Comicality

It'll be up tomorrow.

The next chapter will be up VERY soon! And if you want to read any one of the many many MANY spinoff stories surrounding this series, you can find it in the "GFD: Worlds" section! Cool?

Youtube decided to start censoring all gay teen short films, and wiping out all favorite lists that include anything that MIGHT make the gay youth feel okay and normal about who they are. Just out of nowhere, for no reason. Saying that it violated their 'child safety' rules and regulations. But that's bullshit! So I'll be posting ALL of the stuff that I had suddenly 'removed' from my youtube account without warning. You guys please feel free to stop me when you find a short film that you think is 'dangerous' (Their words, not mine) for gay teens. K? What's so offensive about liking and sharing the stuff that I find on Youtube? Why am *I* getting a strike on my account??? Wednesday is now "Gay Like Me" short film day. Since 'shame' is the agenda for those who don't have to live with it these days. Every week! Every Wednesday! I'll be right here with another one! FUCK those people! Seriously! These are all gay short films that I had on my account that, for some reason, they found so dangerous and offensive. Like I said...you tell me what YOU think about them, and why they needed to be erased from my account. Is *THIS* what they were so afraid of??? Maybe I'm missing something here. Enjoy! This week's Short Gay Film - "Breathe" (Now, REMEMBER...this is one of those 'dangerous/child endangerment videos that Youtube was talking about! ::Rolls Eyes::)

Wow...you guys are bringing back some very good fantasy memories from my 'tween-hood'! LOL!

You know, there's a quote that says that jealousy in a loving relationship is a lot like salt in your food. Just enough can enrich and enhance flavor, but too much can bitter the taste. I think that, when it comes to putting cliffhangers in your stories, perhaps from chapter to chapter, or maybe even from completed novel to completed novel...the same rule applies. I mean, sure, you can write cliffhangers all day long if you really wanted to...but it can get tiresome in the long run. In fact, I think they would get to be pretty frustrating and predictable if you use them too often. And that would be a serious blow to your writing in general. Now, when I say 'cliffhangers', I'm not just talking about writing a compelling chapter that will make your readers curious and highly interested in what is going to happen next. I think we should all be doing that with every chapter that we write anyway. I'm talking about a big, shocking, 'dun dun dun', moment that rocks your readers and shakes the story up in one way or another. A major event, or a secret reveal, or a big plot element that comes out of nowhere and threatens your characters' stability and the balance of the story itself. There's a difference. The best way for me to describe the difference between the two would be for me to use "The Empire Strikes Back" as an example. The way that the movie ends...there are SO many loose ends that are just left up in the air. It's actually a really dark ending for, what was mainly thought of as a kid's movie. Nothing really gets resolved, the heroes are scattered and defeated, you don't really know what happened to Han Solo, Luke Skywalker loses a hand and finds out his father is one of the most evil men in the galaxy...it's almost kind of depressing when you really think about it. Hehehe! Now that is a definitive ending to that particular chapter of the story...but it leaves so many questions open that everybody watching immediately has a huge incentive to see what happens in the next movie. I guess you could call that a 'soft cliffhanger'. Enticing, but satisfying in its delivery of a clear 'ending' and a break in the overall storyline. Now...a 'hard cliffhanger'? That would be like if Luke is fighting Darth Vader, he loses his hand, and hears, "No...I am your father!" "Nooooo!!!!" Fade to black! Roll credits! Hehehe! Had the movie ended right there, it would have been a huge WTF moment for the audience! Intriguing, yes...but...ARRRGHHHH!!! You don't even get to see the end of the fight. Just, 'I am your father', cut to the credits, 'to be continued'! Oh yeah...spoiler alert. Hehehe! Well, let's be honest...if you don't know that from Star Wars, and the prequels, and the sequels, and the animated series, and decades of pop culture, by now...chances are you really don't care at this point. LOL! But, that's the difference. On occasion, a real surprise ending can be used to spice up your story and really throw your audience into a tailspin that they were never expecting to get caught up in. And when the comments come rolling in, you can take pride in knowing that you delivered the kind of sucker punch to the gut that you were trying for! Hehehe! But don't overdo it. When used correctly (and sparingly), a really good 'zinger' of a cliffhanger can enhance your story in many ways, and actually generate a much deeper interest from your audience when it comes to the next chapter. It creates excitement, inspires a craving for more, and can actually spawn a discussion between readers outside of the story itself. But you have to know when and where a cliffhanger will be the most effective, and which one to use to carry the story forward. You can only throw so many monkey wrenches into the gears before the whole system breaks down and ceases to work the way you want it to anymore. So you don't want to let those big surprises get stale and wear out their welcome. This time around, I'd like to talk about cliffhangers. And a few do's and don'ts when it comes to keeping your readers on edge, without desensitizing them to the impact that you were hoping your cliffhangers would have. I can remember when I was in elementary/junior high school, and this was in the 80's, so marketing toys to children was...shameless to the point of being absolutely obscene. Hehehe! But I was the target audience, so what did I know back then, right? Anyway, I remember after school cartoons, and the tons of action figures and sugary breakfast cereals that were being sold to us with every commercial break. Inspector Gadget, He-Man, G.I. Joe, Transformers, Thundercats, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...these were the cartoons that most kids would run home to see during the week after school. But out of all the cheesy, patronizing, commercials that I remember from that time...one series of advertisements sticks out to me. It was for this collection of action figures called the 'Sectaurs'! They were half-man, half-insect, warriors that were always fighting with each other for some reason. You know, the typical 'blah blah blah' good versus evil trope. Whatever, kid...just ask your parents to buy my shit! Right? But the interesting thing about the advertising campaign for these toys was that it was marketed as a serial story. A commercial would start, where the figures were involved in some sort of combat situation...something 'surprising' would happen...and then the commercial would end with a big cliffhanger that you had to come back to later in order to find out what happens next in this crucial part of the story. Now, understand, this was before TV shows had become like they are today. That wasn't necessarily a thing back then unless it was an actual daytime soap opera. Not really. It didn't matter if you watch the episodes of 'The A Team' or 'Family Ties' out of order. There were no spoilers involved if you missed an episode of 'The Smurfs' or 'Superfriends' on a Saturday morning. Every episode stood on its own, and was pretty much interchangeable with any other episode at the time. But here was a series of commercials that was building a linear story arc, developing characters, and hitting you with a cliffhanger every single episode...and all within the limited time span of thirty to thirty five seconds. You want to find out what happens next? Watch this same cartoon next week, and check out the next installment during the commercial break! At the time, I had never ever seen anything like that on TV. It was the coolest thing ever! It FORCED you to watch the commercials. Because, how else are you going to find out what happened to your heroes after the last ad? You couldn't miss a single addition to the story, or you'd be completely lost in the next one, as well as the conversations going on with your friends on the playground the next day! Hehehe, and the term 'spoiler' hadn't even been coined yet! So it was, like...a different world, I suppose. I'm so glad that I was able to find a bunch of these old ads on Youtube to demonstrate my point. This is a taste of what I'm talking about. The more I think about it, the more I realize how truly brilliant this marketing campaign was. Imagine watching cartoons as a kid, and having to wait for the next commercial break to get your REAL fix for the afternoon. Hehehe! (My apologies for the video and audio quality. But there was no HD anything back then either, so it's a miracle that anybody was able to upload these at all! Hehehe!) 0 0 Now, again...these advertisers were all attempting to tell a story, solve a problem, and create a new cliffhanger, in thirty seconds flat. That's ten seconds for each part of a three act chapter. Luckily, you guys have a lot more room to plot things out as writers. But you sort of get the idea, right? A good cliffhanger is all about questions and choices. What kind of threat does the current situation pose for your main character, and what are his or her options in terms of finding the best way out of it? This doesn't have to be a physical threat, where your protagonist is about to have his skull cracked open with a giant rock or eaten by a monstrous spider. It simply has to leave the story standing at a fork in the road, with the big decision of which path to take left over, consequences and all. Is your main character going to finally talk to his big crush for the first time? Is he going to finally speak up and come out to his parents, or his best friend? Is he going to put his key into the ignition of the car and try to drive home...even though he's been drinking heavily and knows that it's a risk to even try? When creating an effective cliffhanger, I feel that there has to be multiple outcomes available for the reader to ponder until the next chapter is available. What now? You've just been caught kissing another boy by your boyfriend! You've just challenged the school bully to a fist fight! Maybe you've had enough of the pain, and you're crying while holding a bottle of sleeping pills in your trembling hand! The question remains...what now? THAT'S where you cut the chapter off! Boom! And now, any reader who is invested in this character and this story...can't just turn away! Nooooo! Don't stop there! Where's the next chapter? I won't be able to sleep tonight if I don't know how this turns out. Cleverly placed throughout your project, these cliffhangers can create an intense escalation of events that will keep your readers locked in until the very end. Present a dire situation to your audience, maybe give a hint or two as to what choices are available to them...and then fade to black without a definitive answer. You want to know what happens next? Keep reading. Otherwise, it's just going to fester in the back of your mind until you decide to come back for the next scene. If this sounds manipulative...that's probably because it is. Extremely so. Hehehe! But one of your main tools as a writer when it comes to generating a flow and a continuous sense of momentum in your story...comes from mystery. And mystery comes from having the readers ask questions. Questions come from choices. If the main character takes Path A...what will that lead to? If he takes Path B...what would that lead to? I think the BEST cliffhangers contain elements of reward and consequence on all of the paths that can be taken, no matter which one your protagonist chooses. The main character can't win without sacrificing something important to them, and sometimes..it may seem like the main character can't win at all...but must make a choice regardless. If you can paint the picture of a serious dilemma in just the right spots of your story? Your audience will drive themselves crazy trying to figure out the next step, and they will come back, thirsty for more. Every time. However...you can't keep pulling the same rabbit out of a hat and expect it to have the same 'Wow' effect every chapter. The best thing about cliffhangers is that they're unpredictable. They pop up out of nowhere, and they raise the eyebrows of everybody reading, because they didn't see them coming. One good way to accomplish this in your story is to completely flip the tone of your chapter at the very last minute. If it's a romantic, happy, warm and fuzzy, chapter...have something shocking or maybe even tragic happen in the last few paragraphs. If it's sad, angry, or a chapter where there doesn't seem to be any hope at all of your main character getting access to the boy of his dreams...maybe he comes home and his dream boy is sitting on his front steps...wanting to talk. Instant exhilaration. I like to call this 'flipping the coin'. Immerse your readers in one emotion, and then suddenly drop them or pick them up to feel the exact opposite at the end of your chapter. And JUST as they're getting accustomed to the bait and switch...you cut them off, and you let them decide if they want to jump forward to see what happens next. The rapid emotional shift in tone, followed by that final period at the end of the last sentence in that chapter, will create the desired effect. Trust me. It's a dirty trick, but it works. Hehehe, don't judge me! I'm not being MEAN! This is what authors do! Use this technique to your advantage whenever you see fit. It won't turn you into a literary sadist, I promise. There is one thing that you DON'T want to do with a cliffhanger, however...and that's cheat your audience. You want to make good on your promise that, whether good results or bad results, the next chapter will be worth the wait and that it follows the precise set up that precedes it. The worst thing that you can do is try to somehow 'rewrite' the previous chapter to say something that it didn't say the first time around. Setting up a powerful cliffhanger takes planning. Events have to not only be set into motion ahead of time, but you need time to let those events breathe in the background for a chapter or two before you bring them back for that special 'gotchya' moment. If your main character was abandoned by his mother at birth, and you have plans for her to come knocking at his front door to introduce herself for the very first time...don't just have it happen out of the blue. You need to start setting up that moment waaaay before then, much earlier in the story, and then let it sort of fade into the background for a while so other elements in the story can take center stage for a few chapters. Then...knock knock...and BOOM! There's your cliffhanger! It has an impact far greater than just randomly having her show up for no reason. It feels fraudulent. Readers will think you just threw that in there for the sake of a gotchya moment...and you end up exposing the magic trick. Plan ahead. The worst thing you can do is finish a chapter, come up with a completely different idea further down the road, and find yourself trying to ret-con your way out of it. That's a cheat. And a big no-no. Hehehe! You have to remember that you have an audience that is truly invested in you as the narrator of this story, and they're putting their faith in you to tell the truth at all times when setting up a big cliffhanger like the ones you may have in mind. You don't want to ruin that trust if you can help it. It'll piss them off, big time. Here is a scene from one of my favorite Stephen King movies, "Misery", that depicts this idea perfectly... Sometimes, you have to remember how long it takes to write a complete story from beginning to end, and you don't want to disrupt the suspension of disbelief and take your readers out of your vision by making continuity errors like these. Your audience is reading closely. Much closer than you may think. So if you're editing things yourself or have an outside editor checking things out for you, try to catch anything that might be bordering on a cop out when it comes to cliffhangers. I think this is best avoided by not 'going back' when you start the following chapter. Don't start off by recreating the end of the last chapter and changing the details. That's walking on thin ice. If you want a cool cliffhanger, just cut the chapter off with your hero in the car, getting ready to go off of the cliff. Stop right there. And then start your next chapter by having 'Rocket Man' find a clever way to escape the car. That would be much more entertaining, in my opinion. And it will show the ingenuity of your protagonist, strengthening him as a character in the long run. Another example, don't have something big happen...and then start off the next chapter with your protagonist waking up in a cold sweat. "Oh, it was all a dream!" That weakens the impact of your cliffhanger, and your audience might not trust you the next time you toss some major drama their way. Stay away from that stuff. It's considered a cheat. And your readers won't be happy about being left in the dark for an extended amount of time, only to be fooled with some fictional sleight of hand. K? Anyway, that's my personal take on writing cliffhangers. The important points to remember are... Don't overdo it. A cliffhanger here and there is great. But too much ruins the flavor. Cliffhangers are based on suspense. And suspense is created by mystery, questions, and choices. Rewards and consequences. Readers should be asking themselves, "What now?" Pose that question, and bait them into the next chapter by promising them an answer. Don't try to change the details of the cliffhanger by going back to tell readers details that contradict or attempt to ret-con the previous chapter. You're better off cutting the chapter before the necessary ret-con takes place. Reader/Writer trust is important. Never take that for granted. I hope this helps you guys out when you consider adding any cliffhangers into your projects in the future. It's just a few things to think about, and interpret any way that you like. Take care! And I'll see ya on the next go round!

Thanks for the answer, Page Scrawler! Very enlightening!

I'll be in attendance!

You know what this reminds me of now? LOL!

When I really sit down and think about it...I've been in love twice in my life. (With a possible third time that really warmed my heart a couple of years ago, hehehe, but that's a story I can't/won't share here. :P) But that's it. It's kind of strange to say that, considering how utterly boy crazy I was growing up, and still am to a certain extent. But love? That was a whole different feeling. I think I had to actually fall in love to know what love was. My first time? 14 Years old, froshman year of high school. Hands down...I feel completely, madly, helplessly in love. That was with my best friend, Mike. We had never even met before that, but we had classes together, and he was super cute, and we would hang out and laugh until there were tears in our eyes and our bellies ached. We loved movies and comic books, and he got along with all of my friends and I got along with all of his. And we just...we shared everything with each other. That wasn't just a crush. There was trust, and honesty, and a connection that I had never shared with another person before. We became so inseperable that it was just ridiculous. We couldn't live without one another. Hehehe, we even got into fights together! Like Batman and Robin! I'd still fight anybody who dared to get in his face. Are you serious? The thing is, Mike isn't gay. That's the only missing piece, unfortunately. We had everything except for that ONE little gap of affection for one another. Which...you know...it sucks. Because if Mike had been gay, we'd definitely be married right now. No doubt about it. He's still my best friend to this day. I stood at his wedding. And when his wife told him she was pregnant, the FIRST thing he did was call me up and say, "You're about to be an uncle!" LOL! God bless that boy. He's still got a piece of my heart that I'll never get back. But, whatever...he can have it. He earned it. We still talk all the time, and it's like we're still 14 whenever we do. His wife is awesome, his kids are beautiful...he was my very first love and always will be. In fact, if you're reading this right now...this entire website is here because Mike and I got an apartment together...and the sexual tension was driving me CRAZY!!! LOL! Writing those first few stories became my outlet. So, if you liked them, you have Mike to thank for that. There were a few times before that when I 'thought' that I was in love. Especially with this one boy, Brice, and another boy, Gabe...but they were just really cute and fun to be around. Basically, I wanted to kiss them and get them naked. But, honestly, I was just a horny 6th grader who probably wouldn't know what to do with a cute boy if I actually had one at the time. I hadn't gotten that 'advanced' yet. After that, there was high school where I had a few secret flings, and college when I had a few more. But I always came back to Mike. They didn't compare. And then, as I began to open up more about who I was, and The Shack became a part of my life, I definitely had my share of intense crushes with other Shackers as well. And then, this guy Erick sort of came out of nowhere. And we started talking and giggling...and before long...things just happened. Erick was the first time that I had felt that way about anybody since Mike. And he became my second love. For years. I still consider him my soul mate. Hehehe, it was almost embarrassing how much I gushed over that boy. To the point where I look at the phone bill and I'm like, "Who did talk to for six and a half HOURS???" Then it's like, "Oh...it was Erick. Yeah, that makes sense." Even now when I talk to him or write him a letter...my heart beats just a little bit faster. And I' thankful for that feeling. Some people go their whole lives never knowing that kind of joy. It really is something to cherish. So, looking back, I wouldn't change a thing. So that's my personal 'love' story. There were plenty of infatuated 'lust stories' sprinkled over those years, of course. Hehehe, I definitely had my fun when the opportunity presented itself to me. But once you experience love...like, it changes you. And suddenly, you don't want the bullshit and the mind games anymore. Doesn't mean that you can't still have fun from time to time, but you begin to see how empty it is in the long term. That's what Mike and Erick did for me. That was love. Can you be too young to fall in love? Hmmm...maybe. I think it takes time and maturity to distinguish between instant gratification or skin deep beauty...and love, trust, faith, and sacrifice. To be dedicated to someone else, and love them for more than what they can do for you or how they make you feel. I think love, like anything else, takes practice. Courage. Experience. But...when you find it, you'll know it. Maybe it'll be at age 15, maybe at age 25, maybe at age 45. Who knows? But you'll know it. Love is what I write about. When you read my stories...is all of that fake? Does it feel like 'puppy love', or like some fleeting infatuation? That's not how I remember those feelings at all. I just wish I could have married my high school sweetheart. Hehehe! That would have been amazing.

Youtube decided to start censoring all gay teen short films, and wiping out all favorite lists that include anything that MIGHT make the gay youth feel okay and normal about who they are. Just out of nowhere, for no reason. Saying that it violated their 'child safety' rules and regulations. But that's bullshit! So I'll be posting ALL of the stuff that I had suddenly 'removed' from my youtube account without warning. You guys please feel free to stop me when you find a short film that you think is 'dangerous' (Their words, not mine) for gay teens. K? What's so offensive about liking and sharing the stuff that I find on Youtube? Why am *I* getting a strike on my account??? Wednesday is now "Gay Like Me" short film day. Since 'shame' is the agenda for those who don't have to live with it these days. Every week! Every Wednesday! I'll be right here with another one! FUCK those people! Seriously! These are all gay short films that I had on my account that, for some reason, they found so dangerous and offensive. Like I said...you tell me what YOU think about them, and why they needed to be erased from my account. Is *THIS* what they were so afraid of??? Maybe I'm missing something here. Enjoy! This week's Short Gay Film - "The Curse Of The Unkissable Kid"

I've been getting back to my emails recently, and I've been listening to a lot of Janelle Monae because she gives me an overdose of the 'happies'! I can't help but to feel energized! Imagine...70's Michael Jackson, mixed with 80's Prince, mixed with 90's Lauryn Hill! Yep! Can't go wrong there!

I binge write everything. Hehehe, trust me. But if I did, then "GFD" fans would be mad at me. Of course, I could binge write that one next...but then "New Kid" fans would be mad at me. I could tackle that next, but then "Jesse-101" fans would be mad at me. Why play a game I can't win? ::Giggles::

Justin visited Richie at Jeremy's shack in the chapter before this one. I think you might have missed it. Hehehe!

How old were you when you first fell in love? I'm not talking about finding someone especially attractive or having them make you nervous...but when you really were convinced that this ONE person had stirred you up in a way that made you feel (At least at that point in your life) that you were actually, truly, in love for the first time. Now whether that love was returned to you or not, whether it lasted a few years, a few months, or just a couple of weeks...looking at it through your own eyes...when would you say that you experienced real 'love' for another person? I know that there are a lot of people who may write a lot of so-called relationships as 'puppy love', or a crush, or an infatuation, or simple lust...but does the feeling change all that much from the time you're a teenager, to that first college boyfriend, to your adult relationships and beyond. The formula being...attraction, plus shared interests, plus a certain closeness, plus warm tingles and fuzzies...equals love. But how can you pinpoint what love is when you're constantly changing and expanding your perspective on the idea? I mean, is it possible for a fifteen year old to know what love really is? Or is that just something that we tell ourselves while looking at the situation from the outside? And if you're 50 years old and find a partner that you adore with all your heart...what's changed? Dont you still get nervous? Are the tingles not the same? Your ideal partner requirements may have changed or expanded since you were a kid...but at the heart of it all, isn't it the same vibe deep down? Let us know what you think! When did you first feel as though you were experiencing true 'love' for another person? What was you perspective before that, and how has your outlook changed since then? Everybody is welcome to jump in and give us your two cents! Anonymous replies are welcome as well! Either here, or you can send them to me at Comicality@shackoutback.net (Be sure to let me know that you want your answer to be anonymous). Cool! Seezya soon!

If any one of you...male or female...says that you haven't done it before... ...I'm calling BULLSHIT!!! LOL!!! Don't you DARE tell me that you haven't seen a gorgeous boy or girl on screen, and got all excited over what it might be like to have them be...you know...'yours'. And there's nothing wrong with that. It's ok. Hollywood picked that actor to make sure that your naughty parts keep tingling whenever you see them on screen. It's perfectly normal. Consider it a guilty pleasure, if you want to. But we all know that there is ONE celebrity out there that...if given the chance...we'd be tempted to have a sexual interlude with! Be honest! There's a Brad Pitt, a Beyonce, a Justin Bieber, or a Noah Schnapp, out there somewhere that you'd be too weak to refuse if they made you a legitimate offer in person! No? Hehehe...ok... ::Sarcasm overload:: Fantasies are fun! Sometimes, they can be more enticing than the tales you write about your average 'boy meets boy' stories about romance and finding true love. I mean, there's an added 'prestige' involved when it comes to writing about someone famous, right? The idea that someone who is perceived as being this grand 'celebrity' would ever take the time to even talk to you, face to face, one on one, without being condescending or fake about it. Someone who is MASSIVELY popular is taking tie out of their day to make you their number one priority for a little while. To shower you with affection and devoted attention. That is an entirely different fairy tale in itself, isn't it? Today, we're going to talk about the pros and cons of 'fanfics' in writer fiction, and how we can make them just as epic and as emotionally involving as everything else we write for our thirsty audience! Cool? So...here we go! Fanfics! For me? (Let me date myself here for a minute! Hehehe!) It was 90's Eddie Furlong! Oh...my...God! I don't know what it was about him, specifically...but he just threw my hormones into a total frenzy when "Terminator 2" came out in theaters! I mean...it was an awesome movie, but I went back again and again until my friends and I ran out of money...and I did it all for Eddie! That boy just....UGH!!! I was SO in love!!! Funny note...when I first discovered the Nifty Archive...I found some really hot stories about Taylor Hanson and some other celebrity boys that I thought were really really cute too. Then...I found one about Eddie Furlong! ::Gasp:: Yeah, that story just ignited something within me, and I think it was written by an author named Dean Lidster at the time. That brought me into the whole 'Nifty' thing, and the Taylor Hanson stories led me to another amazing author by the name of Jaxsper Finn...and it's because of those two authors that I took my very first shot at writing something of my very own. Thus...'Comiclity' was born! So, if you're a fan...you have Eddie and Taylor...Dean and Jaxsper...to thank for the reason that I'm even here. And I will give them thanks and praise for the rest of my life for that. Hehehe! I've only written two fanfics on my site over the years. The first one was "Eddie And Me", which was about Eddie Furlong. And it (unfortunately) got erased TWICE while I was writing it. It hurt, but I wanted my 'Eddie' story, dammit! LOL! So the third version of the story is what's up on the site right now. (You can read it here, if you want to be severely disappointed in my writing skills. Hehehe! https://gayauthors.org/story/comicality/eddieandme) Give me a break! I was JUST starting out, and I had to write the same story three times! So THERE! Anyway, even though it was a painful effort to put it out there, I really wanted to capture the overall 'essence' of Eddie Furlong, and make that a part of the story. I wanted it to do him justice, and make it as 'realistic' as I could. I wasn't really quite sure how, at the time (There was no Youtube back then), but I DID actually get to meet him in person briefly once. And I was too paralyzed to say much to him...but it was cool. Sighhh... BUT...the point is...he was a real person. Not just a celebrity. Not a character in one of my favorite movies. Not a teen poster pinup that I couldn't put on my wall, because...'gay'! Hehehe! But there was a real person there. And I appreciated that. So, even though I had written my hot and sexy fanfic before ever getting the chance to see him, face to face...I learned that there was more than what I 'wanted' from him. Which was...hours and hours of hot boy sex! LOL! So, as much as my heart and my hormones were invested in that original story, I know that I would have done it MUCH differently, had I written it today. I would have done more to capture his 'voice', his mannerisms, his lifestyle. I would have worked harder to capture all of the things that I loved about him in the first place. This is my previous heartbreaking crush from when I was about 13/14 years old...just so you get an idea. God! Is it weird that I still kinda love him a little bit? LOL! The second fanfics that I wrote, even though I had many others in mind and just never got around to typing it out...was actually a bit of an 'accident', to be honest. A lucky accident, but an accident, just the same. It's called "Waiting Outside The Lines", and it involves singer Greyson Chance (Who eventually came out of the closet as being gay, by the way! Hehehe...HOT!), and actors Chandler Riggs and Asa Butterfield. And I created a main character named Evan Elliott to be a part of it all, and truly experience and enjoy the thrill of being around these big named celebrities. All of them were beautiful, but I never thought of putting them together like that. So, had it not been for that particular challenge, I never would have written that story. Huge thanks to the person who put that contest together and for making that story possible. It's because of him that it even exists. https://gayauthors.org/story/comicality/waitingoutsidethelines Now, all three boys were in their early to mid teens when I began the series, and that's still the way that I see them when I'm writing it now. Even though they've all grown up to be super hot adults now! Hehehe! But, I have fun. So it's all good. The key to making a fanfic really work and hit hard with your readers is capturing the true feel and personality of the celebrities that you're writing about. To me, that makes all of the difference. I've seen SO many fanfics over the years that were just random sex stories with a celeb's 'name' attached to it in order to create some sort of visual representation of what they were fantasizing about. I mean...if that's all you were going to do, then why not just write your own story and describe the love interest as having the same kind of hair, same build, same eyes, etc? It wouldn't be all that difficult to just picture them that way. Like, if you want to write a hot story about having sex with Will Franklyn Miller...then just describe a boy that looks exactly like Will Franklyn Miller. It'll have the same effect, right? To me? Fanfics are different... You're a 'fan', right? Ok, then do some research. You're talking about real people now. The engaging factor of a true fanfic is capturing the real life personality, gestures, and feelings, of the celebrity that you're writing about in a way that will be as realistic and as true to their character as you can get, while still having it play out the fantasy that you want to create. That's where the real 'magic' happens! Think about the celeb or the characters they play, and re-discover what it is that attracted you to them in the first place. What's cute about them? What do you find sexy? What was it that initially drew you in and made you take notice? You're on the internet! You have a wealth of information at your fingertips...so use it. Watch interviews with the actors or singers that you love. Look at their pictures online. Study their photo shoots. Read the comments they make on Twitter. How do they walk, talk, and interact with other people? What 'quirks' or habits do they have? What is their sense of humor like? These are all things that I think about when writing a fanfic. I want the people who read it, assuming that they're fans of the same actors/singers that I'm infatuated with, to read my story and think, "Omigod! That's TOTALLY something that he would say or do!" Hehehe, and naturally, it's just my interpretation of who they are as a real person, but it's an educated interpretation. One that I created from study and research of them and how they presented themselves to the public eye. Before writing "Waiting Outside The Lines", this is something that I put a LOT of thought into. I wanted to capture the real nature of the characters, if possible. So I made sure to read about them a little bit, watch their videos, hear how they conducted their interviews...pen and paper in hand to see if they had any gestures or words that they used more often than others. I noticed that Greyson kind of lets his leg bounce sometimes. It might be a habit or a nervous tick...but I took notice of it, and I put it in the story. Asa Butterfield seems rather confident by nature in his interviews, and that was a personality trait that I latched on to...and I made that a part of his character in the story. Chandler Riggs uses the phrase 'awesome' a LOT when he's talking to people. And I took a note of that too, making it a part of his natural dialogue. These are all little things...but it really does help to connect the character you're writing with the actual celebrity that you're writing about. Those candid little quirks will give your story a sense of realism that you wouldn't believe! Trust me. Check out these brief videos, and then read "Waiting Outside The Lines". See if you can make the connection. The whole idea is to make your fanfic feel 'real', right? 0000 Again, I don't know any of these celebs in real life...but this is the overall 'vibe' that I got from their public appearances. And that research is what I went with when I was trying to create their characters for my story. Now...sometimes it can be fun to play your favorite celebs against type, and reveal a darker, sexy, side to their personality...which can also be a lot of fun. But for me, personally? The closer your representation is to the actual celebrity, the better. I wouldn't have Greyson Chance see a hot piece of ass and say, "Damn, cutie! Nice ass! You wanna make 50 bucks in the back seat of my car?" Hehehe, in my mind, that would be out of character for me. He seems like such a sweetheart. Shy and a bit restrained when it comes to approaching someone for the first time. He's funny and charismatic...and a little bit silly, but in this really adorable way. Just...he's CUTE, you know? And that's how I wrote him. I built his character on what I've seen from him so far. Asa, on the other hand, seems more like the type to be a bit more forward with his advances if he was interested. And that's how I wrote him as well. Capture the true spirit of your characters when you're writing, and keep them consistent in their behavior. It makes for a better project. One thing to remember is the fact that not everybody is going to share your attraction or infatuation to the famous person that you're writing about. Fanfiction is a niche category, and if someone sees that you're writing about someone that they don't find attractive or perhaps don't even know who they are...they'll skip over it. Even if it's the greatest love story ever written...they're not paying attention. And that's fine. Sometimes, you've got to just write your fanfiction for you, and you alone. Enjoy it. Explore your own fantasy to its fullest extent, and then share it so a few other people can share your passion for these characters and imagine a worl where something like this could actually happen. Have FUN with your hard work! And it will reward you in the end. Anyway, that's my talk on fanfics. I hope this helps you out. And if you've been thinking about writing a fanfic of your very own? DO IT!!! Hehehe! Just write the first few paragraphs with that special cutie in mind...and you'll be hooked instantly! I know you've thought about it! Don't try to fool me...I know. LOL! Have fun! Hehehe, come on! There's got to be, like...a really HOT Levi Miller fanfic stewing in the back of your mind somewhere! Am I right? Write it! It'll be sexy! We're all waiting to see it!

Oops! Forgot the link! LOL! I'm all shits and giggles today! You can find the entire "GFD" series at the link below! The newest chapter is under "Bloodties", and it's number 55! K? https://comicality.gayauthors.org/stories.html

A brand new chapter of "GFD" is now up for you guys to enjoy! So please take a moment to check it out, and let me know what you think when you get a chance! K? This is still the number ONE series on the entire Shack Out Back website, and has been for many years now! So, if you've been missing out and want to dive in for the first time, just follow the link below tp the 'Story Page', and you can find all of the previous books in order! Cool? Love you all! And enjoy! XD

"Gone From Daylight: Blood Ties 55" I wish that I could say that the old junkyard looked dirty and out of place to me after spending some time in a place in such a swanky high rise building with heat, and soft mattresses...silky soft sheets and fluffy pillows...hot running running water and a clear bird's eye view of the Chicago skyline as it sparkled gleefully outside our bedroom window. 24 hour cable TV with more channels than we could possibly ever hope to watch, even if we spent

Youtube decided to start censoring all gay teen short films, and wiping out all favorite lists that include anything that MIGHT make the gay youth feel okay and normal about who they are. Just out of nowhere, for no reason. Saying that it violated their 'child safety' rules and regulations. But that's bullshit! So I'll be posting ALL of the stuff that I had suddenly 'removed' from my youtube account without warning. You guys please feel free to stop me when you find a short film that you think is 'dangerous' (Their words, not mine) for gay teens. K? What's so offensive about liking and sharing the stuff that I find on Youtube? Why am *I* getting a strike on my account??? Wednesday is now "Gay Like Me" short film day. Since 'shame' is the agenda for those who don't have to live with it these days. Every week! Every Wednesday! I'll be right here with another one! FUCK those people! Seriously! These are all gay short films that I had on my account that, for some reason, they found so dangerous and offensive. Like I said...you tell me what YOU think about them, and why they needed to be erased from my account. Is *THIS* what they were so afraid of??? Maybe I'm missing something here. Enjoy! This week's Short Gay Film - "In A Heartbeat"

The newest chapter of the zombie apocalyptic, gay teen romance, story is now up on the site! ::Giggles:: How often do you get to have someone tell you THAT? Anyway, check it out! Let me know what you think! And I'll seezya soon! https://gayauthors.org/story/comicality/shelter/

Chapter 24: "Vanish" Crossing his arms across his scrawny chest and almost sunken in belly, Spencer wailed softly from, what looked a lot like, intense hunger pains. Considering the fact that I've barely spent much time with him when he wasn't eating...that was an eerie development indeed. And NOW he's talking about a hospital being on fire. With a bit of a nervous fluttering building wildly in the center of my stomach, a mild panic caused me to maybe reconsider telling Dr. V

ALL of the selections this week were AWESOME!!! I LOVED it! I had to go to my CD shelf and add some of those songs to my online playlist! So thanks! So happy to see you! And I'll see you again this Friday! https://www.voy.com/15900/96345.html

One thing that I've discovered while writing my own stories over the years, is the 'lacking' presence of added depth when I only have one situation going on from beginning to end. Now, this may be just a personal preference of mine...but when I'm focused on two boys and one issue, the theme of the story itself feels really basic and seems to fall 'flat' to me sometimes. Like something is missing. Nothing major, really...but it's similar to a cook tasting their food and thinking, "Hmmmm...I need a little more salt. Or butter. Or garlic." Etc. I like to build a story that feels a bit more full when it comes to the plot that I put together. This is when I begin thinking of some of the other characters in the story, and what's going on around them as well. Seriously .What's going on with them? This is when I begin wondering about certain 'subplots', and how I can, maybe, weave them into the overall plot and include them into what's going on with the main characters. Now, if subplots seem distracting or unnecessary to you, then I won't tell you to force it into a project where they aren't needed. That's an instinct that you can choose to develop or not develop as you see fit. Sometimes a short story is just fine as a short story, and it doesn't need to be overworked with anything extra, bogging the story down. But, whenever I'm writing anything longer than a few chapters, I like to add a little more meat to the world that my narrative takes place in. It's just the way my brain works, I suppose. I often write in the first person perspective, so all of the story's major events are basically surrounding that one character and how he sees the world from his point of view. But when I introduce a love interest, or a best friend, or a parent, or a few co-workers...I'm always thinking about ways to flesh out those characters in ways that will keep them from just 'being there' as background for no apparent reason. Who are these people? What are their lives like? What are their motivations and why are they important to the plot? In my head, every single character that I use to populate my story has a fully fleshed out backstory of their very own. Something that gives their character a few added layers and explains who they are and what their purpose is. Even if they only show up briefly from time to time, and none of that backstory ever shows up in the story itself...it's right there in the back of my mind the entire time. And, if any of you read my article on 'Show, Don't Tell', then you'll remember that it's not enough to just tell the history of this character in passing in order to reveal their motivations and give them a meaningful personality. If they're in your story, give them something to do. If they have nothing to do...cut them out. You won't need them. I can't stress that enough. I know you might be attached to them in one way or another...but don't cradle useless characters in your project if you can avoid it. It will only drag you down in the long run. BUT...if you have people populating the world that you're trying to build, and they're pushing the plot forward, even if it's in a minor way...then their presence will have a purpose. And your story will be that much better for it. For this article, we're talking about 'subplots'. How to craft them, what they mean, and how to use them to enhance your writing to further flesh out your story and make it all that you intended it to be. So, question number one is simple...what is subplot? When writing your story, you have a main focus and a series of goals that you want your protagonist to accomplish. This is your plot. What is it that your main character wants to do? He wants to get his dream job in Hollywood. He wants to ask that beautiful stranger out on a date. He wants to come out of the closet to his friends. He wants to find the one weapon that will help him defeat the alien horde that is arriving within the next few days to take over the Earth. Whatever. This is what you should concentrate on the most when it comes to your writing. Figure out what the most important part of your story is, and use that as a guiding light to take you from beginning to end. Now...what is the subplot? Subplots take part just on the outside fringes of the story you're trying to tell. It's a third dimension to a two dimensional plot. There are going to be times when simplicity is the best way to go...but for longer stories or series, I think subplots really do help out a lot. And it's great for solving any 'pacing' issues that may pop up when your main story is moving from one major event to another. So keep that in mind. Take a moment and think about your own life. You have thoughts, dreams, and desires, right? You do things, you say things, you win, and you lose. But you're not alone in this world. If you have a close friend...how do these things affect them? How do they affect your parents? If you're gay, but in the closet...your new romance with the cutest boy on the block may be your main goal...but the struggles you may face with coming out to your other friends and family may play a part in you being fully happy. That's not the main focus of your story, but it definitely factors in to every situation that you're dealing with as a whole. Right? Maybe the 'best friend' character rejects the protagonist for his feelings, or for keeping his true feelings a secret. Maybe the parents aren't really 'gay friendly', and your main character is struggling with the fear of being kicked out of the house or simply disappointing them by being different. Now, these issues aren't meant to be a major distraction from the main plot, nor is it meant to overshadow it in any way. Instead, they are just giving your readers a different perspective of what's going on from an entirely different angle. Can you tell a short story with just a boy that wants to meet another boy and fall in love? Of course you can. And you don't have to stress yourself out too much, over complicating the story with extra details when you can just tell a simple story and be done with. But if you're writing an extended series, I personally think that it gets to be a little bit boring after a while, just dealing with the same main character's thoughts and his constant gushing over the love interest. How many ways can you come up with to say, "He's so beautiful and I love him!" before your readers get a little exhausted with it? (Guilty of this myself. So I'm not throwing stones. Trust me!) By introducing a strong and effective subplot into your story, not only does it spice things up a little bit, offering opportunities for a few surprises and added drama...but it can be used to give your readers a much needed break from the monotony of two people saying, "No, I love YOU more! Mwah mwah mwah!" That gets old pretty quick. It's fine for a short story, but for a longer series...you're going to need to thicken that gravy a little bit more to keep your audience locked in. To give an example, I'd like to start with the movie, "Titanic". Now, I'm sure that most of you reading this know about the tragedy of the Titanic, even if you haven't seen the movie. The ship hit an iceberg, sank to the bottom of the sea, lots of people died. (Sorry, spoiler alert! Hehehe!) However...the one thing that audiences know about the Titanic and what happened to most of the people on board...is not the plot of the movie. It's the subplot of the movie. What is taking center stage here is the romantic love story between a lower class boy who was able to sneak on board the ship thanks to a lucky gambling hand, and a very wealthy upper class woman who is unhappy with her life but doing all she can to basically sell her soul for the sake of living a better life. THAT is what the movie is all about, essentially. The subplot adds a sense of anxiety and dread, sure...and it makes for one hell of an action set piece near the end of the film, but it's not the main focus of the story. It is the third dimension that helps to support the main story and create tension and and a powerful impact to the story you're watching unfold before your very eyes. It 'thickens the gravy'. Here is the trailer... The whole point of a subplot is to enhance the main focus of the big picture. It gets other people in your story, or sometimes just the environment itself, involved in a way that will bring your narrative to a head, and give some sort of backstory, as well as some foreshadowing, simultaneously. When you're adding other people into the mix, things become slightly more complex when it comes to storytelling. You now have another person to deal with. Ok...so how are the current events affecting him or her through all of this? What are the stakes involved when it comes to them being a part of your main character's life? And what issues of their own do they have to deal with? It doesn't have to be a huge deal or something that's going to take over the whole story on its own...but I always feel that you should have something going on with this other character if they're going to be a part of your plot. Otherwise, they're just a mask for random exposition. A very thin one at that. People can tell when someone is just there to provide the reader with information to move the story forward and nothing else. You don't want to let the audience see your secrets. Not if you can help it. I've found that when I'm writing subplots for my stories, there should be a certain cohesive feel to them when it comes to the main plot. I like for things to come full circle in my work. So I may stray from the main focus to concentrate on some of the side characters for a chapter or two...but I always keep the main characters involved. Don't ever let them disappear from your story completely...or it's going to feel like a total off ramp from the road you started on. Don't stray too far from your original story. One problem that I've come across in some of my writing over the years is that my subplots sometimes get to be more popular than the main story. I had to work and practice to make both stories relevant to my readers, without letting either one fall so far into the background that it's no longer of interest to my audience. The best example of this is what happened with "New Kid In School", where the story of characters like Tyler and Ariel was the only thing that people were really looking for...making it hard to get back to Ryan and Randy, who were supposed to be the main draw. Subplots are all about figuring out who is going to take center stage and get the spotlight from chapter to chapter. Just remember that when one person is in the spotlight...the others are in the dark. Leave them in the dark for too long, and your readers will forget about them. One of the very FEW complaints that I've ever had about James Cameron's films, deals with this particular issue. And I love James Cameron's work with a passion. However, if you've ever seen "Terminator 2"...there are a few subplots about John Connor bonding with the cyborg, and Sarah trying to prevent an apocalyptic future from ever happening. Interesting and engaging subplots, indeed. But after about 40 minutes...the actual T-1000 terminator shows up again, and I was like..."Oh yeah! I forgot he was even in this movie! Yeah, they're being hunted, aren't they?" Now, why did I lose sight of the main plot of the movie? Because the subplot took center stage for so long that it put me into an entirely different frame of mind. And it takes some practice and discipline to find your own particular balance with this kind of writing, but you're going to want to figure out how keep your main plot and your subplot running alongside one another smoothly at the same time for future projects. It's one of those things that you'll need in your utility belt for later. I feel that the best way to do that is to have both of your plots run, equally, while you're writing, and make sure that they intertwine and connect in ways where each individual story boosts one another up to the next level with added depth and meaning. That's been my technique for years, and I always stick with what works. Down below are a few more trailers, where the subplots run as a parallel to the main story. You'll see, the major plot of your story can be very simple, straightforward, and to the point. It's simply a matter of detailing who your main characters are and what it is that they want to accomplish by the end of the tale. Subplots merely add a bit of finesse and enhance your characters' motivations by explaining why they're doing whatever it is that they're doing. In the first movie, "Saint Ralph", the goal of the main character is to rise up from being a troubled youth at a Catholic school, and training to run a marathon in hopes of winning it despite all of the people who are doubting him. Very simple, very easy to absorb. But the side story or subplot deals with the fact that his mother is very sick. And he needs a holy 'miracle' in order for her to get better. So the whole movie is not just about him training for the marathon and being ridiculed or discouraged by the people who say he can't do it. The real heart of the film comes from the 'WHY'. Why is he doing it? What are the stakes? What's his motivation? With that extra story running alongside the main plot, the audience gets much more invested in what's going on. Now you've got yourself a cheering section, because they know a bit more about what's going on here. In the second movie, "1408", we have a writer who goes from place to place searching for definitive proof of the paranormal activities that people claim to be witness too. A pursuit that has never produced any results for him...until now. And he's forced to question whether it's real or not. Now...how do you add an extra layer of meaning to a movie like this? With a subplot that introduces the question of 'why' he's doing this. It just so happens that he lost his daughter to an illness, and is skeptical about whether or not her spirit lives on or if she's in a better place. That adds a lot to the story. It increases the stakes, whether he's proven right or wrong. It gives the main plot a level of depth that it didn't have before. And that's what you're trying to accomplish when writing subplots of your own. Check out the trailers... 000 I've found that telling a variety of stories all at once, switching from spotlight to spotlight, but still having them all exist in the same literary 'space', can really keep your readers engaged and invested in whatever story it is that you're trying to express when it comes to writing a longer story. Readers are looking for things to interest and excite them when it comes to your project. You've allowed them to learn your main character first, then allowed them to get to know your love interest. That takes, maybe two chapters? Three? So now what? What will you add to keep their interest once you've got them hooked. You won't make another ten chapters with just that one pursuit being the only focus of your story. I wouldn't be able to do it either. There's got to be something more happening behind the scenes. I have a story called, "A Class By Himself", which is a tornado of different stories all going on at once. The main character and his mother, the main character and his love interest, the main character and a 'third party'...then there's bullying at school, and his friend from back home, and a love triangle, an internal struggle with his own sexuality, and his financial limitations...but they're all tied together in a way where all of this manic situations are all spinning in the same literary 'space'. If that makes sense. They are all a part of the protagonist's growth and his ability to overcome the obstacles in his way to finally reach the end of his story arc. (At least, I HOPE that's how readers will see it, after all those years of planning! Hehehe!) They are all leading somewhere. And that's exactly what I wanted. I know that it takes me forever to update 'this' story and 'that' story...but when people see the finished product, I really do hope that they'll see where all of the puzzle pieces fit together at some point. And how I've been building up to the grand finale gradually over time. Something to say, "Ohhhh...NOW I see why Comsie did that!" You know? Again, not easy...but far from difficult once you've gotten enough practice at writing stories of your own. You've always got to keep the past, the present, and the future, of your story in your mind at all times when you're writing. It makes for a better story. And your readers will thank you for it in the long run. K? I hope this tidbit of advise helps you guys out! And keep writing! You guys are the future of this shit! So make it count! Love you all! Now go out there, and do it better than I ever could! Comsie needs entertainment too! Hehehe!

The weekly Friday music challenge is now back on the Shack forum! So if you love music, come by and join the party! I love hearing new stuff! Any era, any genre, any kind of music that you love. Share your best with us on the Shack! https://www.voy.com/15900/

The newest chapter is up and ready to go! So if you're a fan of the series, drop in and check it out! And let me know what you think when you get finished! Cool? Enjoy! https://gayauthors.org/story/comicality/ontheoutside