Comsie

Often, when reading online stories as somewhat of a 'habit'...you come across a story or two tha really strikes a nerve with you. Whether it relates to you and your particular life in a truly powerful way, or if it was just an exceptionally written tale that you connected to for the pure entertainment value of it. And that can be an amazing feeling. But what is it about certain stories that make readers 'save' them and keep them close by to read again at another time? What is that magic element that gives certain stories the blessing of being that one tale that you can read over and over again and never get tired of it? I've read a lot of stories online, and there are many that I thought were EXTREMELY good, but I don't go back and read them a second or third time. And then there are some that, for some reason I can't explain, I want to read over from beginning to end every now and then, just because I enjoyed them so much. What separates the two? What makes a story enjoyable for you to personally pick it up again later and read it multiple times? What connects you to some stories in that way and not others? Let me know, because I'm actually kinda stumped myself on this one!

I'm just letting everyone at the Cafe know that I've gotten myself some time off to finally take a vacation! And hopefully it will recharge some of that creative energy that has been stretched REALLY thin the last month or two! I've been trying, but my writing hasn't been what I expect it to be. (Sorry...I'm a much more harsh critic on myself than anyone else ever could be, believe me. And I'm trying to improve by leaps and bounds with what I have planned for this summer! It's going to be the Shack's TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY, after all!!!! I definitely have to show off a bit more than usual! Hehehe!) But I won't be gone for long! I'll be back June 3rd with a recharged battery (hopefully). So I will see you guys when I return, and I'll talk to you soon! Don't worry, I've got new topics for the next two Mondays all planned out and ready. So they will be posted as usual. Cool? Hope to hear from ya soon. And I love you guys a lot! Thanks for hanging out here and taking part in the Cafe! ((Hugs))

A mastery of the English language is a beautiful asset when writing a story for an audience. Clever dialogue, pretty metaphors and similes, poetic expression of mankind's most potent emotions...all incredible advantages that you can use to really captivate your readers and make them clamour for more. But is it possible to overdo it? Have you seen an author's work that has gone so far into flowery language and double meanings, that you cease to enjoy the story? Do you feel like the author is 'showing off', or looking down on their audience? Or is it just a flaw in the writing, where they should 'tone it down' a bit in order to talk WITH their audience, instead of TO them. (There's definitely a difference) What do you guys think? Is there such a thing as being too 'poetic' for your own good? Or should every author just write the way they write and let the people figure it out? There are STILL parts of Shakespeare that I don't understand! But...he's still Shakespeare ! Talk to us!

I have seriously been banging my head against the wall the past week and a half trying to write, and everything is just coming out wrong. I can't even BEGIN to explain how aggravating it is for me to not be able to write anything and clear my head at the end of the day. It's not even writer's block, really! Because I can WRITE...it's just coming out all wrong! Anyway, I'll be posting again soon. I've been having a hard time with the last little portion of the new "Class By Himself" chapter, and it's driving me batty, because I don't want to post it half ass, you know? I seriously just need to step away from this keyboard and find a way to get my 'mojo' back. Word to the wise...burnout SUCKS!

Hehehe, thank you! And that actually comes from a lot of the teenagers that come into the store where I work all the time. Once we start talking, thats exactly how it sounds, hehehe. I thought it would be cool to make that Billy's specific way of talking while writing in his journal. I love it. I'm not sure where you started reading from, but I hope you enjoy the rest from here.

I think the only thing that really makes for a choppy read is rushing to get to a certain point in the story without letting it build naturally. As I've said many times before, once I start writing, the characters kinda start taking on a life of their own. And if 'they' don't like the direction I'm taking them in...they're definitely gonna let me know about it. Hehehe! (Brats!) And there are a few stories where it seems like the author is pushing to hurry up and get to the sex, or hurry up and get to the big fight, or just plain pushing to get to the end. And scenes that could have been used to really bring out some natural emotion and a real connection to the characters, kinda get left out. Like...'and then they met, and his name was this, and my name was that, and we had lunch and talked, and then went back to my house, and he's gay, woo hoo!' But...there's a LOT of story in those little skipped activities. There's dialog, and conflict, and hints, and glances, and all the little things that I remember from when I was going through it myself. I like to hear that part too. I know that I tend to ramble a bit in my own stories, and I've had countless emails wishing that I'd just hurry up and get everything over with. But the truth is, I like that extra attention to detail, and the exposure to those innocent emotions, and tensions, and frustrations, of really being in love with somebody and not knowing what to do with that feeling. So I wouldn't cut out a single sentence. To me, it would be like taking a tour bus through Paris...at 150 mph! Hehehe, what's the point if you can't slow down and see everything and get the story to go with it? You know?

Hehehe, wow...I just looked at the date of my last update on this story. And as always, it's been a LOT longer than I thought it had been! Ugh! I've got a great deal of it finished in my files, I've just been hoping around a lot lately from one story to the other. I'll definitely move it up on the list. I like writing this story! It's fun!

Whenever reading a story online, there should be a certain level of 'comfort' involved. Meaning that the reader can read through each engaging sentence without having to stumble or re-read or feel as though they're being taken out of the story. It can be hard to fully enjoy a story that you can't totally submerge yourself in. This isn't just about punctuation or writing mechanics either. The plot and story structure itself could be a problem. Maybe the timeline is inconsistent. Maybe the dialogue is choppy and unrealistic. Maybe the characters aren't stable in their behaviors. There could be a number of reasons for a slightly 'disconnected' read. The question this week is...how can an author create a smooth and enjoyable read for their audience? What should they avoid, in your opinion? What makes a story seem like it's jumping around too much or seem to be rushing too fast for you to keep up? Let us know what your thoughts are on this!

I just wanted to say hello and give a war welcome to the new faces I've seen ion the Cafe lately! Hehehe, so happy to have you guys with us! I've been able to stop by more often lately so I always enjoy seeing new faces! Howdy to ya! And feel free to drop in anytime!

Another ruling on a writing mechanics idea. Occassionally when I'm writing, my mind will stumble across the words 'affect' or 'effect'. They sound identical, but do, in fact, have very different meanings. What is the official rule on this? For example, would you say: "He was affected by the crash." or..... "He was effected by the crash." When I stop to actually 'think' about it, the answer seems clear. But when I'm just writing in a certain rhythm, and don't have time to really break the mood to figure it out, it does cause me to stumble here and there. What's the rule? Let us know!

I hope ya like it, Trackie! Hehehe, it's gonna be a long one. Believe me!

They can be fun, they can be mysterious, they can be a surprisingly effective means of making a statement. They're science fiction stories, and they can easily take the form of a gay erotic story online. However, writing one, as many can tell you, can sometimes be a risk to anyone looking to gather a fanbase online. Simply because, there are many people who see the term 'sci-fi', and automatically think of aliens having sex with mutilated cattle or something! Believe me, I had an EXTREMELY hard time getting people to read "Gone From Daylight" when I first wrote it. It was like pulling teeth to get people to even 'consider' it! And even THEN it took weeks for them to actually do it. (Thank GOD for word of mouth on that one!) The fact remains, there are a lot of people who have preset sense of negativity towards anything labeled 'sci-fi' in the gay author genre. Que sera sera. What do you guys think? What are your personal feelings about sci fi stories in general? And do they have a chance of geting your attention? Or do you usually shrug them off as something you're not really interested in? What do ya say?

Hehehe, can I vote? I might be a little biased though.

Nah, no reason really. I was sitting down and sorta 'writing' that essay in my head while I was writing the actual story at the same time. I wanted Eli to be nervous and nearly speechless when he read it, trying to find the words to use. But when I wrote the essay...that's just how it kinda came out. ::Shrugs:: Hehehe!

Hahaha! I must give praise to Jamessaavik for the comment on this one! Very well said, my man! And very true. I've always been the kind of person who might not like something that I see or read...but regarded it as ONLY being my opinion. I don't have to make comments about it, or try to have it done away with, or worry that it ruined my fragile little mind. I can just say to myself, 'whoah...not my thing', and choose to either keep reading...or not. Art is what it is, I think it should be left alone. Trackie makes a good point about maybe making light of the situation. Which can be a clever way of dealing with something that is, in no way, funny. Maybe some lighthearted moments can help to balance out some of that dark content. When I write "My Only Escape", I know that there has to be some kind of hope and reward in reading through to the end of the story. It can't be all pain and suffering. That would make for a very hard read. And Grame brought up the subject of audience. Which is important. You have to think about whether or not the particular audience you're writing for is going to be able to get into what you're writing. If not, then chances you are going to offend an unsuspecting reader, and that is going to cause a very negative reaction overall. If people read something, and aren't expecting graphic depictions of gay sex...they're not going to like it when it happens. However, some people know EXACTLY what a story is about, and still get mad when they see something they don't like. Hehehe! Which takes me right back to Jamessaavik's comments above. Anyway, thanks for the input, you guys! I appreciate it!

I would much rather have the criticism than the silence. I might cringe at it at first, but then I go back and try to make the next one better than ever. I can burn criticism like fuel (sometimes. I have my moods, hehehe). And compliments? That's like super charged ROCKET fuel! Whenever I post something, I always start worrying about it. From the second I press the send button, until the first few emails or message board posts come in. And when there's silence, I can literally stress myself out for DAYS! It's a weird habit of mine, I guess. Part of my routine, I guess. But when something I write doesn't get much attention, it usually goes back into hiding in my files somewhere until I think I can re-tool it and make it better. So if there's zero feedback, I'll stop working on it and go back to other stories that people are waiting on.

I wonder if it's truly possible to come up with something that has seriously NEVER been done before. I'd like to think that with the unlimited potential of human emotion, there would be some angle or perspective that's never been approached before. I have NO idea what angle that is...but I'd like to imagine there is one. As far as trying to find it, I've been unsuccessful so far. But I'll keep trying. I think that, to some extent, everything is being built on a foundation that was given to us by generation after generation with very little variation from the basic mold. And yet...I just KNOW that there's a new story out there! Hehehe, there just has to be. We might need a mystic to find it. Who knows? It might be the key to world peace.

While writing stories from the heart, and ocassionally from your own personal life, there may be times when certain 'issues' become a part of the story. Issues that may contain offensive content. It may be a small event in a long series, or it may be the main focal point of the entire plot. But the content can be realy hard for some people to digest. They may be shocked, or turned off, or insulted. The question this week is...how can someone write or create a story with offensive content without being...'offensive'? Stories with racist, anti-religious, homophobic, content. Stories that may contain scenes of rape, abuse, suicide, or murder. Stories about school shootings, adult/youth relationships, violence, excessive drug use, or anything else that may catch some of your readers off guard and cause them to cringe from the awful impact of it. How should someone treat these topics? Is there a way to talk about them openly and honestly without scaring off people who might be sensitive to these issues? Let us know!

Ocassionally, when you put your heart and soul into a story, time, energy, blood, sweat, and tears...just trying to make it something amazing that other people will love and appreciate...you get....'nothing'. No comments, no interest, no feedback...nada. One of the most discouraging events for any author is to have readers look over their work and not even write to say that they 'hated' it Silence is a curse. It's Kryptonite to any form of creativity, no matter how much we try to ignore it. And it can be painful for a lot of people to experience. Especially when they're expecting something more to 'happen' with their offering. How should someone 'deal' with this kind of silence? Should an author take repeated silence to mean that their work is no good? Or not good 'enough'? (It can be a pretty powerfu hint) Should an author inore it and continue to write, just hoping and praying that SOMEBODY out there is paying attention, and is just too shy to write? Should an author post pleas and comments asking directly for feedback from people reading, in an attempt to 'MAKE' them say something, good or bad? How badly does someone take silence, and how should they handle it? Let us know!

Cheating? On "My Only Escape"? Hehehe, you better not! BUT...if you chea with some other story on the Shack...um..it's kinda like cheating with a sibling or cousin. So it's cool. ::Nods:: LOL! There's GOTTA be a negative ruling on this somewhere! Anyway, everything is almost a month off of schedule due to some problems on and offline. I have troubles all the time, but it takes the BIG ones to stop production on the stories and all, and these definitely fell into that category. But, you'll be happy to know that there will be a new chapter up VERY soon for "MOE"! It won't be another year, you have my word. There will be a new "Class By Himself" up in the next week or two, more "New Kid", more "MOE", more "Untouchable", and others will be getting another dose soon. So all of the stories are on a much tighter rotation at the moment. Cool? The next chapter will officially make "My Only Escape" a part of the site's 'Big Ten' club! As only a handful of stories make ten chapters! And I've got some rather big plans for the new chapter! So don't miss it! K? Seezya then!

Hehehe, something extra for being behind? Hmmmm...what did ya have in mind, cutie? ::Giggles::

I had a teacher in college who used the expression, "No new stories since the Romans" often. Which basically trnslates into the concept of 'it's all been done before'. Every story, every idea, every plot twist, conflict, or romance, is somehow based on storylines that were created centuries ago. And even though certain stories may SEEM new, if you were to go back and look at stories of that time period, you would find its original concept somewhere else. What do you guys think about this? I it true? Has every story already been told in one form or another? Sure the details change with the times, and a few new element are added here and there...but is it possible to really read a story with a completely original idea anymore? It's the challenge of every author, artist, painter, etc, to somehow break the mold and do something that's never been done before. Can it be done? Let us know your thoughts on this!

My apologies for disappearing on ya without warning. I've been struggling to get online the past few weeks with no luck whatsoever. Nada. Not at any time of night or day. And the Shack isn't something I can really work on in 'public' places, you know? But despite some small losses from the reboot, I'm working hard to get everything back on track. So it's business as usual, come next week. Cool? Thanks so much for hanging in there with me and still peeking in from time to time. I love you guys. And I'll seezya soon!

My apologies to you guys for being away for the last two weeks. I've had some hard problems at home with my amily and all, and we've been doing our best to work through them. I definitely enjoy my writing, but it can sometimes take a heavily emotional toll on me. And when 'life' is pulling me in another direction, it's almost impossible for me to do what I do online. (If that makes sense) I don't want to just turn out half ass work, I really want every word to matter. It's just hard to pull off when life is....for lack of a better word...'shit'. But I'm struggling hard this week to bring everything back up to speed and beyond. So you'll be hearing more from me soon. Cool? The LAST thing I want to do is 'disappear' on you guys! I'm here, and you'll hear from me as soon as I get myself straight again. Hehehe, I said 'straight'. ::Shivers:: take care, and I'll seezya soon!

It's a difficult issue, I think...figuring out whether or not kids should have access to the stories I write online. I understand the laws and the rules and the regulations...and it makes perfect sense to me why they're there and what they're trying to accomplish by restricting young minds from being corrupted by these things. So a part of me is seriously concerned about it. However...as with everything else, a teen's maturity has to be measured on a person to person basis. There are teenagers out there who have no business whatsoever reading these kind of stories online. And yet, at the same time, there are teenagers (some even younger, in my online experiences over the years) who seek these stories. Teens who (like me at that age) just wanted to wipe away the fog and the lies and the nervously admitted bullshit...and get down to what love and sex was really all about. teens who want to reach out and connect to something that maybe understands what they're feeling, and doesn't sweet talk them, preach to them, water it down, or make it out to be something bad all the time in order to discourage them. Yeah, I realize that this makes me sound like a 'demigogue' of sorts. But while I do agree that it shouldn't be out there for all teenagers to see, it should be available to boys or girls who go looking for it, and want to see it. If anything that I've ever written has helped just one teen to unscramble his thoughts, accept himself, and maybe cut through some of that mystery and confusion surounding the idea of teens having sex (which is NOT an unheard of concept, I don't care WHERE you live!)...then it's worth it. I say, let them read it. If you're old enough to enjoy and understand it, you're old enough to have access to it. Just my opinion.