Comicality

So you're snuggled up with a nice cup of coffee, you have a new story in front of you, you read a few chapters...and get hooked on it! It's really a good story. You read all the way up to the last chapter posted....and it just 'stops'. You ask when the next chapter is coming out, you wait with incredible patience, you're extremely anxious for the next part of the story to come and put you out of your misery....but MONTHS pass without anything new! Arrrgh! Then....one day, you get a new chapter at last, but it's been so long that you've kinda grown dettached from the rest of the story. The question this week is... =Do excessively long gaps between chapters of a story ruin the overall effect of what you're reading or writing?= Does waiting months and months somehow diminish the impact of an unfinished story? Does it frustrate you? What about the Harry Potter books, or the Star Wars Trilogy? Where whole YEARS go by without any update at all? We have to wait much MUCH longer for them, and yet can seem to pick up right where we left off, often with the same enthusiasm as before. And if you're writing these stories, would it be better to wait the whole year, and finish a series off, then posting it all at once instead? Would that make it more involving? And YES..I totally realize that I am one of those awful people who take forever for each chapter myself. Hehehe, but this discussion is 'off the record', promise. I know I'm guilty as charged. But we're talking stories in general here. Let us all hear what you think! The board is open!

You know...during the many hours of reading that I've accumulated with other erotic stories over the years, I'll have to admit that there have been a rather large number of them that I found...'distasteful'. (Putting it lightly) I don't claim to be any great authority on what is and what is not 'good' fiction, but as far as my personal opinion goes...'yuck'. You know? What I mean is...I tend to stray away from the series filled with rape, enemas, abuse, spankings, random 'slut boy' sex stuff, and the like. It's just not my thing, really. But can I really say that they're wrong for exploring their fantasies through the written word? I mean, for every rape story that I turn away from, there are ten gay men who look down on my stories for involving teenage boys. And for every teenage story that THEY look down on, there are ten straight men who look down on them for writing stories about being gay. And so forth and so on. So the question for this week is... =Is there a certain 'moral fiber' that we, as authors should set up and stick to? Does the freedom to write what you want sometimes go too far in your opinion?= And if it DOES go too far...who makes the decision on what 'too far' is? Should rape stories and abuse stories and forced bondage and the like be allowed to exist for the people that want to read it? Why or why not? I mean it evidently has an 'audience' if the genre has survived in abundance for this long. Right? Do you view this as a 'problem', do you see it as a 'right to express what you want', or is it simply a matter of 'out of sight, out of mind'? Whatever your answer, keep in mind that the negative opinions you have about one story...may reflect the negative opinions that someone has about one of your OWN stories, or one of your favorites to read. The board is open! Speak your mind and let us hear what you think!

Have you ever looked at a cute guy on a train, or at the mall, or in the movies....hell, maybe he stood next to you at the urinal...whatever! Hehehe! And thought yourself..."DAMN he's hot!"? I mean, everybody has their own tastes and preferences. Everybody has their own likes and dislikes. But sometimes...that standard gets a little 'pigeon-holed', don't ya think? I mean, seriously, there have been some times when I think, "I'm gonna smash this screen if I see just *ONE* more medium length, slim, blond haired, blue eyed, fair skinned, teenager!" It's become the standard, the poster boy for someone attractive. Where does this come from? Where are all of our brunettes and red heads? Where are our guys with a little hair on their bodies, or maybe a bit more muscular, or maybe a goth boy, or someone unpopular, or maybe with a bit more meat on their bones? Where are the different races, and cultures, and lifestyles? There are a billion preferences out there! So why use the same one over and over? The question this week is... =What defines the standard of beauty in these stories? Can it change? And do you feel that stories might be forcing an image of beauty on people reading?= It seems as if anything outside of the above average cute blond teenager gets treated almost like a 'fetish' and seperated from the herd. How come? Is true beauty limited only to the people born this way? Is this kind of thing 'learned' by the rest of us, whether writing or reading it online? Is this a depiction of true beauty, or is this a brainwashed vision that we keep going strong without even knowing it? Have you ever considered those blond haired, blue eyed, teens were gorgeous....and asked yourself 'why'? The board is open! Let me hear your thoughts!

I honestly try not to read ANYTHING when I'm writing something of my own. Mostly because I absorb stuff like a sponge, and I don't want those little bits and pieces of someone else's work creeping into my stories. Since I've been writing muchbigger stories, it's been really difficult to read someone else's story. Simply because I need to take time away from everything that I'm doing entirely in order to do it. I ENJOY reading other stories, I just don't get as much of a chance like I used to. I don't believe that plagerism is really an issue with most authors. I don't believe that they are trying to deliberately rip someone off by peddling their ideas as their own. I think it's just a matter of reading something you like, and saying..."Wow, I wanna write something like that." Hell, "Gone From Daylight" is basically a combination of me watching stuff like "The Lost Boys", "The Matrix", "Blade", and God KNOWS how many stories, movies, and tv shows. I would never want to COPY them...but I'm sure if I went back and looked close enough, I'd be able to find traces of their influence somewhere. Just like when I watch the "Matrix"...I see little detections of "Star Wars", "The Terminator", and a few other flicks that I grew up with. It's a cool blend, and with an original spin. That makes it yours. If I saw a story that copied something I wrote, word for word, I think it would be weird...but I'd be flattered just the same. It's a compliment, because it means someone thought enough of something I wrote to want to do something in the same vein. I've got no problem with that. I think it's cool!

I would like to say that it isn't anything more than a simple challenge to get past a lot of formulated cliches in these stories...but it isn't. Not only are those the natural circumstances for most boys to meet and begin a relationship...but that's pretty much how it happened for ME every single time! Seriously, my stories are filled with stuff like kids moving in next door (Which happened the first time I ever had sex). Or arcades (I met a VERY cute boy there and had some...um...'fun', hehehe!), or school, or sleepovers...it was life. Maybe not 'life' for everybody, but since those things really happened to me and life is where I draw my experiences from...then I always figured that that's the way it's supposed to go. You know? I DO occassionally rack my brain to change things up a bit and slide off of the chosen path for predictable story telling, but I'mjust as trapped in everyday circumstances as everyone else. So I kinda learned to respect those cliches, and an author's method of using them in new and interesting ways. It's an art to make these same situations read like new.

Hehehe, thank you, you guys! ::Giggles:: I'm REALLY anxous to hear what you think about the parts that were cut out of this chapter! Because there's a whole chapter worth of stuff in BETWEEN chapters that you guys still have to read! I think you guys are gonna like "GFD: Nights Eternal"!

You read, you write, you read you write, you read....and then you write some more! They kinda go hand in hand sometimes, don't they? There have been plenty of stories out there that have inspired me to write, and hopefully some of mine that have inspired some other folks to write. And the cycle begins all over again. But on a deep subconscious level, a lot of these motivating ideas can get jumbled together and simply become a part of your next story. Not always on purpose, it just sort of happens, you know? The question for this week is... =Have you ever read or written a story that sounded like it was copied, almost word for word, from another story?= Whether you're writing or reading, how far can we go in excusing certain things as an unlikely coincidence? Do you think this form of 'copying' an act of plagerism? Or an act of flattery for an author's most respected influences? Or perhaps just an accident that comes from reading something that you liked and wanting to make something that will be equally as good? Whatever angle you hit it from, let us know what you think about what it is, what causes it, and how to avoid it. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and plagerism is the biggest crime to an artist...how hard is it to walk the line in between? The board is open!

So you're reading an erotic story, and let's be honest...we have an idea of how the 'formula' goes...boy meets boy, kisses happen, they find time alone when parents are gone, and then it's all 'boody-bangin' from then on, right? Hehehe! Ok...maybe that's oversimplifying things a bit. But there HAVE been plenty of story 'hooks' and 'triggers' that have been used time and time again. I am guilty as charged, even though I try to avoid those things myself. But it's not always possible to get away from the proper recipe of a good story plot that's been used before. So the question this week is... = How does a writer get away from certain story 'cliches' and try to come up with something original? = For all of you authors and readers alike, do you see these same patterns popping up again and again and again? The new kid that transfers into class, the boy that moves in next door, the typical young boy sleepover where they feel each other up in their sleep? Does it bother you? Do you long for something new? Is it even POSSIBLE to put a new spin on these things? Let's be real...a young boy's life does have it's limits on how he interacts with other kids. Are there any stories that you feel break some of these standards and reach out towards something different? Let us know how you feel on 'story cliches' and how to avoid 'reading/writing' them! The board is open!

In all of the stories I've read online, out of all the ones I've personally WRITTEN online, it has always been my desire to see the main characters come out on top. Then again, much like it is in adult movies...if you see a real cutie pie walk on the screen...you KNOW he's gonna be getting naked at SOME point in the flick! Hehehe, so it's just a matter of time until this happens. Anyway, most stories read like fairy tales almost. Concentrating on that one special occurrence when all the bullshit gets pushed aside and the good guy actually WINS for a change! BUT...what about stories that don't share this same philosophy? What about the ones that end in some sort of tragedy? The question for this week is... =What do you think about writing or reading stories that don't have those fairy tale 'happy endings' that most people are expecting?= Do you find the unhappy endings more 'realistic'? Or do they come off as disturbing and bitter? Do they affect the story as a whole? Can they be done tastefully, where the ending may not be what the readers expected, but are left with a sense of hope? Basically, what are the advantages and DISadvantages of writing or reading stories with 'less than joyful' conclusions? Let us hear your thoughts! The board is open!

Ahhhh....BEAUTIFUL!!! It feels good! (Tastes like chicken! Hehehe!) THANKS! Now you all have to kiss each OTHER too, ya know! Not just moi! (Or is that, *mwah*? Whichever ) To Lenny - You make sure you keep those groping hands above the waist there, buddy! I'm no man-ho! At least...not for the first thirty five seconds. But once tongu is involved, the field is yours. To Jamie - A vaccuum cleaner salesman??? Really? Then maybe we should stop all this kissing and retreat somewhere ELSE for an interlude! Hehehe! To Crackerwriter - Do I go for older guys? Of COURSE I do! Trust me, I've been on auditions and on movie sets and in high school and in college! I've seen enough good looking young 'jerks' to last me a lifetime. I'm all about what's in your heart, baby! And if you're older than me, then great! Maybe you can teach ME a few tricks? ::Giggles:: To JimmyJoe - Hahaha! Of COURSE I remember you! And I meant every word! It was only a day or two ago, I'm not THAT senile yet! Seriously though, save that mail, and know that I'm in the cheering section for BOTH of you, k? Give him a big hug and a kiss for me! Thank guys. Honestly. Next week is gonna be kind of hard on me...REALLY hard on me...and I need all the smiles I can get right now. Thanks....

Maybe I'm just in a silly mood, but screw it! Can I get a kiss? Aw come on! Just a smoochie smooch? Hehehe! :: How many kisses do you think I can rack up by next week? Hmmmm...might be interesting to find out! ::Giggles:: I kiss pretty well! (So I'm told) So test me out! It's a very kissable day today!

OH! And before I forget...in order to get the FULL version of the chapter, you'll have to read it on the website itself. The version located in the "Shack Library" is 'abridged', and has had many scenes and conversations take out of it. Cool? Just wanna make sure folks are reading the right one!

(These are the contest guidelines, as posted on the Comicality Library) Last week some time, (over two weeks, actually, in Topic #25) I asked what you guys thought about having another writing contest on the "Library", since it had been so very long. Well, from the response on the board and in my emails, it sounds like everybody is definitely up for it! SO...since this is the first official Monday of October, I say let the games begin! This time around, you guys have a specific 'concept' to write about. You can add whatever special twists to it that you would like. The only boundary is the story theme itself. You can manipulate the characters, dialogue, setting, time frame, and events any way that you'd like! Simple, right? Here's the theme.... *~*~You are challenged to write a story about two boys who spark an interest in one another...while already committed to someone else.~*~* What does that premise include? Well that's up to you. Maybe the boys are unhappy where they are. Maybe one is in a loveless relationship. Maybe they're dating 'girls' in order to hide and not appear gay. Maybe they're both dating the SAME guy. Or dating different guys, but relate to each other on a level that the others can't touch. There are literally hundreds of different combinations that you can put together in your mind to make this work! Think about the characters, think about the plot, think about the emotions involved as well. Is there anger? Jealousy? Cheating and sneaking around? Guilt? Joy? Was the first relationship worth saving in the first place? Go wild! You can begin any way you want, you can end any way you want! All you have to do is stick to that major theme, and you've got a chance to win! Just do your best, all entries are welcome, and will be voted on once the deadline has been reached! (How about this...you've got until midnight on Halloween night!) The story with the most votes will win the Grand Prize! A *TWO WEEK EXCLUSIVE* to the story "SAVAGE MOON: DESCENT" That's right, YOU can win a chance to read the entire third chapter of the Shack's newest sci-fi thriller from beginning to end TWO WEEKS before anyone else on the PLANET (Except for ME of course)! That's like...half a MONTH for crying outloud! Hehehe! I'll mail it to your inbox personally! Also, lets not forget the two runners up! For the stories that come in 2nd and 3rd place in the contest, you will be getting a special *ONE WEEK MYSTERY EXCLUSIVE* of your own! Which story is it? Let's just say that you'll be glad you've gotten a hold of it before everybody else! So, what are ya waiting for??? You've only got a month, so get cracking! Get your wheels spinning, and cross train those typing fingers! All of you authors, all of you readers...now is not the time to doubt yourselves! Take a chance! You never know...the winner might be YOU!

I listened to a Marilyn Manson song today. And later on tonight, I was blasting Eminem in my headphones at full volume. I've seen plenty of violent movies in my life, in fact I was weened on horror movies! "Fangoria" magazine? You BET!!! I'm just sad that I haven't let those weird influences compell me to disembowel somebody yet. Funny, I thought it would have kicked in by now! Hehehe! Anyway, we are surrounded by influences that might be deemed 'questionable' by many impressionable minds. As artists and authors, we don't have to adhere to a certain level of responsibility...but we DO have to be aware of it. That can be a very thin tightrope to walk sometimes. The question for this week is... =As writers and readers of teen erotic fiction...do you feel that we condone, or maybe even 'provoke', certain behaviors in other people?= I'll be honest, I felt really bad for my feelings and was totally depressed over it...until I found Nifty, where there were many more people who felt the same way as I did. Hell...it's because of nifty that I was able to start writing and began feeling comfortable with who I was as a person. Am I a product of someone else's work? To all of you readers out there, and you writers, do you feel that these stories make certain taboos 'ok' in their presentation to the public? Can they 'influence' their audience to do things they normally wouldn't? Or is that make-believe? A way for the people of today to say "The Devil made me do it"? Is it possible that someone who would never touch a teenage boy, might be persuaded to do so by reading a sexually stimulating story online? Or that teenagers might be more inclined to race out and have sex after reading something someone else wrote? Bottom line....is art imitating life? Or is life imitating art? The board is open! Let's hear what you've gotta say!

The brand NEW "GFD" chapter has been posted on the site tonight! Special thanks to Myr for getting it out there despite the short notice and his busy schedule! ::Smooches:: I hope you guys like it! Let me know what you think! And prepare yourselves for the flood!!!! NEW stuff is finally on the way!!!

VERY cool! I honestly have a bunch of names that I'm just waiting to use for just the right story. Maybe it's just a lot of past experience with boys sharing the same name in my life...but certain names have a certain vibe to them. And I always take my time to make sure that the names of the two main characters sound good together. If two names don't sound right in the same sentence...I usually try to avoid that combination. I think I'm just weird that way! Hehehe!

I just found one of my old 'lists' with a bunch of names that I wanted to use for characters in my stories. (Just first names. I really SUCK at coming up with last names, I think) And it just made me wonder if anyone else does this when they're writing! Hehehe! I literally have a page of my notebook dedicated to cool and 'cute' sounding names to use for my stories. Not so common as "Mike" or "David"...but not 'out there' either. I wouldn't say, "Hey, this is Randy, and this is...Agamemnon The Conqueror!" Hehehe! Where do you guys get your names from? Or is it just natural? I'm curious!

If you say 'tomato', I might say 'tom-A-to' (Just kidding! I would NEVER say that!)...and how you say something or view something might drastically change from person to person. Same thing goes for the characters in a story. There are definitely two different points of view, since (for an 'erotic' story to work) there are two people involved. Now, the dilemma has always been how to cleverly display both sides of this equation, giving the reader a full 3-dimensional experience while presenting both sides of the story simultaneously. One method that authors have used many times before, has been to tell these stories from multiple points of view. The question this week is.... = Do multiple, or constantly changing, points of view, add to the overall feeling of a story? Do they confuse the reader? Or is it simply another way of telling a story without any positive or negative effects on what you're reading? = This is for writers also, who may want to experiment with this technique, or who have already incorporated it into their stories. And for readers....what are your thoughts on this? Are there certain ways to approach this situation that won't confuse or frustrate you? Or do you approve, and gain a better understanding of the story through different perspectives? Whatever your thoughts, whether reader or writer, let us know what you're thinking! The board is open!

I tend to be pretty loyal to what I want to write initially most of the time. And when I do rewrite stuff, it's usually just to fit it into something else that I want. I've changed stories that I thought were too angry, or too personal, or too long, or lacking details, etc. But you guys are right. If I had to change the ages of my characters to 18 or over, I think it would have a different feel. If I had to change it to something 'heterosexual', then it REALLY wouldn't work for me. Cutting stuff out, or adding stuff that I don't feel belongs there, or anything like it, would drive me nuts! I'm sure any author that has their book made into a movie must pull half of their hair out by the time they even come close! Hehehe! Now...if I had those 'limitations' presented to me first? Could I write a story to 'fit' them? I'd like to think I could. It would certainly be a challenge. But I wonder if I would be able to put as much emotion into it without it being mechanical and choppy. You know....an experiment like this might make for a good "Library Contest" (We haven't had one in AGES!). Where the vague outline of a story is given to you, and you have to work around it to make a good story. What do ya think?

Hehehe! I'd HATE to live forever! I feel like I'm 'doing time' in prison just being alive as it is! It's sorta like writing on the wall in a public bathroom. I'd rather just leave a little message behind and go. I'd never want to 'live' in there. ::Giggles::

I don't think anyone would truly put their heart and soul into a story if it didn't really mean something to them. If it wasn't a part of themselves that they wanted to express openly and honestly in some way. Sometimes, writing out my bad and painful feelings is the only thing that relieves me. And when the story is finished, I feel like there's a piece of my soul left behind on that screen. After digging so deep, I wish I could share it with the whole world. I'd LOVE to see it in bookstores, and movies, and tv shows! I'd love to get PAID for it! Hehehe! Hell yeah! But with mass exposure comes a LOT of responsibility, a LOT of criticism, a LOT of restrictions. And in the course of trying to structure your words effectively, a piece of that soul might get lost in the process. The question this week is: = Would you be able to do this for a living? Do you think you could fit into an 'industry' model and still do what you do? = Honestly, if someone knocked at your door and offered you a bag of money to do what you already enjoy doing for free...would you be able to change it to make it marketable? Change the ages, change the names, cut out the sex, make it a girl and a boy instead of two boys? For you readers, would you much rather see the underground, more honest approach to what the authors are trying to say? Do you ever feel cheated by it? Which is more important, the original presentation of the message, or making sure that message reaches as many people as possible? Even if it takes a few...'adjustments'. The board is open!

Good points made all around. And that's a definite part of writing these stories...whether or not you're writing for an invisible audience. Had I not gotten the support I did in the beginning and over the last 6 years, I don't know if I'd still be writing either. (Not publicly anyway) For me, it's not so much the applause that fuels that competition in me. It's more the fact that I feel good about blazing out a story that will be remembered, you know? I think that's the biggest thing for me...I really want these stories to be remembered. *I* wanna be remembered. That would be the best.

Actually, when it comes down to writing and anyone else who does the same...hell YEAH I feel a sense of competition! Hehehe! Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's ever really been a negative form of competition where something has to be 'won' at all costs. Not at all. But I always try o write to the very best of my ability, and if there is someone else out there who's doing AMAZING stuff with their stories as well...I'll do my BEST to up my own standard in order to stand shoulder to shoulder with them. Even from the very beginning, I always wanted to write just as well, if not better, than the folks I truly admired on Nifty. That hasn't changed. There's a piece of me that wants to be recognized among the best that has EVER written an erotic story for Nifty or anywhere else. So I use that feling of competition as fuel to inspire me to reach new heights with everything that I do. Or to at least TRY to. I think competition is healthy, and I won't lie...I get anxious when I see someone doing much better than me with their story or series. I'm always trying to reach the top of the mountain, and if I have to share it with the best in the game...then I'll know I'm in good company.

You write, I write, he writes, she writes....the net is literally FULL of erotic stories of this nature! And there are a LOT of really talented authors out there who are constantly getting beter and better with every chapter they write. I know because I've seen some extremely quality stuff lately online. I, unfortunately, don't get to read anywhere NEAR as much as I used to, but I try to catch a good story every now and then. As a writer myself, I love to see what other people are doing and what cool stories are being created. As an author, or as a reader, it's natural to have favorites and to take a real pride in your own work. But the question for this week is.... = Do you ever feel any sense of 'competition' with other writers when you're writing your own stuff? = Do you ever get the urge to just bury everybody else that's writing and rise to the top of the heap so you can get noticed? Is there a favorite author that you have that maybe you want to 'challenge' for their spot? And if you're reading these stories, do you have certain untouchable favorites that no one else can come close to? Would it be possible for another story to lure you in and become your NEW favorite if the author was potent enough? This week, it's all about win win WIN baby! Is competition your thing? The board is open!

By myself, it would be kinda hard for me to figure out how to answer the question. But reading what you guys wrote, it's pretty much the exact same way. Whether writing from a roleplaying game, or about being a gay teen, or reading up on a subject and trying to imitate it, or sharing a special experience (Awesome story by the way, Sparhawk)...every story is still me. I'd love to get further and further away from it if I could, but writing everything from "New Kid" to "GFD"...huge pieces of my real life and my real experiences always sneak in. Without fail. For example, my father and I obviously did NOT have a good relationship growing up. (To say the LEAST!) So in all of my stories, I notice that the father is always abusive, or just 'absent' altogether. Almost always. And when I try to write about a loving and caring father figure, it just doesn't come out right. It feels artificial to me, you know? Like I'm making it all up and no father is really like that. It's weird. There are recurring themes in all of my stories that repeat over and over again, and I'm always on a quest to avoid that. As for "GFD" being real? Hehehhe! It IS real! Just not entirely. Just like Billy mentioned that all of his poems are about growing up as a gay teen....if you look closely, so is "GFD". The whole story is my life. Feeling different, feeling outcast, not being able to fight the hunger for what you really want, scared of life, scared of love....the whole thing. Everything that I've written from day one has included some real experience of mine or some painful emotion that I was deling with at the time. Some boy I had a crush on, some sexual situation I was in, some thoughts I dealt with, or some friends that I grew up with. Without that life experience, I don't know what I'd write about. So me personally? I can only write what I know. I'd love to grow beyond that someday, but for right now, it's all I know how to write. I know there are a lot of folks that can do it very well. Write stories from different periods in history, or create awesome sci fi from their imagination, or develop characters that aren't similar to the author. But if I write anything, you can pretty much believe that that's what I was feeling at that particular time on that particular day. Always. I hope it doesn't get too repetitive. Hehehe!