the anthology. Poem Titles Please do not use the anthology theme or your GA Username as a title. Be as original as you can. In case of duplicate titles within the anthology, we will request that titles be changed. No foreign language or ALL CAPS for the titles, please. Unacceptable entries & Content Warnings Entries that are obviously unedited (containing many errors) or that violate site guidelines will be either declined or changes may be requested as a condition of entry. For information on what is considered to be unacceptable, please see the Story Content Rules FAQ. Please include a Content Warning in the story notes if your story contains sensitive content, e.g.: abuse-physical, mental, sexual, extreme violence, taboo topics, etc... Previously posted stories/poetry (whether at GA or elsewhere) are not eligible for inclusion into the GA anthologies. Editing All entries MUST be edited prior to being uploaded. If you need an editor, please visit the https://gayauthors.org/forums/forum/372-editors/ forum to request one. We recognize that poetry sometimes breaks the rules when it comes to grammar and wordplay; therefore, it is not a requirement for poetry to go through the Anthology Proof Team. If you would like your poems reviewed for obvious misspelling, misused words, or something specific to the form you’ve attempted, then please contact Valkyrie and a proof team member will review your submission. PLEASE do not format text beyond bold and italics unless absolutely necessary. Changing the font color, size, etc… or other excess formatting breaks the custom GA reader controls which are helpful to those who may have visual impairments. Copyright As with all content in GA Stories, the rights remain with the individual authors. Your story will post with a simple 2025 copyright notice, using your GA user display name. If you have another preference (for example, a different name, or a Creative Commons license, or specific copyright wording you'd like to use), please include that with your submission. However, with this anthology, by submitting your poetry, you are giving GayAuthors.org first worldwide rights with 14 days exclusivity. What that means is you are giving GayAuthors.org permission to archive your story on its website, distribute it via RSS, kindle, iPhone, iPad, eyeball…. And you agree not to publish it anywhere else for 2 weeks. If you later decide to post your story at another site, please mention at the beginning or end of the story that it was first published as part of the 2025 Gay Authors Diversity Poetry Anthology and include a link back to GA if possible. If you have any questions, please post them in the Anthology Forum or PM Valkyrie.

Editing the story and resaving it put it back into the moderation queue. It's best to edit stories after they are published, to avoid this. It will be reapproved once Cia goes back into the moderation queue.

K

Amateur. Three days before the deadline is plenty of time

I feel this I should have added "plenty of time in theory"

October 1st, so you have plenty of time

Wow, thanks so much That is so fascinating about the fireworks! What an incredibly detailed recollection, that I agree a six or seven-year-old would not have just made up. Thank you for sharing

Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? Should old acquaintance be forgot in the days of auld lang syne? To answer the question in the song - no, old acquaintance should never be forgotten, especially when they were a force named Carlos Hazday. It's hard to believe our friend has been gone for over a year now. Based on the stories submitted for this tribute, it's clear that his influence lives on. So, let's raise a glass and toast to auld lang syne and fond memories of our friend, as we carry on his tradition of posting something new on New Year's Day. Thank you to all who contributed and a special thank you to @Cia for creating the banner and to @Myr for his technical assistance.

The saying "truth is stranger than fiction" exists for a reason - sometimes what happens in real life is so far outside the realm of possibility that if written in a piece of fiction, readers would doubt its veracity. I recently experienced such a moment when a family member of mine had a medical episode that should, by all accounts, have left them dead. It still boggles my mind when I think about it. 90% of people who have this condition die from it, with most of them not even making it to the hospital alive. The surgeon who operated on my family member, didn't expect them to arrive to the trauma center alive. He's going to do a write-up in a medical journal because surviving this simply doesn't happen. I've had two other family members pass away from the same thing. Mind. Blown. Let's explore some stranger than fiction scenarios and see how your characters fare. PT Prompt #259 You've recently moved to a new state, far from your home state. On your first day of work, you meet someone with ties to your hometown. After talking with them a bit, you discover that you actually know each other. What's the connection? PT Prompt #260 Word list: ambulance, scalpel, squirrel, washing machine, pizza (your story must include these words) Please include the prompt number either in your story/chapter description or title to help readers who would like to search for specific prompts. Also, please remember that stories less than one thousand words must be posted as part of a collection. If you check the subgenre 'prompt' in your story tags, then people/readers can find everything here: https://gayauthors.org/stories/browse/subgenre/prompt/

Yes. They need to be complete stories that stand alone and not require prior reading of a story. They cannot be chapters in a serial. I will work on updating the guidelines for participation, but I don't anticipate any changes from last year's guidelines. I anticipate having them completed and posted shortly after the new year.

Myr stated it perfectly. This year, for a variety of reasons, this was the way to go. That doesn't mean we won't go back to having a committee for theme suggestions and then site-wide voting in the future.