Comicality

https://imagine-magazine.org/releases/ A brand new issue of the Shack's official online treat, Imagine Magazine, is now live and ready to go to celebrate the Halloween season! Huge thanks to everyone involved in helping us put together another successful issue! I love you lots! And I hope you guys will enjoy your favorites, as well as the beginning of a brand new series, "GFD: Family Feud" by our newest featured author, Silver! Have fun! And I'll seezya soon! >:)

I haven't read this one yet, and I've been trying to avoid spoilers so I can maybe give it a shot later on, but I did want to give you all of he encouragement in the world and tell you to never EVER question your own work for the sake of opinion. Honestly, it's never worth it. If this is how you meant for your story to go, and you reached that goal...then mission accomplished. From what I'm seeing, your fans are standing behind you, and at the end of the day...they're the ones you're writing for, right? Don't let it get to you. I know that's easier said than done, but you don't write stories for them. You SHARE stories with them. They can take it or leave it. Just do what you do best and make it your own. K? ((Hugz))

I want you guys to all take a deep breath, calm down for a second, collect your thoughts, and know that ANONYMOUS replies are both allowed and encouraged! I don't care if ALL of the answers are anonymous...it's important that we get to hear from you, ok? Don't sneak over and whisper it into somebody's ear! POST! Two or three minutes of courage is all it takes. The question is...can simply being shy end up restricting parts of your life in negative ways? I'm not just talking about standing in the corner at a party, or blushing around someone you have a crush on, or being nervous during your first day on the job. I'm talking about feeling isolated against your ability to overcome it. Being able to interact with people, looking down at your feet when you buy groceries, crossing the street to keep from crossing paths with another human being. Sometimes, people are too bashful to even speak online, much less in real life. I'm often curious about what's going through the minds of people who deal with this on a daily basis. There's nothing unnatural about it, in fact it's probably a lot more common than we think. But are they happy? Are they scared? What's the worst thing that could happen? When they think about maybe making a move to speak up a little more often...what are they expecting that's so terrifying that the hide back in their shell again and stay silent instead? Can you function at a job with other people? At school? Find love? Follow your dreams and passions? What's so scary (or bothersome) about the world that you would rather not be an interactive part of it? I know what it's like to be painfully shy, nervous, and severely uncomfortable. And sometimes for no real reason at all...but it happens. I also have my moments when it has nothing to do with fear at all...I just keep to myself and don't feel like being bothered. I enjoy my alone time too. I probably won't get a bunch of answers to this question, but I had to try, right? I'll chime in to give my own answer as well, but I really want to hear from as many of you as I can for this one. K? Just try. I don't bite. (::Retracts fangs::)

Starting @0:49 this it what Comsie Work looks like inside of my head! - finish new chapter? I'm on my way! - Forums? I'm on my way! - Ebook work? I'm on my way! - Email? I'm on my way! - Writing tips? I'm on my way! - Quick break for dancing. - Another chapter? Already? I'm on my way! - Editing? I'm on my way! - Imagine Magaine? I'm on my way! - 20 minutes worth of sleep. - More email? I'm on my way! My brain hurts. Hehehe, owwww....

You know...I can't say that I've really tried to hide my sexuality by dating women, but I can't say that I've never thought about it. Or at least back when that seemed to be the biggest issue for people to know about me. I am bisexual, and I've dated girls that I really liked, sure. But it wasn't to hide, I just liked them a lot. I also had friends who weren't so damn girl crazy all the time, so I didn't have to feel pressured by it or listen to endless comments about it. But would I do it if things had been different? I, honestly, don't know. I think if it was a mutual agreement for whatever reason, and she knew what was going on...maybe. Friends with benefits? Possibly. But I find it hard to really date anyone or even pretend to unless I felt some kind of connection to them. It wouldn't be any fun for either one of us, and we'd both be so unsatisfied when it was over. Basically, it would be a waste of time, you know? So I never have, and I doubt I ever will...but I wish I could say that I knew that one hundred percent for certain.

Wordless There are many times, while I sit here at this keyboard and stare blankly off into space when I’m trying to find just the right words to express the emotions that I’m feeling in my heart at that moment...the words I need to finish the next sentence or two of the story or chapter that I’m working on at that moment...and words only seem to get in the way. It can be a really aggravating head space to be in when you’re trying to get something finished. It, actually, feels a lot like writer’s block...but after dealing with it for so long, I’ve personally discovered that this isn’t always the case. You know? It’s not writer’s block, because the ideas are THERE! They’re right there on the tip of my tongue (or my fingers, as the case may be)...but I can’t seem to capture them for some reason. They’re all fuzzy and out of focus. Hehehe, it’s like trying to “Karate Kid” catch a fly with chopsticks sometimes. But sometimes...the feelings are simply ‘wordless’. And it takes an entirely different approach and a completely different vocabulary to really fill in those literary pockets when descriptive words are simply the wrong tool for the job. As writers, I totally understand that this is something that comes off as completely insane and ridiculous, seeing as words are the only tool that we really have at our disposal when it comes to conveying any kind of emotion or information to our audience...but hear me out. Because it’s something that I had to learn over the years to navigate around that intimidating block that has wasted countless hours of my time trying to find words that, as far as I know...don’t exist. At least not in any way that could reach the kind of depths of emotion that I was hoping to reach with my next trailblazing project. Hehehe! What can I say? Words can be so unsatisfactory sometimes. But, you know what? I think more people understand that concept than you may realize. And when it comes to the trap of trying to swim through these quagmire pits of desperation and despair, hehehe...sometimes it’s better to lean into it than try to duck and dodge your way around it. You just have to realize it for what it is so that you can switch your game plan up and find an effective way to deal with it. Being wordless in your writing is simply addressing the fact that there are certain parts of our existence that have yet to be explained. Translated. And maybe they were never meant to be. You jut know it when you feel it. And I really do try to incorporate that idea into as many of my stories as I possibly can. Even though I mostly write about teenagers experiencing their very first experience with love, where they’re expected to be lost and wandering through the dilemma with no previous experience and no real guide as to how to handle what they’re dealing with...there’s always a core element to all of my characters that I hope, whether spoken aloud or not, will somehow translate to my fans and they’ll be able to tap in and understand why they do the things they do. How do I do that? I take those blank stare moments of mine...and I talk about them through the character. That’s how. It’s open. It’s honest. And it lets my readers know that I’m not just trying to take a shortcut to keep from stressing my brain out to the point of exhaustion in order to entertain. Hehehe! Like...no! I really don’t know how to convey this message surging through me right now. Please understand...everything can’t be spoken or written down. Sometimes, the ‘shortcut’ would be in using a substitute for the sake of a few sentences. I, personally, think that would be more disappointing than anything else I’ve done with my work so far. As to, what I think, is a perfect display of this concept is the work of cosmic horror king, HP Lovecraft, who’s writings of fantasy, science fiction, and horror, came to light very early on in the 20th century. One thing that always intrigued me about his writing was his ability to take these ‘spaces’ in his writing, these little pockets of wordlessness, and use them to his advantage. If you read his work, it’s like he’s trying to describe the most horrific, most frightening, creatures that have ever been seen by the eyes of human kind. Something that would cause nightmares and paralyzing terror to anyone who would dare to gaze upon it. But...how can you deliver that kind of fear to a mass of people with their own fears and weaknesses, and are strangers to your work? How can you bring this mentally painted picture to a wide community of strangers who have never experienced such a thing before in their lives? His technique is really unique, and it’s something that helped me with own work...even when it came to overwhelming feelings of young love. Lovecraft leans into the whole wordless concept in ways that give his stories a certain feel that other stories don’t have. Which is probably why his influence is still so prevalent in the stories and movies of that genre today, over a century later. The whole ‘language’ is different. These are one of the things that I study when it comes to trying to challenge my own abilities. But he finds real power in the vague descriptions that he gives you. Words like indescribable, unknown, nightmarish, nameless, etc. The idea that he COULD describe it for you...but if he did, you would go mad with terror. Now, to break it down in a mechanical way...there are many details that are left to the imagination and aren’t really ‘described’ at all. But it truly draws you in. And that’s the genius of it all. His work is amazing. This is a motion comic with someone reading the words of HP Lovecraft as they were originally written. Listen to this...and see if you can hear how much he actually describes, and how much he doesn’t. What happens here with a storytelling ability like this...is you encourage your readers to use their imagination and become more of a ‘participant’ in your project instead of a passive observer. Their thoughts, emotions, their memories, their deepest feelings, their fears and insecurities...they are now a part of the story itself. You’ve now put them into the situation and made them a part of what’s going on. That makes your story special above all others. They have enough space to mold and rearrange and make the story their own. This is an essential part of maintaining reader loyalty. You’re not just telling your own story...you’re telling this story for everybody reading. And they will automatically modify the characters to their own personal dream cast without you doing much of anything at all. It’s not a manipulation. It’s a gift that allows your audience to really place themselves in your main character’s shoes and experience everything that they’re dealing with through their eyes. Sometimes, you can say more with silence than you can with words. And what you don’t show, often highlights the things that you do. So don’t be afraid to use that as a tool to involve your audience. If you’re writing a story and you are pulling your hair out trying to find the right words to fill out the scene and get your point across...step back for a moment and take a breath. K? If you CAN find the right words, then by all means, go for it! Wow us all with your ability to say what other writers only wish they could say. There’s honor in that. So a salute, and major respect, to all of you guys that can pull that off. But if you ever feel that the emotion is running away and trying to escape the words that you’re trying to use to describe it? Maybe it’s not worth chasing. Does that make sense? If you feel like the concept is wordless...then say it’s wordless. Focus on it. Use it to make your point. There are MANY people out there who have severe difficulty trying to express their feelings to another person, especially if it’s face to face. The very fact that you have enough insight and self awareness to write a story at all has already put you light years past a vast majority of people out there. I mean what I say when I say that what we do as authors is NOT easy. We may be passionate and dedicated to the art of trying, but to think that it’s even remotely as easy as typing out a high school book report...that’s just bonkers. You’re attempting to translate the most intangible parts of our humanity into words that people can read and understand from every corner of the globe. That’s nothing to scoff at. And if you run out of word...it’s because they weren’t invented yet. Hehehe! I’ve written a few million words myself over the years, and I still run out from time to time. So….I get it. I think the key is to simply embrace that wordlessness in your writing, and use it to your advantage. I mean...what are you feeling, trying to come up with the right words to explain the surge of anxiety and weirdness that your main character is going through? Take that, and try to see it through their eyes instead. What kind of confusion are they going through trying to do what you’re doing while you’re writing their story? Lean into it. It’s indescribable. Unknown. Unfamiliar. Alien. Talk about how difficult it is to put it into words, and use that as your way of...ummm...putting it into words. Hehehe! See how that works? Sometimes you can’t just fill in a true emotional expression with some sort of accessible ‘buzz word’ that people can easily recognize and pretend to relate to, simply because they understand what it means. I’m not saying that it can’t get the job done...but I feel like it can sometimes be a cheap way of doing it. Find ways to use the unspoken parts of love, joy, sadness, fear, or hatred, to your benefit. Know when it’s best to let the emotion speak for itself when given in context to the rest of the story. Cool? Anyway, I hope this makes some sense, you guys! Questions are always welcome down below, but...the whole article is about how certain parts of my writing process are kind of inexplicable, so...hehehe, hopefully this will be enough for now. Take care! And I’ll seezya with more soon! There are sooooo many parts of the writing game that I wat to share with you all! I hope I live long enough to share them all! Go out there! And do it better than I did! ((Hugz)) Later!

So much JOY!!!! XD Now that shows like "She Hulk" and "Hawkeye", and movies like "Dr Strange And The Multiverse Of Madness" and "Spider-Man: no Way Home"...it's ok to give away a few spoilers here! Because all of Marvel is HOME, baby!!!! How awesome is that??? It's time that you guys watch the Netflix Marvel shows! Although, you should be warned...they are *NOT* gonna be Disney friendly! Hehehe! Because they are pretty brutal! And they've always been sort of connected to the MCU, but there was red tape that kept them from being a true part of the whole Avengers cannon. (So stupid) But we're done with tha now! Yaaayyyyyy!!! So, watch the Netflix shows! You will SERIOUSLY be missing out if you don't! To see Daredevil or Kingpin show up in the new movies and Disney+ series is SOOOOO fucking cool!!!! GAH!!!! Yes! Watch the Netflix shows! They're AMAZING! And the 2nd season for all of them are CRAZY good! With the exception of Jessica Jones...because former Dr Who legend, David Tenant, was absolutely EPIC in his role!!! Jesus, he was good! Also, a bunch of folks give the first season of Iron Fist a lot of shit, but I liked it just fine. And season 2 was crazy! So watch them all! Also, The Punisher is coming to the MCU too! I just want to know how gritty Disney is willing to get! Because they were SO faithful to Moon Knight and Daredevil so far! So we'll see!

Despite the bravery of a growing number of people in this day and age, I can remember the very idea of coming out of the closet being one of the biggest threats EVER in terms of me living a normal life from that point forward. It just wasn't a 'thing' during that time. Being gay (Or, in my case, bisexual) was not only a shameful secret...but it was potentially dangerous for me to be outed before I was ready. But...life moves forward...and people eventually start 'expecting' you to date members of the opposite sex at some point. Right? You're young, hormones are raging...and all of society is basically pushing the point with school dances and partnerships and guiding you down the path towards eventually dating, getting married, and having kids, etc. For this question...I'm wondering if any of you guys have ever tried falling for or maybe even using a member of the opposite sex as a 'disguise' to be seen as normal? Did you ever do it? How did you feel about it? There are many gay guys who date girls to hide the fact that they're gay. And vice versa. Is it even ok to do that? And if you let the other person know about the nature of the relationship...does that make it ok? I mean, they're in on the secret right? But...is it beneficial for you both, or are you just prolonging the journey to the inevitable outcome further down the road? Whatever your thoughts are on this...let us know! Anonymous comments are welcome, as always. Using a 'normal', more socially acceptable, relationship as a mask....yes? No? Sometimes? Never? Give us your thoughts!

Happy Sweet Sixteen, Jacob! Sighhh...love you!

https://gayauthors.org/story/comicality/myonetrueweakness/ A brand new chapter is now live for you guys to enjoy! It seems that Russ and Colin have some drama to work through, but we'll see how it all turns out over time! Drop in! Hit that thumbs up button! And leave me a comment to et me know what you think whenever you get a chance! Cool? Seezya soon! Take care! And thanks so much for the donations to the https://paypal.me/Comsie account! It really helps me out soooo much! And that's the reason why you'll all be getting so many more new chapters for the rest of the month! MWAH! Love you!

"My One True Weakness 12" I was walking down the sidewalk, but my feet felt numb to the impact of every step. I was hurting inside, but my heart felt immune to every off rhythm beat of my heart. Rejected. Alone. Dismissed without any real reason that I could make sense of. It hurt. God, it hurt sooooo much! But my only defense was to pretend that it didn’t. To convince myself that it just wasn’t real. And….hard as I tried, it just wasn’t working. Was I spoiled? Was that it?

https://gayauthors.org/story/comicality/gfdfanboys/ A brand new chapter of the series "GFD: Fanboys" is now up and ready for you guys to discover and ride along with! As Parker and Kevin enjoy their first official date together...you just have to wonder what might come next! Also, no matter what story, movie, TV show, band, that you happen to be a fan of...then BE A FAN!!! It's ok! I give you permission! Enjoy it to it's fullest, and let the world know how much you love it! K? Shout it out! It's good for ya! Have fun! Hehehe!

"GFD: Fanboys 12" I found it hard not to stare at him, you know? Parker was a little hard to take your eyes off of once he was in close proximity to you. Just having him look out of the train window as we traveled downtown, the glory of the daily sunshine highlighting his beauty in the most delicate way imaginable...it was intoxicating, you know? I mean, I’d always make sure that I quickly turned my head in the other direction or simply averted my infatuated gaze to make it look like

Hehehe...I love you, Namor... ...Actually...no, I don't! LOL! Nobody loves Namor! He's an asshole...but in that really gritty 'anti-hero' way! Always has been! But the Submariner and Atlantis are going to have some SERIOUS problems with Wakanda! Just saying! Bring it, bitches!

Sighhhh....the things I would do that boy if I only had the chance! He'llbe able to hit the clubs next year...then we'll lose him to somebody else. Darnit!

If you go to the top of my main forum at http://www.voy.com/15900/ you should see a link to it there! Drop by some time! We get together and fun every now and then! ((Hugz))

I know that it's been forever, but I got a chance to go by the chatroom and talk to you guys in real time for the first time in ages! I wish it could be more often, but I'll try to come back soon. K? Sorry that I had to leave after an hour or two, but I'm super POOR! Hahaha! So, if I want to buy food and gas and stuff...I need to get back to work. Rain or shine. My internet connection and electricity isn't free, ya know? And starving to death is not appealing to me at all. Life sucks when these things are a weekly emergency, and everything is up in the air all at once. But I'll try to come back soon and chat some more when I get everything a bit more stable! Ok? In the meantime...stories start again on the 1st! So I'll seezya then! Stay beautiful! MWAH!!!

Oh! Also...I'm answering a bunch of emails tonight! So check your inbox! I might have left a happy little prezzie for ya!

And that means a bunch of your all time favorite authors from the site have gotten together to wish GA a very happy 20th anniversary this year! So stop by as soon as you get a chance, and read all of the stories that they've got waiting for you! And leave a comment or click that like button to give these hard working authors the praise and thanks that they deserve! Cool? Support our all-stars! It'll be worth it! https://gayauthors.org/blogs/entry/20898-2022-anthology-anniversary-week-3-now-live/ Enjoy! And I'll seezya soon!

Wow...that was quick! 😮 I thought they might have been too young at first, but considering how quickly they sprouted up in the past year, they may actually be able to use the same actors to play Billy and Tommy (Wiccan and Speed) by the time the "Young Avengers" movie rolls around! SWEET!!! Because they were perfect in those roles! I wonder...will 'Billy' still be gay in the movies like in the comic books?

Hahaha! He finally got him to do it! And why are they randomly living together? Hehehe, that's weird. Can't wait for the big debut, dude! Squeeeeee

Hehehe... ::Blush:: I love the new look, Avi. It's...ummm...nice. Hi, Asher! Still waiting on "Shazam 2"! Bye, Avi... ::Kisses:: ::Runs Away::

Me wrestling around with other boys growing up? Hehehe! All...the...TIME!!! And a lot of them wrestled around with each other too, so it was normal. But we were all really young when we started, so that was about as close to 'sex' as we could get at that time. But I do remember things sort of getting a bit more heated as we got older. I can't really say that it was in a sexual way, but it wasn't the same playful activity that we were involved in before. I was starting to write a story about this for a future issue of Imagine Magazine, and it just brought back soooo many memories all at once. Just the pinning down of the arms and the struggling and the heavy breathing and the thrusting...hehehe, how can that not make for a quick one shot story, you know? However, there was only one time that I can remember the wrestling ever turning into anything 'else', and it sort of caught both of us by surprise, I think, because it only happened that once and then never again. Still, I remember it being really sensual and slow when the sexy stuff happened. Anyway, his name was Seth, and we were hanging out after school. I think I had just turned 14 at the time, and we were looking at video game magazines or something. (This was when the 8-Bit Nintendo was about to make way for the next gen systems, but they were still a long way off) And we always gave each other shit just to laugh or whatever, but I remember us pushing one another a few times. We were both lying on the floor on our stomachs, propped up on our elbows, and at one point he wanted to turn the page but I was still reading something and we sort of tore the page in the middle of fussing about it. And the next thing I know, we were practically tackling one another and rolling over each other while goofing around. And this went on for a while until we were both pretty exhausted and out of breath...and I gave up. So there he was, on top of me, and I could clearly feel the hardness in his jeans. Weird how I noticed his before I noticed my own. But neither one of us said anything about it. It was like...to have somebody even think that you were gay and might spread that around school would have been...BAD! But we did kind of lay there and sort of hump each other for a few minutes, and then he lowered himself down and put his head over my shoulder and we dry humped for a bit. Then, for some reason, we started kissing. No real reason. Just lost in the heat of the moment, I suppose. And then he rolled off of me and we laid side by side on our backs, slumped down against the wall. And as scary as it was, I unzipped and unbuttoned my pants, and he did the same. Both of us were sticking up, extremely hard and bouncing with our heartbeat...and we felt each other up a bit...but that was it. No big romance or hot sexual experience, I'm afraid. Hehehe! Real life is never as cool as erotic fiction in these situations. But, at the time...my mind was blown. Too bad. He was CUTE! Anyway, we never talked about it again, and no repeat performances. But don't think I didn't try! LOL! I was eager to see if I'd ever be able to get a mouthful! No such luck. ::Shrugs::

It's your experience! That's EXACTLY what I was looking for! Thanks, PS! ((HUGZ))

Give us a 'wrestling' story! Hehehe! It doesn't have to be from a team of regulated sports or anything, just something from your past where you and someone else were tusseling about and maybe triggered something in you or in them that you didn't really know was there before that very moment. It's something that all boys do at some point! Hehehe, that Testosterone gets introduced into our system, and the next thing you know, we're all broken arms, shattered windows, and rough and tumble football. I'm not sure how this works for our ladies out there, but I'm assuming that there's a female version of this somewhere in your formative years. (And no, I don't mean that Hollywood 'Let's have a pillow fight! Tee hee!' stuff either!) So, do any of you guys have a wrestling story to share with us? Was it with someone you liked? Was it arousing? Did you plan on it ahead of time, or was it just a spontaneous thing? And what happened afterwards? Did you go back to 'normal'? Or did things possibly escalate into something...else? Just being curious! Give us your memory of it! Give us a couple if you like! Anonymous answers always welcome! Talk away, tough guys!