Comicality

Unhappy. Uncivil. Absolutely classless. Sooooo many people like this exist in this day age. A world of male and female 'Karens' who feel entitled and just run around treating people like shit. I almost hate the fact that Youtube censors violent content, because I SERIOUSLY want to see some of these people get their asses handed to them! Beat them the fuck up! God, I HATE them! Who raised you? Why do you think this kind of behavior is acceptable in any part of a civilized society? You're a fucking CHILD, and you need just one good beat down to teach you that you can't run around acting like this. You over entitled piece of shit. BUT...we can't handle things that way and claim to be any better than they are? Can we? There are people that will test your limits, provoke you into fights that you don't want to be a part of, people who may deserve to get punched right in their fucking mouth for the awful things that they say. But...do you feel a need to be the bigger person? Do you walk away? Do you just stand there and take it? Or do you find ways to take a deep breath and let it go? Do you have methods of finding a happy place that will keep you from reacting irrationally? And if so...where is that happy place? How do you deal with people who act like this? And should they just get away with it? Is that encouraging the behavior to continue? Or does somebody need to step in and let them know that there are consequences for treating other human beings like garbage just because you don't get your way? Give us your thoughts on this! Anonymous answers are always welcome! I'd love to hear you thoughts on this, because I definitely have some of my own! Hehehe, but that's for a later date! I'd rather hear from you guys first! Thanks in advance! And I'll seezya soon!

I have to admit that I am quite baffled by the whole idea that anyone would allow someone else to lead them away from their own core. I mean, inspiring thought, challenging norms, and encouraging a certain curiosity to learn more is one thing. I can get that. But in real life...to follow any ideology that discourages questions and demands blind loyalty for the sake of comfort...I can't understand that for the life of me. How can people not have limits? What the hell? I want you guys to watch this... https://youtu.be/b2OcKQ_mbiQ There are people out there who can see the weakness or the need in you...and they will try to manipulate you every chance they get. You can be cheated out of your money, cheated out of opportunities, even relationships...but keep you heart and your soul for yourselves. Please. There's nothing more precious than that. See? LIMITS! Nobody can make me believe something that I don't believe. I won't lie to myself. I won't lie to other people in order to defend it. You couldn't pay me enough to sell my soul for something like that. If I deliberately wore a T-shirt with something hateful or offensive on it, something that hurt people, and I was getting dirty looks and was being booed in the streets, I would experience a level of shame that I don't think I'd be able to handle. Why do that? Even if I made a new friend and we were really cool and having a good time...if he pulls out a pistol and was like, "let's rob this bank really quick!"....ummm, FUCK no! What the hell is wrong with you? What the hell do you think is wrong with ME to even suggest such a thing? I wrote a series called "Agenda 21", where I followed a bunch of videos and stuff down into the conspiracy rabbit hole myself, but it was mostly because I thought it was cool how people were building it up and connecting dots that shouldn't connect. But I would never be 'radicalized' by such a thing. It's ridiculous when you really stop and think about it, but it makes for a cool story. You know? The series is on a long term hold because of the big anti-vax stuff going on with the Covid pandemic. I felt that it would be irresponsible of me to possible fuel that any further with a totally fictional story about the end of the world. I don't want to be a part of that madness. Maybe one day I'll pick it up again, but folks need to stop searching for some kind of 'war' to fight around every corner that makes them think that every day is filled with life or death situations. I'm pretty sure that anyone trying to lead me down one of those dark paths would be wasting their time. I have limits. Better yet, I have common sense. And I know when people are telling me outright lies in order to appear perfect. Nobody's perfect. So knock it off.

EXACTLY! It's gotten to the point where they're not even entertaining anymore. And I've given their clickbait a chance to see if maybe they have a point somewhere. But it's all, 'woman, woman, woman, woke, agenda, liberal, woman, woke, forcing us to think people are....ummmm...people?' I really try to give them the benefit of the doubt, because everybody deserves to have their opinion heard. So let's hear it. But they just...rant. No substance or reason for it. They just get off on it, I guess. Even THEN...that's ok. We can agree to disagree. That's fine. They can still be good people with a different point of view. But now they're literally ATTACKING people who like the show. WHY??? I haven't disliked a single Marvel Disney + show yet. I wasn't a big fan of Boba Fett, but all of the other Star Wars shows have been highly entertaining too. I look forward to Andor and Asoka as well. It's like...people just need to relax. They're not entitled to constant entertainment for free. A LOT of people put in a whole lot of work into these projects. Chill out. Nobody wants to hear it. It's not even political. Or religious. Or cultural. It's just a TV show. Watch it...don't watch it...who cares? You know? Every Monday on the Shack, I make a 'Monday Movie Matinee' post, (http://www.voy.com/15900/) where I tell people about a movie that I really liked. Something positive, you know? Underground and independent movies that people might be missing out on. Most of it is stuff people have never even heard of. I advertise it and promote so they can enjoy it too. Why would I waste my time and energy on a movie I HATE? That's just dumb. It's not funny. It's hurtful and wrong and I don't want to be a part of it. Let's have fun instead. You know? As for women and the 'woke' agenda...people don't know what 'woke' means anymore and they're using it wrong...and I grew up watching horror movies, so the strong female character was always the last one standing. It's the 'final girl' trope, look it up. I just don't get the weakness in people anymore. And I grew up in a house of horrific abuse, but I'd never be THAT insecure. Jesus...

Ummmm...I don't get it... Did you know that there are people on Youtube, reactors and reviewers, that are getting ATTACKED for not hating the Marvel "She Hulk" series? And it's only been two episodes, but they are extremely upset that people like it and give it good reviews. I mean...but WHY though??? I've been watching it, and I LOVE She Hulk! It's so much fun! It's made to be a comedy type of lawyer show, and they hit the nail on the head. It has a bunch of meta moments and breaks the 4th wall in parts (Like Deadpool), it has some action, it ties in with the MCU perfectly and it's just plain cool to watch. If somebody else doesn't like it? That's fine. Not your cup of tea. Some people like "Game Of Thrones", or "Breaking Bad", or "Downton Abbey", or "Sex In The City", whatever. But why go out of your way to *HATE* somebody for liking something that they like? That's just stupid? What is that about? And when I look at this stuff, it's always the same ten to fifteen people. They watch EVERY episode and then complain about it. Who even bothers to click on their content at this point. Some folks are just determined to see Marvel fail. "Black Widow" is the end of Marvel! "Thor: Love and Thunder" is the end of Marvel! "Dr. Strange" is the end of Marvel! "Ms Marvel", "The Eternals", "Hawkeye", "Moon Knight", will all be the END of Marvel! Will it really though? I'm still waiting for the next one. So...if they're talking about me, they're lying. I'm willing to bet that about half a billion dollars worth of box office for every movie would agree. They're pretty consistent. So, like...relax. Go find something you DO like. Write and make videos about that. Educate the people, oh supreme warrior of all things cinema. Hehehe, now hush up. More She Hulk is coming on! Go outside and find something positive in your life to get involved in instead of hate watching a show that you forced yourself to dislike before it even aired on TV. For the rest of you? Show's hilarious! I love it! ::Giggles::

Not long ago, I posted on the Shack forum about a young actor that I really liked and seemed like he had a bright future ahead of him...and then he went completely off the rails, killed his own mother, and went out looking to assassinate the Canadian Prime Minister! I mean...how did we get HERE??? But that's a very important question, isn't it? Take a moment and think about it. In a world where people can be radicalized to say, believe, or do almost anything beyond any realm of logic or common sense...it's pretty clear that this is becoming a growing problem in our society. I mean...what does it? Brainwashing? Conspiracy theories? Or just a mental imbalance? Maybe a touch of all three in different doses. But whether it be the Manson family, Jim Jones getting his followers to drink poisoned Kool-Aid, or Heaven's Gate getting people to castrate themselves and commit suicide in order to reach a comet from space...this keeps popping up in every culture. And no one knows what to do about it. The question is...how well do you know yourselves? And do you think that you could ever become one of those people who suddenly follows a rabbit hole down into a pit of madness and violence? It has nothing to do with intelligence or morality or lack there of. Some people just get sucked into these things where it all makes sense. What about you? Is there anything that would get you to change everything that you are and abandon what you now may think is your sanity for something better? Could you be talked into it? What would it take to convince you? Apparently, we're all susceptible to such a thing. Do you ever wonder if there's a trigger within you somewhere that could ensnare you a cause you wander off of the path that you once thought was so straight and narrow? Let us know what you think! And be careful what you say here...hehehe, the Illuminati is watching!

i dunno...I kinda like the deeper voice. I mean, he'll never be 'choir boy' high again, but once his voice settles in, he can train himself to hit some high notes again. It just takes time. And MAN is he growing up to be a cutie!

Author Branding One of the greatest parts of being a highly creative person who shares their work with others who enjoy it is this...no one can ever ever take it from you. It can’t be taught, forced, or manipulated, by anyone else. It’s hard for most people to even understand, to be honest. How can someone create something out of nothing? No order given, no guidelines, no rules or regulations, no fixed direction on what to do or where to go. I assume that most of you reading this right now don’t really see this as being any big task at all, as you’re you’re all highly creative people just like I am...but understand...it’s not like that for everybody. What you have is a specific talent that many don’t, and might never be able to, understand. Take pride in that. It will be one of the biggest strengths in your writing...finding the courage and the confidence in whatever it is that you, and you specifically, have to bring to the table as an author. The more you engage your talents in the art of making the intangible tangible, the more they will evolve and expand. You take a few chances over ‘here’ that you might not have taken before. Maybe you add some details and depth to a scene over ‘there’ that you might have originally skipped over as a less experienced writer. No matter what is that you’re trying out or experimenting with...you become more closely intertwined with your own work. And the more honest and more vulnerable you are with your storytelling...the more it becomes a unique part of you, and vice versa. Soon, you as a writer become recognizable in your work. And this is something that I truly believe can be used to your advantage when building a fanbase and a varied body of work that you can be proud of. Now, this doesn’t have to be your thing if you want to go into every story, brand new, and just want to entertain with each project standing on its own two feet. It’s a very cool approach and works well if that’s your goal. But I feel like if you want to create a collection of quality stories that expresses the best parts of you and want to take your own spot among some of the greats...then author branding, in my opinion, is a must! So let’s talk author branding... What is it, and why would it be of any help to you? Branding is the art of creating this awesome mystique about you and your talents that will create a bond of trust between you and your readers. It is the ‘you’ that they are sure to recognize whenever they read your work. There’s an expectation there. A predictable level of enjoyment. When you release a brand new project, your audience should see your name, or online handle, and immediately get excited. They know what to expect, and it’s up to you to deliver. Will everything that you write be a big hit? No. Doubtful. Nobody’s perfect, and not everything can be golden. BUT...if you’ve branded yourself as a writer of quality, you will be rewarded with a certain amount of loyalty. Even if you’re writing a story that your readers aren’t interested in...they may just peek in and give it a chance regardless. Hehehe, sometimes I’ll write a college romance, sometimes a high school romance. I might do something like science fiction one day, and may dabble into some horror, and then try fantasy, and then write more romance. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve written entire series that people told me they had no interest in...but when they finally checked it out, they took it back and became an instant fan. This is what author branding can do for you. They may not know the story, they may not know the genre...but they know ‘Comicality’. And they know I wouldn’t just release something that wasn’t close to my heart in some way, shape, or form. They know how I treat my characters, and how I weave my story plot lines together, and how I treat certain situations with infatuation or heartbreak or fear. My audience knows my sense of humor. They know that I’m going to toss some teen angst into the mix. And that I won’t shy away from being tastefully ‘naughty’ when I feel the story calls for it. These are parts of my writing that people have grown used to and can recognize when they see it...so whether the next big series sounds like it’s going to be right up their alley or not...if they enjoyed some of my other stuff, there will be a curiosity as to whether or not it’ll fall in line. And that’s a plus in the win column for me. Every time. If you think about the many authors that you may read here on Gay Authors...you may see a few similarities in the kinds of writers and stories that attract your attention the most. Take a moment and think about what those qualities are and which writers embody them the most. Some writers might have a more poetic prose in their text, and some may be a bit more straightforward and down to earth. Some may create longer stories or series that will keep you engaged for a longer period of time, and some may enjoy writing something short and sweet and easy to digest in one sitting. What are your favorites? And why is that? Do you like writers who add a bit more sexual content in their work, or would you rather have something much more subtle or merely suggested instead of reading through any graphic depictions? All of these things are determined according to your personal taste as a reader, and your readers are no different. There’s a certain ‘flavor’ that they’ve come looking for...and if their search is in sync with your particular brand of content...then they will keep coming back to you, time and time again, whenever you post something new. They know what to expect from you. Thus...author branding. So what is your niche? What do you enjoy writing the most, and where do you fall in when it comes to building something new? You don’t have to commit to writing just one thing or feel handcuffed to one genre, but it’s important to develop your writer’s voice in ways where it can work almost anywhere. If having a sense of humor or a certain sting of sarcasm in your storytelling or your dialogue...focus on making that your calling card. Even without seeing you named as the author, people should be able to read certain comments or get a certain vibe from your characters and know that this is your work. Either that, or a shameless duplication. Hehehe! The more in tune you are with your greatest strengths, the easier it will be to recognize your signature talents and build trust and loyalty with your audience moving forward. That means that you have to bring your ‘A’ game each and every time you release a new story. No excuses. Because where a good brand can really help you out and showcase your abilities in a positive light...a bad brand can do twice as much damage. Even if you’ve already got a good brand going beforehand. A lazy or lackluster story will make everything else that you’ve done seem out of balance. How can you create a brand if that brand is inconsistent? It’s like...there might be a fabulous restaurant right around the corner from your house that you’ve never been to, and it might have excellent food. You’ve just never tried it before. So you grab your wallet, you leave the house...and you end up at McDonald’s. Why? Because McDonald’s is a recognizable brand. No surprises, no time or money wasted...you know what to expect and keep going back for more. There’s nothing WRONG with that...but they’re consistent. If nothing else, you’ll always have a steady line worth of business. When it comes to building a brand as an author...you want to take that amazing little restaurant that hardly anybody knows about, get people to give you a try, and then deliver something that’s worthy of grabbing that same kind of attention. You can’t have an off day. You want to serve people something that they’ll love and come back for. And then spread the word so you can get even more people to do the same. Don’t rush the quality of your work. Put your heart into every word. Not everything I write is going to be perfect. Far from it, in fact. But I would rather miss a deadline or put a story on hold before I post or publish something that I didn’t give an exhaustive effort to. The Comicality brand means more to me than that. It’s supposed to stand for heart, and drama, and a sincere shot at excellence. So when my name is attached to a story, readers can expect a few giggles and warm fuzzy feelings, a heavy dose of teen angst, and a few dashes of boyish nostalgia thrown in. I may take those elements and tell them in a plethora of different ways...but no matter what it is that you read by me, you can be sure to feel my life essence in there somewhere. That’s my brand, and that’s what my readers come looking for when they see me. Something else that I always stress, but can never stress enough...put your NAME out there! Connect it to every creative endeavor that you put out there, and promote it every chance you get. Go to any website with multiple author contributions and look at how many new stories or chapters pop up each and every single day. Who are you? How are people going to learn and involve themselves in your particular brand if you don’t work to let them know, “Hey! If you liked this story, I also wrote these others over here!” Allow new readers and potential fans get familiar with your work. They may want to see more. If you can entertain them with two stories...what will story’s three and four be like? They key isn’t just to be seen as having a good story...but as a good writer. Create an aura around whatever it is that you do best and try to be as consistent with it as you possibly can be. That’s how you build a strong foundation to stand on. Also, find a way to keep your stories all in one place. As we all know, not everybody sends in an email or leaves a comment behind. You may not even know that they’re there. Have a space of your very own where if a reader comes to the end of one of your stories and decides that they like it...they can easily click a button to move on to something else written by you. Maybe they’ll enjoy that one too. But don’t make them ‘work’ for it. Don’t assume that somebody is going to spend extra time searching for your next story when there are thousands of other options at their fingertips. You’ve got their attention...hold on to it! Take your time and get your story right. Put out a champion effort if you want a champion response. Make it so every reader that has ever absorbed one of your stories in the past is antsy and fidgety to see what you’ll do next. You’re their favorite movie director. You’re that band that they’ve waited forever to hear a new album from. Build up a dependable brand by becoming one with the words you type out on your keyboards...and half of the excitement for your new story will already be taken care of before they even read a single word. Cool? Anyway, I hope this helps you guys when it comes to the ins and outs of this whole chaotic writing process. I realize that there’s a lot to think about, but if you can take all of the elements that we’ve talked about so far ad put them together? There’s no way you can lose! Take care! And I’ll seezya soon with more!

Glad it could help out a bit.

If somebody goes out of their way to take advantage or try to mess me up emotionally? Yeah...that can be a harsh blow. Especially if it's someone that I trusted. I mean, you guys know me already, hehehe...I'll go to the ends of the earth for the people I care about. I'll invest as much time and energy as I possibly can to make sure that they're ok. So, to be betrayed or tossed aside by the very people I tried to embrace and protect...it can really suck sometimes. Such is life. I mean, nobody's perfect, but there's an extra, deliberately applied, amount of 'suckage' involved in that situation. Like...you have to CHOOSE to screw me over at that point. It's not a life or death situation where, "Either Comsie can get mauled by the bear, or I have to sacrifice it all in order to ensure my own survive!" No. You're just a selfish asshole who tossed me under the bus because it was convenient. And that's not cool. But revenge? You know...there was definitely a time when that would have been my main priority in life from that moment on. But I've honestly moved on from that kind of thinking. Weird, right? And I know that we all have a sense and desire for 'justice' in our lives...but I find myself just kind of backing away from the whole situation these days, no matter what it may be. Because we all have to pay for the things we do, and karma never loses an address. So I just move on and leave them to deal with that stuff on their own. Once somebody purposely screws me over when I've been nothing but a friend to them? We're done. I'm not holding a grudge, I just do my best to stay away from the bad stuff. And from bad people. Period. So, no. I'm not big on actively trying to get revenge. It's a waste of time, and it makes them look like the victim. Nope! Just know that I was willing to be a good friend and a shoulder to cry on whenever you really need one. And now, you fucked that up. The best revenge is to simply remove yourself from somebody else's life and send them searching for somebody else to take my place. Start from scratch. Good luck. You know?

I mean...when you've been treated unfairly or done wrong...how can you NOT want some payback? You know? Somebody hurt you! Spread lies about you! Betrayed your trust and deliberately hurt you! WTF??? What did you do to deserve that, you know? But...is revenge you thing? When it comes to payback, do you actively strike back and make SURE that the people who fucked you over pay for what they've done? I mean...shouldn't they? Do you go seeking revenge? Do you feel that harsh consequences are justified? Do you throw their bullshit right back at them? Why or why not? Let us know your thought process when it comes to revenge. How do you feel about it? Will it really solve anything? Or maybe...it'll solve everything! Thoughts? Talk to us! I'd love to hear your take on this! So chime in whenever you get a chance.

I LOVE this new song! Very cool. @0:25 pleas don't have a shot that looks like me crawling on my hands and knees towards his open legs. My heart can't take it.

Thanks. And...I don't know? Is it?

Intimacy In order to really connect your readers to the romantic stories that you write, you’ve got to keep in mind that it’s not always some giant swing of the pendulum that brings the mood and the tone from one extreme to the other. I think that it’s important to be able to recognize opportunities for all of those little giddy moments in between that can sometimes come off as being your biggest strengths. In fact, I’ve found that they can end up being the most touching and engaging parts of your story as a whole. An extra seasoning that will enhance the flavor of every other detail and event that you write around them. Intimacy, when you think about it...can be an effective binding agent that holds everything together. Gives it meaning. Power and purpose. And when done right...it can end up being one of the most erotic pieces of the puzzle when it comes to having your audience really feel as though they’re a part of the experience that you’re trying to build. Don’t write it off as a simple bonus to the rest of the story. It may just be the strongest weapon in your arsenal. So let’s discuss the potent impact of ‘intimacy’ in your writing... In earlier articles, I’ve talked about romance...and I’ve also talked about sex...but I feel like the art of writing ‘intimacy’ is something that hits on any number of points on the scale between the two. Now, this is where you can use a myriad of different emotions to create an exceptionally magical experience between your protagonist and their love interest. You can balance them out however you want, and mix and match them together like some kind of literary mad scientist! Whatever floats your boat! Hehehe! You see...the thing with intimacy is that nothing big has to be taking place for it to really captivate people and draw them even further into this fictional relationship without exhausting your other tools in the process. (Save those for bigger moments. Right now, just tickle your readers with little hints and tender expressions of love without anybody getting naked or making any big confessions or grand gestures. Remember...intimacy exists between those two wide swings of the pendulum) There’s a subtlety to it that simply can’t be taught or manufactured. This is one of those things that you really have to feel in your gut. And your readers will be able to feel it too. Trust me on this. This is another one of those ‘show, don’t tell’ moments where I think it works best when you strip everything down to its core...and just allow it to breathe. Don’t force it. Just allow it to happen. No sex needed. No groping, no kissing, no flirting...none of that. Shhhh...hehehe...give your characters a chance to discover the intimacy without any help or outside influence. You don’t even need dialogue. Enjoy the silence. Let them enjoy the silence. Intimacy is, like...this unspoken beauty that really shines the more you focus on the delicacy of it. Like a soft wind blowing a few blossoms into a slight, but graceful, bend. It can be as simple as a bump of two boys’ elbows. The breath on your cheek. A gentle blush, or an extended moment of eye contact. The more hidden the expression, the more powerful its pull on the heartstrings of your readers. Just peppering a few of these moments throughout your story can really enhance the feeling of a loving bond that will ultimately enhance every other interaction that these two characters have together for the rest of the project. The little things count. They really do. This is a full short film called “Running Without Sound” about two boys who have developed feelings for one another. I really like this one, but pay special attention to the scene that happens around 8:00 minutes. Where they’re together in a bedroom alone...and it hasn’t really been made clear whether they know the other boy is gay, despite their attraction. There’s this really intense, extended, silence between them...will they kiss? Not kiss? Say something? Stay quiet? Watching this, you can definitely find yourselves trapped in a moment of true intimacy. Not flirting or romance. Not sexual desire or contact. But all of the surreal moments of first love, and the possible promise for more. Tension, confusion, fear, yearning...rapid heartbeat, heavy breathing...searching for courage...that one extended moment touches on a variety of different emotions that seriously gets me all giddy and anxious every time I see it. But it’s cute and it’s awkward and just...extremely sweet! Hehehe, see for yourself. The best part of intimacy in your stories, depending on how you write it, is that you can leave the erotic nature of these moments in the hands of your audience. Some will see it as a playful tease, others will find it to be the hottest part of the story. It’s all in the eye of the beholder, I suppose. But the key is to use these micro expressions to demonstrate a closeness that feels as though it is unique to these two characters alone. Something special that wasn’t meant to be shared with anyone else. You know? Using this method will set them apart from the typical boy meets boy story every time. Again, the beauty is in its simplicity. Holding hands, running your fingers through your partner’s hair, or gently rubbing noses together between kisses. Whispers, I think, are a real turn on. And just allowing your hands to glide over the skin of your lover after making love. Even when it’s not sexual in any way...there’s a certain excitement involved in short and sweet moments of intimacy. No words spoken, no kisses exchanged. Take a look at this clip from the TV series, “The Fosters”...and just feel the tension and boyish thrill of being in this position when you were first discovering intimacy for yourself. This scene is amazing! I can practically feel the poor kid’s heart beating hard enough to get all chocked up myself! Hahaha! Ahhhh….memories... One of the reasons that I think intimacy and smaller moments of affection in our stories is so effective when it comes to speaking to the hearts of your readers is because it’s like being plugged into a dream. It’s the ability to be totally vulnerable and see the world through the eyes of a romantic ‘hero’ of ours...but from a place of safety and security. You get to reap the benefits without any of the real risk that would com with it if you were to engage in the same behavior in real life, you know? When you’re living through the unguarded exploits of a fictional character in a story, you’re allowed to immerse yourself even further into the fantasy than you would if there were consequences involved. In a story, it’s ok to be awkward, or goofy, or to suddenly swoon and have a sudden ‘I love you’ outburst...knowing that it’ll be ok. I think there’s something really comfortable and alluring about that. So why not go for it? You’re the one with full control of the keyboard, aren’t you? The only limit is your imagination. Well...that and a suspension of disbelief, hehehe! But you get what I mean! One more example, and again...intimacy isn’t about some big event, or some story changing situation or plot twist. It’s not about a graphically, well written, sex scene, or a spoken exchange that was designed to bring tears of joy to your eyes. Those moments are needed too, and they work wonders when the time is right. But just a few random touches here and there, a few smiles across a crowded room, or a slightly awkward giggle between friends, can go a long way in your writing. Think of it this way...how would you feel accidentally bumping shoulders with a stranger on the bus...as opposed to bumping shoulders with the biggest boyhood crush you’ve ever had in a crowded elevator? Yep...that right there! You feel it? Hehehe, go ahead and smile! I won’t tell anybody! That’s the difference! This clip is from the show “Ugly Betty”, where the family pretty much knows their son is gay, but he refused to accept it...until now. And decided to ask his secret boyfriend to dance right there in front of everybody. It’s an intimate moment that really adds a whole new flavor to anything that could have come after that moment. (Unfortunately, I think that was the end of the series. But it would have) Like I said, intimacy is simple, but the impact is massive when used right. Not everybody is a modern day poet. Nobody spends their entire day giving and receiving flattering platitudes of love. And if all we did was have sex every day...how would the rest of the world even function. LOL! Who would want to do anything else, right? No. Sometimes...the best moments of life come from sharing a dance, a tender kiss on the cheek, or simply putting two straws in the same milkshake. Take advantage of these golden opportunities in your work and really demonstrate how close and tightly intertwined your main characters are when writing a romantic story. It helps to pain a three dimensional picture. Why are they together? What do they have in common? Why would they stay in love, other than they’re both cute and horny and have an intense attraction for one another? Sometimes...the love you’re writing about doesn’t really have to be about that. I’m not saying that you should avoid those other parts of the equation...just know that your readers will be more invested in those bigger moments if you occasionally focus on the little moments in between. Give it a try some time! And I hope this helps! K? Seezya soon, ladies and gentlemen! And happy writing!

https://imagine-magazine.org/releases/ I wanted to add a quick note to let you guys know that a brand new online issue of Imagine Magazine has been released. Wow, by next year we'll be at #100...crazy... I've been facing something difficult for the past week or so, and I still need a few days to get back on my feet again. But for now, enjoy the magazine, thanks to everyone who contributed to it, and HUGE thanks to those who sent in a donation. I'm sorry that I didn't get a chance to talk to you, but I'll make up for it soon. K? ((Hugz)) Love always, and I'll seezya soon

Parallels You know those moments in a lot of stories or movies where the hero comes up against their main rival, and they always say the same cliché phrase? Hehehe! That part where they say, "You know...we're not so different, you and I..." Hahaha! I've heard it so many times and phrased so many different ways, that it's kind of cheesy and weird now. However...it's a trope that I really actually LOVE to use in a lot of my stories, and do so often. I just don't have them talk about it out loud. I love the idea of deeply cultivated heroes and villains having a lot more in common than they ever could have thought possible. It's like...this hypocritical blindspot that neither one of them can really see or recognize until they're in direct conflict with one another...causing both characters to learn and grow simultaneously when faced with the truth of it all. There's something about that dynamic that really appeals to me, and always has. There's a parallel between good and evil, love and hate, righteousness and rage...that can be used to craft a really compelling argument between two or more complex characters. And if you create the fictional characters in your project with this idea in mind, it will add a number of different layers to who they are, and how they are perceived by your readers. It's just a matter of looking at problem or belief system from both points of view, and setting those perspectives to war against one another until there's almost an emotional 'stalemate' that will remain until both sides are forced to notice the similarities in their thoughts, feelings, and goals. Even while violently disagreeing with one another. One thing that I used to always love about comic books when I was growing up was the fact that it was the ideas and the relationships that were always driving the story forward. Anybody with super powers can punch the 'bad guy' in the mouth and tell him to shut up. But that's not 'strength'. That's just an advanced form of bullying at best. But what happens when the hero is close to understanding that he and his greatest villain have similar goals and methods? What then? In the movie, "The Dark Knight"...the Joker basically tells Batman, 'Yeah, I operate outside of the law, but aren't you doing the same thing? You're a vigilante.' He actually says, "Don't act like you're one of them! You're not!" And he's not lying when he says this. Once you take a step across the line...why not two? Why not TEN? What's stopping you? Everything that you're fighting for becomes a joke when you ignore the fact that we're both criminals. Very deep. It's one of the greatest character parallels in comic book history. Basically...the art of using character parallels in your story comes down to pointing out that we all have successes and failures. We all have triumphs and falls from grace. In the 'Writing Arguments' article, I talked about how amazing it is to have your readers sort of understand two opposing points of view. Parallels are different. This is when they share a common goal, but have conflicting ways about getting it done. I've always been intrigued by that idea. For example, in the story, "Gone From Daylight", my main character comes up against a deadly enemy that seems irrational and insane from his words, thoughts, and deeds. But...as my protagonist grows into his new life, he realizes that this enemy is what he could have been, if he had gone a different way. Both have suffered through abuse and bullying and pain...they just handled it in different ways. Whereas, in the story "Savage Moon"...the opposite happens. The protagonist immediately feels a kinship with the very people who are leading him astray, and he willingly goes along with that feeling of freedom and brazen self expression...until they begin to cross the line, and he goes running back to find it again. But what's really changed? Nothing really. Not when you think about it. It's just a matter of guilt and shame that keeps him from taking pleasure in what he was so ready to embrace, initially. But does he know that? Or is it another part of that hypocritical blindspot that he can't seem to recognize until he's forced to face it, once and for all? What is life if you never question your own role in it, you know? This is a writing technique that can be used in a variety of different ways to bring out a certain level of added depth to your main conflicts in your story. The idea that...what one character that you love and are rooting for to win the day...is operating on the same flawed blueprint that their antagonist is using to be such a thorn in their side. You take the time to paint them to be the villain, and then...little by little...you begin to unravel their motivations to expose the fact that they've been through rough times too. As they say, 'Every villain is the hero of their own story'. Your characters (Especially if you tell your stories from a first person gay teen perspective like I do) are usually so wrapped up in their own goals, problems, feelings, and ambitions, to really see a different way of thinking or asking to have their point understood as anything other than aggravating friction. It's natural. We all do it from time to time. But if you can write a story where both characters seemingly start on opposite ends of a giant football field of emotions, obstacles, and booby traps...and then slowly bring them closer and closer together in your narrative, they find out that they're not on opposing teams. They're simply teammates that don't get along. And that makes for a really interesting conflict once you fit your plot into that particular structure. I series I'm writing called, "Jesse-101: Online Celebrity", pretty much begins with my protagonist, Tristan, being dumped and heartbroken by someone that he had developed feelings for. But the parallel is the fact that a younger boy that lives on his block has developed a huge crush on Tristan and is always doing all that he can to be around him and impress him whenever possible. Unfortunately, Tristan is not interested. Not only that, but he feels annoyed and bothered by having the younger boy chase after him so aggressively. It isn't until later on in the story that Tristan begins to think of how much it hurt to be tossed aside and ignored, and realizes that he's doing the same thing. He's become a mirror image of his greatest pain, and he's now given a choice to possibly change his ways, or continue being as cruel as his first ever boyfriend was to him. Like I said, I've done this in many of my own stories. Where one side or the other suddenly has a moment of emotional sobriety where they are forced to face the fact that...well..."We're not so different, you and I..." Just...DON'T write it like that if you can help it! LOL! There are ways around saying it outright. It really is one of those cliches that you should avoid at all costs. And...I mean, I get it..sometimes you just can't slip by it and still get your point across. But if you CAN...then do it. Don't make it so obvious. Your audience will get it. Promise. The beauty of putting a story like this, where your characters are connected in this way, is all about having their thoughts and feelings intersect at some point. Whether it be in solidarity or in contrast...it still works. Find the similarities, and build up to the moment when they finally reach a crossroads. That's the key. I have a story called "Untouchable" where an older guy in his early 20's falls for a boy who's still in high school. And at one point, he loses his driver's license. So he has to go and get it replaced and they tell him that they need a valid ID. Well...he lost his ID. That's why he's there. How can he get an ID if he doesn't have an ID. But, when the teen returns his affections and wants to epress his love for him, he tells the boy that he's not old enough to know what he wants, has no experience, and has no way to even know if he's ready for a relationship. At which point, he throws the exact same line back at him. "How can I get an ID if I don't have an ID?" What is he going to do? Have the world tell him his inexperienced...and then deny him the chance to gain experience? That makes no sense. But, by using that parallel between characters...a great deal of my readers were able to get a different perspective on the situation and maybe understand why this paradox was such a problem for him. I truly think that parallels in storytelling can bring certain thought processes to light in a positive way. It highlights the history and backstory of your heroes AND your villains at the same time, and it creates this inner dialogue for your audience where everything isn't so black and white. It adds nuance and flexibility to your character motivations, while still increasing the stakes of having them go head to head until someone can declare themselves the winner. (If there really is such a thing) It's easy for poor people to think that those who are wealthy don't have a care in the world. It's easy for someone who thinks they're ugly or average looking or overweight to think that the super model gorgeous boys have it so easy. It's easy to be out of the closet as a gay man and think that everyone in the closet can just 'come out' and tell the world if they weren't so busy hiding. We all have our own visions of what life is and how it should be. And, more often than not, we put that personal filter on top of the characters that we read about or the people we interact with on a daily basis. But we're not all sharing the same experience. We're not surrounded by the same people. We don't have the same needs, the same fears, the same joys... But that doesn't mean that there aren't parallels between your lives and mine. Chances are...we agree on more than what we disagree on. And that's your strength as a writer. Being able to point that out, and saying, "Yeah...I get it." I can be generous, loving, horny, witty, and downright goofy. But I can also be selfish, frustrated, jealous, cranky, and simply stubborn, too. But, somewhere in that overly moody mess of random emotions and bullshit excuses for actions that I'm sure to regret later on once I come to my senses...I've learned to see the parallels between me and other people. It's a humbling experience, you know? Who am I to say that I've never been impatient? Or insecure? Or allowed that nagging voice in my head to see even the simplest of jokes or comments as an 'attack'? I see myself in other people, and I hope they can do the same when it comes to me. And that's a huge part of what I like to bring to my stories. I want my readers to see and understand how a young teen boy might be scared of telling his parents that he's gay over Thanksgiving dinner. I want them to see why asking the most beautiful boy that they've ever laid eyes on out on a date might take some time. I want people to remember how frightening that first virgin experience is, or how scary it is to throw that first punch in a fight, or how devastating it is to have a parent look at you with disgust for who and what you are. Don't tell me you've never been there. I won't believe you. But finding those parallels between characters creates an even playing field for everyone involved. So, n matter which side of the fence your reader happens to be on, at least they get an explanation as to why the other character feels the way they do. And, hopefully, absorb it in some way. That's why I'm writing, isn't it? To make some kind of sense of the world? To have people finally hear my side of the story? So what am I holding back for? You know? When you build your protagonists and your antagonists...keep in mind how much they're alike as well as how much they are different. It's a tool that will serve you well. Hehehe! Friend or foe, it opens the door to a lot of moments when they can either combine forces to reach a certain objective, or toss certain illogical hypocrisies right back in each other's faces. There's nothing more engaging than a war of ideas, where the crowd of public opinion is just as divided as the voices battling it out. Try it. It works. That's it for now! I hope this helps you guys out with your writing! Take care! And thanks for reading! Can't wait to see what you guys come up with next! Seezya soon!

Awww....pretty.

Heh...I'm kinda bummed out to be finishing off the final edit of "Safe Haven" now... I mean, it'll be available next week, regardless...but the Ryan Grantham thing is kinda creepy. Geez! Still, be sure to grab all of the "Shelter" prequel stories as Ebooks if you get a chance! (https://imagine-magazine.org/store/comicality/) They are all tied in with one another, rewritten and edited, and all cross paths into one big story. Each one giving you a detailed backstory on each of the main characters. I'm building something big here! And you can look for "Waiting Outside The Lines" to finally evolve beyond the fanfic and become it's own story...which will join the party and be its own 'meta' part of the "Shelter-Verse" in the long run! And that will mix with another ebook exclusive as well...coming soon. So...check it out, k? Just...gloss over the...'murder/assassination' thing.

Awwww...I love Ryan Grantham! Such a beauty, and seemed like such a sweetheart. When I was making a movie trailer for the "Shelter" series (And the soon to be released "Safe Haven" ebook), he was the first young actor that came to mind to be used as the character, 'Spencer'. A young boy who had to be rescued by his father during the initial outbreak of the zombie apocalypse. And is showing signs that he may or may not be feeling ok. Begging the question of whether he might end up turning and becoming a danger to all of those around him, or will he be ok in the end? Well...ummmm...it looks like actor Ryan Grantham will now probably be spending the rest of his life in prison. So, I guess that answers that question. Sighhh...the whole world has gone insane. What did he do? Oh...he shot his own mother in the back of the head, and apparently had detailed plans to assassinate PM Justin Trudeau. WTF?!?! Who saw that coming? Damn...I'll miss you bud. ::Shakes head::

You know...when I really put some thought into it, I find myself stuck in this confusing loop where it's kind of hard to figure out how I feel about it. There are times when I really just want to be alone for a bit. Whether I'm thinking about something, or writing a story, or just want to put my headphones on and vibe out to some music for a while...it's something that I do all on my own. Being around someone else would be a distraction, you know? But there are other times when I really would love to give and receive some much needed affection from someone who makes me happy. I wouldn't mind going out for a good time, or having long, drawn out, conversations, or cuddling up on the couch for a movie. I'm a die hard romantic at heart. Always have been and I always will be. So I definitely value the benefits and the beauty of being in a committed relationship with someone too. But...I don't want to be in a position where I have a partner that resents me or feels neglected when I go in my room and close the door and just want to block the rest of the world for a few hours at a time. And I'm way too selfish to think that I'd be cool with an open relationship or a 'friends with benefits' type of deal. So it really is hard for me to say. If I absolutely HAD to choose, though...? I think I'd choose love. I wouldn't want to live in isolation all the time if I could help it. But I'd have to find someone who could be really understanding and independent in their own right. Someone that I can love completely, but won't feel neglected or left out if I say, "Hey, I just need to be alone with my thoughts for a little while. K? Love you." And have that be ok. And I would definitely respect them and their habits in the same way. It would be perfection in my eyes. So I don't have any problem with being alone, but I can't say that I ever really feel lonely. I'm not crying or craving the embrace of someone special. But...it would be nice! Hehehe! I would definitely enjoy that.

Weight And Impact As many of you guys already know, I have always been a huge fan of the horror film genre. Even when I was probably way too young to be watching people gutted with a machete, hehehe! I was the kid with the ‘Fangoria’ monthly subscription and the B-Movie fetish growing up! But I loved every minute of it! Those flicks were just plain fun to me, you know? Excessive gore and all! The more blood and guts, the better! Well, it wasn’t until a couple of my college roommates actually made the big move out to California and wanted to make a real go at being action/thriller/horror writers in the industry that I noticed something different. They were so proud of what they had written together, with dreams of it being one of those new classic movies that people would be talking about decades later as one of the best. But you know what? All of the studios they offered it to turned them down. But not for the reasons that you might think. The biggest complaint that they had was, “Your characters are too likable, too memorable, and relatable for a horror movie.” Ummm...what? But this was their major issue with the story as a whole. You simply can’t have likable people getting stabbed and chopped up and tortured! That would be traumatizing! Which is a really weird way to look at it (I mean, is anybody who is really deserving of a horribly gruesome death?), but that’s what they kept telling them as writers. Which is why, when you see most horror movies, the victims are either unlovable, brainless, or simply lack much personality if any at all. And that gave me a slightly different perspective on how these stories are written and how they are made in this day and age. Not just for horror stories...but for stories in general. It is the same in every genre. The connection to the characters and the situations that they are involved in can allow you to use your writing to turn the dial up and down as necessary when it comes to how you readers to feel about what’s going on. That relatable quality greatly influences the weight and impact of their journey and how your reading audience reacts to it. And that’s the topic for the day. Creating weight and impact, and how to moderate it. When to turn it up to 10...and when to maybe dial it back down to a 2. It’s not an exact science, but it’s something to think about, no matter what it is that you’re writing about. So, let’s get started. When talking about horror flicks, there’s this sort of trope of having what I would call a ‘horror movie memory’. This is when you’ve got a bunch of people running from the masked killer, or the demon, or the monster, whatever...and, naturally, casualties happen along the way. And it’s shocking to the other characters on the screen initially, and they scream out, “Noooooo!!!” Hehehe, and then two scenes later, it’s like it never took place. I mean, shock and survival instincts aside...didn’t your brother, sister, parents, best friend, boyfriend, JUST get violently murdered right in front of you less than an hour ago??? That’s kind of a big deal, don’t you think? But the movie has to treat this extreme incident like, “Oh well...that just happened. What’s next?” In order to lessen the overall terror involved with such a thing. WTF??? This would be an example of an event with little weight and less impact. Great for a gore fest of a horror movie...but not so much with other stories in other genres when you want to bring attention to the emotional battering of a serious or even devastating scene in stories of your own. Heartbreak, parental divorce, suicide, being outed at school against your will...these things all have drastic consequences that I always feel should be dealt with in ways that takes up more than a few random paragraphs in an author’s story. If you’re not going to really concentrate on it...then why add something so apocalyptic in your plot to begin with? There are smaller problems for your main characters to deal with that you can use for dramatic effect and still get your readers engaged with their situation. If it’s going to be the kind of issue that you want your protagonist to get over and move past in a rather short amount of time, then maybe not have him burn down a house full of screaming orphans! Obviously, that has lingering consequences that are going to last a lot longer than one or two chapters. You need to find a way to gauge your problems and solutions in your stories where they ‘question and answer’ of it all kind of match up at some point. Otherwise...you’re just going to end up with a bunch of WTF moments that can’t be undone later without some kind of a miracle. And miracles are lazy. Hehehe! So let’s not, shall we? Psh! Like I’m one to talk! I’m not saying that you can’t still use this strategy of a ‘horror memory’ in some cases to navigate your way through your story quickly and efficiently in order to keep things moving and avoid any lag time in your pacing...but take a moment and think about how that would be in real life. I mean, I could meet a total stranger on the bus...and if he got off and was suddenly hit by a truck and killed after I just spent the last two or three minutes talking to him, that would kind of mess me up emotionally. And that’s a random STRANGER! Imagine if it was someone that I knew extremely well and spent time with on a more personal level. But that’s just how movies go sometimes. “He’s dead, oh well. I mean, I can’t stop now. We’ll be fine.” Hehehe, really? Will you, though? No intense, paralyzing, fear is setting in? No emotional distress, no trauma? Years of therapy, maybe? No? Ok then. Good for you, sole survivor of a horrific tragedy. If you’re just looking for people to kill off or punish emotionally in your story, that’s your choice. But the real question is...how much weight will it have, depending on relatability, time spent with the character, and the severity of the actions both leading up to and coming after the dirty deed is done? All of these things matter. Lord knows, I definitely put my own fictional characters through the RINGER sometimes! But there are levels to manipulating the impact that these events are going to have on the rest of the story, you know? This is the space that you’ve been given where you can play with the scale or weight and impact and set it to have the desired effect that you were going for. This can be a matter of infidelity from a beloved partner, or the betrayal of a trusted friend? A hidden secret brought to light, or the loss of a long time pet. It’s all in how you write about these things before they happen that will determine their impact. What kind of meaning do you want this action to have in your story, and how can you adjust your dial accordingly to have it seem natural? You can’t just toss in some drama for drama’s sake, and then gloss over it as though it didn’t happen. When writing a story, I think it’s important to have a clearly defined idea of how powerful you want certain moments to be, and how to emphasize your intentions in a way that makes sense. A few examples to see if I can emphasize how sensitive (or desensitized) your pallet might be for the level of emotion that you’re trying to bring to parts of your story, or to your story as a whole... In the 1968 movie, “Night Of The Living Dead”...it starts off in a graveyard, with one of the main female characters and her brother, Johnny. Now, we don’t really get introduced to these characters beforehand outside of some back and forth banter and dialogue...and we don’t have any real reason to care about them, to be honest. But we do. And when they’re attacked, and Johnny meets his end...his sister is completely and utterly traumatized by what happened for the rest of the movie! And it makes perfect sense. I mean, wouldn’t YOU be? This movie all happens in a single night, so watching your brother getting killed right in front of you seems like a pretty heavy burden to carry...even while fighting for your life. This is that opening scene... And that’s just one person...one that you didn’t even know anything about really before the movie started. And yet, that death has such an impact on the other character that she gives it meaning and depth, and a certain significance is born out of her reaction to it. One that people watching the film can understand and relate to. Especially back in 1968. The weight and impact of that scene is turned way up on the dial with the goal of having it impact its audience in a major way. Now...take a look at this... This clip comes from the movie “2012”, about the end of the world (Basically), and a massive, unprecedented, earthquake hits Los Angeles as our protagonist rushes through the city to save his family from being lost forever. The focus is greatly shifted towards just that small group of people and the tension and terror is provided by giving the audience a much more manageable focus as they try to flee the wreckage. However...I want you to notice the difference here. This is Los Angeles!!! Take a look at this! Millions upon MILLIONS of people are dying here! Being crushed and maimed and blown up and falling to their death into chasms of an almost infinite depth! All of them have lives, have families, have children...and they are running, crying, screaming, bleeding, burning to death, and suffering, with an unfathomable amount of pain. BUT...how traumatizing would it be for you to actually zoom in and focus on that all at once while it’s happening? It’s almost too much for anyone to handle. So they made the right choice here. Keep them unknown, faceless, casualties. You’d probably be curled up in a breathless ‘panic coma’ somewhere if you had to mentally calculate what was really happening in this chaos. But that’s not the point of this scene, is it? Or the movie in general. It’s special effects and explosions and this one family that you can cheer for who’s trying to survive it all. (As thought everyone else on the street isn’t trying to do the same thing) You may cringe or gasp here and there, but ask yourself...do you care? Imagine a majority of the population of America’s BIGGEST city, men, women, and children alike, being completely decimated in a matter of minutes by being swallowed up by the Earth itself! This is a situation when the weight and impact dial is turned way waaaaay down, so as to be more ‘entertaining’ than terrifying. Check it out... Do you see the difference? Can you feel it? If “Night Of The Living Dead” had treated Johnny’s death as a simple casualty with no lasting effects...then he would have so much less of an impact on the story. Like….he died. So what? You know? Then having his sister pretend to be all broken up about it for a few minutes and just move on...it wouldn’t have come off as being authentic or believable. And yet, if in “2012”, we had been introduced to a bunch of characters and their families, knew about their dreams and their ambitions, and really worked to humanize them...only to have them be driving home and have the bridge collapse, or fall out of the top floor of a building...that would have been tragic in a way that would have taken away from the kind of ‘thrill ride’ that scene was trying to take us on. There’s a dial. Understand? Learn how to use it in your benefit. Learn how to fine tune it to regulate the feelings that you want your audience to have to the characters and events of your story. It helps to create the desired effect, once you learn how to recognize it and add it to your skill set. Cool? I hope this helps! And, as always, I like to have some fun with these! So the last clip is just to make you smile! ::Giggles:: Remember to use that dial correctly with whatever you’re putting out there, k? Happy writing! And I’ll seezya soon!

Is it really something to think about? I mean, I get the whole idea of being with somebody that you truly truly love, and one who loves you back with an equal amount of enthusiasm. There's a beautiful picture painted by all of us that wants our fairy tale ending and a sweeping romance that will last us the rest of our days. But not everybody fits into that particular mold. Just because you're alone, it doesn't mean that you're lonely. It's totally ok to live the way you want to live. You know? Relationships take work, and compromise, and constant maintenance. And they're AWESOME if the benefits far outweigh the sacrifices! But where do you think you find yourself when it comes to having a steady partner, or a spouse, or even a committed boyfriend/girlfriend? Many people long for the opportunity to share a loving relationship with someone else. And others long to be a bit more casual about such a thing. Then again...some prefer their private space and would rather be alone. Nothing wrong with either one of these lifestyle choices...but if you had to choose one...what would you want most? Whether you have someone in your life right now or are living the single life...is it what you want? Or is the grass always greener on the other side of the fence? Let us know your thoughts! As always, anonymous posts are welcome! Life long partner? Or the bachelor life? Or maybe somewhere in between! Speak up! I wanna know!

Hehehe, not for me! I'm just too lazy to keep changing the 'hold' status every time I post! ::Giggles:: That's all. I'll change them all when they're finished, I guess. I work hard enough as it is, just putting out a wealth of new content.

Hehehe...I 'fuckin' love you TOO, cutie pie! Hehehe!

Elements That Don’t Work There are always going to be times when an artist, in any genre, is going to run into a few problem elements in writing their story. It happens. There’s no reason to panic, and certainly no reason for you to give up on your project. It’s a normal part of the process. Sometimes you have ideas that seem so exciting and engaging at the time while you’re planning things out...and then, once you start writing, you realize that those ideas aren’t as supportive of your story as you initially imagined. It’s totally normal. The question is..how do we deal with it now those elements have been woven into the very fabric of the story that you’re trying to tell? I mean, it’s there now. It can’t just be made disappear, can it? This is something that I’ve struggled with since I began writing my own stuff online, and there are ways to sort of fix things to get your story back on track without having these unwanted parts of your narrative appear as a glaring example of a major mistake that you just want the readers to forget about. Hehehe, but it’s not always that simple. Especially if it’s a part of your story that has been lingering around for an extended period of time. That can be the worst! ::Giggles:: As with almost everything else that requires time, effort, and an emotionally draining amount of creative energy...you’re going to have to leave a lot of this up to whatever natural instincts you’ve developed over time to find your comfort zone and work with it in your own special way, but it won’t take much practice to know what you’re looking for and recognize the way it feels to have your current plot slightly lose focus or derail itself as you dive deeper into parts of your story that you’re not really enjoying as much as some of the others. The key is to be aware of what you’re doing, check it against your original game plan, and catch these mismatched mistakes as quickly as possible so you can massage that particular ‘cramp’ out of your story before it becomes too much of a problem for you to deal with in a graceful way. After all, you can’t have every character that you don’t like in your story suddenly get mauled by an escaped tiger from the zoo, or abducted by cannibalistic alien hordes, every time you want to get them booted out of the plot. Hehehe! Well...you’re the creator, so I guess that, technically, you can! But it’ll look weird. So let’s look into some other options. The first order of business is to look at what your overall goal was for the story. What are you trying to say? What are the most important parts of bringing that message and those emotions to your project? And which characters do you really need to support this strategy of yours? What are the most essential parts of the plot, and which characters embody those parts in purpose and personality? If you have a character or a plot device that simply isn’t working out for your narrative, ask yourself if you could lose them completely without fundamentally changing the story as a whole. You’re going to have to be brutally honest with yourself here, and have a serious ‘kill your darlings’ moment, in order to gain clarity and remove the problematic parts of your writing that are holding you back. Again, this is something that I’ve had to do many times myself in the past, and it never gets any easier. But sometimes you’ve just got to cut some of those ideas loose and keep them from staining the rest of the story. Whether it’s slowing things down, confusing or complicating the plot, is emotionally out of tone with everything else going on, or if it’s just not a fan favorite in terms of what connects them to the story and the characters within...you need a keen eye, and detach yourself from your work long enough to see when you’ve got a proverbial splinter in your paw, holding you back. Easier said than done, I know. But if you’re going to be putting your best foot forward, then this is what needs to be accomplished. Maybe these ideas would be better suited for a future story further down the road. Who knows? For now, though? Find clever ways to write them out of your story. Lose them. Boring your audience, even briefly...can get them to turn away from your story before you ever get a chance to get to the good stuff. Obviously, you don’t want that. So much of your hard work won’t ever be seen if you lose them early on. Keep a balance that lasts from beginning to end. It helps. Now, me personally? I love posting my chapters online for everyone to read as I finish writing, editing, re-editing, and polishing up, for everyone to see. I get feedback on each chapter, and I always read and absorb reader feedback and comments as they come in. And sometimes I make mistakes or have inconsistencies that I can go back and improve, further explain, or correct, right away as they come up. But if I have parts of a story that really aren’t working for a majority of readers, I’ll look deeper into what’s going on with that, and see if maybe those elements need to be improved, or erased entirely. Maybe I’ll agree, maybe I’ll disagree...but I’ll have a different perspective to use and build off of that I can use to my advantage when it comes to figuring out whether or not this part of the story is working or not. And if I’m truly connected to that specific plot point, and decide to fix and structure and steer it back on course to make it a more enjoyable part of my story, then awesome. But if it turns out that it just isn’t working out and I can’t ‘force’ it to behave and fit in somewhere it doesn’t belong...then the next step is trying to find a way to effectively drop the cumbersome baggage holding it back. Again, it’s already a visible part of your story now, and readers are paying attention whether they love it or hate it. So how do we do that? Well...let’s talk about it! If identifying the problem was the first part of the process...then the second part is identifying why that particular part of your story is a problem. What is it doing that you or your readers don’t like? Maybe you have a deeply dramatic story that needs sympathy and a deep affection for your protagonist...but you also have a close friend that you wrote in who might act as a bit of comic relief to keep things from getting too dark and depressing. Well, that can be a difficult balancing act in your writing. The tones are in direct opposition of one another. If you feel like you’re enough of an expert to both characters somehow, then you’re more than welcome to try. But if it’s causing problems in your writing, that best friend might have to go. Or at least not be around whenever something serious is happening...which is pretty much the same thing, isn’t it? I’m not saying that you should have him suddenly get struck by lightning or anything, but if he’s not working within the context of the rest of the story, then maybe you need to ask yourselves the appropriate questions. Why is he here? What impact does he have on the story? And why has his presence suddenly become so uncomfortable. If you cant immediately answer those questions with total confidence...there might be a problem there. Imagine that you were taking a fishing boat out to the middle of a deep lake for a nice catch, and you need an anchor to hold your boat still. Think of this character, or a particular scene or event in your story, and think of them that way. If the anchor is too big and too heavy...you end up sinking the entire boat and ruining your day. If it’s too small and too light...it’s not enough to hold your boat still, and you end up floating away, set adrift with no direction or purpose. Your scenes and characters and the plot lines they affect are no different. Are they going to drag you down, or are they too ineffectual to allow you to maintain your focus? Since I write about gay (and often closeted) teen characters...I’m always asking myself how big of an anchor each one of my main characters are. Should I add them? Should I not? How much is their presence going to weigh in the rest of my story. If you’ve read a bunch of my past stories, you’ll notice that there are a bunch of times that their parents are barely mentioned at all, outside of the fact that they exist. I mean, of course they do! They’re not living in that big house all by themselves. They all go to high school and have teachers and homework. It’s safe to say that they have friends lurking around somewhere. Or at least people to talk to once in a while outside of the main love interest. But...the question is, do they need be detailed and interacted with in ways that might interfere with the point of the story? It depends on how heavy I want that anchor in my fishing boat to be. Now, in stories like ”New Kid In School” or the ”Secret Life Of Billy Chase” Ebooks...the parents are much more evident. They don’t play a huge role in the story, but they’re much more present than the parents in a lot of my other stories, and I need them there to create a three dimensional vision of what I want to say with those stories. However, in stuff like ”A Class By Himself” or ”My Only Escape”, the parents are just as important to the main plot as the main character and his love interest. They can’t just be in the background or invisible in order for me to tell my story...they need to be a feature. Why is this? Because I’ve taken a long long time to sort of learn an effective balance between characters where I don’t run into the same problems that I’ve had in the past. Like...remember when Billy Chase a girlfriend for a short while? Remember Randy’s abusive father from “New Kid”? Hehehe, no? That’s because I wrote them out of the story. I was trying something out, and decided to go in a different direction after they were already a part of the story’s canon. Now, I didn’t suddenly have them ‘vanish’ without reason...that would have been jolting to my audience, and that would make my mistakes all that much more evident in the long run. So I still maintain the idea that, like, “Yeah...that happened.” But, as I said above...once you put something in your story for everybody to see, whether you like it or not...you can’t just take it back and fix it in post. Hehehe, not without a bit of backlash. Writing elements out of your story, I believe, is simply an art of gradually shifting focus from the things that you want to get rid of, and shining a brighter spotlight on the things that will turn your story around and get it back to what you wanted it to be. Not right away! Take a few chapters, have those unwanted elements appear less and less in the plot, and then shift over to concentrating on something that is more beneficial to driving the story forward. If your writing focuses on that, more times than not, your readers will have no choice but to do the same. Especially if they’re having fun. Now..there are times when this practice can kind of bury any past mistakes or poorly working plot lines completely, and you can move forward without looking back. But I often try to keep them in mind, just in case I need to remember that they happened once, and try to figure out if I need to give that particular character or storyline some closure so I’m not left with loose ends. Sometimes it can even work to my benefit, if I’m lucky. Bringing back an old character that people had forgotten about, or a single problem that was never resolved properly. The best example of this is in ”New Kid In School” though, as it was my very first story, and I’m still writing it to this day. So there have been a lot of retcons and reboots and inconsistencies littered throughout that entire series that I’m STILL trying to find and bang out so I can release it as an ebook series someday! But that will take a long long time! Hahaha! Trust me! Basically...if you have something in your story that you feel isn’t working...lose it. It’s ok. Losing a few ideas is like losing a few drops of blood. Your heart will make more. If you can fix it, or somehow find a clever way to push those elements into the background until your readers forget about them? It’s a cheat...but do it. Don’t allow your entire project to suffer for it as a whole. Let it fade away and try to create a stronger narrative moving forward. Cool? It’s all about finding your ‘balance’! What moments are important? What characters are important? Sometimes you need a teacher or a coach to take on a highlighted role. Sometimes you need a parent, guardian, or co-worker, to do the same. Maybe you have a kid that writes all of his thoughts down in a private diary, or talks to his pet hamster. Just remember that everything comes with a certain weight to it in your writing. Too little sets you adrift, too much sinks the boat. Keep that in mind, and you’ll do just fine. Learn from my many MANY mistakes, people! Hehehe! And then go out there and do it better than I did! I hope this helps! And I’ll seezya soon with more! K? Happy writing!

You know...strangely enough, when it comes to an actual relationship or even a friendship...I'm the biggest softie in the world. Like, I definitely like to have a certain amount of control, and I'm willing to share that with whoever I happen to be with at the time...but anybody that truly knows me will tell you that I'm quick to cave in and pretty much give them anything they want. Hehehe, within reason, of course. I guess I have a really nurturing and protective nature about me. And that means taking on a more dominant role in most situations, because that's where I feel most comfortable. So making plans, cheering someone up, getting a festive party together, being decisive about our activities for the evening, initiating conversations...those are things that feel like 'home' to me, emotionally. But...at the same time, I'm a total sucker for someone in need. I've always been the nice guy. It's something that I had to really work on over the years, but it's still a part of who I am. I want to be there. I want to help. I want to make things better. And having someone actually need me for anything is my Kryptonite. Hehehe! Which opens the door for a lot of liars and opportunists and narcissists to make me a target and take advantage. But even then...what did I lose? You know? My dream boy would openly need me as much as I need him...and I'd do my best to comfort and take care of him with every last bit of love and energy that I had to give. But as far as 'control' is concerned? Hehehe, he'd have me wrapped around his finger twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. I'd do my best to not let him KNOW that, LOL...but as long as I don't feel used or manipulated...control would never be an issue for me. And I'll love you the rest of my life. What can I say? My heart isn't all that expensive.