Comicality

I always wonder what happened to him! Wait, didn't he kill somebody? I'm pretty sure he killed a guy. Hehehe! But yes, he was definitely one of the most beautiful boys ever, in my opinion. And then we got Will Franklyn-Miller. I wonder who will be the next one to take on the label.

😮 I missed dance week???? Well, let me remedy that right away! https://i.imgur.com/Oon2QaA.gifv

Hehehe, guess what's coming out on the 15th??? https://imagine-magazine.org/ Hehehe! Oh MY!!! Do you know how much it takes to our very own Matt Scott to 'blush' over an Imagine Magazine cover??? What the hell are those boys up to NOW??? Well, I'm turning my head on this one! Nope! It's Valentine's Day...and this is officially issue #69!!! I take no responsibility for the actions of my staff this month! ::Giggles:: We'll just have to wait and hope for the best! ::Nods:: Yes...we'll hope for the best! Be there on the 15th of February! Don't miss out! >:P

It's the first of the month, folks! And that means a brand new question for you guys to chip in and give us your two cents on the topic! Let's see what you got! 2020 Wasn't really something that any of us could really see coming the way that it did...not that it would last as long as it has. And here we are an entire year later...still trying to deal with one of the worst pandemics to hit the planet in over a century. You know those old history books you used to see, with wagons full of bodies during the Black Plague? Yeah, that was us in 2020. And a few generations from now, school kids will look back at us the same way. BUT...it's 2021 now. Plans are in place. Vaccines. Safety measures. It may still be a while before any of us can claim to be getting back to normal again. Or at least a new version of normal. But the question is...medical advances and assurances aside...can we really just go back to life once it's all over and done with? I mean, think about how long it's been. The masks and the gloves and the hand sanitizer and the social distancing...how long do you think it'll be before you can just see a friend in public and just give them a warm hug? Before you can hear someone cough or sneeze around you without cringing? Before we can kiss, make love, feel safe going to crowded parties and sports events? It won't happen overnight. Some people will be eager to rush out and be reckless about it, others might be reclusive and hold out for a while before they feel completely comfortable again. Where do you think that you, personally, will fall on that scale? Because I've adapted my life and my daily habits SO much, for SO long...that I sometimes wonder how long it would take me to just relax and sort of 'weave' myself back into a sense of what it was like to live without that added sense of caution following me around every time I left the house. Not panic...just caution. What do you think? Not just about people in general, but you specifically. When everything opens back up and we're given the green light to go back to normal...will things ever be the same? And if so, how long would it take for you to feel completely safe again? Give us your thoughts in the replies down below! And, of course, anonymous replies are always welcome, either here...or in my email at Comicality@shackoutback.net

There are occasions, as all writers know, when you may find yourself walking off the path of creativity and inspiration...and you're staring directly at a brick wall. It happens. Some call it writer's block, some may doubt their skills as a writer, and sometimes...you're just plain tired. There's no way around it. It can be frustrating and it can be disheartening and it can end up tossing a lot of deadlines in the trash at the last minute, because you just can't rush that which will not be rushed. It's just that simple. However, this article isn't going to be about the dreaded writer's block, as I've written about that at length in the past. Instead, this is going to be about asking yourself the one simple question that may help you to get around the obstacle of writer's block altogether, and get right back to work on your masterpiece. And that question is... "How are you feeling?" Take a moment and think about it right now before reading any further. Just take a few seconds of emotional inventory, and think about what's going on with you at this very moment. Think about what's going on in your life, in your relationships, at your job or at your school...and now think about how that has affected you and how it makes you feel right now as you're reading this. You got it? Ok, get that emotion and hold onto it. It's open, it's honest, it takes some vulnerability, but whatever that feeling is, good or bad or anywhere in between...write THAT! Hehehe! Channel that feeling into words, and share your experience with your readers. Let it be 'real', both to you and to your audience. When I began writing stories online, I would often find myself getting caught up in making something new, or continuing something that people were asking for, or basically just pushing myself through whatever doubts or fears that I had with a particular project so I could get it done. And, after a while, it led me right to that damn brick wall. Time and time again. I kept asking myself why the ideas wouldn't just magically 'fall out of the sky' like they had been before. How do I top my last story? Am I getting repetitive? Will my readers like this one? It's so different from the others that I wrote before. But, over time, I learned to ask myself how I was feeling on that particular day, and that really worked wonders for me. To the point where I can write something each and every single day and never really run short on ideas or feel at the mercy of that kind of creative constipation. What I discovered...was that I was trying to align my emotions with the story and the scenes and the characters that I was working with...instead of the other way around. Basically, I was trying to push my true feelings aside just long enough to get my work done...forgetting that it was my 'feelings' that made my work enjoyable and meaningful to me in the first place. I mean, that was the whole point of me writing, wasn't it? To express myself? To pour my heart out on the page (Or the screen, as the case may be)? I've found that the moment you train yourself to let your heart guide you instead of trying to box it in to whatever limited space you need to get the next chapter of your story out, writer's block becomes MUCH less of a problem than it was before. That's not to say that it'll never happen again, hehehe, but at least you'll have some personal insight as to why it might be a problem for you at all. I eventually realized that what I was struggling through wasn't really a creative block. It's not that I didn't have anything to say, because I definitely did. I just couldn't say it with the particular story that I was working on. I couldn't channel my current emotions through the characters that I was working with. It simply didn't fit. Now, I know that people are always saying, "Jesus, Comsie! Why are you always working on so many stories at once? Why don't you just concentrate on finishing one or two at a time?" Here's my explanation...or as some may see it, my 'excuse'... I can definitely be a moody person more times than not. I'm not unstable, by any means, but I'm affected by the situations and the people around me. Sometimes in a positive way, sometimes in a negative way. And I can tell you...if you think for one moment that I want to drive to work in the pouring rain one morning, work a double shift, get flak from my boss over something petty, fight traffic on the way home, find nothing but some lousy leftovers in the fridge for dinner...tired, physically and emotionally drained, with a slight headache...and then I'm going to sit down and write a cheerful and happy scene between the characters in "New Kid In School"...you're crazy! Hehehe! Yeah, yeah...I know you've been waiting a long time for it, but my heart isn't going to be a part of that process at all. No way! I'm exhausted, soaking wet, and highly frustrated. And now I'm going to spend what little energy I have left to make a couple of fictional characters grin and giggle and have a good time? Hehehe, life isn't happy for me! Life SUCKS right now! Nobody can be upbeat and happy all the time. Not even with a screen name like 'Comicality'. However, once I sit down at this keyboard...if I have a character that is really going through a rough time, is feeling lost or wistful, or is hurting over something or someone who rejected them or let them down...I might jump into that story or that particular scene and spill everything that I'm feeling at the moment into that section of the story. If I had to drive in the rain that day, I might have it be a rainy and gloomy day in that chapter. If I'm feeling embarrassed or heartbroken, I might channel that energy into it as well. The emotion fits what I'm writing, and it delivers a certain punch that I don't feel is anywhere near as potent as it could be when I'm trying to force it out for the sake of finishing a chapter. The same goes from when I'm in a joyful mood too. I don't want to have an amazing day, get a raise at work, laugh until my belly hurts with an old friend, and maybe just randomly find a 20 dollar bill in one of my pants pockets that I forgot about...and then try to depress myself enough to write a scene of turmoil and abuse in "My Only Escape". That emotion doesn't match what I want to write either. And for me, personally...that's where my biggest battles in the past with writer's block were coming from. Usually, if I'm trying to write a story, and the ideas aren't coming to me naturally and freely...it's probably because I've got something else on my mind. And it's not going to just 'go away' for the sake of me wanting it to go away. So why not write about it? And that brings us back to the big question... "What are you feeling right now?" There's an easy exercise that you can use to sort of hone your skills when it comes to figuring out how your current emotional state is and how to translate that into words on the spot. I use this sometimes when I'm a little confused about what I'm feeling at the moment, and want to sort of untangle that psychological mess. Think of a very small, very focused, situation. It doesn't have to be anything big, or particularly meaningful. You don't even have to name your characters if you don't want to. Make it very short, and very simple. Like... "One boy is looking at another boy sitting across from him in history class." The idea should be something that you can explain in a single sentence, but don't worry...the situation and the characters aren't the point of the exercise. Hold on to that simple premise. Keep it handy. Now...try writing out a small narrative where you just talk about what's going on in that scene, and add your own personal touch to it. Don't think about it too much. Be spontaneous. Keep it short. Something you can write in ten minutes or less. Again, hold on to it for later. Then...the next time you have a really bad day, and you're feeling frustrated and angry...take that exact same 'one sentence' situation...and write that scene again. Don't try to write it the way you did the first time, just let yourself go, and let your emotions set up that same situation, but while you're in a different frame of mind. If you're feeling happy? Write it again. From scratch. If you're bored? Write it again. Approach it as if each time it's the first time that you've done it. Pay attention to the words you use, and the overall tone you set up. Even pay attention to the length of it. Maybe you write longer texts when you're in a good mood. Maybe you don't feel like writing much of anything when you're in a bad mood, and you cut it short. Take inventory of how your mood is changing the narrative of this short series of events and how it affects you as a writer, being able to 'bleed on the page' and get that emotional baggage off of your shoulders. Maybe you're feeling particularly horny that day, and all of a sudden this is one of the most attractive, most seductive, boys that has ever walked the planet. But...maybe you're just coming off of a particularly nasty break up, and you might write about how you don't ever want to fall in love again and how hopeless it is to even try. Whatever you're feeling in that moment, write it out. Nobody else has to see it but you if you don't want them to. This isn't something you have to do for an audience. Instead, do it for yourself. Learn to recognize what you're feeling at any given moment, and use that to your advantage instead of letting it cripple you in your attempts to finish whatever it is that you think you need to finish first. I write so much better when I'm getting things off of my chest. It's like, I get to free up enough room for me to go back to the story that I was having trouble with and approach it with a brand new outlook and a fresh burst of renewed energy. Some days I'm feeling cynical and sarcastic, other days I'm feeling all giddy and romantic, other days I'm feeling philosophical and contemplative, and then...sometimes I'm just feeling downright SILLY! Hehehe, but if you read certain stories or certain scenes from me, you can definitely see and feel where my head was at that moment. So give it a shot. It's an exercise that works for me, and maybe it'll work for you too. The bottom line is...being in touch with what you're feeling and making a habit out of expressing those feelings as they are, as opposed to trying to push them aside to tackle a completely different and contradictory tone in one of your stories...may help you to avoid writer's block in a major way. For me? I write stories and whole series for every single random mood that I might come home with on any particular day, so I always have something to channel my current feelings into. I like for the emotions to be raw. Honest. Writing a ton of different stories at once, you guys don't have to do all of that. Just think about that exercise above, or maybe keep a journal handy, or anything that you can use to sort of dump your current thoughts and emotions into and clean your palette so you can get back to your main project, and see if it helps. Your inner voice will always shine through when you're being honest with your craft. How many times have you been reading a cheerful story, and then you come to a chapter and it's like, "Whoah...well THAT certainly took a dark turn, didn't it?" It might have only been a few bad days in the author's life that led the story to veer off in that direction, but it shows. Always. Don't try to force fit your current mood into a scene where it doesn't belong if you can help it. Write something else. You've got something to vent or to rant about? Do it. Even if it's just for you and the fly on the wall. It can be a very therapeutic process, and it's an easy way for you to just step around that writer's block wall and take a short detour before getting back on the path you were on before. Cool? I certainly hope that this helps! Happy writing, you guys! And best of luck to you all!

Chapter 28 is up, folks! Have fun! And be sure to let me know what you think when you get a chance! Cool? I've got a massive email marathon going on later on tonight ad tomorrow, and I'll also be popping into the Shack's 'Hot Tub' chatroom around 9 PM EST Saturday night! So stop by and say hello! We'll have some fun for a few hours! Mwah! Love you lots! Seezya soon! https://gayauthors.org/story/comicality/kissofanangel/

"Kiss Of An Angel 28" It's hard to keep from kissing him sometimes. I just like doing it so much. Tyler has this really cute way of letting his light blond hair flop over his forehead and eyebrows sometimes...and I know that he doesn't really do it on purpose or anything, but...it hardly seems like an 'accident' either. It's almost like he does it on purpose to drive me crazy and make me want to lean in and start kissing him all over again. Sometimes, I think I do it too much. T

So, if you're a fan of this gay teen story, set during the horror of a zombie apocalypse...jump back in and enjoy! Let me know what you think when you get a chance! https://gayauthors.org/story/comicality/shelter/ ALSO...don't forget to read the prequel stories too! For some added depth on the main story!

Chapter 23: "The Lost Ones" I don't actually remember seeing the sun set, much less the darkness coming to take over the shelter. It must have been pretty late though, as the whole school had shut off the lights hours ago. I mean, it's not like it was completely dark inside...it never was. Between the emergency lights in the halls and the floodlights the military used to protect the gates outside beaming through the many plexiglass windows of the school cafeteria, we barely got an

My stupid little flu bug is almost all gone now! So I'm feeling happy and ready to mingle again! Hehehe! I'll have another big email marathon this weekend to catch up on stuff! And I'll be dropping by the Shack's 'Hot Tub' chatroom around 9 PM EST this coming Saturday, if you want to come by and say hello and party with us for a while! Cool? It'll be fun to talk to you again! Mwah! Seezya soon! Love you lots!

A brand new chapter of "New Kid In School" is up tonight! So enjoy! And let me know what you think when you get a chance! https://gayauthors.org/story/comicality/newkidinschool/

"New Kid In School 67" Considering the fact that I'm so used to thinking way too much about...well...just about everything...I've got to admit that it feels a bit weird to have a moment of true peace and silence right now and not have my mental gears spinning all out of control like they usually do. I mean, sure, there were those first few initial moments where I had to give myself a shocked look in my bedroom mirror and dwell on the fact that I had just exposed my deepest, darkest,

Also...I've been posting the series on Wattpad! So you can check it out there, too! https://www.wattpad.com/user/ComicalityStories

A brand new chapter is up and ready to go! Enjoy! And if you have a few extra seconds in your day...let me know what you think in the comments down below! K? And now, for some fun Greyson moments! Love you lots! Have fun! Oh...and ummmm....hehehe! https://gayauthors.org/story/comicality/waitingoutsidethelines

"Waiting Outside The Lines 26" It was going to take more than bottled water and the nervous bounce of my foot underneath one of the cast eating tables to get the idea out of my head. Much more! I mean, this shouldn't even be a dilemma, right? Do I choose a couple of incredibly hot sexually explicit romps with Chandler Riggs in an off-set trailer between takes...or longing for a lifelong romance with the one and only Greyson Chance, where we both live to see our 'happily ever after' f

Hehehe! Look! If you focus real hard...you can see his fuzzy blond mustache! Omigod, that's so cute! MWAH!!! XD

Yes, indeed! It will! Annnnnnd...that's all I can say for now.

If I was in the back seat of a taxi (Or an Uber)...and the driver took a couple of suspicious left or right turns without asking me, or had a shortcut that I didn't quite recognize...my first question would be, "Hey, where the hell are you taking me? What's happening here?" If the driver was racing down the streets at breakneck speeds, or if they were slowing around as if I had all damn day to get where I wanted to go...I would be thrown off, and probably pretty frustrated. When it comes to pacing out your stories...your readers are in that same position. They're in the backseat. You're the driver. You're supposed to be taking them where they need to go while they're absorbing whatever it is that your writing is giving them. And it's your job as a writer to keep them comfortable with the ride, and to also put enough faith in you to get from point A to point B without aggravating the living shit out of them. Now, every reader is different, and there will always be some that want more 'action', and some that want you to slow down and enjoy the scenery a bit more. But I've found that the real talent in pacing your story comes from finding that special sweet spot in the middle. A place where the tale can have high points and low points, dramatic events as well as some downtime, and a smooth transition from one point to another with enough connective tissue between them where your audience will want to keep reading to see what happens next. Like a bundle of grapes...the tasty parts are what you want, but they've got to be connected by something, right? It can be done. It's all in how you view your project, both as a whole as well as in pieces. And it'll be an important part of making your story a success. So, let's talk pacing! What is pacing? Basically, it's the literary equivalent of city traffic. When your audience is reading your work, there may be some streets that they can travel down without any slow down whatsoever. Maybe a stop sign or two, but mostly a smooth ride. Then you get into one of the major areas of the city, and you have heavier traffic, stoplights, pedestrians...you're moving forward, but not as quickly as you were before. And then there's downtown during rush hour, where it's just total gridlock! Oh, the horror! Writing a story is very similar. Ask yourself how your plot is moving forward. Where are you going? What is the 'point' of it all, and how are you going to get there? More importantly...how are you going to keep your readers thoroughly entertained until you reach your goal? Hehehe, there's nothing worse than being on a long road trip with a bunch of kids in the backseat who are constantly squealing, "Are we there yet?" And you don't have anything positive to tell them in response. In my opinion, the best way to do that is to break your story down into a series of events first instead of a journey from the initial introduction to the climax, and then fill in the rest. You might have an excellent beginning to your story, and a jaw dropping ending...but if nothing significant happens in between the two...your story is going to lag and you may lose readers halfway through. You don't want that. You want to know how you get people to wait two hours in line for a ride at Disney World? You keep them looking up a the ride itself, like..."DAMN! I want to get out of line...but I'm sooooo close now!" Hehehe! You want your story to balance things out in a way that will create a certain sense of momentum in your writing. Even when there isn't much happening during a scene, or even through a whole chapter, it should be nudging your audience with your words, as if to say, "Stick with me. I'm going somewhere with this.". As I've said before in the past, you can't have a bunch of dramatic events happening in every single chapter of your story. It may work once or twice in the beginning, but it dulls the impact if you're constantly trying to up the ante every time your readers click on the next chapter. It's not a TV reality show. If every single day is full of drama...then what is drama worth? Diamonds and gold are expensive and cherished because of their rarity. The big moments in your story should be treated in the same way. BUT...during those 'down' moments between major events, you don't want to allow your story to lose focus or lag in momentum. Every scene that you write, every bit of dialogue, should be building up to 'something'. And it should be in a way that your readers can see and recognize as an incentive to keep reading. Even through chapters where they think nothing much happened to advance the story. You have to maintain that constant idea that even the slower parts of your story are important, and vital in creating something special. Something good? Something bad? Who knows? But it's the author's way of saying, "Hey! Pay attention! This will be on the quiz later!" The way you do this is by leaving little breadcrumbs to hint at what might be coming in the future. You're delivering information, but in a creative way that suggests a hint of mystery as to what may be in store for your main characters and the story in general. Peper these little hints and clues in different places throughout your project. Never give it all away in the beginning, and never leave it all up for the story's climax to figure out. It's the middle of your story that is going to become the vehicle to take your readers from one point to another. Always keep that in mind. For example...maybe you have a chapter where your protagonist has been trying to work up the courage to talk to a boy that he really likes. Maybe he chickened out a few times in an earlier chapter, but he's really trying to push forward and gain the confidence he needs to make the first move. Now, you might spend an entire chapter just having him trying to convince himself that it won't be so bad if he just went for it and stopped being so afraid...but fails to get the courage by the end of the chapter. Now, this is a decent way to handle your story for one chapter, and build layers that will add depth to your main character...but if you were to drag this out for two or three chapters...you're going to start annoying your audience. Some may understand and decide to hang in there, but others will get tired of being teased and will choose to go read something else. Nothing is moving forward. Nothing is being accomplished. You're letting your story fade away right in front of your audience's eyes. That's not a good thing. I'm not saying that you have to toss in some random event to spice things up just for the sake of entertaining your readers. That could hurt more than it helps, and it ultimately won't have any deeper meaning within the context of the story anyway. So why do it? It's not about the big shock moments and major events. It's about building up to those moments, and knowing when to land that big punch before the build up wears out its welcome. Instead of spending three chapters on a boy who's too scared to approach his crush and speak to him...sprinkle in a few baby steps worth of progress along the way. Maybe they end up being the only two people in a room where they are forced to talk to one another. Maybe they end up in detention at the same time. Maybe your protagonist sees his crush having a fun conversation with a girl, or another boy, after class...and now the possible competition has started the ticking clock on when he should move in. He has to push forward before he misses his big chance and someone else takes his spot. Always remember that every chapter that you write should have some sort of momentum attached to it. Keep asking yourself where that particular piece of the puzzle fits into the big picture. Where are you going with that? What information are you delivering? How will this impact the story as a whole? If you're having trouble answering any of those questions, then chances are...you've gotten derailed somewhere along the way, and need to get back on track. Pacing is all about taking your readers through both the peaks and the valleys of your story without having them lose interest or enthusiasm in your project. Every chapter, whether it's full of drama, action, and despair...or if it's just a chapter where things calm down and you feel the need to explain and explore some of the less explosive parts of your narrative...should present a series of questions to the reader about what will happen next, without giving away a single answer to those questions. Every single chapter. What happens if someone discovers this major secret? What happens if the protagonist takes this particular leap of faith? What happens now that this boy's mother has discovered his stash of teen magazines? It's your duty as an author to keep stringing your audience along and continue to present new elements that will intrigue them and provide an incentive to keep going. Not from beginning to end, but from event to event. Remember...pieces. If you're taking too long to accomplish this, you end up turning your readers off. It's important to remember that your readers don't know what you've got planned for later. They only know what you have written out on the screen. So, even if you're building up to one of the biggest, most incredible, most EPIC finales of all time... ...Taking too long to get to the point will guarantee that your biggest fans won't be around to see it. So don't let your story get stuck in a quagmire of details that don't move the story forward in some way, shape, or form. This is the internet. We're lucky that readers found our stories at all. So let's keep their attention focused on our projects for as long as we possibly can. Hopefully until it reaches its satisfying end. It will take some practice, but we all learn how to pace our stories out in an effective way that suits our needs and serves the readers with something that is entertaining and a joy to read. It's all about planning and choosing your moments, and littering them throughout the story a little bit at a time. Always ask yourself what is most important about your story and your characters first, and then think about what parts of your story are going to support those specific highlights. Everything else? Get rid of it. Don't bog your storytelling down with boredom. Find your equilibrium. Not too fast, not too slow, know where you're going. Just like the Taxi/Uber example above. Down below is a short animated film that I think demonstrates this idea perfectly. It has actually become one of my favorite animated Halloween short films, and that surprised me. Because it takes real patience. Hehehe! It's about 14 minutes long, and for most of its run time...there really isn't a whole lot going on. Like, at all. But the genius in this animation is...just when you're starting to get bored or let your mind wander off a bit...something happens that captures your attention again. It's small, and it's subtle, but it makes you think, "Wait...what was that? Where is this going?" And there are a few red herrings thrown in, but I kept watching because I was constantly being pulled along towards the end of the video, just to see what happens next. When you look back at it....nothing is really taking place at first, but there was always this little nugget of 'something' that kept me interested. If you watch closely, you'll notice the literary breadcrumbs being dropped in front of you. Nothing big, nothing major...just a hint of what's to come. And that keeps you locked in for the entire 14 minutes, where the build up shows its importance and the reveal let's you know that it was worth the wait. Don't skip ahead. That's just as much of a writer foul as taking too long. Lagging and moving too slowly decreases interest. But speeding through your stories and skipping over essential moments and details to get to the 'good parts' decreases meaning and impact. Check this out, and let me know what you think... The beauty of that short film is an exercise in having the ability to truly bait an audience...but even though it takes a while to get the end, it works to keep you intrigued JUST enough to wait for the big finale. Well done! It gives you something to anticipate throughout its run time. You reach a point where you suspect that your patience is going to pay off eventually. And when it comes to the pacing in your story, this is exactly what you want your readers to feel too. You're not bombarding them with constant drama, but you're not boring them with long chapters where nothing is happening either. Find your balance. Try out different methods of keeping your fanbase involved in your narrative, and leave the proper breadcrumbs for future ideas and events along the way. It's all about creating momentum, the promise of bigger moments, and a climax worth the journey it took to get there. Teach yourself to recognize those golden opportunities wherever you find them, and then use those moments to your advantage. It will help to give your work that 'can't put it down' vibe, and will keep your readers constantly coming back for more. No matter what. Anyway, I hope this helps! Take these words to heart, and I hope it helps you write the best stories that you can. It worked for me, and I keep learning more tricks every day. Tricks that I'll share with you all as I discover them myself! So have fun! Happy writing! And I'll seezya soon!

Awwwwwww!

I know that you left our country with a dream and a legacy and hope for peace and equality in the future... And after these past two weeks... I just want to say that we're sorry.

Hehehe, but...it's still good news! Because a new issue of Imagine Magazine is up and ready for you guys for the New Year! It actually went up yesterday, but this weird flu virus refuses to let me go. It's been kicking my ass for an entire week now. So I'm either miserable beyond belief, or I'm all goofy off of cold medicine. It does NOT make it easy for me to work any Comsie magic, trust me! But I hope to get better soon. Just...ugh! Either way, the new issue is live guys! And I'm going to fix a few more formatting issues and stuff for the other few articles I had to be added to this issue as well. So if you can't click on it, check back later on tonight. They'll be there. Have fun! https://imagine-magazine.org/

Hehehe, you know when I was in college, I had a writing teacher that had a somewhat comical, but very true, rule to follow when it came to getting your audience to truly feel a moment of intense emotional pain in your project. Works every time. He used to say, "If you want to make your audience cry...kill the dog!" And, yes, he meant that literally. Script wise, anyway. You can have Rambo gun down an army of enemies in a foreign land, or have Iron Man burn a bunch of terrorists to ashes with pulse blasters...but if you harm ONE animal in a movie or TV show? Instant tears and gasps of utter disgust from everybody watching! Hehehe! I mean, have you SEEN "John Wick"? No sympathy felt for those dirtbags. Not an ounce! Anyway, this article isn't about murdering puppies, I promise. I'd turn myself into the local authorities if it was. It's about being able to bring some heavy emotion to your writing through certain scenes, and maybe even getting some waterworks going from your readers in a way that they weren't expecting. Most of this particular writing technique is based in creative word usage and detailed descriptions of misery and pain...but there is also a science to it. You can get your readers to feel the ache that your main character feels at that point in the story, with just a little planning and a few moments of honest vulnerability within your prose. Hopefully, this will inspire you to try out some of these methods and really tug on some of the heartstrings and potent emotions of your audience when you're writing. It really does make for a sentimental attachment to your work, and a highly memorable experience that they will hopefully keep close to their heart and share with others for a long time to come. So...let's 'put that dog to sleep', shall we? I will admit that I've written stories or parts of stories that had a much deeper meaning to me, personally, than most readers could ever imagine. I use my writing to channel my emotions into something that could be seen as somewhat productive in my mind. I've bared my soul on personal issues like parental abuse, on suicidal thoughts, on severe heartbreak, on rejection, on death, and many other topics that I just felt that I had to get off of my chest. And there are many times when I've received emails or reviews from people who have admitted to tearing up and losing control of their emotions while experiencing those stories from the perspective of the main character. Whether they've been through something similar or not. And I appreciate that to no end, because it helps to make me feel a little less crazy. You know? But how does a writer go about evoking those emotions in their audience through their writing alone? There are two words that I want you to remember when it comes to this article... ...'Justice' and 'Injustice'. We've all experienced some lever of hurt before. Heartbreak, or rejection...loss or disappointment. It's a part of life. And no matter how hard we try to avoid it, dodge it, deny it, or suppress...there's not a single one of us that hasn't felt some kind of pain at this point in our lives. And there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, as a writer, you can consider that a valuable resource to pull from when you want to write something that really connects to your readers. They've felt it too. Pain is the one emotion that every human being on the planet can relate to in some way. So own it, and consider it a skill to explore it in your fiction. Now, I mentioned the words 'Justice' and 'Injustice'...here's how this works. Let me take you back to a particular scene in the first season of the Netflix show, "Stranger Things"... In the series, there is a young girl, 'Eleven', who has some pretty powerful mental powers. The scene begins with her in a lab, where a doctor and his orderlies are testing her abilities by putting an innocent little kitten on the table in front of her, and try to force her to murder the kitten with her mind. There is an extended moment of tension, and she begins to cry and apologize because she just can't do it. She refuses. So the doctor sends his orderlies in to collect her, and drag her down the hall, kicking and screaming, to toss her back into her prison cell. However, when they throw her down to the floor...she gets ANGRY! The helpless girl stands up, focuses her powers on the two men, and kills them BOTH in the blink of an eye! Now, you can get on Youtube and watch reaction videos to these episodes any time that you like. Just type in "Stranger Things Reaction" and you'll get to see tons of people watching the show for the very first time. But pay attention to what happens to the audience when it comes to that particular scene. When the threat of killing an innocent little kitten ('Injustice'), everybody watching cringes and cries and tenses up...because the thought of such a thing is absolutely unspeakable! Every life is precious. However, when she murders the two orderlies in cold blood without even flinching...those seem people cheer! They say, "GOOD! Fuck those assholes!" ('Justice') This is how you can tap into the psychology of your readers and sway their emotions into swinging one way or the other. Injustice is a huge factor when it comes to getting your audience to empathize with your characters. I think we all have a sense of fairness when it comes to life in general, so seeing a character that is innocent, non-aggressive, loving, funny, or heroic, getting dealt a bad hand or being forced to suffer unfairly at the hands of someone or something evil or loathsome, taps into a very deep part of our psyche. There's a belief that if we're good people and we do the right thing, then we'll be rewarded for it. Or, at the very least, protected from harm. So when that's upset by a horrible event, a massive heartbreak, or a noble sacrifice...the unfairness of it all can really touch us in a major way. And if you're looking to really bring some dark or somber moments to your fiction...the idea of 'injustice' is the best way to achieve that. Your first goal should be to make the character, whether it's your protagonist or a supporting character, a lovable part of your story. Take some time to really develop a close relationship between that character and your audience. Let them really get to know him or her or them...and create a connection. Sympathy for the characters, and a personal synergy with their addition to the story, is what gives the writing its effect. The words you use, the metaphors, the sweeping dialogue...those are all parts of it too. But at the end of the day, it's what your readers feel for your character's plight that is really going to fuel those dramatic moments in your project. If you can form that intense reader/character bond beforehand, and then really turn the screws when it comes to the injustice of what that character now has to face against their will? Even a brand new author can out-write the biggest award winning author in the industry. That connection is essential to make the situation work. And if your fans can connect to that injustice, that tragedy, in the same way that you do...you can't lose. One thing that is consistent in the stories that I've written like "My Only Escape", "On The Outside", "Save Or Sacrifice", or "Never Again"...is that many readers instantly gravitate towards the injustice of what the some of those tortured characters are going through, and immediately want to protect them. That's a definite plus. And they want to swing the pendulum back from injustice to justice. Every time. It's in our nature, I suppose. BUT...I've also written some stories or parts of stories where the characters guiding the story were flawed or made some horrendous mistakes or did something that many would consider unforgivable...and the consensus from my readers was, "SCREW HIM! He's an asshole anyway!" Hehehe! The same people who wanted to help and kiss and cuddle on set of characters, wanted other to die a slow and painful death. Or at least be hurt to the point where they spend the rest of their lives in agonizing pain and regret. It's actually quite a fascinating thing to watch sometimes. They get sooooo MAD at me sometimes! You have no idea! The point is...if you're looking to bring feelings of loss, sadness, heartbreak, and suffering, to the surface when your readers are tackling your work...remember that the 'injustice' part of the equation is where your biggest strength lies. Slowly bond your audience with a character that is, for all intents and purposes, a good person. Now, don't be TOO obvious about it! Hehehe! Don't make him like one of the 'Red Shirts' on Star Trek, who is obviously going to die as soon as he hits the planet surface! None of that, weathered cop, "I'm only a week away from retirement!" stuff. That's just putting a target on their backs for something bad to happen to them. You can be a bit more subtle than that. Hehehe, you're a writer. Make it work. People cringe when it comes to sympathizing with a character that they love and care about...but all of that gets thrown out of the window when it comes to PUNISHMENT! A strange malfunction of the human psyche, I suppose... Also, one last thing...when I talk about evoking emotion, that doesn't mean that you have to KILL anybody! Hehehe! You don't have to have someone get hit by a bus, get a terminal illness, or fall into a n active volcano! It can be something as simple as a rejected confession of love. The loss of a job. A parents' divorce. A missed opportunity. It doesn't have to be so big that it turns the story over on its head and nothing can ever be the same afterward. The whole idea is to get your readers to really feel some level of sympathy for your leading characters in a way that's personal and engaging every step of the way. That's all you need. However, as with everything else...don't lay it on too thick. You can figure out exactly how far you want to go with bringing some emotional gravity to your story, but don't make it your goal to have your readership completely traumatized and utterly depressed for the next few weeks. Ease up a little bit. Make your point, but know when you need to pull your punches. This is somebody's heart you're playing with, k? Down below are trailers for four coming-of-age movies that will tear me up every time I watch them. I think the first movie I ever cried at was "E.T." when I was a kid. But these truly just...ugh! If you haven't seen them, make sure you prepare yourselves ahead of time. Because, my God! Study the techniques these stories use to pull the emotion out of you, and remember your two key words here while you watch and start sniffling...justice/injustice. I think I need some tissues right now! These trailers are bringing back memories! Ugh! Hehehe! Enjoy, you guys! I hope this helps you all out with your writing! And I'll seezya soon with more! 000 000

Omigod...I' soooo sorry if I've been absent for a while! But THANKS for hanging in there with me and still reading the stories! I've been struggling with a particularly NASTY flu bug since Monday, and it's pretty much kept me bedridden ever since. And with everything that's going on in the world right now, my family and I have to make sure that it's JUST the flu, you know? And luckily...it is. Just a hazard of babysitting kids on occasion. I'm trying to get better though. Today is the first time that I've eaten anything other than soup and applesauce since Wednesday morning. Ugh! ANYWAY...Imagine Magazine will be a day late, and that's totally my fault, and mine alone. So my apologies for that. I'm sorta getting my head back in the game, and it should be up later on tonight, k? Love you lots! And I'll seezya soon. I just needed a few days' rest, that's all. Take care Hehehe....237...wow. Ummm...I'll try to read em all. Promise! Starting now!

It's just good to hear an emotionally mature leader talk some SENSE, you know?

::Almost Teary Eyed:: My FUCKING HERO!!!!!!!