Comicality

His family has a circus in Chicago, and they perform in the park every Summer! Max too!

https://imagine-magazine.org/ A brand new issue of the Shack's online magazine, Imagine, is up and ready to go for you guys to enjoy! Have fun, k? And Happy Thanksgiving!

"What If...?" Season 2! Sweet!!! If you missed the first season, you've been missing out! A little Adam Warlock this season? A little Shang Chi? And wait...is that BILLY at the beginning??? That would be awesome! Not nly is Julian Hillard older and 'Young Avengers' age now, but he'd be the first (and cutest) openly gay teen boy character in the MCU! Sighhhh...dreamy! Hiiiiiii, Julian! ::Blushes::

The Secret To Writing Horror Something that I always found funny whenever I see people online or even my own friends and family when watching horror movies...is what it brings out of them. Hehehe! Like, be honest...how many times have you seen someone get a lucky shot in on one of the killers or slashers or monsters...and they scream, “YES!!! Now do it again! Stab them! Stab them! Stab them! Beat them! Rip their guts out! Yes!!!!” Which seems like a ‘normal’ reaction to most people in these situations...but ummmm...isn’t that a little excessive? LOL! I mean, what would you do if the police showed up and you were covered, head to toe, in blood and gore...and you had stabbed somebody 150 times in the chest? That would look a little suspect on your part, wouldn’t it? Justification be damned. But there’s a certain level of blood lust that exists in even the most well-mannered and docile people among us, isn’t there? Under the right circumstances, they get rather animated about it. That whole, “Keep STABBING him until you’re sure he’s dead! Again and again and again!” Where the hell does that come from? It didn’t just appear out of nowhere. Especially if you’re just watching a movie about someone else being in danger. What is that ‘animal’ within us? And how can we somehow trigger it and bring it out of them with our writing? I believe that this is the very nature of horror. Not trying to get people to be scared of what is outside of themselves...but activating that hidden element that lies within...that frightens people the most. It’s not dark rooms or jump scares or bumps in the night that we can’t explain...it’s the idea that the dark shadows that live inside all of us might be freely expressed by people who don’t carry the same defenses and restrictions that we do to keep them under wraps. Hidden away from the rest of the world. What happens if those “Keep STABBING him!” voices were used against us, and we gave in to their demands? How different would we be from the devils we demonize on a daily basis? And how easy would it be...for us to become one of them? Now I realize that this particular article doesn’t really apply to what a vast majority of you all are writing right now, and that’s ok. But I urge you to keep reading regardless, as you may find a few good tips here and there that might still help you out with other stuff that you’re writing at the moment or possibly in the future. No matter what genre you choose to indulge in, the rules and disciplines that are put in place for you as a writer still apply. This isn’t just about writing scary stories...but the hidden secret behind writing scary stories. So don’t hit that back button just yet! Hehehe, there might be stuff for you to learn from in the end. For my fellow horror fans? This one is for you! >:P While many people think of fictional horror as being gory, creepy, and full of frightening imagery from beginning to end...I look at them very differently. I’ve said it many times in the past...the best horror stories out there are, basically, morality tales. Very GRIM ones, yes...but morality tales, regardless. Even the stories that you grew up with as a kid, despite many of them being made into playful animated versions of their former selves for the Disney crowd...with wide eyed innocence and songs about stars and rainbows...their origins are much much darker than anything that you would be comfortable with telling your young children today. The lessons to be learned were noble enough, but the consequences of not learning these lessons are unforgivably harsh. Whether being devoured by a wolf, locked in an isolated tower for life, or drowned in the depths of the ocean...the idea was to literally ‘scare’ children into acting right and obeying the rules out of fear. You may not know about Dorothy and the “Wizard Of Oz” where a tornado has basically knocked her into a comatose state, where her subconscious has trapped her in a hellish nightmare that she can’t wake up from. Or that, at the end of the original “Jungle Book”, Mowgli comes back to the human village with his vicious animal friends to maul everyone in sight and rip them to pieces under his command. Even a nursery rhyme as playful as ‘Ring Around The Rosie’ was written about the deaths that occurred during the black plague. Corpses being burned in heaps to hopefully prevent the spread. “Ashes to ashes, we all fall down.” The very nature of horror has been with us for our entire lives...whether we were aware of it or not. The very idea behind “Hansel And Gretel”, where a witch lures helpless children into the woods to shove them into an oven and cook them alive is about as intense as it gets, is it not? Calling horror a ‘genre’ in the sense of fiction is merely exaggerating what was already there all along. It’s simply a matter of pulling the gloves off, and further stressing the point of ‘be a good and smart person...or else!’ When I say that horror is a collection of morality tales, it means that we all have an understanding and the ability to tap into something truly primal when the situation demands it...even if we think we shouldn’t. There’s a very dark shadow inside of all of us, and to flirt with it, or entice it to come out of hiding, feels uneasy. Dangerous. And yet...tempting. That is the foundation that you’re going to begin working with. That’s the spark that makes true horror work, in my opinion. Think about the things that scare you the most. Think about the things that simply make you feel uncomfortable or uneasy. Now...find a middle ground between the two. That’s where horror lies. Something extreme...but can still be relatable enough to draw your audience in and use those fears to create a certain sense of anxiety among them. This doesn’t just have to be used in a supernatural sense, or in a life or death situation. Fears can be very simple. Fear of conflict or confrontation. Fear of loneliness or isolation. Fear of a loss of control. Fears of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of heartbreak or betrayal. These are all things that we can understand, relate to, and tap into when we’re writing our stories. The nature of horror is merely taking these everyday insecurities and dialing them up to ten. Taking advantage of people’s natural fears and exploiting them to lock them into the stories that you want to tell. Hehehe! Who said writing wasn’t fun, right? The real secret is in the ability to tickle and tease that deep seeded wickedness within the hearts and minds of your readers...creating an obligatory need to react with a sense of repulsion...but still stimulating a morbid curiosity that makes them want to keep going. It’s a double edged sword, but one that more people than you would think would welcome when faced with it head on. I’ve written quite a bit of horror on this site since I first started, and even though I’ve had many readers initially dismiss the idea of even giving those stories a try...the ones who take a peek have become the biggest fans that I have for my writing. And not just for the horror stories, but in general. It’s almost like something gets triggered that they can’t understand, but they really get invested in it. I think stories like “Savage Moon”, “Darkness Waits”, and “The Boys Of Widow Lake” (https://imagine-magazine.org/store/comicality/), tap into something that many of us would like to ignore or avoid when we look at ourselves in the mirror every morning. The further you dive into that ‘something’, the more uncomfortable they feel. And that discomfort makes the horror real. It allows it to last and linger in the minds of your audience. Which, obviously...is a good thing. Specially if it creeps them out. Now, being a big fan of horror movies my whole life, there are very few that I can say have truly disturbed me on a psychological level. I can’t really tell you why, but despite going into movies like “Blair Witch” and “Paranormal Activity” and even John Carpenter’s original “Halloween” when I was maybe four years old...completely blind and not knowing what to expect, one movie that really ‘disturbed’ me was “The Poughkeepsie Tapes”. That one was a little too real for me to handle. It still gives me the shivers, and it’s not that it’s gory or anything...but there’s just something that’s really fucked up about the whole experience. And once I saw it, it wouldn’t let me go. Not for a while. One discussion that I’m constantly having with some of the members of my family has to do with watching these sort of things. They’re always like, “How can you see this stuff and not be affected by it?” BUT...they love watching crime dramas on TV all the time. “Law & Order”, “CSI”, “Special Victims Unit”, and all of that stuff. They can’t get enough of it, and I view their tastes the same way. Like...I can watch ghosts and monsters and zombies get sliced and diced to pieces all day long, because there’s a ‘detachment’ there for me. It’s not connected to real life. But the whole “CSI” thing? No...that really happens to real people. A lot of those shows are written and based on actual criminal filings and reports. That’s a bit harder for me to swallow. Does that mean that there is a morbidly curious part of me that relates to that kind of crime, pain, and torture? I don’t know. And, to be honest, I wouldn’t want to know if it did. But there are parts of these stories that I find myself understanding more than I ever thought that I would, and that’s a scary position to be in. Because I get it. I hear that voice urging me to “Stab him AGAIN!” And that takes me to dark places that I might want to leave alone. I’ve had a few readers talk to me about “Savage Moon” and tell me that there were parts of it that really did make them feel uncomfortable. And it’s not any kind of blood and gore that does it...it’s the idea of being able to find something in the darkness of your own soul that you can’t see in the light. This is what makes horror work when it comes to the written word. You don’t have loud noises and jump scares and dark brooding music at your disposal to use to set the mood or force the desire effect on your readers. Just words on a page. And that means that you have to get inside your readers’ heads and create a true sense of dread and danger from that point forward. This may sound like it only works for fictional works of horror...but it works for all sorts of inner conflict. Someone who has to perform on stage for the first time with all of his friends and family watching to see if he’ll succeed or fail is experiencing the same level of fear and discomfort as someone running from a monster in the woods. Someone trying to find the courage to stand up to the school bully, come out to their parents, or ask that cute co-worker out on a date for the first time, is dealing with extreme levels of fear and doubt as well. Use that. Where horror is the exaggeration of your skills in this matter...the rules remain the same. You just have to tune yourselves into the feeling as writers, and lock your audience into experiencing that fear along with your protagonist by triggering those places within them that they usually are too scared to approach. Everyday conflicts can be considered ‘horror’ too. The key is all in being able to tempt the horror within all of us. Not just the fears that we hold on to...but the horrible things that we’re willing to do in retaliation if given the permission to do so without consequence. Think about that when you look back at the stories that spooked you the most. What did it stir up within you? And why do you still remember it to this day? Having your work remembered is the sign of a true classic. I hope this helps you guys out. I’d be willing to talk about it more in the comments below if you like. If not, then happy writing! And remember...you don’t need ghouls and goblins to introduce elements of horror into your story. Those feelings apply to everything to your virgin sexual experience to showing up to an interview for a new job. The exaggeration or lack thereof makes all the difference! Take care! And stay beautiful!

https://gayauthors.org/subscriptions/ The new chapter of the Premium series, "Smoke And Mirrors", is up on the site. If you have a Premium account, check it out and let me know what you think. K? Laters...

Subtext In Dialogue It’s something that we all do, and often on a daily basis. We LIE! Hehehe! It’s true! It might be quick and automatic and usually pretty much harmless for the most part...but we all do it. People ask us how we’re doing, and we say, “I’m fine” or “I’m ok”...when nothing could be further from the truth. We go to jobs that we hate and stay in relationships that don’t make us happy and pretend that life is as good as it gets. We interact with people that we, literally, can’t stand...and smile in each other’s faces while doing it all for the other person’s benefit. I mean, think about it...no matter how small or harmless it may be...how many lies have you told today, alone? Even if it’s early in the morning, how many of you had some bacon for breakfast that was a little salty or not crispy enough, and told someone that it was awesome anyway? No judgements. Hehehe, it happens. And we all do it. Often without even thinking about it. Hell, I think you’d be a total asshole if you didn’t! LOL! “Yes, honey! You DO look fat in that dress! Ewww! Take it off!” Yeah...don’t do that. This time around...we’re going to talk about writing subtext into your dialogue when it comes to your character conversations. It’s a fairly simple practice, but the subtlety that you use can save you a couple of steps and add another touch of finesse to your fiction once you learn to understand, analyze, and recognize, what you’re doing with it all. Doing it without thinking is a skill, but always take the extra time to figure out why you do it. Over the years, being able to look deeper into my own process has truly helped me to further elevate the quality of the stories that I put out there for my audience to enjoy. Not to mention that it has given me the confidence needed to stretch out and try new approaches outside of my comfort zone. So it’s a good habit to pick up for any of you authors who are looking to be writers for any length of time, either as a hobby or as a professional pursuit. Never stop growing. I don’t. Or...at least I try not to. Hehehe! The biggest part of perfecting the method of writing subtext comes, mostly, from paying attention to original context. Pure and simple. The words of dialogue that you write into your story are supposed to reflect the theme and tone of the story itself and the character relationships that you’ve built up so far. It’s an organic part of everything that’s going on with your creative offering. Woven into its very DNA. And this is expressed through your character’s actions. Their personalities, their own personal stories, and their interactions with one another. So...a simple line of dialogue, like... “Sounds like an awesome time to me.” Can have a wide variety of different meanings depending on the context surrounding that statement and the events that happened in the story that came before it. And that context becomes the building blocks around the elements mentioned above. Use this to your advantage, and spare your readers any need for wasted adjectives or drawn out exposition. “Sounds like an awesome time to me.” If you have a shy and awkward main character saying this to someone that he’s absolutely crazy about...it comes off as endearing and special in a lot of charming ways. Awwww, it inspires a heavy dose of warm fuzzies and makes you feel good inside. However, coming from a love rival to your main character who is suspicious of their intentions...then that same brief sentence of dialogue might feel inappropriate and threatening to your readers, as it might be seen as a temptation for your protagonist, or as an attempt to steal the attention of the main love interest. The sentence is the same, word for word...but the subtext is now very different. It takes on a completely different meaning. Then again...having this exact same line, spoken word for word, spoken by one character to another who have a long standing feud and a passionate HATRED for one another...it comes off as sarcastic and almost and sometimes ‘comical’ in nature. Because what’s being said here is obviously not an honest representation of what the character thinks. But you don’t have to take the extra time to say, “He said sarcastically.” It’s already implied. Now, there are times when I do it anyway, or I make sure to add the physical action of a roll of the eyes, or a sense of craving, or an awkward attempt to hide one’s emotions...but it’s not really necessary. I could cut those parts out, and the context will still carry the subtext of that one line of dialogue without any ‘help’ from extra writing or descriptions if I choose not to use them. Knowing the characters the way that my readers do up until that part of the story, the dialogue will read the way it’s supposed to read. They’ll get it. They’ll know what the physical actions imply by attaching them to what they already know about the character. It’s all simply an indirect form of communication. Just like it exists in real life. The people who know you best can figure out when you’re lying to them, or keeping a secret, when you’re bragging, or when you’re holding back. And you probably know them well enough to be able to tell the same about them too. Gestures, tone of voice, posture, the volume at which they speak...they are all hidden clues relating to what’s going on beyond what they tell you. Unfortunately, when it comes to the written word, we don’t really have all of these cues to use to get our point across. You have to approach with the elusive guidance of subtext, using our word alone and nothing else. Writing scenes in your story is all about delivering a message, albeit a small one for that particular moment in time. If the message is delivered...great! You’ve done your job. If you decide to spice it up with a little bit extra, that’s fine too. Season it to your personal taste. Hehehe! But don’t ‘crowd’ the space you’ve been given to say something simple with excess. Let your readers get it and interpret it on their own. You don’t always have to spell it out directly. If anything, the subtext can be more effective and engaging than trying to explain everything outright and having your characters be more honest and straightforward than most people would ever be in real life. If your protagonist is in a bad mood, heartbroken, or downright angry...your audience should already be well informed as to why they feel that way. What happened? What’s going through their heads right now? Are they the kind of person who would express something like that to one good friend but not to their parents? How do those two relationships differ in the way that your fans will read those few lines of dialogue? As always, the key is to show and not tell. By using the ‘tell’ method, everyone that reads the words you added to your story are going to read them the exact same way. And that works if that’s your intention. But not every line you add to your story was not meant to be taken literally. To those who haven’t caught on to the empathetic side of your characters...they won’t have a real insight into certain parts of your story are written. Even if you’re deliberately trying to sneak subtext into your fiction...there’s a chance that a part of your audience simply won’t get it. You need context for to guide them. Are they pouting, are they exquisitely happy, are they horny...you can find ways to write that ut and make it understood without saying it out loud. For example...’flirting’ is subtext. I mean, I’m assuming that your characters don’t always come right out and tell the guy they’re head over heels in love with that they can’t wait to get them naked in their bed for a long hot night of sweaty sex. (Hehehe, again...I said assuming!) But flirting is different. “Maybe we can hang out some time.” “I think it might be kinda cool for you and me to go to a movie this weekend.” “What? Don’t sell yourself short. I think you’re pretty cute just like you are.” None of these things are brazenly saying that they want you. They’re not even directly asking anybody out on an official date. But the subtextof what your characters are trying accomplish lie beneath the seemingly harmless and passive words that are being spoken aloud. Or, in an authors case...what’s being written into the text. And you build up that flirtatious tone, the tension, the suspense...by clearly defining the goals, fears, and desires, of the characters involved...both ahead of time, and then reinforcing them afterwards. It’s the best way for you to get subtext to work in my opinion. You don’t have to force it into your fiction because there’s nothing to force. When you’re writing, get into the heads of your characters, put your readers into the moments that you create...and the subtext will, quite naturally begin to build itself and weave itself into everything that you do. Take notice of what you are doing at all times...even when it comes naturally. Look at your own work...read over it again, and think about how it sounds in your head. What you put emphasis on, how it makes you feel, and why. I’m just talking about words on a screen here. They’re the same for you as they are for everyone else. But they are interpreted differently. Every single line of dialogue and written action is seen as a part of the ‘show’ part of the equation, and this is where the emotion lies. And as I’ve said a million times before...the emotion is what makes a story work. Bad form, structure, and mechanics count too...but mostly because it creates stumbling blocks for the emotional involvement. Always keep that in mind. Subtext can often craft moments for your story, your characters, and your readers, that simple words on the screen can’t. Just remember to be subtle about it, and build your moments gradually as your fiction progresses. The subtext will build itself if the context for the moment is there, but pay attention to it, figure out it works best for you and your particular style, and then enhance your skills at using it to your advantage along the way. Cool? I really hope that this helps out, you guys. Almost every time that I go back to one of my older stories, I see things that I think I could have done differently, or probably done better, if I wasn’t just making it all up as I went along. Hehehe, geez! I’m surprised that I even made it this far! Happy writing, you guys! And I’ll be back with more soon! Until then...stay beautiful!

https://gayauthors.org/story/comicality/newkidinschool/ A brand new chapter is now available on the site, so rush on over and give it a look so you can let me know what you think. Love you lots. Thanks for the patience and support, you guys. Sometimes...it's physically taxing and emotionally draining to just keep going all the time. But I'm still working hard, k? See you soon... ((Hugs))

"New Kid In School 70" Silence. That’s all I got from Ariel as we were walking towards the lunch line. His eyes were completely fixated on the floor, despite my efforts to get him to look at me. Wow, what I wouldn’t give for a random nonsensical bit of Ariel ‘stream of consciousness’ babble right about now. If for no other reason than to separate him from his troubled thoughts for a little while. He really was like this shivering puppy coming in out of the cold whenever he was e

Chapter 4 of the Premium series, "Smoke And Mirrors", has been posted! The story of twin brothers, Cayden and Cole, are finding it harder to hide their secret as they find love and struggle to come out in a small place where such things are considered taboo! https://gayauthors.org/subscriptions/ Only a few chapters left! So grab your Premium subscription today, and take a peek at what you've been missing! Cool? Coming up next? "The Turnaround Key"!

Hahaha! It shows how easily acquired your tastes can be! I remember the one time I was ever able to go overseas as a kid, I kept wondering, "Where's the sugar?" Everything tasted different. Even McDonalds! I think we might be the only country that pimps out its sugar the way we do!

Story Recaps As many of you guys know...I write a bunch of different stories all at once, and it really depends on on my mood, my life, my time restraints, and whatever it is that I have to say at that particular. I mean...I really wish I could bottle my emotions up for you guys and sell them to ya cheap, so you could see how much turmoil I go through from time to time, just trying to pour as much of myself into every single short story and short story that and put out there. Most of the time, it’s for the sake of entertainment...but there are also many times that I do it just to get some of these feelings off of my chest. It can be soooo emotionally draining more times than not. Hehehe! Have you ever had too much to drink, and it just makes you severely nauseous? And like...you are absolutely MISERABLE until you finally run to the bathroom to pray at the old porcelain altar...and it SUCKS when you’re sick and losing your breakfast...but once it’s finished, it’s like... “Omigod! I feel so much better now!” There are a lot of times that writing feels like that for me, on an emotional level. Sometimes, I’m extremely hurt, sometimes I’m really angry, sometimes I’m feeling happy and downright goofy, and others...I’m just plain too horny to think straight! And whatever is invading my heart and mind at the time...that’s probably the next story on my list to get released. Just so you know. The major problem with this, however, is that it can often become harder and harder to concentrate on what I’m working on, because I’m chasing behind my emotions instead of having my emotions chasing behind me to get things done. I’ll be honest...it’s something that I really try to deal with, but it’s a struggle nonetheless. Because I’m not at my best when I’m trying to force myself to feel things that I don’t feel, which means I have to force myself to write things that I don’t want to write. And this causes big ‘gaps’ between chapters. Gaps that I need to settle down and handle to the best of my ability. Especially when my fanbase has been so infinitely patient with my efforts so far. I always want to give back more than I get from my readers! I make a point of it! But here’s the problem with caps... It doesn’t matter if your a true fan of a story or a series...people all have lives and thoughts and problems of their own. And they truly do forget about many of the details that they’ve read about and enjoyed so much. Specially if it’s in a ten chapter series or longer. Most of the time, it really isn’t a criticism of your writing ability or their investment in the characters that you’ve brought to life...sometimes it’s just a matter of the fact that it’s been a while since you’ve updated your story, and their life has been forced to go on without you. So don’t take offense, k? It’s not like they were stuck in cryo sleep or something, just waiting for your next chapter. Trillions of thoughts have gone through their heads since your last offering! Chances are, they’re going to need to go back and reread some of your previous chapters to figure out where they left off. And let’s be honest...for some people, that can be really tedious. So, if you can avoid putting them through that torture, please do. I, on the other hand, have too few hours in the day to do the same. But that’s the whole point of these articles, anyway. Hehehe! It’s like my way of saying, “GO...and do it better than I did!” However, there is a technique that you guys can use as writers that can somehow minimize the mundane practice of having to go back and re-read your older chapters all the time in a series, and losing steam by the time they get to the new material. And it simply comes with you knowing your characters and the theme and story in general. It’s a subtle/not subtle method of keeping your audience up to date without making a big spectacle of it or a repetitious block of exposition to do so. Close the gap. And mak you readers feel as though they’ve never left the story at all. Naturally, there are still going to be a bunch of people who go back and read the older chapters anyway, but by using story recaps, you can take some of the monotony out of the process for them, and possibly even erase from people who just remember where the last chapter ended and want to continue on from there. The hardest part is trying to keep it sounding like an actual ‘recap’, or like exposition, at all. That’s difficult. And if you have any tips on how to pull this out of your fiction, please let us know. Because, like I always say...even after all these years, I’m still learning too! The recap is not like a “Last time...int this TV show” type of thing. That to me seems like it would com off as a bit cheesy over time. I know that might just be me, but, personally...like, don’t do that. Even if I have mistakenly done that in the past myself. I can definitly be held accountable for that. Hehehe, but I think you guys can do it better, if I do say so myself. The writing on sites like GayAuthors.org have gone way above and beyond than anything that I had to work with when I first started, so pardon me if I expect more from you all. A recap is simply weaving an idea into your story that there is an actual ‘history’ between these characters and the things that they’ve been through and experienced since the story began. It’s a nod to past events, but it doesn’t feel the need to rehash or re-explain any of those events all over again. You can continue on your forward journey towards the end of your chosen plot without having to backtrack to re-explain yourself all over again. Avoid that at all costs! I read some of my older stuff, and it’s embarrassing to me, like, “WHY did I do that???” So when I remake everything for my ebooks, I do my best to get rid of the excess garbage if possible and just trust the story to say what it needs to say on its own. However, I have a different view of it now that it’s all offered at one time and not in smaller increments. So I had to learn to stop doing what I was doing and get better from here on out. What I do these days can be done in a sentence or two. No huge recap of the whole chapter or the story that came before that particular moment in time. I think that’s overkill even after a long period of time. I’ve learned that certain amounts of important ‘catch up’ information can be done with a single line of dialogue, or a quick memory of what had just happened before this brand new chapter began. Like...something major might have happened in the last chapter...say a break up between the main character and the love interest...and you can begin your new chapter (Even if it’s been months since your last installment) with the aftermath of that particular event. If it were me? I would start with “Pain. That’s all I could feel after having Barry suddenly break up with me out of nowhere without warning.” With that simple intro a majority of readers would be locked in and reminded of what happened at the end of the previous chapter. Perfect. And if I wanted to get them further in sync with what had happened even before that, I could add something to say, “I know he thinks that I cheated on him with another boy, and I was definitely tempted to do so...but I didn’t. I SWEAR that I didn’t! But maybe that wasn’t enough to convince him when I told him that.” Now...I just made that whole scenario up in my head just now for the sake of this article...but can you see how this recap of past events acts as a whole story all its own? I mean, this story doesn’t even exist. In fact, I could actually START a story or a series with these few sentences, and give the illusion of a whole past history between the protagonist and his love interest. But, for this exercise, we’re just going to use these tortured thoughts as a form of subtle exposition. I say subtle, because these are events that already happened in a previous chapter. Or maybe even a number of chapters ahead of time. Here’s the benefit of doing it this way... ...You have to understand that what you’re creating is a real life journey for all of these characters at once. They really do become real. They become that person that you sit with on your couch, and you’re like, “Hey...remember that time when...” Dot dot dot! Hehehe! How many people do you do with that now? How comfortable is that, to know that you have that history together. KNOW your characters, and who they are, and how they’ve been a part of the story. That way...previous recaps can become much simpler, and people might not even need them, because they know these fictional people so very well. What you are building...creating...is a fictional person with a real presence and life of its own. Use that. You don’t have to go, “Last time on this story...so and so admitted he loved this other boy and now what’s he gonna do about it?” Instead, try the approach of having your main character, or maybe one of your side characters react to what’s going on instead. What their inner thoughts are like, whether it be acceptance, rejection, or just more confusion...explore them with your writing. What are you feeling right now...and how would your main character see from being in his position, or at his age, or in his situation? Put yourself in that place and figure it out. Perspective is everything. Use yours to make the story something special. The thing with Recaps is that it only catches people up to previous events if it’s done with a certain level of heart. That’s the key, I think. Even if there’s been no literal passage of time in your fiction, people should be able to pick up where they left off without feeling totally lost in the process. Stan Lee once said that “Every comic book should be written as if it’s some kid’s very first comic book.” And I agree with that idea. Anybody should be able to pick up your story and jump in and understand what’s going on. Even if it’s MUCH better enjoyed from the beginning of it all and read (or seen, now) in order. Readers don’t have to know every single detail of what happened before the new chapter that you’re posting. They just have to get a handle on what’s going on, who the characters are, and how they got to be where they are. Don’t use your recaps as exposition, k? It doesn’t have to be. Paint the picture of a rich history between your characters instead. And people will tune in to that and recognize it as being something special. I hope that sounds about right. I’ll be back soon with a level mind! But as many of my secrets and inner thoughts that I can share? You guys can have them all! Hehehe! It’s time for the neext generation to take my place, you know? So take care! And I love you lots! Seezya soon!

YAY!!!! Marvel gets its R-Rated content back! It's about time! I've been waiting forever, and I thought with the strike and all, they might back out and not do this show! But they definitely are, and it looks as DARK and violent as it's supposed to be! And that ALSO means we can get a real Daredevil, Blade, and Punisher too! Give me more! ::Drools:: I never get enough! Hehehe, it's almost like fighting a Bond villain! Love it!

Wow! That's really cool, dude! 😮 I'd love to invest in something like that! Just seeing you bake goodies and putting your heart and soul into it. That's awesome! ((Hugz))

I found it! Thanks! Hehehe...and yes! I did like it! MWAH!!!

The holidays are upon us, folks! So...the big question is...if you could have ONE gift, ONE wish...what would it be? It doesn't have to be a tangible or material 'gift', per se...but this is your chance to be somewhat selfish! Hehehe! So no wishing for world peace or an end to world hunger! This is for you, and you alone. If you had one wish to use on yourself, anything that you want...what would it be? Let us know, and tell us why! Explain! Hehehe, don't write one sentence and say, "I want a cheeseburger!" No...I really want to hear from you guys! There's got to be something that you want out there. Right? Maybe you want love. Maybe you want to reunite with a friend you haven't talked to in forever. Maybe you want a million dollars. Maybe you want to be in a popular rock band. Maybe you want to make the movie of your dreams. Maybe you want to own your own business. Whatever it is...let us know! You've got ONE big wish, folks! And it has to be directed JUST at you and what YOU want! So, don't waste it! Give it some thought, and let us know!

You sent it where? I don't see it.

The next chapter of my newest GA Premium series, "Smoke And Mirrors" has now been posted! So run over and check out what's going on with twin brothers, Cayden and Cole, when you get a chance! Let me know what you think when you're done! Cool? https://gayauthors.org/subscriptions/ EBOOK AVAILABLE FOR HALLOWEEN!!! My very first gay teen horror anthology! Four short stories to read in bed at night! An ebook exclusive! With Volume Two still coming soon! Hehehe, promise!

God bless you, Canada! ::Snickers:: So I was watching weird movies with my mom last night in bed, because she's taking care of me like a little kid, LOL...and I fell asleep on one movie and woke up at the beginning of another one. It's called "The Pit", and it's like a late 70's/early 80's Canadian horror flick! And it was SO bad!!! Hahaha! But I couldn't turn away from it! And, you know...cute 80's boy in super tight jeans... Anyway, there was this big hole in the middle of the forest, and he just kept luring people out there and pushing them in the hole to geten by monsters! Hahaha! But, like...it just kept happening! "I've been bullying you in school for your whole life! Muahaha!" "Oh yeah? Well, follow me out into the middle of the woods! There's treasure out there or something!" "Duhhh...ok. But there had better be treasure!" ::Pushes him in the hole:: "Oh nooooo! You tricked me!" LOL! This goes on for like 90 minutes straight! Just a boy in tight pants talking to his teddy bear, finding some dumbass person, and then pushing them in a hole in the middle of the woods! I swear...I think he killed like HALF the town with the same damn trick! They were all a few donuts short of a dozen, if you ask me! And then...'spoiler alert'...after an entire movie full of luring people out in the woods to randomly push them in a hole to get eaten by monsters...he moves away to another town. He finds a pretty girl that he likes. Gets lured out into the woods. And the girl PUSHES HIM IN A HOLE TO GET EATEN BY MONSTERS!!!! Hahahaha! WTF??? Best Canadian horror movie ever! I've gotta find it and keep it tp watch every Halloween from now on! Anyway, I feel good this morning! Gonna get some breakfast and then finish editing my stuff from last week!

Chapter Two of my newest series, “Smoke And Mirrors”, has officially been posted in the Premium section of GayAuthors.org and you can read it as soon as you get a chance! Have fun! I have been a bit under the weather recently, but I’m recovering as quickly as possible so we can all get back to the party! Let me know what you think! And I’ll seezya soon! https://gayauthors.org/subscriptions/ AND COMING SOON!!!

Just as I was feeling down... My super sweet blond baby came out with a new video! Mmmmm...smooth, flat, Stefan belly! ::Giggles:: Sorry, I was lucky for a while, but got sick again recently. It only lasts abouth three or four days before I can start to recover, but I'm feeling better. Just need another day or two, and I'll be right as rain. So I'll seezya soon, k? Working on stuff now. ((Hugz))

https://gayauthors.org/subscriptions/ My newest series has now officially begun in the Premium section of GayAuthors.org and you can jump right in to the first picture whenever you like! Cool? Again, big thanks for the comments and ratings that you guys added while reading the "Lost In Question" series! I truly appreciate it, and there will be more to come in the future! Enjoy! And let me know what you think when you get a chance!

NOPE!!! Almost none. And that's the God's honest truth. The strange thing was that I really felt like the world was getting better at one point. Pride month was being more widely accepted, gay marriage, people came together to help out during floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados...kids who were barely in high school were building youtube channels and making independent films and writing/performing their own music...life just felt like it was just moving in the right direction. Slowly...but continuously. Then...over the last ten years, everything fell apart. Trust me, I'm one of the biggest optimists that has ever lived, but I find myself not even working up the energy to even care anymore. I've grown cynical to a certain degree, if for no other reason to just stay away from people in general. I just don't know what the hell happened to people in general. I mean, there were always assholes in the world. Bullies. Narcissists. Folks without self control or who were unable to deal with their own emotions in a healthy. But you could kind of see the red flags and pluck them out of your life so you didn't have to deal with their toxic behavior. But now? Now humanity itself is just fucking disgusting to me. People just do random shit for the sake of attention. They take out their inner bullshit on everybody else instead of dealing with it themselves. I swear, if I have to see one more idiotic 'Karen' video online, I'm going to hunt these grown adults with a belt and give them the ass whippings they should have gotten as a child. Who behaves like that to get what they want? How the hell do you get into a physical confrontation with a lady behind the counter at your local fast food restaurant??? You wanna how my interactions go at a fast food place? "Hi, welcome to (whatever). What can I get you today?" "Can I have a number six?" "Would you like fries and a drink?" "No thanks." (Pays for it with card) "Here's your number. It'll be up in a moment." "Thank you" Now...WHERE is there an opportunity in that transaction to get so mad or be so offended that I have ball up my fist and end up in jail for assault? Seriously? People fist fight over politics. People fist fight over religion. People fist fight over what third grade booka their kids are allowed to read. People fist food over which bathroom you use. People fist fight over a baby boy's clothes having a rainbow. People fist fight over vaccines or wearing a mask during a deadly pandemic. What the fuck happened to us as a species? Remember when being a Nazi or an unapologetic racist used to be considered a thing of shame and disgust? "Why is it a bad thing for me to wear blackface to a party?" YOU KNOW WHY THE FUCK IT'S A BAD THING TO WEAR BLACKFACE, YOU ASSHOLE!!!! Don't play stupid with me! And trying to push it off on people being too 'sensitive' these days is like a wife beating husband telling the cops that it's not his fault that his wife can't take a punch. YOU'RE the asshole! And you know it! So stop with the games for Christ's sake. If it were up to me...I'd lock every last one of these people in prison for three months. There are plenty of people for you to scream at and fist fight with in there. Have at it. I hope you get the living shit beaten out of you twice a day until you learn how to act with some grace. Faith in humanity? No. Not anymore. And it'll take a lot to ever get it back. Consequences used to be a deterrent for bad behavior...now it's something else for people to whine about for extra hits on their social media accounts...fuck those people.

(https://imagine-magazine.org/) The Halloween issue for Imagine Magazine went up tonight! So grab your trick r' treat bags and run on over for some candy goodies! This also includes a brand new story called "Blueblood" from our newest member of the Imagine family, R. Eric! (Along with a featured author interview! So check it out!) It's out there waiting for you guys! So party safely this year, everybody! And look for some more spooktastic treats for the holiday! Seezya then! [ Post a Reply to this Message ][ Edit | View ]

No worries! I've just been writing a lot for the site to get more updates lately and doing a ton of editing. So I haven't been too talkative lately. I will be again soon, though.