Comicality

I, personally, think that there's a lot of different things that go into making that decision. I mean, as far as being 'civil' to one another, I wouldn't have any problems with that. I'm not big on holding grudges. But, it's like...was it just a mutual break up, or something that didn't work out? Did he break my heart? Did I break his? Did one of us cheat? And even if we agree to say that it's really over...is it? I'd like to think that under normal circumstances, I could easily be friends with an ex-boyfriend without any big issues. Why not? Not everybody was meant to last forever, you know? But if we were ever a toxic combination when we were together, then there's no way that I'd trap myself in that corner for the sake of being the nice guy. So I guess it's the circumstances of the break up itself that would answer this question for me.

"Lost In Question 5" is up, ladies and gentlemen! So grab your GA VIP pass and go check it out whenever you get a chance! https://gayauthors.org/subscriptions/ Thanks so much for the comments so far, you guys! We're almost half way through! And be sure to look out for my NEXT Premium exclusive, "Smoke And Mirrors", once I finish it up and get it all nice and polished for ya! Cool? Seezya then!

Vocabulary I think that a truly important part of being a good and effective writer comes from having a decent and flowing vocabulary at your disposal for all occasions. Now, I have mentioned this briefly before in other articles before, but I never really went into depth about what this means and how to develop and expand it in ways that will be useful to you in some way. You see, what you want is to allow your word usage to grow and change and evolve over time...all while still sounding natural when you type it out on the page. It’s not as easy as it sounds, but it’s not as difficult as it sounds either. It’s something that simply grows in its potency the more you get used to it. So that’s why we’re here today. Vocabulary is that special added flavor that enriches the whole project, and you’ll keep getting better at it once it becomes more of an involuntary part of your process. I do peek in from time to time at Myr’s “Word Of The Day” in the Writing World section, and occasionally find a few words here and there that I might decide to pick up along the way. Hehehe, where he finds so many useful pieces for the kind of writing that I do, I’ll never know. But they’re out there, and they come in handy when I’m staring off into space...looking for just the right way to phrase something for one of my stories. And once I make that a part of my vocabulary, then it just gives me a big palette to work from when working on my digital canvas. It always feels good to have a decent number of choices at my fingertips when it comes to stuff like that. Now, you might realize that I said the word ‘useful’ here. Let me explain... While I get a real kick out of words in general, knowing what they mean, and how to put them in a sentence...that doesn’t mean that I can us them all. Many, I might never use at all. When I put a story together, I write the way that I speak. I want it to feel as though I’m telling you guys the stories out loud, unscripted, with my usual speaking voice shining through. Now, I write all the time, so I’d like to think that I have a rather ‘expanded’ way of expressing myself in my everyday conversation...and for the sake of my fiction, I certainly don’t mind ‘flowering’ it up a little bit to make it sound a bit more poetic...but I, mostly, just make it sound like me. And that means that there are many words that I know for a fact I would never use in casual conversation. And if that’s the case, chances are...it will feel awkward if I tried to use it in my stories. If it feels awkward in my heart, it’ll feel awkward on the page. And sometimes, simplicity is better. For example...whenever my characters laugh, I have a ton of synonyms that I can use to describe them. And I can vary them up depending on how hard their laughing. I might bring it up to laughing or cackling...or bring it down to giggles and snickering. When used in context, the words you use can change the overall image and emotional impact of the scene. You would think that they would all have an identical ‘feel’ to them, but they really don’t. Not to me, they don’t. However, other synonyms could be used like ‘guffaw’, ‘chortle’, ‘snigger’, or ‘tittle’...which are synonymous, yes...but I would never be talking to somebody and use any one of those expressions to tell somebody a story in real life. I’m happy to know that they’re there and that I know what they mean...but the chances of me ever writing them into my fiction is very low. Probably never. So to me, personally...they’re not really useful when searching my vocabulary to create a scene. Those words are just more tools for the toolbox. If you find yourself looking for the right words, and you don’t want to keep using the same ones over and over...searching for other synonyms can be very helpful to you. I used to actually use an old thesaurus that my grandmother got for me when I was a teenager to look up other methods of delivering the same message. An actual book that was super thick and almost too heavy to hold in my lap. Hehehe! But, even though I’ve gotten in the habit of doing it online now for the sake of speed and maintaining my current mood for as long as currently possible...I still go back and do it the old fashioned way from time to time to this day. “But, Comsie...why on Earth would you do that???” I’m glad you asked! Hehehe, either that or I’m hearing phantom voices in my head again. Either way, it’s easy enough to explain... With an actual book, turning physical pages and looking for the word that I was originally searching for...I would sometimes come across a word that was even better than the one I was originally seeking out. It’s something that always stuck with me, and I use it when I’m online too. If you use a word from your vocabulary and realize that you may have already used it before...maybe even many times before...and the synonyms aren’t giving you many useful options to help you say it another way...take a moment to see if maybe you can find another word or phrase that might give your structure a little more variety. Say that I want one of my characters to blush...and I’m turning pages in that giant book, looking for it...before I get to ‘blush’, I might accidentally come across the word ‘bashful’. Hmmm, ok... If a synonym for ‘blush’, and phrases like ‘turning red in the face’, are seriously limited, or maybe just sound a bit weird...I might go back to see what I can find for ‘bashful’. Words like shy, reserved, timid, insecure, sheepish, or nervous. Now, do these words actually explain or be used to replace the word blush? Not really. But with a little clever rewording, you can change the way that you’ve written that part of the scene and use one of those vocabulary choices instead...where the blush is pretty much implied. Do you know what I mean? And if you really really just want to use the word blush in that particular sentence at that particular time...thn you can go back in your writing to the last few times where you used that word as a description and maybe rearrange one of them instead. Either way, it will keep you from sounding repetitive, and it can help to get you out of a jam when you’re working with a part of your vocabulary that can only really stretch so far before you have to phrase things in another way entirely. There are times when I worry about repeating myself too. And I’ll go back and try to see if I can change things up a little bit so it doesn’t stand out like a deep bloodstain in the center of my living room carpet. (The voices told me to do it...so it’s fine) But while some words and phrases can be explained a million different ways...there are only so many ways for me to use the word ‘kiss’. ‘Laugh’. ‘Cute’. And when I was trying to expand my vocabulary to be a bit more secure with my stories...those are the ones that I tried to work on first. Adopting whatever I could find and trying them out to see how thy looked and hear how they sounded to me. The ones I found useful, I held onto. The ones where I was like meh, I keep them in the back of my mind somewhere, but if I’m really struggling for a new way to say an old thing...I know those words will be there to save me in the end. Hehehe! Basically, as authors...your vocabulary is your best friend from a structural standpoint. It gives you space and freedom that you wouldn’t have if you hadn’t built it up over time. The next time you get a chance...type out a few random sentences on a blank screen without really thinking about them. It doesn’t matter what it’s about, it could be about anything. Even better, go back to one of your older stories and pick a small passage or paragraph at random. Pay attention to the words you used to describe the scene, the characters, the fantasy, or the action, or the emotions involved. And then...go through and see if you can find other words to replace the ones that you have written there. You don’t want to change up the feel or the vibe of the passage...you want it to basically read the same way for a new audience as it would for your original audience, just with a more experienced vocabulary. Try it out. You just might surprise yourself. While re-editing and rewriting most of my ebooks, I look back and I’m like, “I could have made this soooo much better the first time around if I knew then what I know now.” But in a very short amount of time, you’ll feel everything become more natural, and you’ll have a lot of new words that you can use, pretty much, on autopilot without worrying too much about repeating the same expressions or descriptions multiple times in your project. Hehehe, Myr’s Word Of The Day does help a lot too. You might find whole new expressions entirely that you didn’t even know were out there before. Give those a try! An online thesaurus also helps (just Google the word you’re looking for and add ‘synonym’ behind it), or use a paperback/hardback thesaurus like I do sometimes. Keep the words that feel and sound natural to you...tuck some others away for later if you really need them...and get rid of the rest. Voila! You’ll be a scholar in no time. The idea is to always keep growing and evolving. It never has to stop unless you let it stop. As always, I hope that this little tidbit helps you guys out when you need it. The rest is up to you! Take care! And stay beautiful!

::Sneaks into tub with Ruel:: Sighhhh...my baby...

Love can truly be a beautiful thing. Full of joy and self confidence and giving freely of yourself until you've got nothing left to offer. The sun just seems to shine a little bit brighter when you're in love. But...as wonderful as it may be, even for a long term relationship...it doesn't always last. Way it goes, I suppose. Sad but true. However, when the romance ends...can you still be friends with your ex? It happens all the time for a lot of people, but I'm talking about you, personally. Can you hang out and talk and still be exceptionally close with someone that you used to date, and not have it be weird? No kissing, no sex, no friends with benefits...just friends. I mean, you guys used to be close at one time. Would that have to stop? Will they be able to see you date someone else? Can you see them dating someone else? Would you worry about slipping back into a relationship that should probably be left alone? Of can ou leave well enough alone on your own and maintain the friendship without having to worry about it? Give us your thoughts on this for Imagine Magazine! Let's see what you've got to tell us! Seezya soon!

He would be awesome, actually! Nice pick! Either him or Malcolm McDowell...since Donald Sutherland passed away.

THANK YOU!!! ((Hugz A LOT)) I got THREE donations to the site in the last week at the https://paypal.me/Comsie account!!! And that means MUCH more goodies coming your way, starting on Monday! Thank you soooooo much for the lover, support, and just the random acts of kindness! You've helped me out soooo much! And I'm forever grateful! Thanks! Feeling better! So I'm editing and answering emails right now! Talk to ya soon! Feel good tonight, Shackers!!! Always remember...when you love me, I love you back twice as hard! MWAH!!!

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Mmmmm...yummy!

Time Jumps I think if I had a time machine, and went back about ten to fifteen years to meet my older self, I kind of wonder whether either one of us would really recognize one another at all. It’s a weird idea, but I don’t think we would. I certainly don’t think we’d get along. LOL! That was still the undeniable ‘work in progress’ part of me, and me now? I probably wouldn’t come off as being much fun at all. That would be crazy. The thing is, I know that a LOT has happened in my life since then, but nothing that I would ever think that I could put into a cohesive story that other people could read and make any really sense out of. It wouldn’t have any sort of real linear pattern or entertaining path because, just like everybody else, I was just winging this whole ‘life’ thing and trying to get it as right as I could possibly manage. So, if I was trying to craft the story around just those years alone, and wanted to make them interesting and easy to follow, I might leave out a lot of really good times and great events and experiences...but ones that don’t line up in a way that makes for good for fiction. Or...I could sort of have an extended preamble for everything that happens beforehand, and then pick up the story from here and now, where I’m paying more attention and life is a bit more focused than it was way back then. And the best way to do that in fiction? Time jump. Sometimes, it’s best to take your time and try to figure out where the focus of your plot is going to be, and close it off to focus on what’s most important for that particular narrative. Something to concentrate on. Like...let’s say the "Star Wars" movies. There is a lot of time and tons of major events that happens between "A New Hope", "The Empire Strikes Back", and "Return Of The Jedi". So much so that the famous opening crawl became a standard to explain it all. We’re talking about skipping over years worth struggle and triumph and betrayal and defeat...it almost seems as if the series shouldn’t make any sense at all by today’s standards. Hell the entire "Rogue One" movie was based on just one event that was alluded in that thing! Nowadays...you miss one episode of your favorite Netflix series and you might find yourself being totally lost, while your mom’s favorite daytime soap opera can go on for decades without her really much at all if she goes two or three weeks without keeping up with it. Hehehe, it all depends on the time jump and how it relates to the content. With "Star Wars"...the time jump may last for years and years, but that one opening scroll tells you what happened in between the time you left your heroes behind and are now expected to pick up where they are now. And you know...you really didn’t need to see all of the stuff as far as the main story goes. I mean, it didn’t have to be "Lord Of The Rings". It’s concentrated around a small group of protagonists, and their adventures together. Many of the events do not only really NEED to be shown for the story to work, but some of the crawls actually tell parts of the saga that might actually detract from the rest of the story. These are from the original trilogy. Read through the scrolls, and pay attention to all that’s going on here... 0000 Can you even IMAGINE how long those movies would be if you had to ‘show and not tell’ through all of those events. Look at how much happened before Luke Skywalker even shows up in the first movie? You don’t have time for each of them to have their own backstories, go on their own adventures, and accomplish their own goals, before they even meet one another. That would have a severely damaging effect on your pacing and character building along the way. Would it be interesting to see? Maybe. But how much screen time would it take to show the rebellion getting into trouble, having to hide out on an ice planet, explore the area, and build a base there? And even if you went for playing the long game...how much interest would your readers have in it? Where is everybody? What happened with Darth Vader? Is Han Solo there? Come on, let’s get back to the meat of the story already. Sometimes, if done right...time jumps can solve that problem. It allows you tighten things up a bit and get them to work a little better, in my opinion. When I decided to continue on with the "Shelter" series about the zombie apocalypse (https://imagine-magazine.org/store/comicality/), I really wanted to bring a sense of humanity to each and every individual character that was a part of the main story. But, in order to do that, I’d have to go back and use a heavy dose of flashbacks, or an unbearable amount of long and drawn out exposition that would ultimately drag the entire series down to a crawl. So my personal solution was to go back just a little bit, and create solo stories for each of the main characters to be presented on their own. To show what they’ve been through during the initial breakdown of society in general as the infection first began...and then "Shelter" (my main series) picks up a few weeks to a month later. Meaning that all of the spinoff stories pretty much have their own resolutions and character arcs as they fight to survive in their own way...and then…? Time jump! Now, there was obviously a bunch of stuff that happens between the end of their individual stories and the beginning of their presence at the shelter and their future struggles that they’ve got ahead of them...but they don’t really matter much. Not as much as the main story. You don’t want to spend time writing distractions. If you want to deliver some add information or fill in a couple of blanks that would ultimately support the story as a whole, then so be it. But only if it’s necessary, and only if it’s going to have sort of impact on the plot or on the character themselves. Otherwise, use the time jump to your advantage and simply allude to the fact that time has passed, and it wasn’t a complete snore fest. Hehehe! You can do that, you know? Just do it in small doses. So what is the science of creating an effective time jump in your story? It’s all about how long the jump is, and how much you need to happen within that amount of time. For example...let’s say that you’re building a post apocalyptic world for your story. Maybe the bomb dropped, maybe the aliens attacked, maybe the demons came up through the cracks in the ground and began devouring everything in sight. Whatever. Now you’ve got your protagonist wandering through a world that has been completely obliterated, with very few survivors, and a heavy growth of vegetation has covered the entire landscape. Well, if that’s what you’re going for...you can’t just pick up six months after the inciting incident took place. The whole world and civilization itself can seem to be pretty fragile at times, but I’d hat to think that the whole thing could be transformed into a barren wasteland in just a couple of months. Hehehe, give us a little more credit than THAT! So, if you’re going for a short jump forward in time, the events that you skipped over should match that in some way. If a nuclear bomb went off while your main character was locked in a bunker...they’re not going to just wake up a few weeks later and go walking around in the radioactive fallout. Not unless you want to tell a very quick and very tragic short story. Those events don’t match up with the time jump. You’re going to be down in that bunker for a long LONG time, buddy! So get comfortable! However, at the same time...you don’t want to jump too far ahead either unless you really need to. Examples would be like having a young Conan the Barbarian grow up to be a full grown warrior, or have a young Bruce Wayne suddenly com swooping down years later as Batman. As long as such a significant amount of passing time is deemed necessary. Don’t have ten years pass by and your protagonist comes back to the story in the same space and pretty much as the same character as they were before the time jump happened in the first place. If you’re going to skip over all of that time, there should be some changes made. Some growth. Or perhaps a hardening fall from grace. Just have it match up with your earlier depictions of your character in enough ways where it’s easy to see that they’re the same person at their core...but the span of time has definitely separated their early version of themselves from their current version. Always keep in mind that the time jump and the current events or current environment has changed quite a bit since you saw it last. K? Time jumps can be a helpful skill to have in your author’s utility belt, just do your best to figure out how it’ll best work out for the story that you’re trying to tell. Too short of a jump, and you’ll find yourself limited with a lot of the changes that you may want to make in your story. Too long a jump, and it’ll seem like nothing happened over the last five, ten, or fifteen years at all. Which will make your audience wonder why you felt the need to throw in a time jump at all. Both sides can be equally destructive if you’re not careful. So, like...be careful, then. Hehehe! Keep these things in mind...and you can’t go wrong. I truly hope that this helps you guys out with your writing process, and becomes a natural part of your personal magic. Cool? Have fun! And I’ll seezya soon with more! Best wishes!

Hiiiiiii, Ray Ray...

https://imagine-magazine.org/releases/ It's the 15th of the month, ladies and gentlemen! And that means that a brand new issue of Imagine Magazine is now up and ready to go! So run out and enjoy it, stories, articles, cute boys and all! K? I can't stay long...but I hope you're feeling good. And I'll seezya soon. Love you lots, you guys... ONE MORE ISSUE TO GO!!! Rhen we reach our 100th milestone! Don't miss it! It'll be a doozy!

The newest chapter of the story, "Lost In Question", is now up fo you guys to read! So enjoy, and let me know what you think whenever you get a chance! K? https://gayauthors.org/subscriptions/ Love you lots! And I'll seezya soon! ALSO...available now in ebook form, "My Only Escape"! Probably my most personal story to date, so don't miss it in the Ebook section! (https://imagine-magazine.org/releases/)

R.I.P. to Tom Jones today. ((Hugz))

Oh my! Hehehe, I swear...that kiss gets longer every time I see it! 😮

I just feel like today is gonna be a great day! No reason, just in a good mood, I s'pose! Have some fun today folks!

The Pick Up Game Soooo...I have to admit to being truly intimidated by a project that I’ve been working on for almost two years now...but if I don’t just dive in head first and friggin’ DO it...then I’ll never get it done. I’m well aware of the fact that I have been, and always will be, my own worst critic. There’s no side stepping that. it’s just a part of who I am. And while it can scare me out of posting and letting people see what I’ve written on most occasions...it can also be considered as an inspiration to step up my game and give this project everything that I’ve got to give to the point of absolute exhaustion. Which could end up in helping me achieve another level of writing that I couldn’t have if I didn’t at least give it a shot, you know? It’s a rough frame of mind to be in...but I’d like to think that I was up to the challenge, and was able to create something that lives up to the ambitious goals that I had for this particular project. So...let’s talk about the ‘pick up game’ this time around, and feel free to leave your comments down below. Good or bad. Or anywhere in between. Because I really think this is one of the most stressful projects that I’ve been a part of since I first started writing so many years ago. For those of you know me best, my site’s anniversary is on June 19th every year...and to celebrate, I always try to do something completely different to exercise whatever talents I’ve got and what I’ve learned over the past year to evolve and to move forward into new territory and prove that I had more to give my audience outside of the typical ‘Comicality’ story. The first year’s offering was “Gone From Daylight”, and that went over so well with my readers in such a MASSIVE way, that it kind of became my annual push for all of the years that followed. (Including the ‘Rainy Day’ update, and the ‘Seven C’s’ update) And I’ve really enjoyed stretching out and showing my online fans what I was capable of, all while delivering a few surprises along the way. So far, they’ve all be extremely successful! But...challenge isn’t about guaranteed success. It’s about risk. And there are times when I feel like the mountain is a bit too high for me to climb, you know? And that’s where I want to start this conversation. Because I’m curious to know if any of you guys would feel ok about picking up a story from another author, and possibly finishing it off from where they left off? Especially if you’re a huge fan of their work. It’s a lot more difficult than you might think...and I learned that the hard way, despite the honor of personally working on it, myself. Full disclosure...last Summer (2022)...I wanted to post my continuation of another author’s series...and I totally chickened out. Hehehe! It’s true! I did! I was SO scared that I was going to screw everything up and get a tidal wave of backlash that would totally obliterate me! And I let that intimidate me out of posting it. But again...I want to give it a try, and I want to give it my all. I just had to toss my insecurities aside and find the strength to put my own ideas in effect the way that I imagined them. All I can do is hope and pray that fans of the original story will accept my take on what’s going on and follow me through to the end that I have in mind. Now, I’ve been writing so many stories for so long now, that many people would think that I wouldn’t get intimidated by much at this point... ...And I can say that I’ve enjoyed my touch of internet fame because of it. But nothing could be further from the truth. Trust me. I was really flattered by the offer, but quickly found myself terrified at the idea of actually going forward with it. I was keeping it a secret for a long time, but I was asked to finish off one of a few Dom Luka’s stories on GayAuthors. “Leave The Pieces” was unfortunately left unfinished at the time, and I have always been a huge fan of Dom Luka since he started writing. I think “The Long Way”, specifically, is an instant classic! (https://gayauthors.org/story/domluka/thelongway/) That story just touched me, personally. And he was one of the best writers on the site. The emotion and the heart that he brought to his characters and his stories was immaculate, and gracefully done. Dom Luka is one of GayAuthors’ favorite authors of all time, and I feel that the praise is well deserved. Applause all around. But, even with all of the successes that I’ve had of my own over the years...how do I follow that? I mean...I WISH that I had the ego to think that I could take one of his stories and finish it with any level of skill that would give his story a satisfying ending. That’s just crazy to me. Nobody that I know of has spoken to Dom Luka in years, and I have no way to contact him to talk to him about it or to even ask permission to add to one of his masterpieces. It hardly seems fair. And the pressure that I felt on my shoulders was almost too much for me to tackle this story head on. Once I really got into it...I began having serious doubts, started comparing my work to his, and basically shutting down to the point where I felt like nothing that I could possibly write would ever be good enough. So I stressed myself out. I procrastinated. I made false promises to post it and then backed out at the last minute. Hehehe, it really did a number on me, because I respected him as a writer and I didn’t want to tarnish his work with my ‘voice’ when I felt his voice was the one needed to tell this story. But, I had to take a series of deep breaths, had to build up some confidence in my instincts and my abilities...and I had to give this a try. Win or lose...at least I didn’t chicken out, you know? So….what did I learn from this experience? Rule number one….RESEARCH!!! If you’re going to continue somebody else’s story...you’d better know what you’re doing! I have an entire mini notebook dedicated to this one story. Character names and interactions, ages, events that happened, certain exchanges of dialogue, dramatic moments...I’ve got it all handwritten on paper so that I can flip through it and maintain the same feel and consistency needed to keep the story going while making myself invisible at the same time. Character histories, motivations, personalities...I went through to make sure that I could keep the continuity going, while still allowing a bit of my own voice to seep in here and there to become a part of the progression towards, what I hope, will be a satisfying ending. So, if you find yourself in the same position...research the shit out of all of those previous chapters, and get a real feel for the characters that goes beyond what you’re reading on the page. There’s plot, and there’s story. The plot lies within the story. The story exists way outside of the plot. So create these characters in your mind. Their backstories, their emotions, the depth of their motivations. Bring them to life, and they will ‘tell’ where the story should go from that point on. Rule number two...stay true to the theme and the tone of the story overall. Take your time to recognize what the original author was doing with their story and try to fit into that same frame of mind. Try to analyze the story enough to find out what’s being said here. What’s the message? What’s the emotion being expressed? Where are these previous events leading up to? There are a million questions that you can ask yourself here, but the most important part of you picking up where another author left off is respecting the original text by seeing it for what it was, and continuing on from there. Whatever you felt reading it...you should feel writing it. I definitely tried my hardest to keep that whole vibe in tact while I was writing. NOT easy, considering the content! Rule number three...lead, don’t copy! I definitely had the urge to try to copy what Dom Luka was doing, style wise, at first...but it wasn’t working for me. I felt like it not only lacked authenticity, but it was also insulting his efforts to build an honest story for the site. Like...this is something that he wanted to say, but I couldn’t say it for him, you know? Nor did I have any right to try to. I decided that, if I was going to take this story on, I was going to let his voice be his, and my voice be mine. He never had to mimic me to create it, so why mimic him trying to continue it. It would be different, but I cant see Dom having it any other way. Years ago, we were planning to collaborate on a story together in secret and then release it all at once. Like, “WHOAH! Dom Luka AND Comicality, on the same story???” But his schedule and mine just refused to line up so we could talk about it and get it done. But I regret missing out on the opportunity. Hehehe, it would have been one of my dream ‘duets’! I’d still like to make that happen! (Looking at YOU, DK! Hehehe!) But lif gets in the way sometimes. So I get it. No worries. I’m not exactly sure what happened to Dom Luka, and I really hope that he’s ok and doing well. And...if he’s around to read my take on his story and progress on from there...I truly TRULY hope that he’s ok with me doing that, and that I was able to capture the feel and bittersweet beauty that he was going for when he wrote the first eleven chapters. Because I really loved that story, and wanted to do it justice. It’s never an easy task, trying to complete someone else’s personal vision. Especially when it’s someone with so much love and support behind them. But I definitely did everything that I possibly could to show that I was a good choice to finish off a series that deserved to be the classic that it was built up to be. I guess it’s up to Dom’s fans to decide that now. But I will definitely take a victory lap and grin from ear to ear forever if I even came close! Hehehe! I just hope that Dom will see this some day and come back to show us what his true vision was all along. I think that would be awesome. Anyway, that’s it for now. You guys know me...I worry! And nothing makes me more vulnerable than my writing, so trying to stand shoulder to shoulder with a legend is rough on me. Hehehe! But we’ll see how it works out from this point on. Love you, Dom Luka! And if you’re out there, please come back to us dude! The world needs ya! The more angels, the better! And if any of you are looking to complete a story that went unfinished for a long time, possibly indefinitely...be sure to ask for permission first if you can get in contact with the original author. And if not, make sure that you show the utmost respect to the story that you’re working with. And nothing less. I’d like to think that if I suddenly walked outside and got struck by lightning or something, that someone would step up and finish off whatever stories that I had left open for them to do so. And I’d hope that they’d stay true to the original work and give it the kind of ending that I would have approved of. I’d applaud a creative perspective on anything that I wrote, and I’d encourage writers to take certain liberties if they felt it was necessary…as long as the ‘feel’ of it stayed in tact. Easier said than done. But if you read “Leave The Pieces”...I hope that it would be something that would make Dom Luka proud. If you get a chance, go and check out the remaining chapters of Dom Luka’s “Leave The Pieces”, and see if I was able to stay true to his genius. And if not, how would you do it different? I’d b interested to know. It was a hard decision to make. Everything that I DID with that project was a hard decision to make, honestly. But I had to take a leap of faith, you know? So enjoy! Plus….hehehe...love you David! Mwah! Omigod, he so cute!

https://gayauthors.org/story/comicality/after-practice/ A brand new chapter of "After Practice" is up! It was supposed to go up earlier, but my laptop decided that it desperately needed another useless update! Grrrr! So sorry about that! But the new chapter is up! Enjoy! And take 30 seconds or so to let me know what you think! Seezya soon! We're back on schedule, folks!

"After Practice 8" What really kept my brain overstimulated that night and the following morning was the vision of Dallas’ excited smile. It kept playing on repeat in my head, each obsessed, repetitive, mental picture of him being so full of joy and anticipation for his very first date with another boy...or with anybody for that matter...it was weighing so heavy on my shoulders that I was worried that I’d totall collapse under the intense pressure of it all. It’s scary to think...I’l

This is gonna be EPIC when they put it all together and edit it and all! It's gonna be so badass! ::Squeals::

Obviously, you're going to Navy Pier...but just know that there are free trolleys that can take you there. So don't waste money on a cab or anything. You'll love it once you get to see it in person! And again...the boys! LOL! So have fun! Some things have changed since I was last there, but you can walk the docks for free and just absorb the whole vibe of the place. Plus fireworks twice a week! It's just something to see on your first visit. And it's a cool place to hang out, but it's smaller than most people would have you believe. Also, if you go out to Grant Park, that's where they show old movies on a big screen for free! Like a drive-in...but without any cars. Just sit on the grass and check it out. I think they're still cleaning up from Lollapalooza this past weekend, but they might have something else going on by the time you get there! Hopleaf is cool as shit! I know that you asked me about beer...and Hopleaf has, like...nearly SEVENTY different types to choose from! And they know their shit too! They can fit something to your taste, and they serve certain beers in certain shaped glasses so they'll 'breathe' the way they're supposed to when you're tasting them. And if you get some good munchies along with them? Heaven! Your dad would love this place! The first time I tasted a Kuma burger...I was convinced that someone in the back had slaughtered a UNICORN and sprinkled elf orgasms all over it! Hahaha! Dude...Kuma burgers are beyond explanation! It's a heavy metal rock place, but the burgers are like classical music come to life! Juicy and delicious! West Belmont! Definitely try one out if you can! This is where me and Pete used to go whenever we met up and talked about Shack stuff! But prepare ahead of time! There will be an almost two HOUR wait to get in! It's just that good! Hehehe, God...I'm hungry now!

DEFINITELY get a Giordano's stuffed pizza! Pepperoni and sausage! But get a SMALL, or you'll be eating it for, like, a week! It is soooooo fucking GOOD!!! You'll thank me for it later! Portillo's is a MUST! Italian beef, with hot peppers and cheese! And you have to get it dipped!!! (Dry??? Who does that?) You'll go through, like...50 napkins, but that whole sandwich will melt in your mouth to the point where you won't be able to live without it ever again! I actually save up money, and have Portillo's freeze dried and mailed to my house! It's pricey, but putting a few bucks aside a little bit at a time...TOTALLY worth it! This something that I do for birthdays and Christmas! It's THAT special to me! I think it's 35th and Cermak, but Chinatown is definitely worth a visit! "Dolo" is crazy good...but you WILL wait, and you'll have to pay! But almost everything in Chinatown is awesome! So, no matter where you go, you'll always get something delicious. The businesses always are in direct competition with one another, so you're going to get an 'A' effort at a competitive price. Check them out! If you get a chance, just West of the downtown area is an awesome place to check out! The food and culture is incredible! And most of the teen boys look like Deme from "Left Without Words"! So, you know...there's that bonus! Hehehe!