kbois

That's a helluva way to start your vacation. I hope it's smooth sailing from here on out.

I guess it’s been a while since I’ve had anything to blog about. Today is the day to change all that. I am in a writing slump at the moment. I think a lot of factors have fed into this. Since the beginning of the year, I lost my job, started a new one, packed up and moved, downsizing from a decent size home to a very small condo. My son moved back in, which we weren’t planning on when we signed the lease on the condo. Tight is an understatement. On top of that, I’ve been battling issues with a chronically inflamed ankle tendon (posterior tibial tenosynovitis) since January, which is finally resolving. I went through five months of constant pain, and in the state of Florida, it’s easier to get pain meds for dogs than it is to get them for humans who need them. Overuse of NSAIDs brought their own issues. None of these things are conducive to productive writing. I tried my hand at a few things, the poetry anthology being one of them. Not my forte, but it was a good experience. Instead of writing, I’ve helped a few fellow authors out with editing and beta reading, which brings me to the guts of the blog. Writing, editing, and beta reading are three different things. Let me repeat myself... writing, editing, and beta reading are three different things. Let’s start with the first one. Writing Writing is creating stories. It’s bringing one’s imagination to life. It’s providing an outlet to the voices in one’s head. It’s whatever the AUTHOR wants it to be. Every story has an author. This site has plenty of them, whether they be spectacular, great, mediocre, or just starting out, and have no idea when to use commas. Editing Editing is providing support in the form of grammatical and spelling corrections. A good editor will make suggestions to improve the story— it might be adding a missed detail or maybe an alternate way of wording something, usually clarifying or simplifying. Occasionally, and this depends on the relationship between the author and the editor, an editor might add a few sentences to enhance the story—NOT change it. If there are significant changes that an editor feels are necessary, then a conversation should be had between the author and the editor. In the end, it’s the AUTHOR’s sole discretion as to whether or not they will implement ANY of the suggestions an editor makes, even the ones correcting spelling or grammar. The author may have a reason for leaving it in. Beta Reading This one can be trickier. It all depends on the author and the beta. Technically, a beta reader should provide feedback and constructive criticism of an author’s story. Some betas do just that. Others are more like second editors, often catching things that were overlooked. Every relationship between an author and their team is different. I’ve worked with probably 10-15 different people on my stories and theirs. Everyone is unique. The hardest thing a team can encounter is when the lines get blurred between the different designations. At the end of the day, every story must be credited to the author. They make the final decisions as to how they want their story posted. No matter who the support team is for any author, final credit must be attributed to the person who wrote the story. So, as you enjoy whatever story you’re invested in, please give credit where credit is due. Anything less or incorrect can lead to a rift between a team. This can happen with seasoned teams as well as those just starting. It can make any member of the team start doubting themself. Please keep this in mind when commenting or reviewing.

Sigh. No and no. As I've said before, this is tim's story. It was written in full long before I ever got my hands on it. Please don't credit me for any of this. An editor's job is to fine tune what the author has written--not rewrite it. I fix some grammatical stuff and make a suggestion here and there if I see something that needs to be addressed. If anything, it's an argument for tim writing Hide and Seek. Enjoy your vacation.

Ahhh... dinner went well. Everything else... not so much.

Have a great holiday!

I second that. First instincts are usually right.

Trust your instincts and if you have an HR department then report him, or your manager. At the very least they will investigate. If he is taking pictures of you without your permission it's harassment... plain and simple. He's also posturing if he stands over you anywhere close to your personal space. If push comes to shove... tell him to f**k off and call him out for creating a hostile work environment.

So far it's been a dumpster fire of a morning... but fingers crossed it'll change. (I'm not holding my breath) I hope everyone has a good day.

This story is all tim. He's an amazing writer, both stories and poetry. All I did was make a few suggestions here and there, and curse every time my Grammarly program prompted me to change colour to color. I'm a far cry from a celebrity anywhere in this world. I merely enjoy interacting with other GA members. Those who follow me do so at their own risk.

As much as I'd love to take credit for many of the Secret Author stories, I actually read the directions (odd for me) and realized we could only submit one. Which one you ask? Welllll.....

🤐🤐🤐🤐

😘🩷

Huh? Google is not the only one confused.

Dammit... there's that craving again! Not a great thing when I'm heading out to go grocery shopping.

Some of me and tim's chat conversations revolve solely around food. It's ridiculous how many cravings he's caused me. I think it might go both ways though. My 'recipes' folder in my phone is about a mile long with links thanks to him... I love it.. I now have a slew of great things to make.

Well...it seems like Matt and Andy are stumbling through this whole figuring our where they stand thing. Neither one wants to admit that they have no idea how to define their relationship. At this point calling it "friends" is still tentative. Hopefully the next few days will allow them to get to know each other. Gwen is slowly getting there. Anxiety can be a vicious beast to conquer. She should take a page from Matt's book and find a therapist to help. Thankfully she's making strides with how she handles her relationship with Matt. The dinner should be a success. Great job tim!

Is there any such thing as a non-savage weinerdog puppy?

Never an intentional insult to dogs for sure... but @weinerdog? we've already verified that he's an ankle biter and we're pretty sure he pees on the carpet on purpose. No idea how he's avoiding the surveillance cameras... they're mounted up high. He must be enlisting the help of a mastiff.

Matt is making some good progress. He needs to keep it up. Gwen is trying, but she has her occasional slip ups. She's having a hard time accepting that her son is gay, but she's getting there. Two steps forward, one step back. Andy's visit should be interesting. Great job tim!

Had plumbing issues at home and had to come into work early to shower. Thankfully it's fixed now. I loathe living in a place with only one bathroom.

Is there a Greek god of high speed internet? Hermes? 🤔

Gwen certainly has her issues but like many people who just don't know any better, she means well, yet often fails miserably. Matt is able to see he faults and accepts her the way she is. He knows she'll never be a lovey-dovey-huggy mother, and he's come to terms with it. He does what he can with the boundaries she's set. Therapy will be good for Matt. Anyone who has gone through that type of trauma can benefit from it if they have the right connection with their therapist. Hopefully Matt will have that with his.

Well that hit the bullseye.

Spicy vanilla? Probably more like maple pecan. Maple for Canada, and pecan because y'all are nuts! 😂😘

This one was a good read. It was fun to see the dynamics between the two couples. Having an open relationship takes a lot of communication whether one is into the BDSM lifestyle or not. Keller and Jason have to find the balance that is crucial to make their relationship work. It seems they're now on the right path. Roger and Devon have finally figured out the depth of their feelings for each other. I think they'll be ok. Thanks Secret Author!