Comsie

Occasionally, when writing a story (especially if it's a 'story arc'), it becomes necessary to create a somewhat 'unlikeable' character to carry the story towards a certain revelation or change. These characters might be unattractive, unlovable, mean, cruel, selfish, hateful, boring or dull, or just plain abrasive in their every attitude in general. When you have a character like that, it can be really difficult to keep readers interested in continuing to read about this...questionable person. Despite the fact that these unlikable traits come with some level of true 'purpose'...it can still be a hard sell to a lot of folks who might be looking to 'enjoy' themselves more with the stories they read. So the question this week is...how can an author (Based on what you've written or what you've read) carry an unlikable main character in a story without turning off his or her audience? How can someone expect people to enjoy reading about these despicable and detestable bastards long enough to actually make a 'point' in the long run. Lord knows that I've tried, with stories like "Magic Man" and "Scandalous" and a few others, but it doesn't always get the most favorable of results. And yet, Dickens' character of 'Scrooge' in "A Christmas Story" remains one of the most respected characters out there. How do you take an unlovable character, and turn them into a hero of the people? You've read the stories before, what captures your attention most? Let us know what you think!

The one thing that has really always attracted me to these online stories has been the truly unrestricted expression of 'love'. The sex is always a VERY pleasant bonus, but the idea that an author can create lovable characters, and really bring them together in such a beautiful and innocent way...it makes every sentence a pleasure to read. Now then...would I have been able to maintain a mature and loving relationship like my characters do now when I was 14? Ummm...hard to say. But I can definitely tell you ONE thing...SEX...would have been DAILY!!! Hourly even! I love the romance and the 'candy and flowers' routine as much as the next guy, believe me. But at age 14 - 18? I would have been CONSUMED by the sexual aspect of a steady relationship with another boy. CONSUMED, I tell you! Hehehe! Meeting him would have led to sex. Saying 'I love you' would have led to sex. Having ten minutes alone in the house after school would have led to sex, dating would have led to sex, hugs would have led to sex, a cute flip of your hair would have led to sex, and even SEX...would have led to sex! There's no way around it...I doubt I'd have my mind centered on much else. So...thinking about the idea of an average teenager's sex drive (not ALL, but a lot of teenagers), especially from a recently de-virginized point of view...do you guys think its realistic to <i>NOT</i> have your characters humping away like a field of jackrabbits every chance they get? As we grow older, an emotional connection is usually much more important...but in high school, did we value it as much as that mind-blowing blowjob from that random cute stranger we met by accident in the bathroom? Teens are more than capable of having a loving relationship, but sexually speaking, are the stories telling the 'truth'? Should they be? What do you all think?

Hehehe, you know, I've been writing a BUNCH of new stuff lately, and every now and then, the characters in my head just seem to go on 'strike'! LOL! Seriously, they're just being total BRATS right now, and don't wanna do anything interesting for me to talk about! Seriously, I'd say they needed a vacation....if they hadn't already BEEN on vacation for so long! Ah well, just felt like stopping to rant for a bit and say hello. I hardly ever do that at the Cafe any more. ::Giggles:: Love ya lots, and I'll seezya soon! Back to my 'canvas'!

Just a little whisper, for this board only! "My Only Escape"? Expect it next weekend! ::Wicked Grin::

I was just listening to music (I ALWAYS am)...and I was wondering...if you could pick one song to represent any one of the stories I've written, or any one of any of the other really good stories you've read on GA...what would the song be? And for what story? Hehehehe, I'm just curious, because I LOVE the idea of songs and emotions being connected! Hehehe! For example...."A Class By Himself", one of the ones that always comes to mind is... "It don't take *MONEY*! It don't take *FAME*! Don't need no *CREDIT CARD* to ride this train! It's *STRONG* and it's *SUDDEN*! It'll be CRUEL sometimes! But it MIGHT just save your life.....that's the POWER of love!" -Huey Lewis And The News, "Power Of Love" What do YOU think about when reading a story on GA? I've GOTTA know! ::Giggles::

You've seen them before. Hell, the 'happy ending' has been a staple of the storytelling business since cave paintings! The hero saves the day, gets the sexy girl/boy, and they live happily ever after. Bravo...tell it again! Now...as we all know, that in the real world...happy endings aren't as frequent and as magical as they are in the stories. There are always amazing exceptions to the rule, sure...but to put faith in a 'happily ever after' isn't always a good move. Me? I'm an optimist, but not to the point of having my head so far in the clouds so as to believe that every romance will turn out for the best That, unfortunately, is just not reality. However...when it comes to the STORIES online...happy endings are the soup of the day! They're not only common, they're 'expected'. Of COURSE the gorgeous blond boy next door is gay, and single, and interested in the main character, and they get along, and their parents are out of town, and have no problem being homosexual, AND will love you forever and ever without any further problems for the rest of eternity! That's how these stories go, right? The question is...should all of these stories have happy endings? Are they realistic? Do they give false hope to people who are looking or that same magic in their own lives? Would 'unhappy' endings ruin the story for you overall? Would you want more of one or the other, or would you rather have a balance of the two? Let us know what you think!

Reading stories based in a field of erotic literature, there is (more often than not) going to come a time in the storyline where graphic depictions of sex are displayed in all their glory for everyone reading. And no matter what the story is about, the sex usually exists as its own personal entity. Almost as if it could either stand on its own, or be skipped over completely. And during these scenes, the characters are still interacting, still involved, still connected And sometimes, to show that in a story, an author might add some dialogue during these scenes to heighten the level of intimacy being portrayed. It's 'sex talk'! The question is...do you guys like the sex talk that happens in a lot of online stories? The 'Oooh, that feels good', and 'Suck it...yeah baby', and 'I love you, honey' comments? Do you pay attention to them? Do they distract you from what's going on? Is there a decent 'balance' for sex talk, or do you find yourself wanting 'more' or 'less' of it as you're reading? Do you want the talk to be more explicit and dirty, or more subtle and romantic? Whatever your thoughts are....let us know!

Three simple words (And maybe others like it)... - Anymore - Everything - Everyday - Overwith Are these really words? Or should they always be presented as, 'any more', 'every thing', 'every day', 'over with'? The way it's spoken, it seems like we would make it one word. But when writte down (or typed out, in this case) is there a right and a wrong way to do this? Or does the usage of the term matter? For example: "Everything is alright." "Every thing is in its place." What do you guys think?

There was once a time...when I, too, cried out into the darkness. When I waited for an angel with wings of pure gold to gracefully swoop down...and rescue me from my torment. There was a time...when it didn't hurt so much...once I realized that help wasn't coming. Not for me. Did my joy abandon me....or did I abandon my joy? So hard to remember which left first. But I DO know one thing! I've grown to LIKE the misery! I welcome the suffering! It feeds me....nourishes me...and I haven't wept a single tear since! With all this agony...I simply can't hold it all by myself. Nooooo...it would be rude of me to not share a little bit of this darkness with my big brother, Taryn. Wouldn't it? Can't have that. He's out there somewhere....him and his little blond bombshell. And I'm going to find them. I'm going to find them both and teach them what REAL horror is allllll about. It was a short reunion last time, big brother. Next time...you'll have to stay for 'dessert'. "Gone From Daylight: Blood Ties" "Pain has its limits.....RAGE does not!"

Sure, you get the first story, and you fall in love with it. You like the characters, you like the storyline, you like the twists and turns...and when the story is over, you're left feeling satisfied by the journey the writer has taken you on from the first page to the last. But, as many writing teachers will tell you, there is a HUGE difference between 'story' and 'plot'. Plot is only used for this one particular story at this particular time. The story, however, reaches out in all directions, taking place both before AND after the story you've read has come to an end. For example, Harry Potter is not the only student at Hogwarts. The plot is the problem solved in each book, surrounding him and his friends. The 'story'...could come from anywhere. The other students all have stories of their own. The teachers have stories of their own. The school itself has a history and a future. So, looking at it from all different angles, a number of spin-offs could keep that Harry Potter 'mythology' going on forever. Same with "James Bond", or "The Matrix", or "Lord Of The Rings", "X-Men", "Bladerunner", "Sin City", "War Of The Worlds"...the possibilities for new angles and new perspectives are virtually limitless. You could tell brand new stories from a completely different point of view, and breathe new life into a story that's already been told. But do 'spin-off' stories really get attention? Do you really 'LIKE' them? I mean, they're not the same characters or storyline that you fell in love with in the first place. Are they seen as cheap knock offs of a bigger story? Or are they a way to get more depth and perspective out of a story that could be even bigger if given a whole new meaning from a different side of the legend? (Telling 'Darth Vader's' story as a prequel to the original "Star Wars" trilogy, for example) What do you think? Are spin-off's your thing? Or would you rather just have good stories left alone?

Thanks a lot, dude! Actually, you wanna know a little hidden info about this story? This is the one and only story on the entire site that I've ever written for someone else! Jeremy is quite real, and so is Steven. We were talking through email, and he was sure that Steven hated him, just as it was in the story. So I wrote the story for him based on the details he gave me, and gave it a very 'happy' ending. Hehehe! Now, in REAL life, Jeremy did talk to Steven after the story was released, and they became good friends for a while. (Didn't hate him at all) Did they become a 'couple'? No. But who knows what might have happened if things were different. Hehehe! I just recently heard from Jeremy again for the 10h anniversary of the site, and he's still beautiful, still doing well, and still having 'hot buttered sex' (HIS term, which I picked up from him through emails, hehehe) with a very cute live-in boyfriend! And where else can you find dark haired Jeremy, sarcastic and lovable as ever? Right there in the pages of "GFD"....helping Justin get his blood fix when he's too scared to hunt for his own supply! ::Nods::

You guys will be happy to know that the latest chapter of "My Only Escape" was finished last Tuesday. So it's just got to be edited and wait its turn on the 'rollout list' in the next few weeks. Cool? Not to worry, there's LOTS coming!

I *THOUGHT* it was 'used to'! You know, I kept thinking about it, and often when I have an issue with a certain word or phrase, I try to say it out loud to see if it 'sounds' right. But with this one, it was hard to tell the difference. (At least when *I* say it, hehehe!) Thanks for helping to clear that up!

I think about this often when I'm writing and when I'm reading other people's writing as well. How much detail is 'just right'? If you give too much, you not only bog everthing down with pointless descriptions, but you slow the story down and rob the readers of the opportunity to create their own mental pictures of what's going on. BUT...if you don't give <i>enough</i>, then the story becomes 'jumpy', and it sounds like you're rushing to get from one big scene to another. Without those little details, I don't think stories are nearly as engaging, because the readers don't get the chance to really develop a three dimensional image of your characters and storyline. I think it's a tricky balance that every writer just finds with practice. For example, when I first wrote "A Class By Himself", I was happy with the way that the first five or six chapters turned out. But when I went back to 'Remix' them later...I found a LOT of places where I could go much deeper into the characters and the world around them. Not 'boring' little extras, but huge missing pieces of dialogue and emotional involvement that I just didn't catch the first time around. When I re-edited them all, they ended up being almost DOUBLE the length of the original. (If you read "Class" on the site, and then "Class:Remixed", there's a big difference) So I think it just takes practice and trial and error to find your own particular comfort level with details in general. And I'm still growing, so I'm still trying to find ways not to be too 'talkative' and wander away from the moment...but allowing things to develop slowly and naturally, so the story reads fluidly, and readers can really absorb every detail as though it was really happening.

- This is a weird one that has come up from time to time. And I figured I'd post it here for our writing and reading gurus to post their opion on. (Ahem...yes, that's you guys!) This time, it is the often confusing use of the words 'use to' and 'used to'. It's meant to say the exact same thing, but I've seen it done both ways before. Example..."I 'use' to like Josh, but now I don't." or "I 'used' to like Josh, but now I don't". Is one of these just plain 'wrong', or is it simply a matter of dialect, depending on where you come from? Let us know your thoughts on this.

It's no secret, especially to anyone reading this, that gay people are everywhere. In every walk of life, doing everyday things, in average everyday ways. Right? Well, what if there were stories wriiten, television shows made, movies produced, that ha everyday gay characters included in them...but the 'theme' of the story didn't have anything to do with being gay? Would it still work? Would you still read/watch/support? If Spiderman, or Neo from the Matrix, or Will Smith in "I Am Legend"...if those characters were homosexual..but it wasn't a story ABOUT homosexuality... (For example...boy comes out of closet, or boy falls for straight guy, or any number of directly sexual themes) ...Would it still have the same impact? I mean, gay people can just be your average everyday police officers, or teachers, or bounty hunters, etc...right? Then again, if the story wasn't a directly 'gay themed' story...what's the point of making the main character gay? Just something to think about, when it comes to the so-caled 'mainstream'. What do you think?

Sorry if I've been slacking there for a little bit! Hehehe, the last two or three weeks have been dedicated mostly to plans I've had for the whole summer. But I'm ready to get back on task here. Today's topic is about details in the stories you read. Sometimes you can truly find yourself engagd by the details brought to you by an author. They bring color and a certain vivid reality to what you're reading. But there are also times when the details can go on for too long. Where an author might bore their audience, or stretch a scene out so far that it's no longer effective. Where is the middle ground in all this? What is your personal view on 'too much, too little, just right' when it comes to the stories you read? If authors cut back on it, will you miss the details that fully fill out the scene? Or should an author pull away slightly, and let the reader's imagination fill in the blanks on their own? What do you guys think?

A very simple question that may just end up being a matter of opinion, more than a rule. But I'd like to know your thoughts on it just the same. It's the simple matter of how to spell "ok". Hehehe! When you're reading a story, and someone says, "I'll meet you later"...and the other character answers with, "Ok!" Exactly what do you think is the right way to actually put that in text form? Is it "ok", "OK" (Caps only), "O.K.", or "okay"? I'm sure it doesn't REALLY matter in the overall scheme of things, but if there's a right way to do it...or if you see one that's the definite WRONG way to do it...let us know!

As many stories as there are all over the internet, it would be nearly impossible to keep track of them ALL! They're being read by hundreds, thousands, maybe even millions of people. Traded, linked to, passed around like a flu virus in a crowded subway. No stopping it....it happens. But what do you do, if you find one of your stories, or one of your favorites, posted on a pay site that you never gave consent to? What do you do if someone just snatches your hard work, takes your name off of it, and throws it onto a computer CD or a website, and is making money off of your emotional investment? Who do you alert? What do you say to the people in charge? Is any of this 'legal'? 'Illegal'? And what happens if you ask them to take it down, and they say 'Screw you! We're keeping it!'? What, exactly, is the protocol for finding your work or the work of one of your favorite authors being 'pimped' out on another website? Let us know!

Honestly, we have a lot of really good authors in this room reading this right now! And probably some that might be waiting to take a shot at writing something themselves someday! So I want you guys to talk about YOU this week! If you're writing a series or story, either for GA or for school, or just at leisure, even if you never shared it with anybody else (Realize, however, that by even MENTIONING this situation, you are inviting HUGE amounts of pressure from the rest of us to make you post it somewhere so we can see it! Hehehe!)..talk to us about it! Tell us what inspired you to write, what your particular 'method' is, what you like, what your story was (or is) about, where your characters come from, where we can find it online. Advertise a little! I want you guys to just step up to the podium and give us your experience with writing and reading in general. And if you haven't written anything before, but are a dedicated reader, let us know what you guys like and what you look for. What pulls you into a story or series and makes it enoyable for ya! Cool? Talk away! ::Zips Lips::

Thanks for the announcement! I was really having a lot of trouble trying to get this the way I wanted to. My mind just wouldn't focus long enough to bring out the right feeling in it all. Sometimes, it's soooo difficult to find the words to bring the level of emotion in a scene to where you need it to be to be effective, you know? And this was one of those important chapters that I've been planning for a long time now..so getting it wrong was NOT an option. Anyway, that aside, thanks to everybody who sent emails and posts and all. It evidently wasn't as bad as I thought it was. Hehehe! I think I just needed that little break to get my thoughts together. I feel better already.

Hehehe, wow...crickets on this one, huh? Like I said in my post, I'm not really sure what it is either, that makes me want to re-read certain stories that I've read before, and not others. It's not a 'good story/bad story' kind of thing. Not at all. Because I could read two stories that are equally fascinating, but only go back to re-read one of them over and over again. It think it's just a matter of moments. Little moments, or exchanges of dialogue, that really affect me. I think about those moments in a story whenever I'm feeling a certain way, and it'll take me right back to the first time I read it It's almost as if the memory from the story is a memory from my life. It's weird, but true. So some stories just touch something in me that makes me think of them when I'm in a certain frame of mind or dealing with a situation...and that keeps the story close to my heart.

I have had times where there were a lot of good suggestions from different sources, that really REALLY wanted to see the stories I was writing go a certain way. To the point where I'm sure that they were disappointed or even upset that I went a different way with it entirely. And yeah, sometimes it sucks. And I go through the whole, 'am I doing this right?' conversation in my head to make sure that I'm not messing things up by doing it my way. But...in the end, I almost always go with the original plan, despite the outcry for something else. Mostly because I start off with a pretty complete idea of what I want to happen and how I want it to end. So when I'm writing, everything is falling into place to support that ending, or that particular theme. Sometimes, I think it's harder for people to see the whole picture until I finish writing it all out. So I stick to the outline and just hope I make the right choices along the way. I listen, but changing what I'm doing...hehehe almost never happens.

::Wicked Grins:: Oh, it's coming. Like I said...this Summer is going to be BIG! Everything starts on the 19th of June! Except for that little vacation....Comsie hasn't rested in weeks....

When any author (Or...should I say 'most'?) begins writing a story, they usually have a pretty set idea on how they want things to go, and what directions they want their story to take. While a lot of these decisions may change and morph into something else over the course of time, a basic blueprint is often kept in mind After all, it's their story, they tell it how they see it. However, there are many times when readers may get a completely different view of what the writer is trying to accomplish. There might be elements of the story they really don't like, find boring or annoying, or want to change altogether. Feedback might reflect a desire for a completely different direction for the author's story to take. Something the author didn't plan for and doesn't realy want to change. In this case...should an author stick to their guns, and continue writing the story they want to write, even when their audience is constantly looking forward to something else? At what point does a writer take his readers' hints and emails as a need for change in the original plan? Do you ignore the help from the peanut gallery, and push on with what you want to do, as the sole creator of the story? Or do revise the blueprint for something more entertaining? Let us know what you think!