Comicality

It's the same as a football or basketball team watching videotaped footage from their previous games. It's an opportunity to see things from an 'outside' perspective, and use it as an opportunity for improvement. To find mistakes, predictable patterns, and to find parts of your writing that you really liked and want to figure out how to do it again the next time. Maybe even BETTR next time. Any time that you're given a chance to evolve as a writer...TAKE it! Something that I do for myself when I'm writing, is create my own little 'highlight reel' as I look back over what I've done. And from that reel, I can see what I'm doing, not doing enough, or overdoing, in terms of what I want the story to be. As far as errors in your writing...there are 'mistakes', and there are 'weaknesses'. ANYBODY can make a mistake. It's natural, and it's normal and it's going to happen every now and then. Nobody's perfect. 'Weaknesses', on the other hand, have to be fixed. You have to actually make an effort to seek them out in your writing, and try to find ways around them. Mistakes are random and happen every once in a while. Weaknesses are specific, and they pop up every single time. I'm sure you guys get the point. That's what the highlight reel is designed for. It's a technique you might want to try if you already have something that you've written out already. There are three reasons why it helps me, personally.... 1) It helps to seek out repetition in the way I write. It might seem like a little thing, but some habits can really stick out when someone else is reading your story for the first time. A lot of authors write the way that they 'speak', and our thoughts and speaking voice can get easily addicted to certain phrases and terms that we're completely unaware of. It's a HARD habit to break. IMPOSSIBLE if you're not even aware that you're doing it. So take a few minutes, look back at something you've written, and see if you can pick out any little 'speech hooks' that you used over and over again without realizing it. Terms like: "Before I knew it..." "All of a sudden...." "Anyway..." "If you ask me..." "In all actuality..." "On the other hand..." All of these phrases are perfectly normal, of course. But they are examples of 'speech hooks' that end up showing their faces over and over and over again in a single chapter without the author being aware of it. Mostly because it just seems natural to say it. It becomes a part of your everyday lingo. But in a story, you don't want to look back at a 10 page chapter and find that you started 14 different sentences with the exact phrase, "Words can't describe...", followed by whatever you were trying to write. That's a weakness that takes time and practice to fix so it doesn't take over your whole project. See how many times you use these hooks, and try to think of other ways to phrase them. That way you can mix it up a little bit and still get the same feeling across when you write. It won't be easy. Believe me. Hehehehe, they can be really addictive. I still have a bunch that I can't get rid of, and have to work hard to avoid using them so much. Just try not to use them as a crutch. Strengthen those muscles and try something new. 2) Spelling mistakes and mechanics errors. I know that spellcheck makes things really easy when it comes to correcting mistakes each and every time you put out a new project...but there are some mistakes that you should definitely learn to avoid entirely on your own. So if you're constantly misspelling the word 'receive' every time you write something down, take NOTE of that. That's a weakness, not a mistake. It's just going to keep popping up until you fix it in your mind and get it right. So look up the right spelling, type it out, and keep it in the back of your mind. If every time you run a spellcheck, the word 'separate' comes up misspelled, take a few minutes and get the proper spelling. Commit it to memory for next time. This also goes for words that are hyphenated or should be capitalized. Whatever the rule is, find it, and consciously make it a point to avoid that mistake in the future. Don't let bad habits linger if you can help it. Another thing to take notice of are words that sound alike, but have different spellings and meanings. 'Affect' and 'Effect', 'Alright' and 'All Right', 'Farther' and 'Further', 'Conscious' and 'Conscience'. If you meant one and accidentally used the other, make a note of it, and make sure that you know the difference so you don't make the same mistake again. If you're constantly using 'it's' when it should be 'its' (no apostrophe)...then start training yourself to get that right as well. There will be times when you might slip here and there, but concentrate on not letting that weakness appear again and again in your work. Just keep building up a collection of words that usually trip you up, and come up with ways to remember how to correct them as they happen. Our brains have more than enough room to hold it all. Hehehe! And eventually, you'll get it right automatically without even thinking. 3) Concepts and themes are also something else that I try to scan for in my writing. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE writing! I highly doubt that I'll ever run out of ideas for something new. Not ever. BUT...I've only lived ONE life! I only have one perspective and one set of life experiences to draw from. So it's only naural that I accidentally repeat myself at SOME point or another with certain themes and conflicts in my work. The struggling single parent, the abusive father, the boy in the closet, the threat of a really cute love rival, and staring at the boy across a crowded high school lunchroom...they're all things that I've done and talked about before. And I don't want to go down those same roads again. At least not in the same way. So I try to keep everything in mind all at once (which isn't easy at ALL, believe me!), and I try to keep any similar themes as 'original' and as fresh as I possibly can. So readers aren't moaning, "Arrrgh! Comsie's doing the cheating boyfriend thing again?" Hehehe, it's TOUGH! But with practice, I think any author can tell his one life story a billion different ways, and no one would be the wiser. So there you have it! (<--- One of my speech hooks, by the way!) Make a mental highlight reel of your personal habits when you discover them, and then do what you can to break them. Remember, this isn't about being self critical to the point of discouraging yourself. There's nothing WRONG with what you do with your story. It's not meant to bash your work or overthink your mistakes. It's all about finding your strengths and making them stronger. You've already got the gold...now just give it a nice 'polish' and share it with the world! Be excited to learn and evolve as a writer! The sky's the limit! Give it a try! You might be surprised at some of the things you find in your own work! I always am! ***Just A Humble Lesson From The 'Comsie-Method'! Enjoy!***

I will definitely say that I was completely taken for a 'ride' with this story, and pleasantly surprised by the direction that it went in. I don't want to give too much away, so I'll try to be a little vague about the plotline where I can. First off...in the beginning chapter, I did have a moment where I felt like I had too many names and relations thrown at me all at once, and had trouble mentally 'cataloguing' them all just in case they were going to be important later on. But outside of that, once I got into the story and knew the major players, I was really absorbed into the plot of the story. I was really impressed by the way the bond between Timmy, Samantha, and Jason, was formed and how it was held together as they were growing up. I think Btomandback really showed a high level of skill in creating a truly nostalgic feel between these characters from chapter to chapter. So I LOVED that. I also noticed that I was smiling as feelings for Jason went from friendship to something more. It struck a chord with me, because I really do remember those moments. I've HAD those sleepovers. Hehehe! The idea of Jason making him 'happy'...I think he was realy good at capturing the feeling of those first few awkward attempts at addressing one's own sexuaity. It's playful and it's innocent...but at the same time it's sexual and done with purpose. Very erotic. Very sweet too. Now..it was Sam's role that caught me by surprise more and more as time went on. As well as Brad and Rigo's involvement in the story. But not caught by surprise in a bad way at all. It was simply unexpected. Now...this is the part that I won't go too far into detail about, for the sake of those who haven't read it yet. But I can honestly say that I never once expected the story to go in that direction. And although it caught me off guard, it really made for an amazing twist on the story, and was consistent with the sweetness and theme of the whole story. So I applaud the author for having the courage to do that, and it's something that should definitely be read by a much wider audience. Thanks for the suggestion Agincourt! Good story! If anyone else wants to comment, feel free. You still have until next Thursday! And thumbs up to Btomandback for an awesome read!

Now...this week, I want to start off by saying that I DO often get some flak for this in my writing, but I do it anyway cause it's mine! Hehehe! So it's up to you whether or not you want to incorporate today's tip with your own work. It's just how I write, and I'll explain why. At the beginning of every story (and a little bit at the beginning of every chapter), I always always ALWAYS set the stage before getting into anything else. And by 'set the stage', I mean I try to describe what's going on and set the overall tone of the story, before starting. Even with chapters, I don't really do a 'recap' of the last chapter, but I definitely try to get everyone in the same frame of mind that they were in when the last chapter left off before starting again. It's definitely something that I look for when I read other people's writing too, so it's something that I try hard to put into my own projects as well. As I've mentioned before, a great deal of a reader's experience is fantasy. They're 'imagining' your plot as it unfolds in front of them. As a writer, it's your job to give that fantasy some structure. An outline for them to go by. So, while it may seem like my stories start off with the big multi-paragraph monologue from hell or whatever, I really am doing that for a few distinct reasons. The first part is physical. Meaning that the cast of characters (at least your main character, if no one else) are presented clearly to your audience, and a setting is given. The last thing you want is to pull the old switcharoo on your readers, because it kind of destroys the fantasy. If someone is reading, and they're picturing a tall 19 year old blond surfer boy, and you wait until page 25 to say, 'Oh, by the way...he's really a short 14 year old husky kid with dark hair and glasses...then your readers are going to be thrown off course. Now they have to suddenly erase the whole image of him that they had in their minds and start all over from scratch. They might even have to read the whole first 25 pages over again with this NEW stranger in place of who they were thinking of the first time around. One example, there was a story that I reviewed for someone once, and it was a good story, but I kept having to go back and redefine my idea of what was going on and who was who. The look of the main character kept changing over the first few chapters. Things were being added later that I didn't know were there before. So my mental picture had to be readjusted again, and the character that I had invested my emotion in had to vanish and be replaced. I also thought that he lived in a typical suburban house, but somewhere in the second or third chapter, it was revealed that his house was a lot bigger with hired help to keep it clean, and his family was pretty well off financially. So I went back and fixed and recreated those details in my head...and then in the third or fourth chapter, the author mentioned that it was 'Winter' time, with snow on the ground. I was picturing the whole first few chapters during the Summer, but now that too had to be re-imagined from the beginning. So you do you sort of see what I'm saying? Some major details have to be given early enough on so that your audience's imagination can stay with you and enjoy the scenery as it was meant to be seen without having to look backwards or making adjustments later on. If your story takes place in the 80's, find a way to work that information into your story as early as possible. If it takes place in Tokyo, let your audience know that it's in Tokyo, and not New York City or rural Mississippi or a small island in Fiji. If your character is a blond hottie, make it a point to say so. If he's an average looking red head, make a note of that too. Create a physical outline that the reader can work with to build the 'right' fantasy for your story to connect to. The second reason I set the stage first is emotional. I like to set the 'tone' of the story right away. Even if it's bound to change later on, I try to put everyone reading into the same state of mind of the main character. If he's lonely, if he's sad, if he's overjoyed, if he's angry at the world...basically, who is this person and why should anyone care? What kind of story is this going to be? If you look at stories like "Gone From daylight", "My Only Escape", or "Jesse-101", you'll notice that the first page or two is completely devoted to 'setting the stage'. It puts the characters, the details of their environment, and their current situations, right out there for people to see before anything else about the story is really explored at all. It gives you the basic setting of where they are, how they fit in (or don't fit in), it gives the story an instant theme for readers to follow. Right away. If you read "On The Outside", right off the bat you're being shown 'this is a story about a boy who's struggling with the idea of being a homosexual, and he is trying to keep it secret at all costs.' There you are, the stage is set, now you can read the rest of the story without having to ask any questions about who the main characters are or what's going on. So both the physical and emotional sides are there for the audience to pick up on, and further details won't end up suddenly popping up later on in a future chapter. Like, "What? This whole time Sam was a GIRL??? It's chapter 15! Arrgh!" However, one thing you DON'T want to do is drag it out for too long. You just want to 'set' the stage. Not clutter it up with unnecessary junk. Just focus on the basic stuff for the beginning page or two. Are you in the city, or on a farm, or by the beach, or in a log cabin in the woods? Figure that out, put it down. Is this present day, is it a story from your childhood 'way back when', or is it a historical piece from a forgotten era? Figure that out, put it down. Is your character a sexy boy who's popular in school, is he someone who's shy and withdrawn but searching for a way to be better, is he out and proud or in the closet, who are his friends, does he have siblings, one parent, both parents? A dog named Rex? Figure all of that out, and put it down. Don't wait until chapter three, and suddenly have your character being asked to watch his little brother for the weekend if there was no little brother mentioned in the first two chapters. It comes off as...'HUH?' Not good. Avoid those 'HUH?' moments as often as humanly possible. Set the stage and keep it consistent. It can be taken care of with a sentence or two for each major detail. Then, once you have the skeletal structure written out, use the rest of the story and the situations involved to give further details as you go along. Once the foundation is built, stretch it out and use it to keep the story interesting. You don't have to put EVERYTHING in the first few pages, just enough for people to get a handle on the picture your trying to paint with THEIR imagination. And that's all there is to it. Hook your readers early, briefly explain the look of your characters and the environment they live in, and set the tone and feel of the story you're trying to tell. But keep it basic, so as not to overdo it and bore your audience to tears before they get into the meat of the story itself. Avoid surprises that interrupt the flow of the story. Like I always say, the number one thing to always try to achieve is a level of 'comfort'. For both writer and reader. The smoother it reads, the better the fantasy will be. And, as always, practice makes perfect! So give it a shot. Maybe it'll work for you, maybe it won't. Either way, I hope this helps! ***Just A Humble Lesson From The 'Comsie-Method'! Enjoy!***

While fiction writing can be a very sweet and happy-go-lucky experience for both the writer and the readers...life is still...um...'life'. And as optimistic as we are, we all know that 'every' story doesn't have a happy ending. Hell, some don't even have a happy BEGINNING. And very few hapy events between the two. But when you've written a story out, and gotten your readers involved in the plot and emotionally invested in the characters...does it become literary suicide to end on a bad note? And I'm not talking about 'the hero sacrifices himself to save the whole world from destruction' bad. I mean a downright depressing finale, where the rest of the story gets ripped apart and the audience is left in tears. What do you guys think about this? Can an author pull off a sad ending to a big story? Or is is a bad idea overall? Wha might work, and what's going too far? Let us know...

Heya, Danny! Thanks for the compliments, man! Actually, you'll be happy to know that a new "On The Outside" will be going up tonight. The others I won't really comment on because it makes for a big mess when I try to announce things too early. BUT...if you go to my homepage at http://comicality.gayauthors.org and look at the'Stories' and 'Series' links, you'll see everything that has been completed and what is stil ongoing. And it's up to date, so...unless it says 'Completed' next to it, you can expect another chapter soon. Cool? Welcome to the forums, by the way!

Here are the new stories for the next few months! I'm hoping that we can keep it going like before, but I've slowed down the schedule. I think before...we had one week to read, and then had to review right away and it overlapped into the time we had to read the NEXT story. So now, we'll take a week to read, and then we'll have a week to review and discuss. Sound good? Let me know if you have any thoughts or ideas. Here's the schedule for the rest of 2010, including the ones we didn't get to in September..... "Masquerade" By Btomandback ( ( http://awesomedude.com/josh/masquerade/ ) (Read: 10/14, Review: 10/21) "Lonely Differences" By Jonathan Colourfield ( https://www.gayauthors.org/efiction/viewstory.php?sid=1427&index=1 ) (Read: 10/28, Review: 11/4) "Mean Streak" By Darion ( http://irc.shackoutback.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=139:qmean-streakq&Itemid=124&layout=default ) (Read: 11/11, Review: 11/18) "Derailed" By Lemons ( https://www.gayauthors.org/efiction/viewstory.php?sid=1753 ) (Read: 11/25, Review: 12/2) "Between The Lines" By Comicality ( http://comicality.gayauthors.org/between/index.php ) (Read: 12/9, Review: 12/16) "Laika" By Elecivil ( http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/highschool/laika/ ) (Read: 12/23, Review: 12/30) That's it for now. And if we need to take another breather afterwards, just say the word! Happy reading! And look for the Jan/Feb/Mar selections, including stories like "A Different Road" By Ronyx "Mad World" By Brokendreamboi "Just Hit Send" By Grasshopper "Tej And Jeff" By Tejdog and MORE!!! Seezya then! (*Remember that you are all more than welcome to read ahead if you finish early with each story. But please keep any comments or spoilers quiet until the discussion, and always remember that it's only the first five chapters. Give everybody a chance to be surprised.)

I'll add them all with links provided this evening. It took some net-travelling to get them all.

It may feel like a drain sometimes. It may feel like you don't have the time, or the energy, or the inspiration to write. But that's something that you, as a writer, HAVE to develop on your own. If you allow yourself to 'not write' most days out of the week...then your creativity will naturally gear itself more towards finding reasons to avoid the process than to your stories themselves. And then, things will just take forever to complete, or even get STARTED. You have to TRAIN yourself to write as often as possible. You have to make it automatic. Otherwise it's just gonna be another 'chore' that you'll be content with putting off until later. It doesn't have to be a whole story, or a new chapter to a story that you're already involved in. It doesn't have to be anything significant at all if you don't want it to be. But try to get yourself in the habit of writing 'something' each and every single day, (if you can. If not, at least a few times a week) even if you don't use it for anything other than letting off steam. Make it an actual 'discipline'. Right up there with brushing your teeth and going to school or work. Tell yourself, "Every Tuesday and Thursday night...after I watch the news, I'm going to sit down at this keyboard, and write something. EVERY week, without fail." Even if it's for just 20 minutes...do it. Even if you're tired...do it. Even if you're not in the mood...do it. If you don't have anything to say that night, then sit down at the keyboard and type out, "I don't have anything to say tonight. I'm only doing this because Comsie said it would be good for me. I'm just tired and want to go to bed. This is bullshit." Cool! Great! That's an EMOTION right there! It's expressing how you really feel with the many words at your disposal. That's all writing is! Write it out. I'll even bet that after a few sentences, you'll start talking about your day, and your life, and that cute boy that you saw on the bus, and the fact that you've got a story idea that you haven't quite worked out yet. ALL of that is classic material. It's raw emotion. Get used to writing it out and 'owning' it, so you can push that into everything that you create. Try doing it for two or three weeks in a row, and it'll begin to solidify itself as an actual habit all by itself. Don't let your ideas just stay stuck in your head without an outlet. Because what happens is, you start trying hard to 'remember' those ideas so you won't lose them, and your head fills up with a bunch of mental 'noise' until there's no more room left for anything new to come in. You hold on to the ideas that you already have instead of coming up with more. When your brain gets a few good ideas, type them out. PUT them somewhere, so you can relax and not worry about forgetting what they were. Most folks that actually take a moment and write their ideas out on a sheet of paper...end up filing up both sides VERY quickly without even knowing it. The creativity is there...USE it! Once you have written out some detailed notes, look at them. That's your story. Now you have a concrete idea of what your plot is about. All you have to do is put them in order and expand on them. Create a virtual 'bank' for you to put your thoughts, no matter how random. Write it all down. After that, you'll have space for a bunch of NEW ideas to come in by the truckload. When you empty your load in your notes, get more. Repeat. You'll be surprised at how FAST your mind will start to develop new and exciting concepts for you to write about! GENIUS ideas! You'll surprise even yourself! Do both of these things (write ALL the time, and take notes on ALL of your ideas), and before you know it, the 'routine' will take priority, and you'll be RACING to your keyboard night after night...JUST to get all of these new original thoughts out of your head. Creativity gets stronger and stronger the more you use it. So keep going! Cool? Hope this helps! ***Just A Humble Lesson From The 'Comsie-Method'! Enjoy!***

I have the next schedule ready for the "5 Chapter Book Club" and will be posting it Thursday night. It's a bit more relaxed, so we'll try one story every TWO weeks instead of every week. Because that did get to be a bit hectic after a while. So we'll tryit that way and see if it works. I really do love the idea! And as always, if you guys have any suggestions for stories, or want one of your own put on the list, email me at Comicality@webtv.net and let me know!

There are many stories out there that take place in a certain place, time, and situation...that has to be fully explained to your readers. For example...if someone is reading "Lord Of The Rings", there is an entire WORLD that has to be given to the reader. Elves and Dwarfs and Mankind and Wizards and an entire HISTORY involving these rings and what they mean. That's not something that readers can just guess at. If a writer is creating a mythology, then it has to be delivered (in full) to the people trying to get into the story. "Lord of the Rings" is a 'story', yes. But it is also a mythology. Meaning that there are certain fundamental rules that apply to what's going on. There's a history that has to be explained. "Harry Potter" is a mythology. "Star Wars" is a mythology. "Indiana Jones" is a mythology. "James Bond" and "Twilight" and "Nightmare On Elm Street"...those are all mythologies. No matter how many stories are told about those particular characters...there is a 'home base' of what you need to know to be put into their world. You need to know how the Skywalker bloodline and the empire works. You have to know that Hogwarts is a school for young wizards and who Voldermort is. You need a background of some sort to understand "Underworld", or "Tron", or "Sherlock Holmes". You have to put your readers in a whole other world that doesn't exist. A vampire fan can't just read "Dracula" and then jump into "Gone From Daylight" and expect the same rules to apply. They don't. The mythology is different. The RULES are different. This isn't just for sci-fi/fantasy stuff either. Even the "Simpsons" is a mythology. You have to know the characters and the structure and the individual plot lines and the area that they live in to truly understand it all. "Rocky" is a mythology, "24" is a mythology, "Seinfeld" is a mythology. This week's question is...how does one go about creating a mythology that will be both believable and entertaining enough to stick? How can you describe an entire WORLD of rules and characters and an atmosphere of its own without being 'boring'? How can you create characters that will inhabit this world and not have to re-expain it every few pages? How can a writer create an entirely original piece of folklore and a following that can reach the heights of "Blade Runner", "The Terminator", "1984", or "Interview With The Vampire"? Let us know! Mythology...the story that can stretch BEYOND the story! How do you do it? Talk to us!

It's definitely important for a writer to have a voice and a style that they can proudly call their own, and it's an extreme honor to be able to display that for other people to see. It's a rush, believe me. But one thing that I've tried to train myself to look for are spots when the 'writing' gets in the way of the 'story'. Now I know that sounds weird, so let me explain. When someone is reading your story, a great deal of that experience is driven by fantasy. They are experiencing your story with a dream-like fascination, and the last thing you want to do is disrupt that dream with your writing. You want your audience to completely forget that they're just reading text on a screen, and build a world around your words on their own. The text is just a mechanical arrangement of letters, words, numbers, and punctuation marks. It's the READER'S interpretation and imagination that gives the story itself depth and meaning. Think about when you're talking to someone on the phone. You're not just talking into a 'device' while doing something else. A part of your mind is imagining the face and the gestures and the presence of the person on the other end of the line. You're practically in two different places at once. (Which is why it's hard to talk on a cell phone and drive at the same time. You aren't completely focused on what's going on. Your attention is elsewhere.) That's what you want your story to read like. You want them to 'live' it...not just read it. And for that to happen, you have to be humble enough to take yourself OUT of the equation entirely. In order to keep the fantasy going for your audience, the actual 'writer' has to remain invisible while they're reading. Don't worry, hehehe...when they're finished, you can STILL get your well deserved applause. But only AFTERWARDS. Not during. Every reader should have a personal experience with your characters and your story...so butt out and let them have it. Some things to be aware of: 1) Spelling Errors and Typos - Which, I will admit, I am NOTORIOUS for, myself! (Mostly due to tired fingers and random idiot moments) ::Shame face:: But yes, that's probably one of the biggest distractions ever when it comes to your readers. When big spelling errors appear, the fantasy comes to an abrupt halt, and the readers get yanked out of the story's appeal while the other side of the brain tries to figure out the correct spelling for you so they know what the heck you're trying to say. It may only be a split second of distraction, but it really *bothers* some people. Some more than others. If you've made five spelling mistakes in the first ten sentences...some people will stop reading and move on. Be sure to keep your eyes open for that if you can. Overall, it's like a speed bump on a racetrack, and it interrupts the flow. So spell-check, edit, get HELP editing if you need it, and do your best to get it right. *EVERY* time! 2) Poetry NOT In Motion - The language you use to write your stories can be stretched and molded into beautiful sonnets of true poetry when you want to present it that way. And from time to time, it's great to show off a little bit and really let your readers know that you've got the skills to make them weep tears of pure joy from the clever use of your words alone. BUT...use it somewhat sparingly and only when necessary. Find places where it'll be most appropriate and most effective. Using overly 'pretty' words to describe the boy of your dreams giving you your very first kiss behind the cabin at Summer camp? YES! Go for it! Describing the flowers and the butterflies while your main character walks from the kitchen table to the trash to scrape the remaining meatloaf off of his plate? Maybe not so necessary. I've found that sometimes readers can get overwhelmed by TOO many tugs on the heartstrings. And also be careful of words that are really 'uncommon' or distracting. For example, another way of saying 'laugh' is 'chortle'. Now, I don't know about you...but if I see a sentence that says, "Ryan chortled at Randy falling down the steps." I'm gonna have a serious WTF moment. Write intelligently, but remember that you can have a great vocabulary without going overboard and sending your readers running for a dictionary. Keep it simple. Keep it focused. Write as though you were speaking to your best friend. Let the readers absorb the story easily and effortlessly, so you can get them to drift along with you without having to really 'decipher' anything. (As beautifully written as it may be) Find your instincts, bring your audience into the story full force, and then *really* hit them with the 'pretty' stuff when it has a real impact on the story. That's your spotlight. That's when they'll notice most. Make the key moments in your story stand out when you reach them. 3) Monkey Wrench Mechanics - I mentioned this a bit last week in the 'He Said'/'She Said' discussion, and it's just one of the ways that author mechanics can sometimes get in the way. Watch out for repetition in your work, and try to avoid it. If you have a discussion taking place, and you're filling it with 'he said, he said, he said'...you're revealing yourself as an author, and readers are reminded that they're just reading text. We don't want that. Get rid of it. They shouldn't feel like they're reading a story...they should feel like they're living an experience. Sort of like watching TV. In a hypnotic state where every word is delivered, received, and imagined. Hehehe, it sounds weird, but it's the truth. Make sure the mechanics don't get in the way. Watch punctuation, commas, periods, question marks...put them where they belong. DON'T put them where they DON'T belong. If you have to ask yourself whether or not a semicolon would be appropriate at the end of a certain sentence...DON'T use it. Because most of your readers will probably be wondering the same thing when they read the end of that same sentence. Again, keep it simple. Put effort into getting it right, but having the story sound flawless and natural is most important. Write first...edit later. 4) Get Your Rhythm Right - Another thing that some authors get stuck on is rhythm. (Don't worry...I'm not gonna make you dance or anything!) Look at your words on the page, and read them back to yourself. Read them out loud, or just move your lips. Whatever. Pay attention to the places where you need to take breaths, where you need to stop, where you get overwhelmed, or any places that you stumble over along the way. Be your own reader. If YOU stumble on a sentence and have to go back and read it again, your readers will too. If you can't smoothly get from the beginning of a sentence to the end without stopping, then something is off. So be aware of that. Are your sentences too long? Are they too short? Maybe one of your past tense/present tense words are incorrect. Or maybe what you wrote is just a bit difficult to say out loud. If you can't say it easily out loud, don't write it into the story. When people read, they're actually 'speaking' in their head...so the same difficulties are bound to pop up. I usually make myself a series of CDs that I listen to when I write...some slow songs, some faster songs, some angry songs, some happy songs, some sexy songs. I might find a particular song and put it on repeat while I'm writing a certain scene. I'm not paying attention to the song itself, really...but it does set a rhythm and a mood for me while I'm writing. And I can keep my mind focused on that ONE scene and keep that same rhythm the whole time I'm writing. (I also use the same song when I go back later to edit) Remember...if you're reading it to yourself, and you have to go back and re-read something because you tripped over the text or it just sounded weird...ERASE IT! Or at least re-word it. And find another way to say it that sounds smoother. I do that with every story, and sometimes it takes forever, but I think it reads better in the end. Anyway, those are my tried and true methods for trying to remain 'invisible' during the reading of the story. The idea is to have your audience know who you are in the beginning, and again at the end...but NOWHERE in between! Accomplish *that*....and people will be so lost in the story itself that by the time they're finished, they'll...probably forget to write you an email and give any feedback at all! LOL! But trust me, it's worth it! The MOST important thing, as always, is comfort. For both you *AND* the reader. Always try to maintain that balance over anything else. You could write the most impressive, most beautiful, most well edited, piece of literary perfection known to MAN...and it won't mean a damn thing if nobody 'connects' to what you're trying to say. The connection is EVERYTHING. Always make your work accessible to your readers. You don't have to 'dumb' anything down for them to relate, but if you write a good story with your whole heart, they might forgive a few 'oopsies' along the way. Relax, it's supposed to be fun. Cool? I hope this helps... ***Just Another Humble Lesson From The 'Comsie-Method'! Enjoy!***

Whenever you have a conversation going on between two or more characters, whether it's a major part of the plot or just some witty banter to display a certain relationship between them...be CAREFUL of overusing the term 'He Said'/'She Said' in your projects. If you've already written something before now...go back and look at how many times you used those exact words. 'I said'..."I like you a lot, Jerry." Then 'Jerry said', "I like you too." "So...do you wanna go out sometime?" 'I said'. "I'd love to." 'He said'. You may not even notice that you're doing it until later when you're looking back at it. But it's there, and it's something to watch out for. That repetition of 'said said said' can be really hard to avoid sometimes, and sometimes it can take a reader out of the moment by making your writing more 'noticeable' than the story. (More on that next Friday) Some tricks that I've learned to get around this... 1) Try to keep a mental list of alternatives to use instead of 'said'. Like, 'He replied', 'She asked', 'they wondered', 'I told him', 'we shouted', 'he giggled'...anything that you can use to avoid using the same word over and over again. 2) Cut down on mentioning it at all. If it's a back and forth conversation (especially if it's between just two characters), then you can go a few lines of dialogue without people getting lost as to who is speaking. The paragraph breaks between dialogue should display that just fine. So, for example, you can change this: "I'm going home now." Billy said. "But why?" Joey asked. "Because, this isn't working out." Billy Told him. "What am I doing wrong?" Joey replied. "Nothing. It's not you, it's me." Billy sighed. Into something more like this: "I'm going home now." Billy said. "But why?" "Because, this isn't working out." "What am I doing wrong?" Joey replied. "Nothing. It's not you, it's me." That way, you only really have to use the 'he said' idea every once in a while as a reminder to the reader as to who is speaking. It keeps things easy to read, and your dialogue won't get cluttered with too much direction from the author. Take the number of 'he said'/'she said's and cut them in half, if you can. 3) Instead of describing who's talking, use action to serve the same purpose. What is the character doing? What is he thinking? It can be something very simple, but the action alone will guide your readers to the character who's getting ready to say something. Example...instead of saying: "I think I might have a crush on somebody." I said. "Oh? Is that so? Is it anybody I know?" Robert said. I told him, "Yeah...I guess you could say that." "Omigod! Is it me?" He gasped. Maybe you could try this instead: I felt a tremble in my stomach as I looked him in the eye. "I think I might have a crush on somebody." "Oh? Is that so? Is it anybody I know?" "Yeah...I guess you could say that." Suddenly, Robert's eyes widened, and he gasped, "Omigod! Is it me?" It's a small change, but I found that it reads a little bit smoother than it did before. And it's always good to give a living detailed visual whenever you're given the opportunity for one. So there you have it! Try it out, get comfortable with it. Just remember that the more 'flow' your writing has to it, the easier it will be for people to embrace the story that you're trying to tell. Best of Luck! ***Just A Humble Lesson From The 'Comsie-Method'! Enjoy!***

Writing online seems to be such a liberating and easy going experience for many authors out there, giving it their all. I'll admit myself that I love the freedom of it. Freedom of structure, freedom of ideas, freedom of concept. It feels like I can be myself 100% without any restriction whatsoever. You know? But...suppose a writer wants to make the sudden jump to actually being in 'print'. To have their books on shelves all over the globe? Suppose you wanted to get professionally published, with paid editors and rules of grammar and mechanics? What if the very thing you want to write about is frowned upon, and they want it changed or toned down? What if your story needs to be compromised for the sake of making it more marketable? Even if you get past all that...what's gonna make YOUR book stand out at Amazon.com when there are so many other talented writers out there doing the sam thing that you're doing? This week's question is...what changes for a writer when they make the leap from online writer to being published in print. Not SELF published, but being under the wing of an actual company that is looking to turn a respectable profit off of your work. What would you have to change? What would you work harder on? What would you be willing to sacrifice? Is online writing and published writing a totally different discipline? Let us know!

- ALWAYS look for detail opportunities<p> No matter what you're writing, or how badly you want to 'race' to a certain part of your story and start writing the *good* stuff (whether that means the sex, or the kissing, or the action, or the drama)...ALWAYS be on the lookout for detail opportunities! They're important. And they'll get you readers more involved int he story that you're trying to tell. One thing that I notice (And I really only notice because I used to do it a lot myself), is that some writers can take an entire moment, something that might have a real impact on the storyline and the readers, and they'll kind of hurry through it. They might condense an entire event or emotion into two or three sentences and skip over that opportunity to add to the characters and overall plot. There may be parts that you're not really into explaining fully, and that's...fine. Nothing wrong with that. But I personally think that if there are opportunities for detail and writer/reader involvement there that you might want to enhance while you have the chance. For example, don't just say, "And then she died. I was so sad. We buried her last weekend, and the house got quiet after that." It's not that there's anything WRONG with that...but there's a huge opportunity there to really express yourself and get your readers in the same frame of mind by describinbg the real heart and emotion that would surround an event like that. How did she die? How did you feel? What was the funeral like? The house got quiet, why? What happened? How are you feeling about all this? How are the characters reacting to this? What's changed? What are the after effects? This is your chance to really pour your heart and soul into your story and affect the view of your readers. Don't be afraid of it. Don't skip over it. If there's a story to tell in a certain scene...tell it. Paint a picture for your audience so they can feel it like YOU feel it. That emotional involvement will only work to further connect your readers to your characters. If you were watching the movie 'Titanic', and they got to the iceberg, and then you just saw the screen fade to black, and a note popped up on the screen that said, "And then the boat sank and a lot of people died. The end." You would feel like you had been ROBBED! Hehehe! This is no different. Always look for parts that you guys can expand on and make a dramatic/comedic/romantic effort to say what you're trying to say with each and every project that you're working on. No need to go *overboard* with detail, but practice looking for little bits and pieces that could use some extra fleshing out. I once went back and re-wrote early chapters of "A Class By Himself" (the Remixed chapters), adding more detail...and they were all double, sometimes TRIPLE, the size that they were when I originally wrote them! So the opportunities are there. Seek them out. It'll only work to make your work stronger. ***Just A Humble Lesson From The 'Comsie-Method'! Enjoy!***

Yeah, I haven't had time to read much of anything for weeks now! I still have notes on some of the ones I missed, but haven't even had a chance to type them out. I've got another schedule for September...maybe I'll just push it back two weeks? To give us a breather? And thanks to ALL of you who have kept it going every Thursday!!! And Agin, you're a saint! I can't wait for this 'juggling' to end so I can be me again. If I can make it through this weekend, hopefully things will start sailing smoothly for a while.

(Subject) Message Board Topic 8/23 (Description) Writer/Reader Patience? (Post) When a story is created, along with characters and plot, it's almost like the creation of a 'life' in a way. A life that is born in the minds of both the reader and the writer alike. And..as things get more and more intense...hehehe, one side or the other seems to be in a big rush for them to 'HURRY UP AND DIE ALREADY!!!' There's a huge race to get to the end. Hurry!HURRY! Either the author is rushing to reach a certain major point in the story by skipping a lot of details, or the reader gets to a cliffhanger and goes crazy trying to figure out when it'll be over and done with. This week's question is about story pacing. Is a shorter, less detailed story, better for reading as long as all of the major points have been touched upon and the story is finally finished? Or do stories that take too long, and add too much detail, slow down the process to the point where it's no longer enjoyable. As a writer...do you tend to try to 'skip' to the good parts as you're writing? As a READER...do you 'skim' through the stories in order to reach a point of greater interest to you? Let us know what you think!

Ideas. They just pop into an author's head out of nowhere. Sometimes inspired by a certain mood or current situation. Sometimes they come from an old memory, or another story, or maybe just some cutie that you see riding the train on your way to work. But ideas for stories are as limitless as life itself. Naturally...ALL of these stories don't get written. If they did, every library on the planet would be bursting wide open at the doors! So the question this week is...what do you writers do with all of your unwritten ideas? Do you just keep them in mind? Do you keep notes? Do you forget about them? Or do you wait for them to evolve? What bridge does an unwritten idea have to cross for you, as a writer, to put it on the page? (Or the screen, as the case may be) Let us know!

Every now and then, someone will ask me if Erick still calls me Comicality...or if he calls me by my real name. And I always tell them... Erick calls me 'baby'. Today is a very special day for us. And I'm making it an official Shack holiday for the rest of the week. Because on this day...this date...I fell in love with someone who has become the single most important and most enjoyable part of my life. And I'll never be the same again. All my years of wishing and wanting, hoping and fantasizing...they've actually become a reality. As optimistic as I have always been about the magic of love...I never knew what it was until he came along. And let me tell you...it really solves everything, without really solving anything. Heh...if that makes sense. Erick...thank you. For giving me purpose, and meaning. For being something so powerful that even on my WORST days, I can think about you and smile. I can actually live what I write. I've finally got a Comsie story all my own. I've never been so in love. Not a day in my life. I can honestly consider you my 'first' in terms of the complete experience. There's nothing that I don't love about you. Nothing. Good or bad. I love the way you smile when you're embarrassed. I love that half of everything we are as people is almost identical in every possible way. And how the other half, our differences, are soooo compatible. I love how you get excited about certain things, and how you completely forget what you were talking about in the middle of it somewhere. I love that everything about you is adorable, and sweet, and based on something good. Something with heart. I love that you can be so GOOFY sometimes for no reason at all. I love that you almost NEVER curse (how you can do that and never slip, I'll never know.)....and yes, I said ALMOST never. I love that you still get nervous when I call. I love that you have the alcohol tolerance of a newborn baby chipmunk. Hehehe! I love the way you laugh out loud at me when I make HORRIBLE mistakes in verzpertillio. I love the way you kinda roll your eyes in the CUTEST way when you think you're babbling. I love that you always worry whether or not I'm mad at you for little to no reason at all. I love that even when we're thousands of miles apart...just hearing your smile on the other end of the phone can make it feel like you're sitting right here next to me. I love that we can talk until my phone battery is ready to die on me...and it's still not enough. I love the way you say 'Nuuuuuuuuuu!!!' when I tell you that I have to go. I love the way you still get nervous and smile just seconds before you say I love you. I love that you miss me...even if it's only been a few hours. I love the way you cringe when I tell you your mom is hot. (Because she is! ) I love that teenage girls chase you around the grocery store because they think you're some hot high school boy. And that you HATE it! Hehehe! I love the way you always worry about your hair. Even though it's always beautiful. I love the way you get all bashful about having a 'naughty side', hehehe! I love the way you....well, we'll just leave that one censored. Hehehe! I love talking to you on the phone while you're shopping for stuff. I love the way you cover up your mouth with your hand when you laugh really hard. I love that even when we're <i>fighting</i> and angry at each other...we still can't go 24 hours without crawling back to fix things because we miss each other too much. I love that there isn't a single male friend in my life that you're not willing to kill if they get too close and cozy. I love that you hate every WDotW, no matter how hot they are. I love the way you look in a suit. I love the way you write. I love the way you draw. I love the way you kiss. And more than anything...I love that you love me back. I've cried a lot of tears in my life, and for once...I have someone that can create a tear of joy for every one that I ever shed in pain. You're my proof that God and good karma exists. A blessing that makes me feel soooo lucky. So THANKFUL. A Heavenly debt that I'll be paying off for the rest of my life. Erick...you're the boy I've wanted my whole life...and I don't ever want to spend another day on this Earth without you. I love you. I miss you. I'll see you soon. Happy anniversary, baby. ::

Awww, thanks, you guys Hehehe! And sure, youcan discuss it here if you want! I'd love to see what you guys thought of the story from week to week! I try to have my ideas running about 10 chapters ahead, and write chapters maybe one or two ahead...but you guys definitely inspire me! So talk away!

And don't forget, I'm always looking for more suggestions! Graeme and Mark Arbour, I definitely wanna get you guys in for September! I wanna read some more! So give me some of your faves! But send them to Comicality@webtv.net, because I'm doing a billion things at once at all times, and if my emails and messages start going to four or five inboxes on TOP of it...I'm just liable to go completely insane! Instead of only 75% insane like I am now!

=== '5 CHAPTER' BOOK CLUB SCHEDULE === "Darkness In Montana" By Remijay (Read: 8/5, Review: 8/12) "T.I.C." By Ricky (Read: 8/12, Review: 8/19) "Gone From Darkness" By Bwctwriter (Read: 8/19, Review 8/26) "Masquerade" By Btomandback (Read: 8/26, Review: 9/2) "Lonely Differences" By Jonathan Colourfield (Read: 9/2, Review: 9/9) (*Remember that you are all more than welcome to read ahead if you finish early each week. But please keep any comments or spoilers quiet until the discussion, and always remember that it's only the first five chapters. Give everybody a chance to be surprised.)

But I've been doing my best to read the "5CBC" book club stories every week, and I'll post my reviews this coming weekend! So keep reading, keep commenting, and I'll see you guys soon, k? Love you all!!!:

Have at it folks! Let us know what you think! And let's discuss it! Next Week's Reading Assignment..."Enigma" by Nephylim!

I have to be honest and say that this story gets an "A+" on the concept alone. I've read time travel stories before, and many of them have been REALLY good, but there's something about this one that seems to tak a really personal approach to the idea. The writing itself is very entertaining, and I kinda like the way that every few paragraphs or every few interactions between characters, you get a little bit more of the story. I've never really tried that before or seen it anywhere else. It's like, you get the interaction first...and then later learn that the person he's speaking to has passed away, or was molested, or has since gotten a wife and kids. So that was a stand out part of the story to me. I will admit that I was a bit shocked at how 'awful' the lives of these characters turned out at first. Murder, and paralysis, and death, for almost everyone involved. But as the story progresses and the main character starts to make changes...the them starts to lighten up a little, and it makes us all want to go back and fix things that needed to be fixed. Be aware of things that, at age 12, we were blissfully ignorant to. Ohhh, if only. Right? One thing that I really wish had been explored more in depth was the idea of being '12' again. I mean, I can imagine that as being a truly BIZZARE experience! How would any of us react to being 12 again? Being in school, being soley dependent on our parents and having to obey their rules, trying to figure out ALGEBRA again??? How would we relate to friends that we used to have back then? While reading this story, it occurred to me that I've almost completely forgotten how to 'play'. Something as simple as a game of 'tag' or 'hide and go seek' would be lost on me at this point. So how would I go back and interact with my friends when those issues and comforts and problems don't really apply to me anymore? This story raised a lot of questions for me that made me stop reading and think about who I was. I really liked that. I know people in real life who can't go a DAY without their internet, their FaceBook, and their cell phone! God FORBID if they got trapped back in the 80's with neither one! Hehehe! The scene between the main character and Brian was really sensual, and yet filled with a certain amount of tension that really added a whole new dimension to the storyline. I think it brings the whole purpose of the story together at some point, and the dance is where things really egin to take off and it drags the reader in with the promise of something spectacular that's getting ready to happen. I've only read the irst 5 chapters so far, but I'd definitely love to read more. Because there's this 'knowledge' of the future that is almost kinda looming over the whole story, and I want to know what happens. And what happens if there's a threat of going backto his original life? Will he lose everything and miss out? Or will the changes he made become apart of this new life...that he'll have to get used to all over again? So yes...very enjoyable! But I would really love to see how he adjusted to being a little boy again. I think there's a lot of interesting story there between the lines. Being in the showers, and being uncomfortable in your own skin, everything appearing larger and feeling lighter. If I had to do it, I don't know if I would have the same life, or the same friends, or the same conversations that ultimately made me who I am. So there's a complexity to it all that I kinda feel was 'touched on' but not really explored. STILL...excellent story! And I wanna finish it! So kudos to dkstories! ((huggles))

Please feel free to leave any and all comments on the story's first 5 chapters, and give as much detail as you like! Remember not to leave any 'spoilers' from future chapters, as other people may not have read that far yet! And if you feel inspired, keep reading the rest of the series and email the author wit encouraging feedback on your own! Place all replies below! The book club discussion is open! So jump on in!