Comicality

I'm re-writing this one for an ebook! I think you'll like it even better! ::Fingers crossed::

You wanna know what the first step is? It's the question of asking yourself 'normal to WHO?' 'Acceptable to WHO?' Read "Gone From Daylight", and pay attention to Justin's conversation with Zero. That's where you'll find the first steps towards a better understanding. If you'v already read it...read it again. It's in the "GFD: Revelations" chapter. Who made these rules for the rest of us to follow? And what is THEIR agenda? How would they feel if it was me making the rules? Oh...they don't like that, do they? So why are we expected to feel any different? Think about it.

((Hugz)) Sorry...I did get sick for a little while, but only a few days this time. So it didn't last long. And I'm a little lightheaded, but I've got work to do. LOL! Mwah! My medicine is only 25 bucks, and donations have taken care of i for me. So thank you thank thank you! You guys are the BEST! Plus I wrote extra stuff to make sure my internet stays on! So that's taken care of too! AND...ebook sales helped out a great deal! Which means that I'm in good standing and can writ more stuff for the site alone! I love it! And you will too! Promise! Seezya soon! And I'll get back to emails on Monday! Love you lots, and I'll seezya soon!

See It It can be a really difficult concept to grasp for a vast majority of people, you know? Especially those who don't find themselves driven by a certain creative passion. I mean, I used to think..."Well, yeah. Of course there are going to be a few people who don't understand the idea behind it, and there's no way for me to effectively explain it to them in a way where they can truly absorb the concept in the same way that I can." But after years and years of looking for kindred spirits online and offline...it became clear that most people have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about half the time when it comes to my writing or why it means so much to me. And this goes from my closest friends, to my family, to my own mother. When I talk about writing and how deeply it runs inside of me and how much I wish I could do it every second of every day...they really don't get it. This used to really baffle me at first. Sometimes, it would even frustrate me to the point of being really ANGRY that they didn't seem to want to understand what I was telling them and made a deliberate effort to keep it that way. It was like they discarded or trivialized one of the most important parts of my personality, my heart, my mind, my life...and didn't seem to feel any remorse about it. How can this be? You know? What is so complicated about what it is that I'm trying to tell you right now? But...the truth is... It IS rather complicated. To them it is at least. And what was once such a frustrating burden that made me feel isolated and disenchanted with the whole process...became a truly liberating feeling that I wasn't really paying attention to before. And if you can see I for yourselves, and truly tap into it, you will be able to raise your storytelling abilities beyond anything that you ever thought was possible before. But it takes a shift in your thinking to make that happen, and a sincere appreciation for a skill that was never meant to be explained or taught to other people. That being said... Let me take a shot at explaining this and teaching it to other people! Hehehe! See? We're making progress already! Somewhere early on in the "Gone From Daylight" series, I shared a true story of something that my art teacher once told me at a very young age. Being a huge fan of cartoons and comic books and my head full of all of these stories that I wanted to tell...I used to rally get upset and mentally punish myself for not being able to draw things and have them look the way that I wanted them to look. She could see the bitterness on my face and she would tell me to relax. Mostly because I was trying too hard and getting upset to the point where discouragement was beginning to settle in. It's at this point where a lot of people give up on something that they might end up being really good at if they can just hang in there and stick with it. And I was reaching that point at lightning speed. And I'd crumple up my paper, rip it in half, or scribble stuff out to the point of almost tearing a hole in the page. Hehehe, I was a passionate little brat. Don't hold it against me. And there was a day when I just came right out and asked her if she could just teach me how to draw. I mean, she's a teacher, right? That's her job. And even after all these years, I remember what she told me. She said, "Nobody can teach you how to draw. But I can teach you how to see." Now, I think I was in the fifth or sixth grade at the time, so that took a lot more explanation and working with me on her part, but I eventually got a hint of what she meant...and everything else began to slowly but surely fall into place after that. Not all at once, of course...but I was able to make enough progress, day after day, to keep pushing forward to see if I could get even better instead of just aggravating myself for not getting it perfect on the first try. That still sticks with me to this very day. You have to know your talents, your advantages, and the tools at your disposal. You have to know them better than anybody else out there. I'm not talking about memorizing certain rules or writing formulas or tips and tricks of the trade. You have to find, recognize, and believe in your ability to do what you do best. Seek it out. Every memory you have, every emotion you've ever felt, every interaction that you've ever had with other people (both good and bad), is something that can be mixed in with the core elements of who you are as a person. And you have no idea how brightly that shines when you find a way to pour that heart and soul into your writing in a naturally fluid and captivating manner. Hmmm...I feel like I'm losing my focus here... You know how you can walk around in your house in the dark with hardly any trouble at all? It's easier with the lights on, but you know where the couch is. You know how far the coffee table sticks out, where the light switch is in the kitchen, or how to feel around for your alarm clock even when you're half asleep. You don't have to really 'guess' at what you're doing. There's an inner sense within you that can allow you to see it without even seeing it. When you sit down at your keyboard with an idea in your head...your writing isn't all that different. You know, in your heart of hearts, exactly what it is that you have to do. Take a moment and think about it. 'See' it. I know people online who have been infinitely helpful to me online, because they can look at a computer code and figure it out as if it was easy as reading a children's book. People who can draw a million times better than I ever could when they're just absentmindedly scribbling on a piece of scrap paper to pass the time. They can play the piano, or the guitar, or match the colors of an outfit, or cook a gourmet meal, or look at a car engine and see any flaws or problems with it in a matter of seconds. If those people had to explain to me what they do and how they do it...it would be a difficult task to pull off. It's just something that they know how to do. It comes as second nature to them. How do you translate something that comes so casually to you into words that somebody else can actually understand and apply with any level of skill to their own projects, even with years and years of training? And even then they might not be able to reach a level of being unique or standing out as one of the greats. It's something to think about. But if writing is your passion...then recognizing the almost intangible nature of creating your own stories out of thin air is a way to find and sharpen your greatest instincts. Even if you never realized that you had them with you the whole time. Hehehe, why am I suddenly imagining Dorothy in "The Wizard Of Oz" clicking her heels three times to get back home? Take a look at the two videos below. This is a very very young Justin Bieber displaying a natural talent for playing the drums and keeping a steady beat. A LOT of people really cannot do this...but in the first video, he's two years old. TWO! And in the second video, he's only nine! You can't say that he's had years of instruction or formal training to be able to pull this off, because not even old enough to make that claim. BUT...he can look at a surface, get a beat in his head, and when it comes to pulling it off...he can just 'see' it. Everything is laid out right in front of him, and his brain just processes the act of manifesting that sound and creating that rhythm by allowing himself to full engage with whatever it is that he has to work with in that particular moment. It's not really what I would call a thought process...it's more like being able to identify the colors in a rainbow. You see them. You know what they are. And whether you can explain them someone else or not, you can automatically translate into something more concrete for other people to pick up on. And it only gets better with time. Just look at this for a moment... 00 Now, what you should notice right away is the fact this isn't just some rehearsed routine with rules and guidance and limitations. Somehow...what's happening here is that he is actually able to see the limitless 'colors' in his pallet when it comes to building a beat, and he's able to recreate them in a different form. One that we can hear and enjoy. There's something inside of him that he knows how to bring it to the surface for the rest of us to experience in a way similar to the way he experiences it. You can't ask him how he did that or get him to really teach you much more than the basics...but if you sat down and practiced your ass off at those basics, you might be able to see it too. Not the rules of drumming, not the rhythmic cadence needed, or how to mimic someone else's solo...but there's a barrier that you can eventually break through and understand whatever it was that Justin Bieber was able to understand as a two year old. Writing is no different, in my opinion. But you have to be able to see it. You have to be able to feel it. In your mind, there are millions of conversations, movie quotes, special moments, deep thoughts, song lyrics...ask yourself what they meant to you and why? But don't just concentrate on the translation of someone else's vision...focus on how it made you feel, and think about how you would translate that emotion into words of your very own. It takes some work and some soul searching...and there may be days when the appropriate words won't come to you right away...but don't take shortcuts. And don't feel discouraged if you have to struggle with finding a way to say what you're trying so hard to say. Visualize it. See the aura surrounding your expression and cross that bridge into making it concrete so other people can feel it too. The more you work at it, the clearer that vision will become. You will find ways to tap into a part of the creative process that many authors simply can't. Naturally, I have to go back and edit and fix up my word mechanics and check my story continuity and all of that...but that's not where the power of my story is going to come from. I'm always trying to make sure that my ideas are executed as effectively as possible...but being able to 'see' the story is the core of the story itself. And the emotional wallop is the most important part in my eyes. The rest I can fix in post. Hehehe! I have had a bunch of people tell me that they couldn't understand why I can't toss chapters out faster than I often do. They look at it like, "How hard can it possibly be to type out 3000 to 3500 words a few times a week?" And it can be really hard to get them to understand that I'm not just typing...I'm WRITING. There's a huge difference. And if they can't figure out what that difference is...I really don't know how to explain it to them. It will just have to remain my own little personal mystery until they figure out how to apply the practice to something that they're personally passionate about. It's the only way that it'll ever make sense. That's it for now! But if this made some kind of sense, and stimulated some writer's growth for you guys, then I'm glad! Feel free to add your two cents down below if you have anything to add or just want to share your own experience! It's always good to hear from a variety of perspectives, after all! Take care! Stay beautiful! And I leave you with a late teen Justin Bieber as he evolved even further by being able to see and translate his art for the masses. Some passions just become a vital part of who you are over time. So never give up! And look for my article on 'Writer Experience' a bit further down the road. You'd be surprised what's possible when you reach the higher levels!

No real reason...I'm just feeling good! You ever have days when you're just like...life is beautiful? You know? Yeah, it's one of those days! PLUS I got another donation to the paypal, which makes it 100 times better! Yay! Now I'm gonna giggle myself silly! Hahaha! I'm still a little scared of the stuff I've been writing these past two weeks or so, though. I know that I worry too much, and it's ridiculous because I try, desperately, to talk myself into not being so stupid about it...but it's almost like I can't help but to get stuck. Especially when it comes to finishing a story where I really need to 'stick the landing' or I'll ruin the whole thing. I just need to get out of my own way and stop letting my head fuck with me. Ugh! I wish I wasn't like this. Sorry you guys. BUT...like I said, today is a good day! Maybe I'll have a breakthrough! Let's see! Mood swings suck. LOL!

If you've never seen it, check out "Boy Choir"! Great movie! And Garrett Waering is super cute too! Hehehe! But yes, amazing movie!

I remember hearing this song for the first time (especially the second verse), and it just brought back so many memories of trying to heal from all of this. And it just...its what you've got to do to get yourself well again. You know? A lot of people will never know how hard it is...to love yourself again after something like this. But it's possible. That's all you need to know. ((Hugz))

No worries! Loved it! Thanks!

Hehehe, it is still SO weird to see Ryan Gosling and Justin Timberlake soooo young! And they were roommates during these years! (That's a fanfic waiting to happen) Crazy!

Hehehe, awwww! Jack is growing up to be such a handsome young man! Wow! MWAH!!!

I wasn't trying to duck and dodge anybody the past few days, I'm just trying to finish up everything that I've been working on. And most of it is stuff that I've never done before...so I need to get it right and give it my all. That's all. BUT...I will be answering emails today, and posting more stories, as well as more ebooks in the Comicality book Section, which directly supports the site! https://imagine-magazine.org/store/comicality/ So thank soooo much! And I'll see ya later on tonight! Love you lots! And I hope to talk to you soon!

Definitely a positive! Thanks, folks!

Omigod! Gotta share this on the Shack forum! Damn....I'm old! LOL!

no way! Sony still....ummm...well they have.... Ah shit! We'll they'll find something!

A very simple, very humble, anniversary goes out to the Shack, which was started on June 19th way back in 1998. So stick around... ::Raises Eyebrow::

I still don't think that it's a good idea to make movies out of Spider-Man's villains just to eat off of Marvel's plate...but now they're not playing fair! Hehehe! First of all...'R' rating! Definite plus, and very much needed! And second...really, Sony? You're going to put Levi Miller AND Billy Barratt in the same movie??? Even if it's just for a little while, you know how that affects my hart. It's not fair. You sorta slid by with Venom...and at least you made money with Morbius...but this is it! No more after this! Stop it! I need what little money I got for other stuff. Cheaters...

Wreckage/Redemption I, honestly, can’t help but to love a story about character redemption! We all do to some degree, don’t we? There’s just something about it that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Considering that we all have fears and insecurities, flaws and weaknesses...it’s extremely easy to relate and empathize with characters who find that special moment in time when they’re able to overcome the odds and find the courage to grow and evolve and navigate their way beyond what’s been holding them back all this time. Especially if it’s an underdog. I mean, it’s a seriously fun part of the whole hero’s journey, isn’t it? We all love to see that in the stories we allow to take a special place in our hearts, and we all secretly wish we could find those special moments in our own lives that would allow us to achieve the same level of rebirth. Who wouldn’t, right? And yet, at the same time…I definitely have my darker side. Hehehe! I mean, anybody who’s ever read some of my “Gone From Daylight” spinoffs (https://gayauthors.org/stories/browse/world/gone-from-daylight/) or my ebook exclusives like the horror themed “Darkness Waits” or the first two books of “The Boys Of Widow Lake” (https://imagine-magazine.org/store/comicality/) already knows that my mind can go to some really dark places sometimes as well! In an entertaining way, of course. Hehehe...ahem! So I also have quite the affection for stories of someone being totally wrecked as a human being. Something that I’m sure happens a lot more than any of us would like to believe, and could possibly happen to any one of us at any time. I mean, it just makes for a compelling story...seeing someone completely fall apart to the point where it’s just like, “Fuck the world! The rules don’t matter anymore!” It’s one of those ‘stare into the abyss’ situations, and I’m always intrigued by tales of people being pushed over the edge beyond the point of no return. So what is it about these types of stories that makes them so engaging for readers, how do we create the allure for them, and why is it so difficult to combine the two themes together when it comes to building a project around both of them at once? That’s what we’re going to tackle today. So grab some popcorn and your drink of choice...and let’s get into it. The thing about writing a good ‘wreckage’ story is that you want your audience to actually relate to the main character and find some sort of mirror between your protagonist and themselves that will allow them to fill in the gaps and find some level of understanding that they can follow along with, and maybe even respect on some level. This is key when it comes to a good wreckage story. You have to take someone doing some very BAD things to people...and somehow paint them as the hero of this story simultaneously. Well, maybe the word ‘protagonist’ is a better term to use here. This may sound like a difficult task, but to be honest, it’s actually pretty easy. Hehehe! I mean, I’ve always been a die hard optimist, and I do have a lot of faith in humanity...but a lot of people suck. Seriously. And don’t tell me that it hasn’t crossed your mind on a weekly, if not daily, basis! Have you ever watched a compilation of those frustrating ‘Karen’ videos on Youtube videos, and thought to yourself, “This bitch needs to get punched in her fucking mouth and dragged out of this store by her hair?” Like...how do adults get away with acting like this in a civil society. You can call me wrong for saying it out loud, but I won’t take it back. FUCK those people! Hehehe! But...would I be the ‘good guy’ if I were to haul off and throw this loudmouth brat through a plate glass store window? Probably not. But I’m willing to bet that people would applaud me if I did it anyway. People have limits. Everybody knows it. And the entitled pieces of trash who get in people faces without expecting any consequences to follow their outrageous behavior...a lot of people would cheer to see them finally learn a lesson about how to treat other people. If you’re writing a wreckage story...that’s the exact emotion and feeling of harsh justice that you need to tap into. Something that’s needed. Something that feels deserved. Even if the actions of your protagonist are irrational and possibly even criminal...your readers will be intrigued and cheer them on anyway. That’s your ‘in’. Think about what really aggravates and disgusts you about certain people in general...and translate that into conflicts and stressful situations that will get your audience to side with the ‘villain’ of the story. It’s like watching someone getting bitten by an angry dog after they’ve been poking it with a sharp stick for an hour, just to cause it harm and hear it holler. When that guy gets a bloody bite taken out of him...it’s like, “GOOD! That’s what you get, asshole!” The idea of instant karma is a powerful tool when it comes to stories like this. I think a couple of great examples of an awesome, well written, wreckage story...would be Michael Douglas’ “Falling Down” and Kevin Bacon’s “Death Sentence”. Watch both of those movies! Amazing! And again...they’re doing some really bad things, but you can’t say that (on some level, maybe on many levels) it wasn’t justified. You actually understand why they’re doing what they’re doing...bad guy or not. And something about that taps into a part of you that makes you root for them the entire time. It’s crazy. 000 With these movies you get to bear witness to the breakdown of someone who has, basically, been leveraged out of their sanity in a lot of ways. It’s almost like watching a road rage situation unfold, where people could have just left them alone and gone on with the rest of their day. It’s a dark ideology for sure, but it isn’t one that readers can’t understand once you’ve gotten them engaged in the thick of it. Accomplishing this just comes from really going into detail about the ever present pressure on your main character and the people he or she cares about. And how that pressure seems to be swelling to the point where it almost becomes unbearable for your protagonist to deal with. I truly believe that there’s a trigger within each and every single one of us that can be flipped when we’re pushed beyond our limits to contain the fury that comes from being pushed and pressed against the wall one time too many. But if you’re going to make this a major part of your story...you’re going to need to take some time to explain, in detail, why it got to that point. Otherwise, your protagonist looks like some kind of an unhinged psychopath. And that’s fine, if it’s the vibe that you’re looking for...but if not, you get the readers on your side by getting them to understand why their questionable actions could be considered an act of ‘justice’. On this side of the equation...’justice’ is your focus. K? That’s your bonding agent, right there. Now, when you swing the pendulum back the other way, and decide to tell a story of triumph and redemption...the opposite is true. In this case, it the ’INJUSTICE’ that needs to be the focus of your project, and how unfair your protagonist is being treated. It may sound backwards to some of you, but it really isn’t. By using injustice and struggle and pain as the main tools in your fiction, you tilt the path that they’re on upward, making it an uphill battle...something that seems insurmountable. A task so monumental that your main character has force their way through to the top and win despite all of the obstacles that are working so hard against them. The big the obstacles, the bigger the wins. The obstacles can be homophobia, domestic abuse, being exploited at work, sexual harassment, nuclear fall out, poverty...something that isn’t easy for your main character to ever hope to beat unless they can find strength within themselves that they never even knew was there before. This is where the injustices included in their situation connects your characters to your audience and creates that same bond that you’re looking for. A few great movies to check out as examples for this one (Out of many) would be “Colin In Black And White” and “Unbreakable”. It’s a great feeling to see someone fighting against the whole world, and to keep fighting until the world itself begins to struggle to hold its power, and is eventually forced to yield. 000 One thing that you may notice is that these examples all share something in common. They have a heavy ‘Man Vs Society’ feel to them. Which, in my opinion, is the best way to tell both a wreckage and a redemption story. I feel as though it is a much more dramatic way to go. How do you fight the whole world? When it just keeps pounding you down over and over and over again? That’s not to say that you can’t apply the same ideas to a much smaller arena when writing fiction like this and writ something just as dramatic. You can narrow the conflict to a single group of friends, a family feud, an office full of cubicles, or just two or three people. I just think the whole society thing is a bit more grandiose, so the stakes feel bigger. That’s just me, though. Hehehe! The last thing that I want to talk about is the idea that you can have both a wreckage and redemption, or a redemption and wreckage, theme in a single story. However, if I had to give a tiny bit of advice...I would say that you should change your theme from one side to the other...and then leave it there. Don’t start off as a redemption, have it spiral down into the abyss, and then try to redeem your main character again afterwards. The reverse is true, starting low, surfacing up to the light, and then going dark again. I’m sure that it can be done, and I was trying to think of an example or two that I might be able to use...but I couldn’t. I think it’s kind of a tricky thing to pull off in fiction. If you guys have any ideas, let me know. The thing is, you can start off with a noble character and have them fall to the dark side...but when you try to bring them back, it can be done...but you’ve already demonized a big part of that character’s redemption. Even when you think about Darth Vader, it’s like...hehehe, well... See what I mean? Takes on a bit of a different feel when you spend any time thinking about it. And, the other way...if you start out dark, then go to redemption route...then stay there. If the protagonist falls a second time, then the theme behind the story is ‘he failed’ in a lot of ways. And if that’s how it ends...”He tried to go straight, but had to fall back into his worst habits in order to get things done”...then it’s almost like you reward the behavior. And it saps all of the light and triumph out of the short while that your main character struggling to do the right thing. So be careful if any of you guys try mixing the two extremes. It can make for a destructive concoction if you’re not careful. Anyway, I hope this helps you guys out! And remember that there are always exceptions to every rule. So if you think you’ve got the answer and can work things out on your own, by all means, go for it! I’d love to learn, myself. Especially since I’ve experimented with it a few times in the “Savage Moon” storyline, but I tread carefully between having my protagonist travel too far on the wild side so I can still retrieve him when I need him to come back to his rational mind. Hehehe! So, we’ll see how that works out in time. Take care! Love you all! And stay beautiful, k? Seezya soon!

"Shelter 27" It was such an uneasy feeling...not knowing who I could trust or if I’d even be able to comfortably sleep at night knowing that any one of the teenagers in this building was possibly a predator in disguise. That, at any moment, they could suddenly switch over and become one of those mindless monsters outside. Any mood, any random emotion, any trigger set off in a moment of anger...could somehow destroy us all and have this temporary shelter collapse in on us without our

https://imagine-magazine.org/store/comicality/ To read the whole "Shelter" series from the beginning and all of it’s ‘Shelter-Verse’ prequels about the main characters (Walker, Eddie, Donovan, Preston, Spencer) and what happened before the world went mad, grab the new and re-edited ebook versions of the story in the Comicality Ebook Section at https://imagine-magazine.org/store/comicality/ or read it on the site at https://gayauthors.org/story/comicality/shelter/! Enjoy! And there’s more to come soon! “Release Me” coming as an ebook soon! Enjoy!

https://imagine-magazine.org/releases/ A while ago, I tried to warn everybody on the site that Pride month this year would bring about a level of homophobia the likes that we've never seen before. And it just keeps getting worse. But please don't let that discourage you or feel bad about who you are. Please don't. You are loved, and you're perfect just the way you were made. Never forget that. And ignore the brainless idiots who just attack whoever they're told is the new trending scapegoat. I love you just as you are. So be that person, and prove them all wrong, ok? The newest issue of Imagine Magazine is now live. So go and check it out. I've spent half of my life just trying to help people find a way to get comfortable in their own skin. And what's going on right now is a shameless destruction of everything that I've ever been able to accomplish with the Shack. Especially for the teens who came here looking for a safe haven. And it hurts. It really hurts. But we're going to survive and struggle through it. Because we're better than the people who've had it so easy they're whole lives and can only feel good about themselves by pressing their knees on the necks of those who don't have a chance to fight back. FUCK those people! And fuck anybody who stands beside them and don't speak up for the rest of us. Karma is coming. Don't whine and complain when it comes knocking. Enjoy the new issue, you guys! And I'll talk to you soon!

Hehehe, I know a LOT of cute boys that fit into this category for me! ::Giggles::

I know, right? Hehehe, I was just posting on the Shack forum about this, and theree's a streaming series called "Castlerock" that acts as this big compilation of all of Stephen King's stories! I really need to go back to it, but the first season was a little weird. But it had bits of Needful Things, IT, Cujo, and Carrie in it, with a bit of the Shining, which was cool! And I'v never seen season 2, but I really want to! Because it has Andy Dufrane from "Shawshank Redmption", and a younger Annie Wilkes from "Misery", and maybe the vampires from "Salem's Lot"...I would LOVE to see that!

Thanks, you guys! It's always good to hear your feedback! And it makes me think about things too. I appreciate the encouragement!