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Valkyrie

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  1. Valkyrie
    May 2, 2025 would have been Comicality's fiftieth birthday.    We thought that would be a perfect day to feature a tribute to our beloved friend, author, and mentor.  We're announcing it now so that his fans will have an entire year to work on writing a story, letter, poem, or whatnot on a topic that resonates with them with respect to Comicality. 
    Coming of Age - A Tribute to Comicality 
    Due date for submissions:  April 25, 2025
    No minimum length
    Submissions may contain one chapter, or one prologue plus one chapter.  Authors may contribute more than one submission. 
    The usual GA content guidelines do apply. Please use appropriate genres, tags, and story/chapter notes as applicable for your submission along with any message you wish to add to your tribute. 
    Upload your story to GA; however:
     DO NOT SET THE PUBLISH DATE/TIME!  I will do this when I create the blog entry. Also, DO NOT EDIT YOUR STORY after you've posted it.  It messes with the system, and we may not be able to fix it.  
    Once your story is uploaded, then post the link in the Links thread in the Writing Circle club.  
    Due date to post link to thread is April 25, 2025 by 12:00 AM EST. 
    I will post the link to the thread below, after I have created it (which will likely be after this blog has posted). 
  2. Valkyrie
    April is National Poetry Writing Month, and it's time for GA's annual celebration of this event - the poetry anthology!  This year, the theme was Diversity, and we had several site poets take up the challenge.  We truly have some diverse poetry, and I am sure you will enjoy reading these selections as much as I did.  Please show our poets your appreciation by leaving a reaction, comment, or review, and stay tuned next week for even more poetry Diversity!  
     

     
  3. Valkyrie

    NaPoWriMo Prompts

    By Valkyrie,


    Prompts
    April is National Poetry Writing Month, which is why we feature our annual Poetry Anthology in April.  Stay tuned next week for the first batch of poems from site poets.  In the meantime, let's explore poetry through prompts! 

     
    PT Prompt #281:
    Write a poem celebrating spring.  Haiku are, by tradition, about nature, but feel free to explore any form.  
     
    PT Prompt #282:
    Write a poem about an inanimate object and bring it to life. 
     
    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/
  4. Valkyrie
    The poetry anthology will be going live next week, so today I wanted to remind everyone of another upcoming writing event - Comicality's tribute.  May 2nd would have been Comicality's 50th birthday, so we are honoring him by featuring a tribute to his memory - Coming of Age.  The deadline for submissions is April 25th.  Check out the guidelines here:
     
    Also coming up this year is the Secret Author contest this summer, the Creature Feature anthology this fall, followed by another Prompt Team event.  Stay tuned for more information! 
  5. Valkyrie

    Diversity Exercise #2

    By Valkyrie,


    Anthologies
    We're getting down to the wire for submissions to the annual Poetry Anthology.  Submissions are due March 30th, so there is about a week and a half to get your links posted to the thread in the Anthology forum of the Writer's Circle.  I'm really looking forward to reading the different interpretations of "Diversity".  
    I thought it would be fun to do another exercise using the Diversity theme.  This would be a great jumping off point for poems for the anthology *hint hint*  We can create a poem together, and then I'd love to see some unique creations as part of the antho.  Let's explore the words behind DEI by creating an acrostic poem together.  An acrostic poem spells out a word vertically from the first letters of the sentences it contains.  I'll get us started with "Diversity".  If there's enough participation, we can then explore "Equity" and "Inclusion".  Choose a letter in "diversity" and then post one sentence starting with that letter in the comments. 
    Differences to be celebrated. 
    I
    V
    E
    R
    S
    I
    T
    Y
     
  6. Valkyrie

    Let's Celebrate Spring

    By Valkyrie,


    Prompts
    Yesterday was the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere, even though it feels more like winter here.  I'm looking forward to spring flowers and seeing the forsythia bloom, along with some warmer temps.  Let's celebrate waking from winter's slumber with some prompts! 
     

     
    PT Prompt #279
    Describe your favorite spring flower in detail.  
    or
    Write a haiku about your favorite spring flower. 
     
    PT Prompt #280
    Write from the POV of an animal waking up from hibernating all winter.  
     
    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/
  7. Valkyrie

    Poetry Anthology 101

    By Valkyrie,


    Anthologies
    The deadline for the annual poetry anthology - Diversity - is fast approaching!  I'm really looking forward to reading what everyone comes up with on this important topic.  Since I've had some questions come up about the posting procedure for the anthologies, I'm going to break them down and hope this helps when it comes time to upload your poems.  Cia has created a step-by-step tutorial with screenshots, which I will link to below.  Myr recently updated it to ensure it is as up to date as possible.   If you have any problems or questions when uploading your submission, please let me know. 
     
    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?  The link is provided below. Make sure the story is unpublished. Select “Fiction” as the category. It will be moved later by staff. If you select 'poetry' or a different category by mistake, it's fine.  I will move it to the correct category once the anthology is ready to go live.  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. The links topic can be found in the anthology section of the Writer's Circle.  [*]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!
     
     
     
  8. Valkyrie
    A couple of weeks ago, Aditus and I decided to try something different with the Friday prompt blog, and asked you to finish a story we started.  We ended up with a sweet story for Valentine's Day, actually two stories, which I will copy/paste below.  I really enjoyed reading what everyone came up with!  Let us know in the comments how you liked this new feature. Thank you to all who participated!  Even if you already read the comments in the Valentine's Day blog, be sure to check out the entire story for a surprise at the end.  

    Story One 
    Jason leaned against the stone wall and set his backpack down at his feet.  He smoothed out the crumpled map of the zoo and traced his finger across the labeled exhibits.  "Lions and tigers and bears... oh my, where are the freaking capybaras?  I swore they were just past the elephants," he muttered.  He'd been looking forward to seeing the renovated capybara exhibit for months.  "I think I took a wrong turn at the otter exhibit."  He yelped as another zoogoer suddenly slammed into him, tearing his map.  "What the hell?" 
    In front of Jason stood someone in a gigantic plush penguin costume, holding a heart-shaped balloon. "Is that a map? I need to find the penguin exhibit."
    Jason let his gaze wander up and down the guy. "Obviously."  Then he looked at the pink balloon. "Hot Valentine date?"
    The penguin shook his head. "I'm on a treasure hunt, so if you see people running around in animal costumes, that's us." He passed Jason the pink ribbon with the bobbing balloon. "Happy Valentine's Day."
    “You mean to tell me that a person holding a torn map was part of your treasure hunt?" Jason questioned as he took the balloon without thinking. 
    "No, just a person holding a map," the penguin guy responded. His free hand gripped a clipboard, which he handed over for Jason to see.
    Jason immediately looked at the checklist. A child with a painted butterfly on their cheek, a mother with more than one child, a person holding a map... "Oh, I guess I am part of the treasure hunt," he mused aloud.
    Jason's eyes widened, however, when he saw the next line of the treasure hunt. A person perusing the renovated capybara exhibit. "Wait, if you help me get to the capybara exhibit, I'll help you hunt someone down for the next checkbox!"
    The penguin man held out his hand in agreement, and said, "Deal."
    Jason took the offered hand with a pleased grin. "I'm Jason."
    "Adam," the penguin man said. "So, what are capybaras and why do you wanna find them?"
    "Capybaras are the largest living rodent in South America and I haven't seen one since I was a foreign exchange student in Brazil,"  Jason replied.  "It was the family pet and was the size of a St. Bernard dog, but it was a really friendly and loving pet, and I was just thinking about it, since it's Valentine's Day!  Some of the other kids were cruel and called it a 'rat-pig', but I loved Adriano.  That was the capybaras name."  
    Jason scanned the Penguin suit for what it might reveal. "Are you a King Penguin," he asked "or maybe a little bit Queenie?"
    "You'll have to come with me to the Capybaras enclosure to find out. And remember it's Valentine's Day."
    "But what about your treasure hunt?"
    “Oh, I think that will end when you see the hidden treasure that I have in the Capybaras enclosure. I'm quite sure of that.
    You will enjoy It on Valentines Day, tomorrow and till the end of time.”
    "Where did you get the list for the treasure hunt?" Jason asked Adam, examining the penguin costume.
    "Our group has a small subcommittee which makes up the list," Adam replied.  "Ervin and Christopher have expansive imaginations.  Preston adds unusual touches to the lists, and Vicky helps keep things reasonable -- or as reasonable as possible, considering the lists which are made."
    "So you have both males and females in your group."
    "Not at present," Adam replied.  "Vicky --  V I C K Y -- is the nickname of Victor."
    "I'm not into dressing up like some animal and I'm not into that whole furry thing," Jason said, "but putting that aside, your group sounds quite interesting." 
    "It is," Adam replied, "and we do a whole bunch of different things.  We also have a great time together." 
    "Then how does someone join this group?" 
    "Well, you have to be invited by a member, but if you're interested, I can take care of that." 
    "Yeah, sure.  I'd like that a lot.”
    "Great!  The capybaras are this way."  Adam pointed a flipper to his left.  They walked a short distance, past the mountain goats, and then stood in front of the capybara enclosure.  Two of the giant rodents basked in a pond, while others stood nearby, munching on grass.  Adam smiled, touched by the look of pure joy on Jason's face as he watched the creatures float and eat.  
    "So, what's this hidden treasure you mentioned?  Nothing jumps out at me," Jason stated, as he looked around the exhibit.  
    "Uh... I kind of... lied about that. Sorry." Adam bowed his penguin head.  
    "Oh."
    "OK, I had this dumb thought that I would ask you to dinner and that would be the hidden treasure, but then it sounded stupid so I decided not to.  It's not like we won't see each other again because you want to join the group.  Right?" Adam spoke rapidly, a glimmer of hope in his voice at the end. 
    "If that's your attempt to ask me out, then the answer is yes.  As long as you don't wear the penguin outfit.  I like penguins, but not that much." 
    Adam laughed.  "It's a date.  And I promise not to wear the penguin costume."  
    "Or any other animal costumes?" Jason raised an eyebrow. 
    "Fine.  No other animals, either. Now, let's get a selfie together with the capybaras." 
     
     
    Story Two
    Jason leaned against the stone wall and set his backpack down at his feet.  He smoothed out the crumpled map of the zoo and traced his finger across the labeled exhibits.  "Lions and tigers and bears... oh my, where are the freaking capybaras?  I swore they were just past the elephants," he muttered.  He'd been looking forward to seeing the renovated capybara exhibit for months.  "I think I took a wrong turn at the otter exhibit."  He yelped as another zoogoer suddenly slammed into him, tearing his map.  "What the hell?"  
    “Why weren’t you—”  Jason started a good rant and stopped it abruptly.  Jason knew he wasn’t short, standing just under 6 feet, but as he started to raise up from the half-crouch he had unintentionally gone into and started to look at the guy that ran into him, realizing he was staring at the middle of the guy’s chest.  A very wide, very muscular chest.  As he stood up to his full height he realized he still had to look up several inches to see the guy’s eyes.  The most gorgeous green eyes he had ever seen… but set in a face that had the saddest, most lost, haunted expression he had ever seen on anyone’s face.
    The guy lowered his head and stared at the ground as he almost whispered, “I am so, so sorry I ran into you and tore your map.  Please take mine, I’m gonna leave now anyway.”  The guy handed Jason his map and turned to leave, head still bowed and staring at the ground.
    Jason took a few quick steps and put his hand on the guy’s bicep (fuck, they couldn’t be any bigger or more muscled if the guy lived at the gym, Jason thought).
    Jason gently put his index finger under the guy’s chin and brought his face up so he could look into his eyes again.
    “Why don’t we go to that bench over there and sit down for a minute and talk, ok?”
    “You don’t have to do that, it looked like you were heading somewhere else.  You should just go on and enjoy your day while I leave to go back home,” the guy said.
    Jason shook his head slowly and said “No, we’re going over to that bench and chat a bit, ok?”  Jason gently took the guy’s elbow and guided him over to the bench where they both sat down.  “Now, the first thing you are going to do is tell me your name.  Calling you ‘Hey, You’ or ‘Hey, Guy’ is not acceptable, but if you do refuse to tell me your name I’m not above doing it,” Jason said with a small grin.
    “Ok, ok, I’ll tell you… my name is Aiden,” the guy said.
    “Cool, Aiden, I’m Jason.  Now that we are making headway, do you want to tell me why you tried to tackle me like you were going for a goal and I was in the way?” Jason asked with another grin.
    Aiden seemed to slump down and make himself as small as he could–almost as if he was afraid he was going to be hurt–but he did answer.  “I was at the entrance to the capybara exhibit and I saw someone I used to know–I wasn’t ready to see them again and I ran.”
    Jason noticed the body posture changing and wondered what this big, muscled, six foot three or four hunk was afraid of at the zoo, but decided to try and take things slow.  “Wow, Aiden, what a coincidence, that is where I was heading to.”
    “Ah… ok, I can give you directions to the exhibit from here and you can get going while I head home,” Aiden took his next stab at leaving.
    Jason looked at Aiden and realized that there was no way he was going to leave the guy alone, not after seeing the expressions on his face.  He wasn’t sure just how, but he instinctively knew this guy needed someone to talk to.
    “Instead of you going home, why don’t you take me to your car and we can go to a little coffee and chocolate place I know and have something decadent to drink… and maybe talk about why you are so sad?” Jason asked hopefully, knowing it was going to be a hard sell.
    “But you’ll have to leave your car here and… and…” Aiden started.
    “Not to worry, I took the bus today, and the coffee shop is off one of the stops on my way home, so do you want to try your next excuse?” Jason asked with a grin.
    Aiden shook his head with a half-hearted grin.  “Ok, we can go to my car and head to this chocolate and coffee shop of yours… but I’m not promising anything about talking.  I do have to say, the way you’ve built it up I hope I’m not disappointed.”
    “Ok, let’s head out,” Jason said happily.  “And you, Mr. Doubting Thomas, should know that this place sells the most amazing drinking chocolate laced with espresso beans that you will ever have.  It is guarantee to do either one of two things–ease the saddest heart or keep you up for a couple of days… in fact, from personal experience, I know that if you indulge in several it can do both!” Jason said.  He also whispered, “It can also loosen the most reluctant of tongues.”
    Aiden had to shake his head and laugh, “Ok, let’s get going.”
    “Sounds good.  And maybe sometime we can come back together and visit the capybaras.  I hear they may be lonely without more people coming to say hi.”
    Aiden looked over with his first real smile of the day and said, “Maybe…”
    Then he whispered, almost to himself, “I’m so glad I ran into you.”
     
  9. Valkyrie

    Anthologies Check-In

    By Valkyrie,


    Anthologies
    Submissions are coming in for both the Diversity poetry anthology and Creature Feature fall anthology.  I think we've set some kind of record because I've received not one, not two, but three submissions already for Creature Feature!  Not bad for an event that's still six months down the road.  Based on what I've read so far, this is going to be a fantastic anthology!  There's also two submissions for the poetry anthology, which is only a month away.  So, how is everyone doing with their anthology poems/stories?  Let us know in the comments if you have an idea, outline, scribblings, poetic ramblings, and if you've started writing for either anthology.  

    I have some ideas for Diversity and started a couple of poems.  I just need to work on finishing and refining them.  I don't have an idea for Creature Feature yet, but I know inspiration will strike when I'm ready to start working on it.  
  10. Valkyrie

    Accidental Valentine

    By Valkyrie,


    Prompts
    Aditus and I did some brainstorming, and we have come up with a new twist for the prompt blog.  We'll still be featuring our usual Prompt Team prompts, but on the second Friday of the month, we thought we'd try something different.  We will start the story, and then ask you to continue it in the comment section.  On the fourth Friday of the month, we will post the completed story in the blog.  
    Since today is Valentine's Day, we came up with a theme of love gone accidentally right.  

    I'll start:
    Jason leaned against the stone wall and set his backpack down at his feet.  He smoothed out the crumpled map of the zoo and traced his finger across the labeled exhibits.  "Lions and tigers and bears... oh my, where are the freaking capybaras?  I swore they were just past the elephants," he muttered.  He'd been looking forward to seeing the renovated capybara exhibit for months.  "I think I took a wrong turn at the otter exhibit."  He yelped as another zoogoer suddenly slammed into him, tearing his map.  "What the hell?"  
    Now who wants to continue the story?  I can't wait to see where this leads!
  11. Valkyrie

    Diverse Diversity

    By Valkyrie,


    Anthologies
    Before I get into today's blog, I just want to say how thrilled I am that submissions for both anthologies have started coming in! I'm loving the enthusiasm.  You guys are what make this site so amazing ⭐

     
    Now back to today's regularly scheduled blog feature...
    One of the reasons I chose the theme "Diversity" for our poetry anthology is because poetry is... well... diverse.  There are so many forms to choose from, and exploring those forms can be a fun aspect of writing poetry.  Including several diverse forms in an anthology entry is one way to address the theme, while giving the poet free rein content-wise.  Included in the Genre section under the Writing tab is a list of all the genres available on the site, along with definitions of said genres and subgenres.  There is an extensive list of different types of poetry and their definitions.  I will link to the genre page and also copy and paste them below.  I can't wait to see what poetic forms our site poets decide to offer us!
    Poetry  -  Various poetry types in the system. See sub-genre descriptions for details.
    Ballad  -  a poem that tells a story and was traditionally set to music. Usually follows a form of rhymed (abcb) quatrains alternating four-stress and three-stress lines.
    Blank Verse  -  a poem with regular metrical but unrhymed lines, almost always in iambic pentameter.
    Cinquain  -  a short poem consisting of five, usually unrhymed lines containing, respectively, two, four, six, eight, and two syllables. Cinquains may be paired and manipulated to create longer forms. For example, the mirror cinquain has lines of syllables 2, 4, 6, 8, 2, 2, 8, 6, 4, 2.  Cinquains are often used in teaching schoolchildren early forms of poetry.
    Confessional  -  Features intimate and personal revelations, often drawing on the poet's own experiences, emotions, and struggles.
    Ekphrastic Poetry  -  Responds to or describes a work of visual art, capturing the essence of a painting, sculpture, or other visual medium through words.
    Epic Poetry  -  a lengthy narrative poem, typically set in the far past, involving heroic and extraordinary adventures and dealings of people with gods or other superhuman forces.
    Free-Verse  -  poetry that follows natural speech patterns, but does not rhyme or follow a regular meter
    Ghazal  -  A poetic form with rhyming couplets and a repeating refrain, often exploring themes of love, loss, and longing. It has its roots in Arabic and Persian poetry.
    Haiku  -  a short poem of three lines with five, seven, and five syllables respectively. While there are several schools of Haiku writing, the most faithful to the original will use some aspect of the natural world as its subject, and will not contain any personal references to the writer/observer.
    Limerick  -  a poem that is typically humorous and bawdy, written in five-line, predominantly anapestic trimeter with a strict rhyme scheme of AABBA, in which the first, second and fifth lines rhyme, while the third and fourth lines are shorter and share a different rhyme.
    Lyric  -  a poem that expresses personal feelings or emotions, typically written in first person. There are several general groupings of lyric poetry, including elegies, odes and sonnets.
    Mixed Forms  -  a mixture of two or more forms of poetry
    Rhyming  -  a poem containing two or more words that repeat the same or similar sounds in the final syllable, usually placed at the end of lines placed so they echo each other
    Sonnet  -  a poem of fourteen lines using any of a number of formal rhyme schemes, typically containing ten syllables per line, traditionally using iambic pentameter. A sonnet must contain a turning point (or, volta), in which the thread of the theme changes direction. There are three main sorts of sonnet: Italian (or, Petrarchan), Shakesperean, and Spenserian; each of these has a different rhyme scheme. The Italian rhymes ABBAABBA CDCDCD or ABBAABBA CDECDE; the Shakespearean uses ABAB CDCD EFEF GG; the Spenserian ABAB BCBC CDCD EE.
    Translation  -  a poem translated from another language
    https://gayauthors.org/stories/browse/genre-tag/
     
  12. Valkyrie

    Diverse Connections

    By Valkyrie,


    Anthologies
    When I interviewed for a job a few years ago, one of the questions they asked me was "what does diversity mean to you, and why is it important?".  I told a story in that interview about a woman I had worked with at my old job who uses a wheelchair and is also non-speaking.  She had a communication device and was capable of using it; however, she wasn't very motivated to do so.  She frequently refused therapy and was depressed.  I knew her abilities and things that she enjoyed doing in the past, but was struggling to find a connection and ways to encourage and motivate her to communicate more.  Then I started working with a student intern who was also a wheelchair user.  My depressed client now attended all her therapy sessions, and seeing the two of them going down the hallway together on their way to and from the clinic, a giant grin on her face, actually brought tears to my eyes.  I realized they had connected on a level we never could.  Here was a mentor just like her.  I even had co-workers comment on the difference in her demeanor and how incredible they thought it was.   
    What are some of your stories about the importance of diverse connections?  These stories are the heart of the meaning of "diversity" and can also be shared in poetic form.  I would love to see some of them included in our upcoming poetry anthology.  Writing this blog has inspired me to create a poem about the individual in the story above, and I will include it in the anthology. 
     

     
     
     
  13. Valkyrie

    Diversity Exercise

    By Valkyrie,


    Anthologies
    Diversity is a topic that has been on my mind lately, which is perfect timing since it's the theme of our annual Poetry Anthology.  One of the things I love about my job is the diverse nature of the individuals I serve.  I've gotten a bunch of new referrals lately; many from cultures I am only rudimentarily familiar with.  So, I've been doing a lot of research to ensure I account for these individuals cultural heritage and beliefs when providing services.  
    I recently attended a continuing education class on diversity, and one of the exercises we did is a perfect jump-off point for exploring the theme of our poetry anthology.  We explored our own culture and identity and how they can potentially impact the services we provide.   We were asked to write a series of statements starting with the phrase "I am from".  These are some of the lines I came up with: 
     
    I am from identifying birds from description while seated cross-legged on the floor
    I am from snow angels and snow forts and ice skating in the back yard
    I am from dirty hands and beautiful flowers
    I am from curling up in the closet surrounded by my favorite books
    I am from riding my bike until the streetlights came on
     
    I really enjoyed reading what others contributed, and while this isn't a complete poem, it has the potential to be.  Some people (like me) chose to feature elements from their childhood, while others chose to write more current lines, or even relate them to geography.  Feel free to share your own "I am from" statements in the comment section, or maybe even craft them into a poem to feature in the anthology.  I will be working on expanding these lines into something more cohesive and plan on including it in my own anthology submission.  

     
  14. Valkyrie

    Interview with the Groundhog

    By Valkyrie,


    Prompts
    Aditus and I have been doing some brainstorming and have come up with some exciting new twists for the prompt blog.  Stay tuned next month to see what devilry fun we have devised   Now back to your regular scheduled prompt blog....
     
    February is almost here, and that means getting out of the January doldrums.  Punxsutawney Phil is getting ready for his big day, and fingers crossed he doesn't see his shadow, and we'll get an early spring.  I am totally ready for all the snow in my driveway to melt! 

     
    PT Prompt #267
    It's Groundhog Day and a crowd of people, along with throngs of reporters, are waiting for the furry beast to pop out of its den and see its shadow... or not.  When it finally does surface, the first thing it does is run to the nearest reporter and grab their microphone, then proceeds to start speaking.  What does it say? 
     
    PT Prompt #268
    Word list:  use the following words in your story:  shadow, demon, cheesecake, flower, phone booth
     
    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/
     
  15. Valkyrie

    2025 Poetry Anthology Announcement!

    By Valkyrie,


    Anthologies
    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.
  16. Valkyrie

    Prompts Featuring Creatures

    By Valkyrie,


    Prompts
    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/
  17. Valkyrie

    Future Anthology Blogs

    By Valkyrie,


    Anthologies
    I have some exciting plans for the anthology blog this year, including a series of writing tips.  I'd like to get an idea of what else authors/readers would like to see here in the Thursday anthology blog.  Please comment or message me about any topics you would like to see addressed, and I will do my best to accommodate.  Also let me know if you like the anthology rewinds, where past anthologies are re-featured.  It's not too early to get started writing for our Poetry Anthology - Diversity or for our annual anthology - Creature Feature!  

  18. Valkyrie

    2025 Anthology - Big Announcement!

    By Valkyrie,


    Anthologies
    Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Joyous Kwanzaa to all who celebrate! I'm still in a bit of a food coma from Christmas dinner, but I wanted to bring a reminder and also some important news for next year's anthology.  First, submissions for Carlos' tribute event are due tomorrow, so be sure to put the finishing touches on your stories and post the link in the thread in the Writer's Circle.  Second, I decided to do things a little differently this year, and instead of having a committee decide on the anthology theme, I put it up for discussion with my fellow admins.  We've selected a theme that is open to multiple interpretations, and it's one I'm pretty excited to write about.  I'm also looking forward to seeing how others interpret the theme.  I suppose I've rambled on enough (I blame the Oreo cheesecake I had for dessert), so without further ado, here is the theme for the 2025 GA Anthology!  
     
    Creature Feature

     
    Stay tuned for further details!
  19. Valkyrie
    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.  
  20. Valkyrie

    Miraculous Prompts

    By Valkyrie,


    Prompts
    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/
  21. Valkyrie

    2024 Events Recap

    By Valkyrie,


    Anthologies
    We had a busy year here at GA, with five different events for site authors and poets to participate in.  While we wish some of them hadn't been necessary, such as Carlos' tribute, the participation from readers and writers across all events was fantastic.  While we're busy working behind the scenes on next year's slate of events, I thought it would be nice to recap what happened in 2024.  
     
    We started out the year honoring a man who was a formidable presence on GA.  His loss is still keenly felt, and it seemed fitting to continue his tradition of always posting something new on New Year's Day. 
    In April, we honored National Poetry Writing Month by featuring our annual poetry anthology.  
    In August, sneaky @Cia brought all the Secret Author stories out of hiding, and readers had a blast guessing which authors wrote what story.  
    In October, we featured the stories from our annual anthology.  Check out which authors got In too Deep!
    Finally, we had our first annual Prompt Team Event at the beginning of December. 
    If you missed out on any of these events, it's not too late to check them out.  I'd like to extend a huge thank you to all who made these events possible - authors/poets, readers, the Anthology Proof Team, and my fellow admins for their behind-the-scenes help.  You all made 2024 a great year here at GA! 
    Stay tuned next week for some big announcements regarding 2025 events!  
     
     
  22. Valkyrie

    Prompt Team Event 2024 - *Now Live*

    By Valkyrie,


    Prompts
    We're honestly overwhelmed by the response to our first annual Prompt Team Event!  Yes, you read that right... this will be an annual event, and we already have a working idea for next year   We've got 9 stories based on Prompt Team prompts for your reading pleasure.  There were several more takers who weren't able to complete their stories in time, so keep an eye out for them to be posted separately.  We've been promised a Christmas story from @wildone, but after his last one, I feel obligated to say "read at your own risk".  Check out these stories, and please be sure to leave a reaction, comment, or review and show the participating authors your support.  Now get reading!  
     
    https://gayauthors.org/story/w_l/wls-prompts-short-stories/10
     
  23. Valkyrie

    Unseen Impact

    By Valkyrie,


    Prompts
    We all impact others' lives on a daily basis, whether we know it or not.  I think this is especially true as writers sharing our works with the rest of the world.  Unless a reader comments or messages us, the impact we make is generally unseen.  I used to teach therapeutic horseback riding to a group of kids from the Big Brother/Big Sister program.  These kids had a lot of disadvantages in life, but they absolutely loved their experiences with the horses.  It was a large group of kids, so we split them into two groups with me teaching one and the other instructor teaching the other.  One day, a girl from the other group came up to me and reached into her pocket.  "I have something for you," she says.  She took out a crumpled up newspaper ad for jeans, which showed a woman with long brown hair in a ponytail (just like mine) petting a horse, smoothed it out, and handed it to me.  "This reminded me of you."  
    It was such a simple thing, but after I took it and thanked her, I pinned it to our office bulletin board and had tears in my eyes when I did so.  I asked myself why I was so moved by this gesture, and the answer was because I had made an impact on her simply by being there.  Let's explore how we impact others in ways we might not be aware of. 
     
    PT Prompt #255
    At your ten/twenty/whatever high school reunion, someone you barely remember comes up to you and thanks you for having a profound impact on their life back then.  What happened in high school that left such a lasting impression? 
     
    PT Prompt #256
    Write a vignette where a background character impacts the main character's life in a way neither are acutely aware of.  
    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/
  24. Valkyrie

    Upcoming Tributes

    By Valkyrie,


    Announcements
    The deadline to participate in our second tribute to Carlos Hazday is fast approaching.  I have created the threads for discussion and to paste the links to submissions.  They can be found in the Writer's Circle:
    Carlos' stories continue to inspire readers; even those who didn't have the pleasure of knowing him.  So, consider participating if Carlos' work has sparked inspiration, no matter how tangential.  
    I have updated Comicality's tribute blog and will create the threads for that event closer to the deadline.  It's not too early to start writing something to commemorate his legacy on our site.  
  25. Valkyrie
    The Prompt Team event is in full swing, and judging from the response we got, there will be a lot of stories to read in December!  Like it or not, the New Year is fast approaching, which means so is the first writing event of 2025.  It's hard to believe this will be our second writing event in honor of our dear friend Carlos Hazday.  For newer members to the site, Carlos was a fixture of the GA community.  He welcomed and mentored new members and authors, was a great advocate of and participant in our annual anthology, and never failed to give his honest opinion.  He has been sorely missed since his passing.  Carlos had a tradition of posting something new for his readers on January first, so we will keep that tradition going with another writing event in his honor.  

     
    Auld Lang Syne - In honor of Carlos Hazday
    Let's raise a glass to our beloved Carlos! Auld lang syne, my friend! 🍾
    Anyone is welcome to contribute a story, letter, poem, or whatnot on a topic that resonates with them with respect to Carlos, be it bikes, tattoos, Florida, politics, writing, or something else. The rules are simple:
    No minimum length
    One submission per author, containing one chapter, or one prologue plus one chapter.
    The usual GA content guidelines do apply. Please use appropriate genres, tags, and story/chapter notes as applicable for your submission along with any message you wish to add to your tribute. 
    DO NOT SET THE PUBLISH DATE/TIME!  I will do this when I create the blog entry. 
    Due date to post link to thread is December 27, 2024 by 12:00 AM EST. 
    I will post the link to the thread below, after I have created it (which will likely be after this blog has posted). 
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