Jump to content

Valkyrie

Site Administrator
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    19,009

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by Valkyrie

  1. Valkyrie

    Interview with the Wizard

    By Valkyrie,


    Anthologies
    Before I get into today's blog, I want to wish our neighbors to the North a very Happy Canada Day 🍁 and my fellow US citizens a Happy Fourth of July!  🎆
    I thought it would be fun to get some history and insight into the GA Anthologies from the Grand Poobah himself, our founder and fearless leader @Myr.  So grab a cuppa and and enjoy this interview before heading out to any festivities today. 
     
     
    What prompted you to start the GA anthology?  Let’s hear some GA history!
    The first anthology was in 2004 and we wanted to do a Christmas themed challenge. It was a small start with about 10 entries (Though only 7 are still visible).  It was successful, but we had a very small staff at that time and we didn’t do another until 2006.  We decided to do them quarterly for a while, one for each season and the first theme where was a Day of Silence.  We have maintained at least 2 anthologies per year since then. 
     
    What anthology had the highest number of participants?
    The first poetry anthology in 2011 had the highest number at 26.  On the story anthology side, we have two entries tied at 24 stories each with 2008 – Spring – Living in Shadows and 2022- Anniversary
     
    Why is the anthology important to you?
    The anthologies are a good way for writers to come together as a community and showing people the many different ways people can interpret a theme.  It is also an excellent showcase for authors, new and old, to introduce themselves to the community and build an audience.  I know I have more readers from people checking out my anthologies.  If only I had more time to write, eh.
     
    What’s your favorite anthology story that you’ve either written yourself or read (or both)?
    My first anthology story, Nick Cringle, always has a special place in my heart.  I enjoyed dropping hints and got some genuine surprise from a few readers.  It’s not like I’m every going to write a straight up fiction story after all. 
     
    Where do you see the GA Anthology in ten years?
    I very dearly hope that it is still going strong in ten years. I’d like to see more authors jumping in (and some more volunteers to help us out too!)
     
    What advice do you have for new anthology participants? 
    I very strongly encourage everyone to jump into the anthology for a number of reasons.  Selfish reason first, it’s always good for Gay Authors to have more new content to share with everyone.  But on the self-interest side for authors… The anthology is the best way to attract new readers!  It is a self-contained sale pitch that says “here I am, this is what I can do. You like this story, come read my other stories”.  We actively promote the anthology stories multiple times and we have members that make it their mission to read all the entries. 
    It can be intimidating looking at the list of rules, but really, it’s just writing a self-contained story that has been edited and is your interpretation of the anthology theme.  And you, the author, are the arbiter of that interpretation.  Don’t let it scare you off.  Bend it to your will and show others your vision.
    Gay Authors Anthologies are a gift to our readers and our authors.  Carpe Diem!
     
  2. Valkyrie
    Short stories can be many things – a complete story, a character sketch, or an experiment in form. They are, by definition, short, which may leave some readers readying the torches and pitchforks.  @wildone asked a question in our last guest blog about what to do when readers are clamoring for more, and you want to continue the story, but not necessarily at that moment. It’s a great question and one I deal with on a regular basis since I primarily write short stories.  I’ve gotten quite adept at dodging pitchforks and torches!

    These are some things I have found useful when I want to continue a story, but don’t have the time.  The most helpful thing for me is to write a copious amount of notes about the characters, world, plot elements and twists, and anything else that comes to mind.  Sometimes it may be a snippet of dialogue, the name of a character, or even the title.  Writing these things down while the original story is fresh in your mind will help refresh your memory when it comes time to write the continuation.  Keep the notebook handy to jot down ideas as they come to you. 
    Try writing some prompt responses set in your story’s world or featuring a character or two. Prompts are designed to be spontaneous and are great for exploring ideas, even if they’re not used in your follow-up story.  You never know where prompts will take you!
    Personally, I find that sometimes I need to let stories ferment and rattle around in my brain before I can start writing them.  So, taking a bit of a pause isn’t necessarily a bad thing, although your readers may disagree. When you are ready to write, I suggest re-reading the original story, which helps get you back into the setting and characters’ minds.  Then look at all those notes you jotted down and start writing! 
    Leave a comment with any other tips you can think of, and let's see some sequels this fall!  Just remember that anthology stories must be stand-alone and not require any prior reading,  but that's a topic for another blog  
  3. Valkyrie

    A Hard Habit to Break

    By Valkyrie,


    Prompts
    We are creatures of habit, and sometimes those habits can be a bit strange, especially to other people.  My best friend in high school preferred to walk on the right side of people.  If I forgot and walked on her right side, she would make me switch over to her left side.  It became a bit of a  joke between us, and it became a habit for me to walk on the left side of people, even if she wasn't around.  Over thirty years later, I still walk on the left side of people and feel uncomfortable if I walk on the right.   So, let's explore our quirky habits and embrace the weird!  
    Don't forget to post the link to prompt stories below.  It may be featured in a future blog.    
    PT Prompt #229
    Tell the story of how a strange habit formed.
     
    PT Prompt #230
    How does a strange habit affect a job/relationship/friendship? 
     
    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

    Under Construction

    By Valkyrie,


    Anthologies
    Best laid plans... I've been working on an anthology blog post for the past couple of weeks, and every time I sit down to work on it, something seems to pull me away.    So of course, it happened again tonight, but in a good way.  I'm writing this on Wednesday night, 6/12, which also happens to be my birthday 🎂Without going into all the details, my day did not go according to plan.  What started out as an aggravating day turned into a much better one.  I had originally planned on stopping at the grocery store to pick up a nice dinner, since I wasn't planning on celebrating until Friday (which is now Saturday, so the thwarting continues), then didn't have time to do that, so decided on takeout delivery.  I had literally just ordered my food when I got a text from @Dabeagle asking if I was free for dinner since he was in town.  I now have lunch and dinner for tomorrow, since I have leftover steak from my dinner out  (thank you, Dabeagle!).  This is my long-winded way of saying there isn't a new anthology blog this week.  Please let me know if there are any specific topics you would like addressed in future blogs, or are willing to write a guest blog.  In the meantime, I promise to have the next writing tip blog ready for next week, and here is another reminder of upcoming events.  
     
     
  5. Valkyrie

    A Matter of Perspective

    By Valkyrie,


    Prompts
    Sometimes it feels like we’re losing the ability to empathize with each other.  Road rage, entitlement, me, me, me.  Recently, I was heading into a store and someone locked their car with that annoying car beep right as I was passing it.  I am extremely sensitive to noise, so it caused me to involuntarily flinch.  The person noticed, so their reaction was to beep the lock again.  I ended up going into the store right before them, and held the door for them.  Their look of surprise was worth pushing down the urge to let the door slam in the guy’s face.  Even though this is a pretty minor incident, it has me thinking about why this person felt the need to deliberately antagonize someone because they flinched at noise. I thought this would be a perfect subject for some prompts, so let’s take a deep breath and look at things from another perspective.  Both of these prompts are based on actual experiences I have had.
     
    Write each of these prompts from both perspectives. 
    PT Prompt #225:
    It’s rush hour and one driver is trying to turn right onto a busy 6-lane street.  A second driver doesn’t let them in, and driver one gets annoyed.  Later, on the same street, there is construction which has two lanes closed, causing drivers in those lanes to have to merge into the one open lane.  Now the tables are turned, and driver two needs driver one to let them merge.  What happens next?
     
    PT Prompt #226:
    Two people are in a car – one driver and one passenger.  The passenger is known to get carsick quite easily, which is made worse in stop-and-go traffic.  At a stoplight, the driver looks the passenger in the eye as they repeatedly creep forward, then put the brakes on.  They passenger asks them to please stop, and they don’t.  What is the passenger's reaction?  Why is the driver behaving this way? 
     
     
    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/
      
     
  6. Valkyrie

    Upcoming Writing Events - Reminder

    By Valkyrie,


    Anthologies
    GA's Secret Author contests are a fun way to participate in site activities and also to get your stories read by a wide audience.  There's plenty of time to get a story written and submitted to Cia!  Just don't tell anyone you're participating   Outside of your beta/editing team, of course.  Information can be found here:
    Guidelines for our annual anthology have also been released, and it's never too early to start and get your story(ies) to the proof team.  More information can be found here:
    We've also announced a writing event for next year; a tribute to Comicality.  More information can be found here:
    There may be another surprise or two coming up this year, so stay tuned to this blog for future announcements! 
  7. Valkyrie
    With the announcement of this year's Secret Author Contest - Hidden - I thought it would be a perfect time to take a look back at last year's winner, @Libby Drew If you haven't read her heart-wrenching tale based on the theme of "Secret", then I highly recommend you do so.  It's worth a re-read, even if you've already checked it out. So read Libby's story, then get writing for this year's contest!  
     
    Details for Hidden can be found here: 
    Remember to keep your participation in the contest a secret...   
  8. Valkyrie

    Freaky Friday

    By Valkyrie,


    Prompts
    Sometimes life can get a little freaky.  So let's get our freak on and explain the unexplainable.  

     
    PT Prompt #221
    You're running late to work and don't have time to stop for your customary cup of coffee.  Instead, you end up taking a completely different route to work and end up experiencing what can only be described as a 'glitch in the Matrix'.  What happened?  
    PT Prompt #222
    You keep having moments of deja vu, to the point where it's starting to freak both you and your friends out.  Then you predict a bombshell event that comes true.  What was it and how does it affect you?
     
    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/
  9. Valkyrie

    Guest Blog - Writing Short Stories

    By Valkyrie,


    Writing Tips
    Today's blog comes to us courtesy of our resident Coyote Cub, @astone2292.  He's put aside his Ask the Author and Guess the Author hats to give us his thoughts on writing short stories.  Thank you, Aaron for sharing your ideas with us!  I would like to do a series of these blogs, so if there's a particular topic you would like to see addressed, please PM me and let me know.  Now on to our feature presentation!  
     
    Only one word comes to mind when I think about short story crafting:  Excitement. I might be considered a selfish dink when I say this but I am not thinking about a reader's excitement here. I'm thinking of my own. If I'm not excited for it, why would anyone else be? 
    Me, myself, and I, I tend to live in the now. If I find something funny, I'll be swimming in that proverbial pool all day. Retelling the event or joke over and over in my head, sharing with my friends and coworkers, and using that EXCITEMENT in my bounding gait for hours. That is the power of a short story, at least in my life. It's what I look for after reading one. Exciting things happen to us all in some shape or form, so why not use them in our field of expertise? 
    One of my favorite ways of crafting a short is using dad jokes. I know, I know, I feel several bullseyes on my person. But look at the core value: it's a joke that, albeit groan-worthy, will leave a lasting impression on one's mind and add itself to one's arsenal of conversation pieces. All you have to do is expand on it a bit. Why was the bicycle too tired to compete in the race? What was the true reason for the drummer to name his twin daughters Anna-one and Anna-two? See, I either made you giggle or grab the nearest can to pelt me with. Harness that emotion, grab your creative toolbelt, and run with it!
    I follow a piece of advice from one of my English professors in college. "If you don't have to think about it, don't." And I might as well have that line tattooed on my hand. I am notorious for my lack of brainstorming, and while it drives beta-readers up the wall, I can't help but cackle maniacally like an evil villain. Combine that with a golden rule Carlos Hazday gave me, "A chapter is done when it's done, regardless of word count," I have a fair idea when a story is done. Looking at the second story in my "Sticks and Stories" collection, I used 288 words to create a cute tale of a gingerbread man escaping a castle's kitchen. Did it need more? Heck no! I got my point across, and several people got their fair share of giggles. 
    So, with my rambling out of the way... What goes into a short story? Contrary to my advice of wild and rampant writing with no concern for whether your britches are being held, thought is required. Not much, but some. I recommend sticking with the basics: a beginning, a middle, and an ending. Refrain from branching out potential avenues, lest you tread into novella/novel territory. 
    Humble beginnings? More like crucial beginnings. This is the beast. The big game. This was my rambling earlier. What happened to pique your interest in creating a short story? Without the inspiration, you have nothing. Let's use... Oh, what's a good example? The too-tired bicycle dad joke! *dodges a thrown tomato* I was joking! Jeezums! In all seriousness, your beginning lays out the potential path to victory. Odds are you already know the ending, but you need to dissect the correct branch to form your middle. Trim the weeds, in this case, the audibles that speak for you to widen the story's length and winding road. Iron out the wrinkles of the chosen route that leads to the middle. 
    Speaking of, we're skipping the middle for now. The ending is the easiest part of the battle. How will your tale finish? Does the hero overcome his adversary or problem? Are you going to pull a Game of Thrones and lop off his/her head? Is it a happy-ever-after with a smoking-hot beefcake? I know my preference. *cough* But remember this: once you set your ending, you must coordinate it and your beginning to craft your...
    Middle! Oh, jeez. This can either be easy or challenging. Taking this year's Secret Author contest as an example, you have up to 30,000 words to use. What may be even more daunting is the concept of having one chapter to play with. Do you dare use every word at your disposal and create a lengthy document, or shall you cut it to make a precise piece? As an author, you must dance. Tango with the details long enough, and you lose your readers to repetitive boredom. Do the Lindy, and your readers will hop into the ending without realizing it. The key is placing your few plot points in proper beat to the rhythm of the short bop you're making. 
    Aside from all of the, what some may consider goofy nonsense, the most critical advice I can give for short story creation is to have fun. We're authors. We write because we love to express ourselves. I adore writing shorts. They consist of subjects or ideas that I want to put out there but don't have the proper time or attention span to give them. Do those ideas deserve more tender, love, and care? Probably, but I also have to conserve my energy. If I exhaust myself with novels, I'll be on the floor gasping for air in a forest cabin with no WiFi and a typewriter. Short stories are also an exciting way to throw spitballs on a wall. Readers will comment and clamor for more from certain shorts than others. That can signal you, the author, to expand on a story universe, thus creating a beloved tale, novel, or even a series. 
    For those who think they can't write a short story, I'm gonna poke you on the nose. You can do it. If some snot-nosed man-child from Banjoland, Kentucky can, you can. I found a home in writing novels. In the last year, I've popped out more short stories than I ever anticipated. I'm having an absolute blast! Toying with new ideas, giving dusty side characters new life, and experimenting with tones and emotions gives me writing energy. So, I'm challenging you, novel-exclusive authors. Make a story that resembles an elementary school science fair project. And if that paper-mache volcano explodes green goop instead of red, let it stain the gymnasium floor for all to enjoy for the years to come. In the end, you'll laugh and love it just as much as your readers. I promise you this. 
  10. Valkyrie

    Vacation Time!

    By Valkyrie,


    Prompts
    I just spent two wonderful weeks in the south of England, seeing everything from the Cerne Giant (Google it if you're not familiar...  )  to Stonehenge at sunset.  I could write an entire story about all the sights and experiences from the trip, but at the moment, will have to settle with two prompts based of actual things I experienced during my adventures. 
    PT Prompt #217
    After travelling for over 24 hours with pretty much no sleep and lots of Dramamine (motion sickness med that makes you very drowsy), you arrive at the house you rented in a foreign country with your friends.  You all enjoy a delicious dinner, then decide to hike up the local Tor to see the sunset.  Despite very little physical prepping for the trip, you make it to the top and celebrate this achievement!  On the way back down, in the dark, you encounter a man on his way up the Tor.  You stop to let him by, and end up talking for over ten minutes.  At the end of the conversation, the man tells you he loves you and then you exchange a heartfelt hug.  What was the conversation about?  What happens next?
    PT Prompt #218
    You've rented out the majority of a house for your trip with your friends with the exception of one room.  During your stay, there are other guests who have booked that room.  The one time you decide to cook breakfast instead of having yogurt or cereal, you set off the fire alarm in the kitchen. What were you cooking?  How do the other guests react?  
     
    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/
    As an FYI per Aditus' request, I wanted to let everyone know that he is taking a short break from his GA duties to attend to family matters.  Cole Matthews and I will be alternating weeks to continue to bring you prompts every week.  Addy hopes to be back by late summer.  
  11. Valkyrie
    I'd like to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped make this year's GA Poetry Anthology a huge success!  We had 16 poetry submissions to read, all of which are linked to below.  If you haven't already, I highly recommend checking them out and leaving our site poets a comment, reaction, review, recommendation, or all of the above!  I'm thrilled with the support for this year's poetry anthology, and I'm already working on next year's anthology.   So thank you, site poets for your incredible contributions, and thank you, site readers for supporting our poets with so many lovely comments and reviews! 
    Putting together GA anthologies is very much a team effort, so I would also like to thank everyone who worked behind the scenes to make this anthology possible. 
    Anthology Coordinator
    Valkyrie
    Tech Support
    Myr
    Cia
    Wildone
    Anthology Banner Creation
    Cia 
     
     
  12. Valkyrie
    It's week three of our 2024 poetry anthology - Seasons, and we have six more poems and poem collections to enjoy!  Be sure to leave a comment or review for the poet.  A reminder that I will be on vacation from April 7-22nd with limited availability to be on site, so please direct any technical issues to @Myr @wildone or @Cia
     
     
  13. Valkyrie
    Welcome to week two of our 2024 poetry anthology - Seasons! Enjoy these next five poems and poem collections and be sure to leave a comment or review for the poet.  A reminder that I will be on vacation from April 7-22nd with limited availability to be on site, so please direct any technical issues to @Myr @wildone or @Cia
    @Aditus and @Valkyrie both have two chapters, so be sure to come back tomorrow to check them out! 
     
     
  14. Valkyrie
    I am very happy to announce that we have 16 amazing submissions for the poetry anthology this year!  We will be featuring them throughout the month of April, in celebration of National Poetry Month.  Enjoy these first five poems and poem collections and be sure to leave a comment or review for the poet.  I will be on vacation from April 7-22nd with limited availability to be on site, so please direct any technical issues to @Myr @wildone or @Cia
     
     
     
  15. Valkyrie

    Let's Write Some Poetry!

    By Valkyrie,


    Prompts
    Since National Poetry Writing Month is fast approaching, along with the Poetry Anthology, I thought it would be the perfect time to feature some poetry prompts! 
     
    PT Prompt #213 - Poetry
    Write a poem about a feeling without explicitly naming what that feeling is. 
     
    PT Prompt #214 - Poetry 
    Use spring as your springboard to start a poem.  Embrace the fickleness of the season! 
     
    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/
  16. Valkyrie

    Why April?

    By Valkyrie,


    Anthologies
    Why did I choose April to feature the poetry anthology?  I thought it would be a perfect way to feature our site poets during National Poetry Month!  April is the month to celebrate all things poetry; so read, write, and if you're daring, participate in the NaPoWriMo writing challenge!  NaPoWriMo stands for National Poetry Writing Month. It's the sibling to NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) in November.  So what is this challenge I speak of?  Simple.  Write one poem per day (30 total) during the month of April.  Or I should say write one poem per day average.  If you skip a day and write two in one day, the challenge is still met.  There are many sites where you can get daily poetry prompts in April, or you might decide on a theme for the month.  Or write a mish mash with no cohesiveness whatsoever.  The goal is to write; not to write masterpieces.  It's a fun time to experiment with form, rhyme, or style.  Many GA poets have taken up the challenge over the years.  In general, participants post weekly throughout April.   It's quite interesting to see different takes on the same prompt, or what someone has chosen as their theme for the month.   
    I'm happy to say we've had a great turnout for this year's poetry anthology, so I will be featuring anthology submissions during the entire month of April.  There's still time to participate, so check out the guidelines, and feel free to participate, even if you are new to poetry!  
     

  17. Valkyrie

    Calling All Poets!

    By Valkyrie,


    Anthologies
    There's still time to get some poems written for the 2024 Poetry Anthology - Seasons!  We're already seeing some submissions come in, so let's make this a great anthology!  We need participation for these anthologies to continue, so even if you're new to the art of poetry, give it a try and see where it takes you.  A great starting point is checking out @AC Benus's prompts in the Poetry Forum.  
    https://gayauthors.org/forums/forum/369-poetry/
     
    Guidelines can be found here:
    So who's in?  
  18. Valkyrie
    We're just a couple of weeks away from drinking green beer and eating corned beef and cabbage, so let's celebrate all things St. Patrick's Day! 

     
    PT Prompt #207
    HR calls you into their office based on a report of an unfortunate pinching incident on St. Patrick's Day.  Who made the report, why, and is it true?  
     
    PT Prompt #208
    After a night of drinking too much green beer and Guinness, you wake up in a strange bed that's much too small for you.  Next to you, fast asleep, is a guy dressed as a leprechaun.  Convinced the beard is fake, you pull on it, only to discover it isn't, and then the guy wakes up, not too pleased to be woken up that way.  What happens next? 
     
    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/
  19. Valkyrie

    It's Time to Vote!

    By Valkyrie,


    Anthologies
    I'd like to extend a huge thank you to the Anthology theme selection committee for submitting some pretty awesome themes to vote on!  It was not easy narrowing down the entries.  In fact, we ended up with a top six instead of a top five!  We are trying something a little different this year to select our top theme.  Please click on the link below to rank your top three choices.  The theme that has the most votes for first will be our 2024 anthology theme!  

    https://gayauthors.org/surveys/index.php/459382?lang=en
     
     
    Thank you @raven1 @CassieQ @Aditus @drown @E K Stokes @northie @astone2292 and @Gary L! And thank you to @Myr for creating the survey!
  20. Valkyrie

    Announcing the 2024 Poetry Anthology!

    By Valkyrie,


    Anthologies
    I am happy to announce that the poetry anthology will be returning again this year!  Please check out the guidelines below, and I look forward to reading a lot of excellent poetry in April! 
     
    2024 Poetry Anthology - Due: April 1, 2024
    The 2024 Theme is “Seasons”
    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 2024 Poetry Anthology – Seasons 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: April 1, 2024
    Please Note:  Anthology submissions must be uploaded into Stories and the link posted in the 2024 Poetry Anthology Exploration Links topic, which can be found under the Anthology tab in the Writer’s Circle Club, by midnight EST April 1, 2024.   
    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 themes 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 2024 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 2024 Gay Authors Seasons 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.
  21. Valkyrie

    Anthology Update

    By Valkyrie,


    Anthologies
    The anthology theme committee is hard at work narrowing down their submitted themes to a top five for the GA membership to vote on.  Stay tuned over the next couple of weeks for the announcement!  There are some pretty cool themes up for consideration.  In the meantime, be sure to check out the guidelines for the GA Poetry Anthology - Seasons, due April first.  It's not too early to get started on some poetry!  

     
  22. Valkyrie

    Let's Talk About the Weather!

    By Valkyrie,


    Prompts
    What does conversation inevitably drift towards when all other topics are exhausted?  Whether you like it or not, it's usually the weather  

     
    PT Prompt #199:
    You're a weatherman who got the forecast completely wrong before a catastrophic storm hit.  What were the consequences?  
    PT Prompt #200:
    Because the weatherman was so colossally wrong, you were taken completely by surprise by this storm.  What kind of storm was it?   Where did you weather it?  What happened afterwards?  
     
    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/
     
  23. Valkyrie

    Time to Travel!

    By Valkyrie,


    Prompts
    Winter decided it wanted to dump our annual snowfall on us all at once this week, so it's a perfect time to think about being somewhere where the air doesn't hurt your face.  

     
    PT Prompt #197
    You decide to plan your next vacation by closing your eyes, spinning a globe, and going wherever your finger lands.  Where do you end up going on vacation? 
     
    PT Prompt #198
    Plan a vacation that's the polar opposite of your dream trip.  Don't like cruises?  Go on a cruise.  Hate the cold?  Go to Alaska.  Let us know what happens.  
     
    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

    2024 Writing Events - In Full Swing!

    By Valkyrie,


    Anthologies
    Even though we're only days into the new year, we've already kicked off our year of amazing writing events with our tribute to Carlos Hazday.  If you haven't checked it out yet, be sure to do so. 
    We have several other exciting writing events in the works, including a poetry anthology and our annual anthology.  We will be holding another secret author contest as well.  There are some really cool prompt-related events coming down the pipeline as well, so stay tuned for further information regarding all these opportunities to feature your writing! 
    I am working on updating the poetry anthology guidelines, so stay tuned for that announcement.  
    I will also  be looking for volunteers to serve on a committee to select the theme for the annual anthology.  If you are interested in volunteering, please send me a PM.  
  25. Valkyrie
    January first has always been a day to look forward to for fans of Carlos Hazday.  He always posted something new for readers to look forward on this day.  While it hurts like hell knowing we will never have that privilege again, today we celebrate the man that was our friend, mentor, author, and site contributor.  So, raise a toast in honor of Carlos (or flip off the sky - I think he would appreciate either sentiment!) and check out these 11 tributes in his memory.  Long may you run, my friend.  Your chrome heart always shone brightly in the Florida sun!  

     
    Thank you to all who contributed to this tribute.  It's clear how much Carlos meant to our community, and how much he is missed.  Please take the time to react, comment, and/or review these tributes.  
    I would also like to thank @Cia @Myr and @wildone for their behind-the-scenes support.  Cia created the awesome banner used for the tribute stories. 
×
×
  • Create New...