Wayne Gray

So, I'm sensing a pattern here. Are any of you lawyers?

I updated the initial thread with all that we've come up with so far. I might take a stab at writing a chapter or short story with all of them. I wonder at the coherence possible in such a work. Oh, and no Scrabble game allowed! 🤪

It makes me crazy for someone who is in a marginalized group (gay folks in general) to express prejudice toward others even more marginalized. That is the height of hypocrisy. I can't imagine the struggle of trans/non-binary people. I've tried to understand. I've written a trans characters into a story, and that helped.

The longer this goes, the more I feel like this may have to be a new scene somewhere buried in "Guarded."

I know of that one, but how the HELL do you USE it? It's a noun but watch me mess this up. Harlan grinned. What Corbin didn't understand was that he had a little something special in mind. Defenestration always livened up a party. Edit: Huh, that actually works.

Oh, you little brat! 😋

CHEATING! Though, damn, that's pretty awesome. You could even have a doubter at the table, looking up words in a dictionary so the reader doesn't have to. LOL

Those bastards. 😉 Let's use a word to describe such a travesty. Lamentable. Another good one that I use quite a bit. Not rare, really, but good and crunchy in the right spot.

Oh, that wasn't about you. 😉 I am entertained by the vehemence though, so, thank you.

Huh. A fun challenge would be to use every word that shows up here in a single chapter of a story. Hrmmm ...

I had to look it up. Worth the time. It's a great word, particularly for a romance writer!

My stories have a lot of food as well. I've had readers comment that I should create a "Wayne Gray Cookbook" of all the recipes which show up in my writing. 🙂

I keep bringing up instant pots and food in yours. Do what you will.

Pain and promise, both wrapped in this work, nicely done, truly.

You made me cry. Fuck. EDIT: Cleaned this up, in case there was a perception that I was disrespectful. I didn't intend that, but after reading it I realized it could be taken as such.

First, this is mesmerizing and helps give me insight. Thank you for that. I'm trying to understand, and in no way do I intend disrespect. Please, correct me should you feel that. Here goes: The Dom seeks to instill patience, trust, and a promise of more to come in the sub. I feel that's obvious. Yet, the Dom is human. He is a man, and he has his own biological needs and drives. He has a sub, who he knows he could have. Both men have that desire. Why wait? Is it for the benefit of the sub, the delay in gratification which means a greater reward in the end? Is it to establish the dynamic, to test it? Thank you again for writing.

I can feel this play from both perspectives at once. You're not head-hopping, it's purely from the Dominant's eyes. Yet, the knowing, confidence, and awareness are all there. You won't hear me brag about much, but I know emotion, and what it takes to inspire it. This entry is impressive. Well done.

I found it far harder than it probably would have been for most other writers to get the scenes right in this chapter. Difficult for me was the back and forth between Paul's and Corbin's perspectives, and Paul's memory of the rescue vs. caring for Corbin in front of the fireplace. I had to write and rewrite that scene a few times to really get it where I wanted. Hypothermia is no joke. I looked up symptoms, how long it'd take to happen, prognosis, treatment, lingering effects, etc. I like to learn things from writing, and this chapter taught me something.

*seeks to change the topic* I had crepes for breakfast. And ... uh, instant pots are awesome.

@Mikiesboy: Thanks for patiently explaining how the Life works from the sub perspective. I appreciate your time to help me get it right. FYI, anything I get wrong down the line in my writing is my own fault. Without you, it would have been worse. @Fae Briona: The other side of the coin - the Dom perspective. Your insights and your time reading my latest work have helped considerably. I know that some of it wasn't easy to get through. Again, anything false in my writing is my own failure. @Carlos Hazday : For being a constructively critical fellow along this journey of mine. I'll keep fucking up, though I'll try to find new and inventive ways to do so. Call me out. @Thorn Wilde: Thanks for your kind offer to assist with my Kentucky grammar. As well, I appreciate your time spent reading, commenting, and encouraging me. There are others, but these have spent the most time on me, and I appreciate you all. You make me glad to be here. - Wayne

This was an excellent showcase of emotion. I love the push and pull of doubt, desire, longing, guilt, and all the difference self-awareness and empathy can create in interactions. It was also a great balance of show and tell. I don't care what "wisdom" says, "telling" has a place within work. I think this story exemplifies how well it can go. I rode along, right there with both of the characters. Thank you for the journey.

That's a great point. Yet, I've had some fun experiences with readers in that regard. I stuck "petrichor" into one story, and I had several readers respond that they were happy to learn what that smell was called. Until they saw the word for it, describing the scent was a clunky enterprise. If anything deserves elegance, it's petrichor. Can you tell that I love the rain? It's probably not obvious.

Okay, this is kinda awesome. It obliquely kisses both Petrichor and Vellichor. Not sure if that was intentional, but it's cool regardless.

Hahaha. Hey, I write what I know. 😉 Yes, now we all know they both want it. Two men, knowing they want each other, yet one displays considerable reticence. Weird! 🧐

Over the next few days, the weather slowly warmed, and it was above freezing during the day. Nights were a different matter. They were well below freezing, clear and cold, and dipped down to 24 degrees Fahrenheit at one point. This had the effect of melting most of the snow during the day, only to freeze it at night. During daytime hours the ground was a slick mess of water and ice. So too were the roads. Corbin only woke up once to an utterly dead fire. That same day he let the fire die, he