BendtedWreath

Thank you! It was a bit rushed because I was desperate to get it written down before it fled my mind. But I think it's still close to what the prompt asked for.

My attempt at Prompt #292: https://gayauthors.org/story/bendtedwreath/late-for-a-very-important-date/

PT #292- It seems circumstances have conspired to make Hopper late for his date. Why is everything going wrong today? Is this a sign?

PT #292 It seems circumstances have conspired to make someone late for their date: there are only red lights, construction sites, and idiots on the streets. Is this a sign? Nonsense. Obstacles need to be challenged. Hop felt the corners of his lips drag downward. He kicked a half-bent can from the corner of the sidewalk to the opposite edge of the block. The restaurant's "Closed" sign cast a dim red glow on the doorframe, distorted by the curtain of rain that had turned his

Prompt #292 spoke to me. I must write my vision.

I was a little late on that one, otherwise Lee might have been one of my prime suspects.

I've a feeling many of us are feeling a work/life imbalance in our bones. As for winning an online argument (or any, really), I'm afraid I'd fail even if the other person let me win the argument out of pity.

...though considering bats eat crickets, I'd never name a bat Cricket, myself. 🤣

Agreed! Thanks so much for sharing, @Inkognito!

As a teenager, I played a lot of poker with my friends, usually with M&Ms as the currency. The different colors had different values, as did plain and peanut. - This is sheer genius. I'd have learned how to play better poker if we had this system in place.

The real question is how could you NOT be mentioned? 🤣There isn't a single blog or comment you've posted that I haven't been intrigued by. I also am looking forward to reading more of your posted stories, as well.

That is beautiful and heartfelt. Where is that tissue box?

Cane, you might not even know it, but you were one of the first GA members that welcomed me into the fold. I greatly appreciate you, and I enjoy seeing us commenting on the same work just to see your thoughts on them. There's no way I'd ever forget you.

I've also been meaning to read some of your multi-chaptered work, as well. You'll see me again soon. 😂

If @chris191070, @Gary L, and I were able to take the plunge, you can, as well! I'd love to read something in your style. We all write differently and have so many different perspectives, it's always worth it.

Let's just say that when you do have something to say, it's worth reading your comments! 😂 We'll cross more paths, soon, I guarantee it.

Agreed! I hope you're able to write something new for us, as well. You've a unique voice, too!

Absolutely! I hope you know you played a big part in encouraging me to keep learning and moving forward. Challenges do get in the way, but it's never a dull day whenever you're active in the forum, be it to spill your woes about your son bringing a cat into the family or to lend an ear to someone else's woes about wiener dogs. 🤣

I'm sorry to hear about the health struggles. There are some others going through health struggles as well on the forum, not to call them out or anything. I wish all of you a speedy recovery. I am definitely looking forward to reading more about those characters!

Chris, the amount of support and love you share with the GA forum at large is astounding. I also enjoy reading your work and hope you continue to write.

You're a writer, too, don't count yourself out! 😂 I sure hope you've been working on an entry for some of these events this year! I've managed to enter a couple of them already with some short stories.

What I'm hearing is to invest in more tissue boxes. You're part of that team, as well, don't count yourself out! You're just as active on GA. 😂

Is that a request or a threat? 😂

We keep losing so many amazing people. None of them will be forgotten, not by me. I love your writing style! I know you keep saying it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I'm not bringing a teacup to the party, I'm bringing a large tumbler. 😂 I really will catch up on reading, I have just been working diligently on some entries of my own.

My previous blog entries are part of my personal writing journey as I do my best to finish my first multi-chaptered work. This blog, however, explains how I came to be inspired to work on a multi-chaptered story in the first place: I just went on a hunt for 2024's Secret Author Talking Topic Thread and reading it was like seeing my GA life flashing before my eyes. To anyone who might not know, I was urged to join the forum by a friend who enjoyed reading anonymously. The dweeb and completionist that I am, I took the time to flesh out my profile and read the rules. I introduced myself and posted on a thread or two while reading some blogs... Around the same time, the 2024 Secret Author, Hidden! banner was put up on the website and I wandered into it. I learned so many things about navigating the site as a whole by participating in the event. At the time I didn't even realize I was a participant, I was just discussing the stories with everyone else. I learned how to follow threads, follow friends, follow stories, check notifications, figure out notification settings, and track badges as I earned them. All of this came from just this one event near the end of July back in 2024. What I didn't realize was that, as the discussions continued, I was gradually interacting with the group of friends, writers, and moderators that I would get to know over the course of a whole year. More remarkably, everyone wore different hats depending on the discussion! Moderators would spark enthusiasm to the participants. Writers offered one another help with the writing craft. Members provided tips on navigating the forums. Friends that were summoned kept the speculation going. In my eyes, it was how all communities should be. Many other events and threads provided the same engagement in different degrees throughout the year. I've read different writing styles and genres, and escaped into many stories. The sentimental sap I am, I have to admit some tears were also shed with the stories I read. So, how did I come to be inspired to write a multi-chaptered story in the first place? Through my interactions with everyone below: @CassieQ@kbois@Jason Rimbaud@Thirdly@Myr@Cia@Valkyrie@Zuri@Cane23@Lee Wilson@Mikiesboy@chris191070@Thomas Wells@Aditus@LJCC@E K Stokes@wildone@Talo Segura@drown@Headstall@W_L@astone2292@Ieshwar@quokka@drsawzall@Mark Arbour@Bill W@CincyKris@centexhairysub@Gary L@Mrsgnomie@weinerdog@Stellar@MichaelS36@Alexmugs@Darryl62@raven1@Wayne Gray@Mancunian (for some reason, Mancunian's @ isn't populating) Along with EVERYONE that I may have missed and haven't even talked to yet! You are my inspirations, the reason I look forward to my commute by train... You are the reason I have been mentally stable for over a year despite my country's current economic/political/ecological climate... I look forward to reading new stories, interacting with many more GA members, catching up on the stories I've enjoyed... And I also look forward to the day I post my first official Chapter 2! You have my deepest thanks. Know that I greatly appreciate each and every single one of you. Your friend and fellow writer, - Bennie