Comicality

https://gayauthors.org/story/comicality/a-home-for-christmas/ A brand new chapter of "A Home For Christmas" has been posted and is ready to go! I hope you guys will enjoy it! More to come every few weeks as I post new chapters to the site! BUT...the story is finished as an ebook! So if you guys want to read all the way through to the end of the series, you can grab a copy in the Comicality Ebook section at https://imagine-magazine.org/store/comicality/ or you can go directly to Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BW543KTS and get it there! Cool? I've had to resubmit some of my ebooks a number of times, but I believe those problems have been worked out now! ("Gone From Daylight" Book 1, "On The Outside" Book 1, have also gone live again! And "Daydreams & Lullabyes Volume 3" will hopefully be up again next! Cool?) Anyway, have fun! And I'll seezya soon!

"A Home For Christmas 10" There’s something so addictive about this level of intimacy. It’s like...once you’ve broken past that whole ‘first time’ virgin barrier, something deep within you switches on, and you suddenly can’t get enough of it. It’s a craving that becomes so powerful that you just want to try everything out and explore it as though there was a time limit involved, and sex was going to magically disappear before you’re able to fully satisfy your appetite for everything

https://imagine-magazine.org/ A brand new issue is now live for Imagine Magazine! This is our Valentine's Day candy for you guys, so enjoy! And be sure to click those green Up Vote' buttons to let our hard working creators know you love 'em! K? Enjoy!

😮 Young, SUPER cute, tight shirt, tight jeans...omg and braces too??? Sighhhh...I need a moment to catch my breath...

More super hero goodies! I did get to see them on Sunday, as I was looking forward to them! But who would I be if I didn't share my passion with the rest of you? Hehehe! First of all..."Guardians" better not get me all choked up and make me cry! Don't you dare, dammit!!! And "The Flash"...wow! They really fuckin' went all OUT on this one! Best In Show award goes to DC this time around for a kick ass trailer! Let's just...hope Ezra Miller can stay out of jail until then! 00

Awesome! Can't wait, sweetie! Mwah! Fan 4 Life, cutie!

Story Foundations The same way that you could build the tallest skyscraper in town...you can craft the most powerful story ever written in foundation...and they will both potentially come crashing down to the ground if they’ve been built on a weak foundation. Right? I mean, these aren’t a box of Legos that we’re playing with here. People with certain levels of expertise have to be called in to look at the plans, designers, engineers...without a firm foundation, you’re basically going to be spending a huge amount of time working on setting up a house of cards that will ultimate get blown over the second a strong wind comes through to test the foundations that you never made strong enough to begin with. So you definitely need to put these things in place before you get started. It’s a skill that can only be developed with planning and practice...so the sooner you get started on developing those instincts, the sooner they’ll come to you naturally when you pretty much start writing anything. It’ll happen all on its own in time, just give it a chance. Make it a part of your writing discipline, and then refine it over time. That gets to be the fun part. So, when I say 'foundations’...what exactly am I talking about here? I think of writing foundations as a loose template to work with when we’re all trying to organize and personalize our thoughts to create something new...and yet still feels familiar to our readers. Remember, that connection to our audience is super important. It’s our job to intertwine logic and emotion in an entertaining way that can translate them into words that are passionate and compelling for them to interact with. This means being able to recognize and study the basic building blocks of storytelling and making them your own. Let’s dive in! Foundations are built on a ton of tried and true methods that have been a staple of fiction for centuries. One that we all know. The hero’s journey, the climax, the tragedy of betrayal, the obsession of love...man vs man, man vs the world, man vs self...etc. We all have some sense of how your typical story is structured or how certain character types act and react in the stories that we’ve all enjoyed throughout our entire lives, right? Sure the stories exist with different characters, different timelines, different genres, as they are written by a variety of different authors...but there are core elements that you can use as dependable guidelines to make anything that you want to write possible without ever getting lost or sliding off track. Some people might consider these foundations to be 'tropes’ or 'cliches’, but I’ve always thought that it was important to examine and understand the traditional rules in order to effectively break them later on. With a few efforts under your belt, you will still be able to build upon these story foundations to create a strong base for your fiction while still changing and altering everything around it to make something uniquely your own. Know your arsenal, and then do all you can to expand on it. Never stop being a 'student’ when it comes to your craft. There is no way to know it all, and even the stuff you do know tends to change over time and present new elements that you never even knew were there before. So get those basics drilled into your brain so you can pretty much build you creative process around it on autopilot, and use the rest of your energy and effort on customizing every project to fit your style and personality. Be comfortable with what you’re writing. People can tell when you aren’t. Creating characters have foundations just like every other part of your story. Know the character types as they appear in their many different forms in other stories. The beautiful stranger, the reluctant warrior, the wise old sage, the sacrificial lamb, the court jester or clown….they show up in many many stories, time and time again. So teach yourself how to recognize them when they appear, and then study the way that they are used to carry the story forward. In ways that are new...but still familiar. Do you get it? There’s a base, a strong foundation, that you can use to firmly plant yourself into the story...but you still have more than enough room to play with the specifics of the well known formula to create something of your very own. You can reach a point where you begin to combine and subtract certain elements of your foundations to make something unique. But your first task should be getting those foundations in order so you’ve got a stable tower to stand on. How do we manage that? It begins with reading as much as we possibly can. That’s how. Saturate yourself with other writers’ work. Different authors and methods and genres of fiction. They will all read differently, but see if you can begin to pick out certain patterns that exist through all of them. Those are the basic foundations that I’m talking about. Seek them out, think about how they work to keep the story contained and paced in a way that feels focused and familiar...and then think about how you might be able to do something a little bit different with the act of building on top of those foundations in ways that other writers might not have thought about yet. Both with story plot and with your characters. I hope that makes sense... Let me see how I can better explain this... Imagine your fiction as though it was a song. K? Over the years, you’ve heard a countless number of songs, and they’ve all been pretty different in their sound and particular flavor, right? The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Led Zepplin, Billy Joel, Lil’ Wayne, Marvin Gaye, Jimi Hendricks, Bob Marley...they all have a unique vibe and a style to them, right? They probably don’t have any songs that really sound similar to one another...but that doesn’t mean that they don’t follow a particular formula when they’re presented to a wide audience. It doesn’t mean that there isn’t a definite blueprint in play when it comes to putting their music together. There’s an intro...a first verse...a bridge...a chorus...and then on to the second verse. Then there’s a change up in the song at some point the leads to a 'climax’ of sorts for the third verse and then the end of the song. This is the typical song formula. Once you learn to look for it, I can guarantee you that you can hear that foundation in 90% of the music that you listen to, no matter what the genre is or what era in history it was made. That’s a clear expression of the 'rules’ when it comes to making a song. Whether it’s Black Sabbath, Otis Redding, or Frank Sinatra...if you listen for it...you’ll hear it. That’s the template. However...these are rules that can be broken to make something that sounds totally different from what you might be expecting. Take these two songs below. Now both artists, Queen and R Kelly, have made plenty of songs that actually fit into the template of your typical song...but when I listen to these, they don’t fit any conventional rules at all when it comes to making music. They were genius enough to figure out how to crack the code and make something that had never really been done before for an audience that wasn’t prepared to hear it. "Bohemian Rhapsody" is easily one of the most original songs ever written. The change ups and the vocals are absolutely stunning, and it shatters all forms of a formula when it came to putting it together. It is the pure definition of a rock opera. And R Kelly’s "Exit" just...it amazes me that he was able to craft that song on a weird '3-beat’ instead of the usual '4-beat’ like most songs. I mean, it almost sounds like it shouldn’t make sense or have any kind of rhythm to it at all for an artist to follow with their vocals...but he pulls it off flawlessly. Again, the formula has been completely broken and made anew. This is what is possible when you know where your foundations are and then find creative ways to alter the overall chemistry of the usual cocktail to make it your own. 00 Now, the secret is how to apply this to your writing...which is easier than it sounds. When you have enough practice, it becomes second nature. I think that every writer should be curious about what they’re capable of when their putting a project together. Explore. Take risks. Face challenges. Use your words, your metaphors, and your adventurous mindset, to find those root standards in storytelling and mold them into something that represents your particular mood and flavor at that time. Constantly be asking yourselves what you can do to break the formula. Use foreshadowing and flashbacks, use positive characters and negative ones...combine situations and obstacles that will either compliment or contrast one another. Take an off road approach with a plot twist, or add in a straight character where your audience is expecting a gay one. Have a 'coming out’ scene with an understanding parent go horribly wrong. You can go with something subtle like a rejection from a first date, to something as major as having one of your main characters get sick or even die off. I don’t know...it’s your story. You’re completely free to do with it whatever you want, but if you want four acts instead of the typical three...do it. If you want your story to end without a definitive ending...leaving it open without closure...hey, it’s your world. Do it. Who’s to say that wasn’t the perfect to go with it. Want to have a big time jump and continue where your story goes on from there...and then go back and tell the readers what they missed in an extended flashback? Give it a shot. Basically...learn the usual formula, inside and out...and then look for all of the ways that you can break it and change things up with your own little twists and turns. The foundation is your anchor, everything else is flare and glitter and gold. The key is to find a way to keep your beautiful extras from crashing down to the ground before your masterpiece is finished. It’s important to have those major locks in place so you have something to play around with. That’s all. Anyway, that’s my discussion on story foundations. I definitely have a few of them, both plot wise and character wise, that I stick to whenever I’m writing one of my own stories. I definitely stray from time to time and try something new so I can blaze a few different trails that I’ve never really explored before...but I know where my core is. I know how to stick to my outline and keep my story within a certain amount of boundaries as a completed project, and then spread my wings and stretch out into new territory with everything that I do. I, personally, feel more comfortable knowing that I have a home to go back to when I feel myself getting a bit too far from my original ideas. And that home exists in my training on how to write stories in the first place. I have to concentrate, and realize that there is a way that this whole 'writing thing’ is supposed to be done. Hehehe, and then...I break as many rules as I can without getting sent to detention for it. What can I say? I’m devious like that! As always, I hope this gives you another way to look at your own writing from a new angle, and that these articles will help you see new ways to approach your writing process, or possibly pay more attention to you being able to do what you do. Understanding why you do these things opens your mind up to soooo many other options! Trust me, you have no idea. A moment of introspection and self awareness can fuel the next few months or even years of new stories once you figure out their significance as a part of the art. K? Take care! Happy writing! And I’ll seezya soon! Love you lots!

I've thought about it before, and I've come to the conclusion that it wouldn't really have all that much of an effect on me at all. I mean, I'm not the best person in the world, but I'm far from being the worst. I have a conscience and reliable moral compass either way...wo what would be the difference? I'm not the first person to steal something, or the first person to masturbate, or have anything to worry about when it comes to liking cute boys. No troubles with the law. I couldn't hurt anybody without punishing myself for it beyond belief. So what would change? You know? The idea might make the idea of death a lot easier for me to wrap my head around...but outside of that, I'm pretty sure that my soul would be pretty much in tact no matter what. In the immortal words of Curtis Mayfield..."If there's a Hell, we're all going to go." So I might as well go driving a Cadillac, right? Hehehe! If there WAS definitive proof of God, though...I would LOVE to sit back and watch the world fall apart! LOL! I would get a kick out of that. For every preacher or politician who's been mindlessly using the Bible for all of the wrong reasons, hatred, bigotry, persecution, murder, wealth, and abuse...it would fill me with joy to know that they finally realized, "Oh yeah...God was watching that whole time. And BOY are you going to have a lot to answer for when it's your time to go!" How precious would that be?

Sometimes...what we believe, or don't believe...can truly have a major effect on us as a person. It may guide our actions, our behaviors, our sense of comfort, and hope for whatever might be in store for us next. One of the biggest questions out there is...did God feel the need to invent man, or did man feel the need to invent God? And whatever that means may vary from person to person. But...what if there was some actual, indisputable, proof that God exists? Like...beyond the shadow of a doubt. How would feel about that? Would it comfort you? Or would it terrify you? How do you think the rest of the world would handle it? What would you change about yourself, if anything at all? What questions would you have? Do you think that it would make the world a better place...or would we finish being consumed by hatred and war? it's difficult to even fathom what the repercussions might be in such a scenario, but if you had to imagine it...how would life, love, and the future of humanity, look to you? There's no wrong answer here. Just curious to know what you thought. So feel free to drop your two cents in! Anonymous posts are more than welcome! And answer at length if you like. I'd love to her what you think! Thinking caps on! And I'll seezya soon!

Insanity The classic saying is that insanity is the act of doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome. And yes, I’m sure that’s a part of it. But I truly believe that there’s a lot more to concept than that. And I have to admit that I really do enjoy writing insanity in many different ways for my characters because it’s so fascinating to me to explore the mindset of someone who has become completely detached from reality. Detached to the point where reality and truth can no longer penetrate...because the madness has become ore comfortable and more easily embraced than reality ever could. When you really think about it...it’s really not all that difficult to suddenly find yourself losing your anchor to the rest of the world and not being able to find your way back because you’ve lost your reason to search for a way back. So why would you? It begs the question...how would you know that you were insane if you were insane? And what do you do if you were forced to settle back into the world that you’ve left behind? Writing that into a story can be a maddening exercise in itself, but it brings up a lot of issues that you might find difficult to face or deal with when you tackle them head on. At least it is for me. But I enjoy the curious journey. Hehehe, which might be my own touch of insanity when I really stop and think about it. The goal is to find ways of bringing that same madness to your audience, and making them question who they are and what they’re willing to believe to help them sleep at night. Because it’s a phobia in itself wondering whether or not you’re capable of losing your mind and being helpless to do anything to stop it. Such a topic for your story could be mysterious, comedic, or downright terrifying...all depending on how it is written and how you treat it. So, let’s discuss insanity in our fiction this week, shall we? Just in case any of you guys decide that you want to try writing something like this for yourselves. Before I get started, please understand that I’m not taking the issue of mental illness lightly, or that any of the terms I use now (or have in the past) to explain the writing aspect of this topic is meant to be derogatory or insulting to anyone dealing with it in their own lives. Either on their own or through friends and loved ones. This article is simply my interpretation of ideas and how they can be used in a story, based on my limited knowledge of what it’s like to live with these afflictions. So, if I offend anyone, I apologize in advance. And feel free to drop me an email or leave a comment below to straighten me out if you feel the need. K? That being said, I’ve written a number of stories where a variety of mental illnesses have plagued the main character, and since I almost always write in the first person, I attempt to really try to convey a certain sense of sanity in their insanity. If that makes sense. Because I really do think that a lot of people who some would consider ‘crazy’ actually think that they’re crazy. I don’t believe it. I don’t think they’re crazy at all. We all have mental processes that we use to make sense of the world by looking at it through our own personal lens. We have daily habits that seem completely normal to us and therefore need no explanation to anyone else. But after talking to a great number of people in emails or in the chatroom...things that I might find strange about them, as well as the things that they find strange about me...aren’t really all that strange at all. It’s just a widely different perspective. One of the first times that I began taking notice of this was when I really started becoming comfortable with the idea of wearing my heart on my sleeve and opening myself up to talk about my earlier life with the story, “My Only Escape”. (https://gayauthors.org/story/comicality/myonlyescape) Which I never really thought of as a mental illness before then, but...is it, though? It does work to use a sense of fear and trauma to affect my outlook on the world as well as my behavior. It was a part of me. It’s still a part of me, even now that the series is completed and I’ve chosen to put it behind me. But talking to people back and forth during my journey from beginning to end, I began to realize that a lot of my thoughts and actions and my approach to my characters in fiction were completely baffling to a great number of people who were reading it. ‘Why does he do that? Why doesn’t he just get help? Why won’t he come out to his friends? Why won’t he ask his love interest out on a date?’ These all sound completely sane and rational to THEM, sure. And I get it. I really do. But I couldn’t get them to see what I was living through at the time to make them understand that none of those things were an option for me. None of them. And yet, as the comments kept coming in more and more, I was forced to ask myself...”Wait...am I the crazy one here???” Now, this isn’t mental illness or trauma in a severe form, nor is it as potent as it is for some people...but I think it gave me a slightly better understanding of the idea that the world looks different to people who aren’t like me. It doesn’t see the same dangers, or have the same worries, or carry the same triggers, as someone else who has a completely different life from the one that I lived growing up. So we may connect on a few different levels, here and there...but there are certain parts of our life experience that keep us from being able to communicate on the same level. The more I began to explore that with “My Only Escape”, the more I began to do the same with other stories of mine as well. And I think it helped me to dig just a little bit deeper into the story so that I could better translate my state of mind to my audience, and eventually get us all on the same page. Just like I said...it was all done in an attempt to communicate. What good does it do me to share my story if my readers are looking at my shots as if they’re all ‘off target’. You know? So, off I went to experiment more and attempt to bring my message to a wider audience and get them to understand my point of view. Naturally, they’re going to interpret it in an infinite number of ways and that’s not a bad thing. As long as they’re on board and making sense out of what it is that I’m writing...then I have a better chance of inspiring intrigue instead of confusion. I tried to get to the heart of all of my characters and explain why they were so hesitant to try their hand at love again, or why they felt the cute boy showing them attention was so far out of their league, or why the rich boy wouldn’t want anything to do with them. These people aren’t crazy...they’ve just restructured their perspectives to fit and feed whatever it is that they’re looking for at that particular moment, and avoiding what makes them uncomfortable. And when you have characters that are that emotionally involved...how do you convince them that you’re not the crazy one? They’ve found a safe place and a method of living their lives that soothes them and makes them feel whole...and you’re going to come around and challenge that safety and comfort with something that ‘you’ think would be better for them? Hehehe, good luck! Now then...take this same principal into some of my other stories like “Gone From Daylight” or “Savage Moon”. Or pretty much any of the sci fi/horror stories that I’ve written here on the GayAuthors website. I always make sure to introduce everyone to the main characters of stories like these where there can be a certain sense of understanding when it comes to their behavior in a lot of situations. Behavior that, to most...sounds like madness. But I don’t want it to read that way. Do you get what I’m saying? I want to pull my readers in and handcuff them to their train of thought, to their past experiences, to the troubles they’ve been through and the obstacles awaiting them further down the road. I want to add a sense of ‘sanity to their insanity’. A vast majority of people don’t just do things just to do things. There’s a reason for them being the way they are. It might be a messed up reason that you can’t wrap your brain around or ever really hope to understand...but a reason, nonetheless. Imagine if you could truly bring your readers into the mind of characters that you’ve spawned for your story...who under any other circumstances would be seen as totally insane. Thanos, Darth Vader, Robert De Niro in “Taxi Driver”, Magneto from “X-Men”...and get them to accept that there’s a part of their madness that they not only understand...but can relate to. I’ve had readers actually STOP reading “Savage Moon” because that is exactly what I set out to do with that story. And then took things even further with a vampire/serial killer story called “GFD: Bloodstained Duet” (https://gayauthors.org/story/comicality/gfd-bloodstained-duet/), where I take people into one of the darkest minds that I’ve ever created for this spinoff series! Hehehe, as well as the last story in the “Darkness Waits” ebook (https://imagine-magazine.org/store/comicality/), which is sure to be very disturbing as well. These portrayals are over exaggerated, of course, but I feel like that’s the most fascinating part of it all while writing. Because I’ve spoken to people from all over the globe and all ages from all walks of life...but there’s something about the threat of possible insanity on our parts that causes us to cringe and fidget with discomfort. It’s one of the scariest things out there...thinking that we might have something in common with those that we’d probably avoid if we saw them in the street. The people who make us question whether or not we’re the crazy ones...and it’s merely the majority perspective of the rest of society that brings us any sense of stability at all. If you’ve never seen the movie, “In The Mouth Of Madness”, before...check it out, as it displays this idea in the coolest way imaginable! Basically...the key to writing about insanity or mental illness...especially if you’re doing so from a first person point of view...is to NOT write about insanity or mental illness. Because the world doesn’t look all that strange to them. Even if the thought process comes off as disjointed, unrealistic, or downright twisted...that’s just what WE see...looking in from th outside of it. I’ve always written that frame of mind as being as sane and as rational as any other...and we’re the ones who don’t get it because we’re looking at reality through a different lens. Make sense? I gained this perspective from having deep conversations with people over the years, and I never once felt like any one of them were delusional or out of sync with reality. If anything, I would guess that it was those of us (yes, me included) who are fully functional and seem totally stable to most who need the most help. It could just be that we are the insane who don’t know that they’re insane. In which case...what would there be to go back to? Why seek help if we don’t need? Right? Ummm...right? Anyway, if any of your writers out there are looking to take a walk down a dark path and write about a character, or multiple characters, that might be having an episode or dealing with some sort of mental or emotional disability, and chose to write about an unstable or perhaps even potentially dangerous character...this would be my advice. Do some research if you need to, talk to people who might know about these things better than you do, and always remember to approach the issue with respect. That’s a must. If you can’t deliver your own experience, at least try to have some level of understanding about it. K? I hope this helps! Enjoy your writing, folks! And if any of you have anything to add about mental illness or your experience with seeing how it’s portrayed in fiction, please feel free to comment down below! K? Take care! Stay beautiful! And I’ll seezya soon!

I did!

https://gayauthors.org/story/comicality/safehaven/ "Shelter's" fourth prequel, "Safe Haven" begins again tonight as a part of the 'Shelter-Verse'! (With the ebook soon to follow, of course) If you're a fan of the "Shelter" series, you can read it as is without the prequels, BUT...if you want to know all of the goodies and backstories and hidden gems concerning your favorite characters, and want to see the breakdown of society...these are for you! So, enjoy! Have fun! And let me know what you think! Seezya soon!

"Safehaven 4" I led the way, stepping over some of the glass, metal, and hardened plastic, wreckage that had been spread out all over the street and sidewalks beneath our feet. And then I looked down at the pavement and quietly directed my backup’s attention to it with the point of a finger. “You fellas seeing what I’m seeing, right now?” They both looked down, and saw the street and sidewalks littered with bullet casings. Different types. Different calibers. “Jesus...” Sanchez

Thanks, you guys. And you're right, it's hard to have such a personal connection in creating something and then being told to 'not take it personal'. Easier said than done, right? Still...I think I'd rather deal with a few negative comments over silence. Silence bothers me much more.

Awww! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Someone donated to the paypal account so I could grab a ticket to see the new "Ant Man" movie! You guys are the BEST! And I can't wait! I will be there! ::Nods:: SWEET!!!! Hehehe! "Have I killed you before?" Knowing Kang...yeah, he prolly did! Many times over! This movie's gonna be awesome!

Sighhhh....my heart...

I know that things have been a bit of a 'feast or famine' situation since the holidays...but the famine part is over. ::nods::

Reader Rejection It will happen. Don’t try to run or hide from it, as it is as inevitable as the story itself. Hehehe! But it’s ok. Prepare for it, embrace it, and never ever let it get you down. As writers...we write. It’s what we do. It comes from the heart and it forces us, in many cases, to expose the most vulnerable parts of ourselves to any random stranger that comes along wanting a peek at who we really are on a very deep level. I wish that I could find a way to show readers how taxing and emotionally draining it can be to sit here at this keyboard and write just ONE chapter for them to, hopefully, enjoy. And the worst part is...the only thing that can be more disheartening in failing to achieve any kind of entertaining value in some people’s lives...is actually succeeding to do so. Let me explain it this way... Imagine growing up, your mom or dad or guardian (whatever situation you may have been in at that time) would cook dinner or make breakfast for you each and every single day. And you LOVE it! Omigod...this is soooo good! And even though every meal is made with the same amount of love and care and attention...how many times do you really consider that part of the process anymore? How many times do you give your wives or husbands a hug or a kiss on the cheek to say, “Thank you! You did it again!” and make them feel good about it? We’re all human, and we’re creatures of habit. We get used to things pretty quickly, and it makes us complacent. In other words...it’s easy to spoil us. And a constant string of fun and engaging stories is a lot like oxygen...we take it for granted until we have to go for a few minutes without it. Hehehe! And if you’re an author that is working super hard to put out your best work as fast and as often as you can, that complacency from your audience can be...well...hurtful. At least, that’s been my experience over the years. I, personally, tend to internalize these things...and it makes me wonder what it is that I’m doing wrong. I would end up trying to work harder or faster or go searching for ways to connect to my readers in a better way to keep them from leaving me behind. I have learned from years of experience that this is a mistake. Don’t do it. If you’re worried about this kind of thing to the point where you allow it to infect your writing process with a pesky virus that is extremely difficult to get rid of once you’ve got it...let me talk to you guys for a few minutes here and maybe help you recognize this kind of behavior for what it is. Once you understand it a little bit better, it might have a less devastating effect on your output and the quality that you’ve been trying to maintain from the very beginning. I hope it raises a bit of awareness and reminds you of why you started writing your stories in the first place. K? It was Eminem that said, “So skip to the loo while I do what I do best! You ain’t even impressed no more! You’re used to it!” And it’s true. Eminem can absolutely MURDER a rap verse at speeds that would blow your mind! But at this point...you hear somebody say, “Eminem killed it!” And it’s like...”Well, yeah. Of course he did. He’s Eminem.” Which is an honor in itself...but can those folks still truly say that they’re still able to really appreciate what he’s doing with words alone? It’s kind of like those few times when my family members from small town Georgia came to Chicago for the very first time, having never been to a city that big and full of that many people before. They were so SHOCKED that a place like that could exist anywhere except in the movies. Hehehe! And all of those things that I had grown so accustomed to and had usually taken for granted were suddenly highlighted in a major way. It got me excited too. But seriously, to someone who’s never heard Eminem just spazz out for about five minutes...this is mind-blowing. To everyone else, it’s treated with all the hype of a regular traffic accident on a Tuesday. Listen to this. Seriously, dude? WTF? By the way, in the last 30 seconds of this video...Eminem actually broke the Guiness Book world record for the speed and number of rhymes. Did you know that? A lot of folks don’t. The whole point is...if you put out a consistent amount of quality work on a regular basis, whether it be on one story, or with a variety of different stories...you audience will eventually become numb to it. And this is going to be a test for you as an artist, because it is going to sometimes feel as if you’ve reached your peak, or that you’ve fallen into a slump. Neither one of these things are true. If anything, it’s a compliment...to have brought so many sunshine days and rainbows to your audience that they eventually go unnoticed. Or perhaps even criticized for not bringing them the same ‘high’ that they got when they started reading your work in the first place. It’s something that can’t be done, but unfortunately becomes expected over time. Not marveled at or fully appreciated...just ‘expected’. It can be a hard hit to take sometimes, especially when your passions and emotions are constantly on display. There will be an urge to push yourself even harder and add a bunch of junk scenarios into your projects that probably don’t belong there, just to create enough of a spark to get them to seem somewhat excited again. I will admit to doing that myself in the past, and you know what? It didn’t do anything to strengthen my story at all. In certain chapters, it actually worked against me and diluted the story as a whole, forcing me to go searching for ways to get it back to what I wanted it to be from the very beginning. You have to be able to see these things for what they are, and somehow weave that into something positive instead of negative. Now...naturally there are always going to be readers who want everything for free, feel entitled to your hard work without ever giving anything back, and just want to stress you out until you’re heading to an early grave...at which point they’ll just move on and find somebody else to bully into doing the same. But one of the major parts of being an effective writer comes from focus, and this is one of those times when your focus needs to be more on what it’s doing for you instead of what it’s doing for others. Get your head in the game and keep your eyes on the prize. Write your story without validation. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t listen to your fanbase, I’m saying that it’s important to understand when their comments (or lack thereof) is more about what they want instead of what you need to make this the best story that you can. The story you started with, and satisfying the ambition you had for it before you began to doubt yourself. Just keep writing. The idea of reader rejection might just all be in your head, the same way that your subpar performance might be in theirs. Stories are all about ‘connection’. Writer to reader and back again. To folks who don’t write or create stuff like this...they may not really understand what it takes to produce quality work over and over and over again. Hehehe, congratulations...you’ve become Mom’s dinner! They just expect it to be hot and ready whenever they want it, and they expect it to be your best work. Not once or twice...not five times or ten...but EVERY single time! No excuses! And God forbid you fall short of those expectations every now and then. Oh man...people you haven’t heard from in years will suddenly come crawling out of the woodworks to tell you how awful it was! Hahaha! Like, WHAT??? Where the hell have YOU been for the past several years??? Sounds weird, but it happens. And as hard as it is for some folks to deal with the lackluster reactions or the criticism backlash...you have to just stay focused on the original game plan. Easier said than done, I know...but take a few moments to really cherish the work that you’ve put out so far. I, personally, save a lot of emails that really hit a soft spot for me. Just from readers who can really understand and relate to the material that I write online or have found some peace of mind through a few of my stories. When I’m feeling down or insecure about my own abilities, I go back and look at those emails and it’s like chicken noodle soup for the soul, ya know? I think everybody needs a little positive encouragement every now and then. Why not? It’s not just an ‘ego’ thing. It’s just a return on your investment when you pour heart out at somebody’s feet, hoping that they’ll actually care and let you know it. You work hard on your art, don’t you? Doesn’t it feel good to be recognized for it every once in a while? Don’t feel selfish about that. They’re getting free entertainment, life lessons, distractions from real life, and repeated orgasms, at NO cost other than an occasional comment, email, or click of a ‘Like’ button. You’re not in a slump...they’ve just come to a point where they expect excellence from you without having to put forth any effort to get it. Again...it’s kind of a compliment...but not, at the same time. It’s the pure definition of being both a gift and a curse. One of the first and best examples of this idea is how people react to Marvel movies these days. Now, I may be heavily biased because these characters and storylines and comic books are what taught me how to write in the first place. Ever since I was old enough to read, comic books were always my number one form of escapism. They were my whole life back then. And now, being able to see these characters and stories on the big screen...it’s like my every dream came true! And I love every single one of the properties that they’ve put out. Like ALL of them! I never get enough! Give me more so I can overdose on the awesomeness! Hehehe! But, like I said...I’m biased. So maybe it’s just me. But even though some movies are better than others, I haven’t been one of those ‘hyperbolic haters’ who act like, “This is the WORST movie I’ve ever seen in my LIFE!!!” Hehehe, really? You’ve lived a pretty privileged life then...because I can point you in the direction of some flicks that never should have been made at all. But that’s the whole point! After billion dollar successes, four or five spots on the highest grossing movies in cinematic history, Oscar worthy actors, top notch directors, great writers, big budget special effects...it’s still not enough. It won’t EVER be enough. Do you realize that with the movies, the TV shows, the Disney+ shows, the animated series, the Netflix extensions, etc...people have gotten nearly FIFTY offerings from Marvel alone? FIFTY!!! That’s insane! It would take any one of you an entire prison sentence for armed robbery to watch them all in a row. 😮 And yet...there are always going to be those people who are looking for them to slip on an invisible banana peel or something and fall from grace. (I can’t, for the life of me, understand why...but they do.) I wrote in one of my stories that it’s easier to say how much you hate something then explain why you love it. And I stand by that. People train themselves to find something wrong in everything the see, hear, read, experience. Liking something is almost seen as a weakness when you openly admit it. Why? We should be cherishing every second of life that makes us smile or uplifts us. But, I guess that’s not cool. So...there will be times when you will be criticized. And times when people really love your story, but can’t even be dragged, kicking and screaming, to say so. They just read it and horde all the good feelings for themselves. Hehehe, whatever. So be it. You know? But that’s not because of your output, your speed with new chapters, or the quality of your writing. If you leave this article knowing ONE thing...know that. Ok? Detach yourself from that mindset and keep writing. Don’t toss extra stuff into your story for the sake of sensationalism. Don’t cut anything out to rush through your story. Don’t get buried under the pressure to perform if you just don’t feel like performing that day. This is your work. Your story. Your soul on display. And there will be a million distractions that will be constantly pulling you away from the story that’s in your heart. Don’t let this be one of them. Sometimes you have to surrender to the fact that what you do will never ever be enough. After a few successes, your work will become Mom’s dinner. Still loved and enjoyed by many, sure. But to say that it’ll be underappreciated at some point would be a huge understatement. “You ain’t even impressed no more! You’re used to it!” It will happen...and this will be a test for you in terms of keeping your passion alive all on your own and keep going. It can feel a bit lonely and unstable at first, but realize this mindset for what it is and try your best to work through it. It may be the deciding factor in whether you’re a really good writer, or a really GREAT writer! I know a lot of folks don’t talk about this kind of thing, but seeing as it has affected me and my own performance a few times over the years...I wanted to share it with everybody. Because it really does affect your work, whether you want to admit it or not. Getting criticism for anything that is less than the astronomical standard that you created for yourself, and then feeling ignored or taken for granted at the same time, can really weigh heavily on your psyche. And it makes it harder for you to remain in touch with your natural instincts and take risks or challenges where they would do your story the most good. There’s nothing out there that can shield you from this part of the process. It’s kind of a ‘work hazard’ when it comes to sharing yourself with the public. Just remember that it’s not your readers’ fault, nor are they trying to make you feel bad. Nor is it always a matter of you losing your gift when it comes to writing. There’s just a disconnect (often temporary) between their expectations and your search for reward or approval. This is why I work so hard to get people to talk to each other and openly express when they like something that somebody else wrote, and to keep in mind how long and how often ‘Mom’s dinner’ has been keeping them going strong. That tiny bit of communication can mean the world to a creator of well written fiction...which only ends up to them being able to write more goodies for the people who crave it so much. So if you love it...say you love it. Otherwise, when the fanbase disappears...the author disappears shortly after. So let’s work to lean on one another, shall we? Hehehe, it’ll only make us both infinitely happy in the long run. Focus on your story and not the reactions. And occasionally remind yourself of your successes when you feel like you’re not doing enough. Or like people are just waiting for you to slip on that damned digital banana peel just ONCE so they can use that as an excuse to tear down everything that came before it. Nope! You’re doing just fine. And if your next story isn’t as epic as the one you wrote yesterday...there’s always tomorrow. Or next week. Or next month. Just focus on being the best writer you can be at all times, and your audience will continue to come back to see what you have to say. Don’t ever sacrifice your voice for the sake of insecurity. You can’t write an impactful story like that. I certainly can’t. I hope this helps to keep your spirits uplifted when it comes to writing. The articles I post aren’t all about method and mechanics. Being a writer is more than that. And these are the types of mental gymnastics that you’ve got to learn and figure out how to nail the landing so you can get back to doing what you do best. Hehehe, whether they’re used to it or not. Be their oxygen. Maybe taken for granted, but just as essential for them to breathe whether they appreciate it or not. K? You’ll do just fine! I’ve got faith in you! Hehehe! Just remember...no matter what, it’ll NEVER be enough. They just want more. And that’s a good thing, right? Remember...Marvel...FIFTY offerings!!! After a decade and a half of solid work...so many characters and intersecting plot lines and engaging themes...the utter audacity of eagerly searching for reasons to expect the impossible or angrily complain just boggles my mind. Fifty offerings, people! FIFTY!!! Who does that? Who CAN do that??? LOL!!! When the critics come knocking...you let them know that they can gain access to your sense of well being and your overworked mind when they can do it better! Period. Happy writing, you guys!

Be ready....

Thanks a ton, Raven! I was hoping that folks would get it, but I never know until they read it and say so. Hehehe!

The ‘Feel’ There are a number of techniques that any author can use to create a story, build it up from scratch, and gain control over how that story reads. There are ways to ‘guide’ your audience into having them read it the way that you wrote it, and that comes with a ton of practice. But the more you learn about the art of actually doing it, the more effective your stories become in terms of delivering an experience that you can be proud of, and will stick with your audience long after it’s over. However, the ‘advanced class’ version of that craft comes from understanding how to take your story and gain some control over how it feels...not just how it reads. You may be asking yourself what the difference is...and that’s what I’m going to try my best to talk about today. Because there really is a difference. And the moment you pull on that thread and start figuring out how it works, you might fight yourselves extremely eager to start playing around with the idea! So let’s get into it. How a story reads is a measure of how involved people are in what you wrote and how you wrote it. Can you deliver the information needed for them to feel as though they’re right there in the middle of the action and can follow the action, the dialogue, the emotional involvement, etcetera. You are creating whatever it is that they came to read...and it’s almost like those glow in the dark lights in a movie theater, guiding your audience in a certain direction without having them trip or stumble along the way. It’s an important part of the process, making sure that everyone reading can be a spectator to the surrounding area, the characters, the dialogue, and the story as a whole without getting confused or mixed up and having to waste time readjusting so that they can re-immerse themselves in the plot. That’s the beauty of taking the reigns and controlling how a story reads. So...how is this different from how a story feels? Now, that’s the difficult part to explain. That’s why this is the advanced class, hehehe, but I’ll do my very best to make sense out of it. What really ‘sticks’ with people after they’ve finished your well written project from beginning to end goes way beyond mere comprehension of the material and the info delivered to them. Even if it’s done in a really lovely and almost poetic way...there’s an unspoken ‘X-factor’ in the stories that you read and enjoy both on and offline. I’ll be honest with you guys, a lot of readers (Maybe even a huge majority) will end up being connected to a mediocre story that truly inspired them or tugged at their heart strings than they will a professionally written piece that is mind-blowingly perfect with its prose and use of metaphor and symbolism. I definitely try my hardest to put out the very best work that I can every time I release a new story or chapter, but I doubt that I could keep a straight face and claim that my own work is anywhere close to being perfect. However, what I’ve learned and taken to heart over the years is that what people remember most about the stories they read is how those tales made them feel. Mistakes and all. And that’s definitely that you want to concentrate on and a skill that you want to master while still having a respect for the story structure and written mechanics needed to be an effective storyteller. It’s best to have both working for you...but it’s the intangible craft of creating a ‘feeling’ that is really going to end up being the thing that your story is ultimately remembered for. Your audience will end up becoming more attached to the emotions that your story brought out of them than they will to the story itself. Like...how many times have you heard people recommend a really good story to you in the vaguest of terms? How many lines can they really quote, or even paraphrase correctly, from your work? How many times do they even get the actual title of the story wrong, considering they remember the story title at all? Now, I’m not going to sit here and tell you that any of your hard work has gone to waste or that it wasn’t an important part of making it a memorable tale that’s worthy of recommendation. It most definitely is. But when readers have finished going through what you wrote, and your story becomes of their ‘past tense’...it’s the overall feeling that’s going to remain. Vague, inexplicable, general...but powerful just the same. No matter what it is that you’re writing...you can’t ignore the ‘feel’ of what it is that you’re using to tell your tale. That’s where a major part of your own personal magic lies. Learn to recognize it, and try to play with different aspects of it to see how your readers react. It will truly help you build an instinct around the one part of your story that might end up being the most influential part of the story that you’re trying to tell. This comes from how you word your text, and the pacing that you use to do so. You can take the exact same fictional situations and characters and create an entirely different feel for your story, depending on how it’s delivered and what you were feeling at the time that you wrote it. When I look back at some of my stories now, I can easily tell when I was totally heartbroken, when I was just happy with life, when I was seriously pissed off, or when I was starved for sexual affection! Hehehe! And if you guys read through my past work, I’m sure you can pick those scenes out as well. But the point is...the way those stories read...the ‘feel’ is right there on display for everybody to see. And the more I got used to taking chances and wearing my heart on my sleeve, the more comfortable I got with expressing my true feelings in a variety of different ways. The blessing that comes with that is the fact that you begin to pay attention to what makes those feelings more visible to your audience, and you begin to learn how to manipulate your words, your rhythm, and your writer’s voice, to bring these emotions into the spotlight whenever you need them. That’s the key. Finding the magic. The differences are so very subtle sometimes, but if you know what to look for, you can teach yourself to draw emotions from some words, scenes, and characters, more than others. You can just...sense it. You know? Does that make sense? It’s something that you can learn, but can’t be taught. The only way that I could think of to give you guys an example comes from music this time around. Maybe it’ll help you to pick up on some of what I’m talking about here. This is the song, “I Will Always Love You”, originally by Dolly Parton. Now, this is a very well known song to most people, but pay close attention to the ‘feel’ of it as you listen to it. What emotions, memories, dreams, inspirations, does it touch upon when you listen to it? I know that it’s a bit difficult to tap into an explanation with words alone, but stick with me here. Hopefully, you’ll get it by the time this article is over with. When I listen to the original version of this song, it seems very pure. Very simple. But it comes with an almost heartbreaking tone in its delivery. Can you hear it? With this version of the song, it almost feels like it’s told from a victim’s point of view. It’s like...this isn’t working out, and you’re leaving me...and there’s nothing that I can really do about that other than tell you that I don’t want to get in the way, and I’ll always love you, no matter what. It’s an amazing song once you really absorb what she’s doing here, and I love it. If you need to listen to it again, go ahead. Really let it sink in. Hear the lyrics. Embrace the sad undertones of a relationship that has fallen apart and it’s simply time to bring closure to it all. You know? At least...that’s how it made me feel, listening to it. Alright...now we jump ahead about 20 or 25 years...and we have Whitney Houston’s remake of this classic. BUT...again...pay attention to how it affects your emotions when you listen to it. It’s the exact same song, with the exact same lyrics...but the ‘feeling’ it gives me is almost the exact opposite of the original. This one feels more empowering. She’s not playing the victim role here, it sounds more like she’s the one leaving, and telling her significant other, “I’m out of here. But, just know, I’ll always love you.” Listen to this version and see if you get the same feeling... The feel comes from subtle changes in inflection and power and pauses...but I can sense the difference. It’s all in the delivery. It sounds like this song is coming from a different ‘place’. And when you’re writing, you can do the same thing with your words alone. This is why I do my best writing when I tackle a story according to my current mood, because it’s almost like I can’t ‘hide’ it from my readers. I often write my biggest fights and my arguments when I’m angry. I write my sex scenes when I’m feeling passionate. I write my flirtatious dialogue and my cute moments when I’ve got my romantic juices flowing. Those feelings translate into your creative efforts whether you want them to or not. So discover what generates certain emotions within you, and use those tools to the best of your ability. Don’t try to write something happy and joyful when you’re totally heartbroken in real life. Hehehe, if you’re really open with your emotions in your work...people will easily be able to tell the difference. Instead of using words that sound triumphant and sweet, you may end up writing with a vocabulary that comes off as jealous, stale, or pessimistic. It won’t feel like it at the time, but think about what lens you’re looking at life in general through at that particular moment in time. The words will be serviceable, and they’ll convey the right kind of information that you need to get your point across...but the danger is that your ‘feel’ may be off in the long run. It may not sound authentic. It might come off as being forced. And you can’t just tell people how to feel in a certain scene. They have to discover that for themselves, you can only act as a guide. Whatever emotion you’re trying to convey has to be accessible, but not shoved into their hands. That’s not how writing works. Jump ahead another 20 to 25 years...we have this version of the exact same song that was made by Chase Holfelder. Same song, same lyrics, same theme. But just listen to this version! Music can be composed in ‘major’ keys (which usually brightens things up) or in ‘minor’ keys (Which takes them to a darker, moodier, place). This time, the same song is performed in ‘minor’...and the feel is MUCH more sinister in its delivery. Instead of the melancholy Dolly Parton version, or the proactive Whitney Houston version...this one sounds almost as if it’s taking on a stalkerish or possibly suicidal feel. Again, it’s all in the delivery. Check it out, and see what you get from this remake. This change is not so subtle, but the haunting tone of it stands out as a glaring example of how the ‘feel’ of your story can truly change the whole flavor of your writing, your characters, and your audience’s view of whatever it is that you’re doing with your story. It all depends on where your writing is coming from, and what kind of vibe you want it to have when you’re writing it. How do you accomplish that? Well, unfortunately the answer to that changes from author to author. You really have to find out what each mood means to you, and what words and expressions you use to showcase those feelings. I can only tell you what to look for and how to recognize it when you see it. The rest is going to have to be a personal endeavor that you all take on for yourselves, experimenting and exploring how the words at your disposal can provide the appropriate impact that you want your story to have. But, whatever you come up with, don’t ignore this part of the writing process. I think every writer needs to look at their work and actually ‘see’ themselves in it, and what they were feeling at that particular moment. It’s a snapshot. A text based photograph that you can use to capture the moment. Find those snapshots and understand them for what they are. Then, learn ways to bend and fold and manipulate them in ways that can create those special feelings for your readers as well. That’s what people remember more than anything else when it comes to your story. You already feel something...all you have to do is translate it in a way that will help others feel it with you. Join you in your joy, in your pain, in your sadness, or your rage. Look at your own work. How do you speak when you’re angry? How does your pacing change when you’re sad? How much do you smile at your keyboard when you’re feeling goofy? Find that in your work and learn how to replicate it for the scenes when you need that same energy. K? I hope this helps! Take care, you guys! And I’ll seezya soon with more! ((Hugz all around))

https://imagine-magazine.org/releases/ A brand new issue of Imagine Magazine has just gone live if you guys want to stop by and enjoy what we've got waiting for you in there! Make sure to leave some positive 'Up Votes' for your favorite authors and articles, and look for more to come as we coast ahead towards our big 100th milestone issue this year! Woo hoo! Who knew we'd ever come this far, huh? Take care, and I'll see you all soon!

So I might as well get my energy and my vibe back by going out to the hottest club in town, right? Hehehe! Everybody's gonna be there! Come join us! For all of my cinephiles out there...what's your score? How many points can you get? I'm pretty sure that I only missed a small handful of them.

Yeah, I've been really sick for the past two weeks. Like...not sniffles and sore throat sick, but "I wonder if I can hold out or if I need to pay to see the doctor again" kinda sick. Luckily, it didn't get that bad this time. I'm focused again. I was sorta circling the drain there for a while though... Thanks, you guys. Mwah!

But I look ok, right? Like...functional? ::Fixes Hair:: How about now? Thumbs up? Ah well. At least I can focus a bit. So that helps. I'm feeling much better today, though. Some food and some tea and I'll be good.