First - if you haven't chimed in on yesterday's blog, can you take a moment and check it out (and please vote). Thanks
Now for reviews of some of our great stories. First is a review of Promising Author Rilbur's story Choice followed by a review of Author Houdinii's story, Agoraphobia. Enjoy!
Choice
by
Rilbur
Reviewer: Cia Status: Complete Word Count: 3,304
I reach Choice a while back, and I read it again so I could do the review. By Rilbur, the story was written for the 2010 Fall Anthology, ‘No Going Back’. In my mind, it fits the theme to a tee, but I sure wish he’d go back and write more!
I was completely taken in by Zachary’s character. We get a lot of background and insight into his psyche throughout the story, which is only 3,300 words. Basically, he does what is right and he owes his sense of what is right and wrong to two people, his mother and Robert.
But what happens when he is told that Robert committed a crime and the police are looking for him? I loved Zachary’s reaction to the police who came knocking on his door; you’d think that someone so ‘goody two-shoes’ as he had been called as a child would be ingratiating or a bit of a toady. That is so not Zachary.
Oddly enough, in this very short story, we have a very distinct plot arc and we get to see different facets of Zachary’s personality and life change as it goes on. Rilbur’s story, Choice, was a superbly written story filled with tension and leaves you wanting much much more.
So choose to go read it already!
Agoraphobia
by
Houdinii
Reviewer: Kiltie69 Status: Complete Word Count: 19,851
Many of you know Houdinii, he makes us laugh in chat he sings to us, but how many have read his storys. Houdinii writes as he speaks simple and gritty. I was lucky to be asked beta, so in some ways I may be considered biased. Read this review and decide for yourself.
When I joined GA back in September last year. One of the first guys to take time and talk to me was Houdinii. we got on ok and over the last few months have become friends and through this I have learned a little of his past life.
One part of it is brought to the fore in his story Agrophobia. The story itself was writen in an almost autobiographical style. With a little artistic licence thrown in. It takes place during a pweiod of Houdinii life where all was not welland the concequences of things he did had far reaching and life changing consequences. I cant say much more about it as it would give away the story, but needless to say it shows a lot of courage, to have put it down on paper for all the world to see. Houdinii quite directly describes his feelings open himself up for the reader to see. as we say in th UK it had everything warts and all.
As I have said I read the story, to start with as a favour to check spelling, but pretty soon was waiting for the next chapter. Houdinii has a talent for making you see the gritty side of life, purely because he has been there. His actual grammar may not be precise but I found it added to the story rather than detracted. over the ten chapters he has posted we see a young man fight to survive and in the end, well I wont say. Read the story and find out.
Agrophobia is a story that made me realise how much I respected this young man for what has happened and what he has been through.
I truly respect him as a writer and a friend and hope he will have more to post in the coming future.
Hope you enjoy the reviews and you check out these stories!
Hopefully your weekend has been enjoyable - here's your look back at our GA week.
We started looking at Hosted Author Nephylim's great story Home. If you haven't check out LouisHarris's review of Home, and, if it grabs your fancy, maybe check out Home itself.
Our tips for the week were on Being a Reader, and one for authors on What to Look for in a Beta Reader. We're always looking for new tips so if you have one you want to share, let Renee Stevens or myself know.
Our midweek author's showcase gave us a review of Promising Author AFriendlyFace's Buy Me a Drink as well as Frostina's Prison of Hope.
Thanks to ComicFan, our weekly prompts are already stirring some good imaginative stories and we looked at a beautiful poem that Mark92 wrote in response to a past prompt.
We wrapped up the week looking back at Viv's entry in the 2006 Fall anthology - All I Wanted.
If you missed any of these entries - head on back and check them out!
Anthology Announcements:
Summer Anthology “Choices” – Due June 8th
Novella Anthology "Secrets Can Kill" - Due July 31st
NEW READING
In Premium this week:
Displacement by DKStories
By our Hosted Authors this week:
The Experiment by Cia
Dribbles by Cia
Paternity by Mark Arbour, Book 12 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)
Circumnavigation by C James
Odyssey by Mark Arbour, Book 6 of Bridgemont
Forging Trust by Renee Stevens
By our Promising Authors this week:
The Prompt You Say! by ComicFan
Nemesis of David McLeod
Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!
Reviewer: LouisHarris Status: Complete Word Count: 20,328
Nephylim has a way with real life dramas and Home strikes at the very life blood of the reason we are human. We are gifted with the emotion which becomes a setting in the work. Heartfelt and poignant, Home is a fascinating portrait of gay love and a moving exploration of the bond of love, friendship and the heart’s most complex choices.
It is a richly layered drama and she never loses its grip. She builds the suspense through dialogue, and she sculptures the conflict in such a way that the reader is compelled to read on. She knits the colours of suspense with a remarkable profusion of angst, and weaves through the difficulty of moral choices effortlessly.
It is a beautifully crafted story and will grab any reader who is compelled by emotion and character.
After an argument with his parents, Ryden has a nasty fall. He is hospitalized and comatose, and although his family surround him with loving support, he yearns and calls for his boyfriend Luke, whom he dearly loves. But Luke doesn’t come, and his condition is deteriorating rapidly.
Only one thing will save Ryden, and that is Luke.
Ryden’s mother decides to find him, and when she does, she hopes it is not too late.
There is the question of the fall, and what is keeping Ryden from recovery?
Home is a multi-layered story that is structurally sound.
The arrangement of information for economy and maximum effect is important in a short story and Nephylim does not waste words. She uses direct, simple words to direct the message of the piece, which is simple: Never Give Up.
Mother wants to find Luke, she doesn’t give up.
Luke wants Ryden to get better and find the truth behind the accident, he never gives up and Ryden never gives up in his attempt to live.
The various elements of the story, character, setting, plot, style and point of view are thoroughly interwoven and she creates a single, whole effect and the impact is intense. The uncomplicated characters and settings enables the reader to see immediately and without confusion the points that are being made.
It is a blessing.
Nephylim chooses the central incident to reveal as much as possible about Ryden, and Luke her main characters.
The thorough enjoyment of losing oneself in Ryden’s world does not let up for one moment. He seeks freedom, and he holds onto dear life, never giving up hope that Luke, the boy he loves dearly, will come to him and hopefully save him from death.
Ryden’s mother, who uses her paternal instinct to drive away the person who caused such misery to her son, is undoubtedly a heroine in this story for she sticks to her guns when the truth is revealed.
And Luke, who shines through his own hurt, makes a stand.
These are everyday people in extraordinary circumstances.
They become part of the reader’s heart and they tug at the emotions because these are characters we can all identify with.
And this, dear reader, is one of the many reasons we read.
A week of holidays - from Beltane to Star Wars Day to the Battle of Puebla - and now, it's over. I hope yours was good.
We started our GA week looking at Hosted Author Bill W's story Butterflies Fly Free, thanks to a great review by K.C.. I hadn't been aware of the story, but thanks to KC's review, I'm very intrigued.
Our tips this week were a good mix with a writing oriented one about Pleonasms, learning what they are to better avoid them; and a site oriented one on the community that is GA, called Life in the Fishbowl. While I saw a lot of my favorite pleonasms in the column, no one mentioned my favorite "The La Brea Tar pits".
Our midweek Author's showcase featured reviews on Promising Author Jack Frost's The Comfort of a Blanket as well as Michael9344's The Game He Lost. Both are great reads and I'm happy to see them reviewed here.
ComicFan did not disappoint with this weeks prompts - one to use a wordlist (including gravesite and pregnant woman) and the other a prompt to write about a legacy. I love seeing how different people take these same elements and go in vastly different directions.
Our week rounded out with a look at some great editing tips from an October 2006 newsletter.
If you missed any of these entries - head on back and check them out!
Anthology Announcements:
Summer Anthology “Choices” – Due June 8th
Novella Anthology "Secrets Can Kill" - Due July 31st
NEW READING
In Premium this week:
Displacement by DKStories
By our Hosted Authors this week:
Paternity by Mark Arbour, Book 12 of Chronicles of An Academic Predator (CAP)
The Experiment by Cia
Circumnavigation by C James
Forging Trust by Renee Stevens
By our Promising Authors this week:
The Strange Life of Jonas Marks by ComicFan
Nemesis by David McLeod
Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!
Looking for something new to read but not sure what to try? These reviews may be just what you're looking for. We have a review of our Promising Author Jack Frost's The Comfort of a Blanket.
The Comfort of a Blanket
by
Jack Frost
Reviewer: Cia Status: Complete Word Count: 7,217
What can I say about Jack’s writing? A fake Canadian, lol, Jack has immersed himself many times over in the culture he adopted. That holds especially true in his anthology story, The Comfort of a Blanket. I consider this a historical coming of age story, one that is so wholly divorced from the reality of today’s society and yet one that can immediately be related to. Fear that who you are is not someone your family will accept or continue to love is something that young, gay men have been facing for a long time.
Set in Quebec in 1689, this story introduces us to Nicolas, our main character, as he wakes one chilly morning under a thick goose down quilt hand sewn and embroidered by one of the servants. Anyone who has ever needed comfort will, I think, understand the soothing sensation of a thick cover blanketing their body.
Unable to stay abed, Nicolas gets up and goes about his day. We meet him on a very important day, one that finds him learning many new things about who he is and what he really wants in life. The scene where he catches his friend with his drawers down, literally, is hilarious so make sure to keep an eye out for that part!
For the son of an important emissary to the ‘savages’ around them, schooled in religion and all that is expected of an aristocrat in the time, Nicolas is both remarkably naïve and yet sure of who he is and what he wants. There isn’t a lot of angst in this story, but there is a lot of drama unfolded in the course of the tale.
With the richly showcased setting of the French city in its early days, the exotic time period, and a plot quite different from what you’d expect, The Comfort of a Blanket was a great short read under 8k. Not as popular as Jack’s serial story Moving On, yet unfinished, this anthology was the first reading I had of Jack’s work when I first began reading on the site. Re-reading it today was a treat for me. I hope you enjoy it too!
First - we're proud to announce our newest anthology is up - the "Cracks of Time" Poetry anthology. Check it out and let the authors know how you feel about their works by writing a review for them!
Speaking of time cracks - these past two weeks have been a bit disjointed for the news blog. We started off on a great footing with a review by Houdinii of Luc's Angst Poetry collection. Then that evening, we all had a bit of angst over the hack of GA - thankfully, Myr was able to rush home and eventually recover the site using a recent backup. So people knew what was going on, we used the news blog to feature updates on the recovery and put the normal daily postings on hold.
Then last Monday we returned with Renee's review of Gabriel Morgan's Stonegate Stables. Renee really enjoyed the story - and you will too.
Our tips for the week were on Brainstorming Past Your Block and Character Building - both great pieces of advice for authors. You know - we're always looking for more tips so if you have one, let Renee Stevens or Trebs know!
Midweek we enjoyed two interesting reviews - one of Andr0gen's The House Always Wins and the other of JSmith's Blizzard. Who knew that besides being the hottest admin on the planet, Joe could also write!
We caught up on our prompts on Friday with four new prompt's by ComicFan, as well as a past prompt response: looking at how one author pictured a groom with a secret on his wedding day. Fun reading and one twist I didn't see coming...
Last, we ended with a look back at a review of a Fall 2007 anthology entry. K.C. reviewed Graeme's When the Cat's Away. It's one of the wonderful things about GA - the depth of history and stories that gives you so much to check out.
Anthology Announcements:
Summer Anthology “Choices” – Due June 8th
Novella Anthology "Secrets Can Kill" - Due July 31st
NEW READING Since we didn't have a weekly wrapup last week, here are the updated stories for the past two weeks:
In Premium this week:
Displacement by DKStories
By our Hosted Authors this week:
Paternity by Mark Arbour, Book 12 of Chronicles of An Academic Predator (CAP)
Harry Potter and the Parliament of Dreams by Myr
The Secret Life of Billy Chase 6 by Comicality, Book 6 of Billy Chase Chronicles
The Experiment by Cia
Home by Nephylim
Odyssey by Mark Arbour, Book 6 of Bridgemont
Hypnotic by Cia, Book 3 of Cathera Tales
Circumnavigation by C James
By our Promising Authors this week:
The Prompt You Say by ComicFan
Blue by Bugeye
Nemesis by David McLeod
GA Writing Prompts by Dolores Esteban
Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!
Even though we paused our news blog last week, the prompts continued on schedule. So *that* means - we have FOUR prompts to showcase today. As usual, ComicFan is our source of all of this wonderful promptyness...
Prompt 130 – Creative Cue – The Call You have lived your whole life in the same town, however with each passing year you have felt a desire to move. Always you head in the same direction. Now you are legally an adult and the money you have saved manically for the past few years is going to get you to the place that has haunted your dreams and called to you like a siren’s call. Where is this call taking you?
Prompt 131 – Creative Cue – The Pet Science has been tinkering with pets for years now. You can get an animal in nearly any color, length of fur, and intelligence. Today you went down and specially ordered your own pet. Only after it was delivered to your home you find it isn’t the simple creature they claimed it would be. What is your pet like?
Prompt 132 – Creative Cue – The Aftermath War is never pretty. Who expected a war like this though. Over half the world’s populace is gone. Things are going to have to start over. What is your job in the aftermath of war? What was it fought about?
Prompt 133 – Challenge Cue – First Love First loves are messy, wonderful, disastrous, and unforgettable. They teach you, they wreck you, and they make you stronger. Choose any form you of writing you like- poetry, the short story, a journal entry, or even a news article and put down all the things you went through or a character you wrote went through in their first love.
How many of them will YOU try? Even if it is just one, share your take on any of these with the rest of the community - post them in the Writing Prompts forum!
For previous prompt 126, Renee Stevens gave her take on the prompt of "Today is your wedding day and it should be the happiest day of your life. However, you have been keeping a secret and know if you get married without disclosing it first your marriage will be doomed. What is your secret?"
Here is her The Only One
Liked that tidbit? Here's the rest of her story...
Poetry is one of those things I think are in the eye of the beholder. The impact a poem bestows on the reader is only as great as the answering emotion it awakens. When Houdinii offered to do a Hosted Review, I was surprised and pleased when he offered to review Luc's poetry. I thought his review was as honest as he found the poetry; I hope you will enjoy both!
Poetry Collection: Angst
By Luc
Review by Houdinii
Marzipan once told me that I, Houdinii, may be great at poetry, but I've never tried. I just messaged Cia moments ago that I thought, well, what the heck . . . never had a go at poetry. The pieces I'm viewing are by Luc, and I decided to choose his angst volume, as I'm a darker person than most would believe. I read my first bit of poetry on this site tonight, and I was pleased. It's rather hard when you read it hard and fast, but if you slow it down, as I had to do, I was surprised at my reactions.
The Door As this was a difficult task for me, I needed to first prepare myself and grab a notebook. No telling where this goes. The very first poem was entitled The Door. This, I can say is the only one of the bunch I couldn't connect with easily. I wrote in my little book that it sounded like a kid growing up in the closet. While I was in high school, I knew that feeling. I was that kid that belittled and bullied the “fags” into submission; a price I fair dearly for. I can say, if the rest of the poems are like this, I have a hard time on my hands.
Film Noir Okay, after reading another, and making a stiff drink because I realized Luc's a little deeper than I was expecting. I'm trying to feel out what this means, because it really disturbed me when I re-read it. Not only have I been within a situation, the emotions Luc brought up were truly open. I like how the gun felt on my hand while I myself shot the victim... Cold blooded and calculated.
Incarceration A few of the people that either know me or have read my sole story on this site know that I have been incarcerated myself, and out of all of the poems in this volume, this is the one that stung the most. I've never had someone be able to convey the feelings I went through so completely. If my emotions hadn't been hardened by my own situation, I probably would have been in tears after reading this poem.
Nothing I do not know where to begin on this one. It truly sent shiver's up my spine. Growing up, if it wasn't my sisters or me getting the brunt of abuse, it was my mother. As this is the forth poem I've read that hits close to home, I'm actually quite close to the tears I said couldn't fall in the previous review. I take back my previous statement; this is definitely the one that stung me the most....
Suspicion I'm glad this one didn't move me as much as the previous two, because I don't think I could stand being on the brink of tears once again. I'm assuming the poem is speaking about a relationship, but really could be talking about anything. I feel bad for my fiancé after reading this though. I was in a previous relationship that ended on bad terms over a suspicion, and somehow it all came rolling back.
I know this review looks a little more like a diary entry, but I wasn't quite sure how to write a poetry review, so I simply jotted down how it made me feel. I hate to admit it, but tears did fall in the process. I don't know Luc, but I hope to one day meet the man that was able to connect with me through simple words, knowing my every thought. I do think next time I'm going to read the “Love” volumes though. I'm not sure if I can take much more angst from him. Maybe I'm not as dark as I thought. Luc, you are well versed, and I'm glad to have been schooled in the world of poetry for the first time by a man that can move the heart.
It is with GREAT pleasure, that I announce our newest Hosted Author - Baby Q's dad! (erm - I guess he also goes by Quonus10). I am personally a big fan of his work, especially Second Shot and The Trial of Jordan Colmar - if you haven't read his stuff yet, I encourage you to give it a try.
Also, a big last minute reminder that entries for the Poetry Anthology need to be to Lugh by April 17 - that's just two days from now.
So, we've had a pretty good week, starting with a review of Duncan Ryder's How the Light Gets In. I also recommend starting with Everybody's Wounded as it's the first book of this story, that has fantastic characters and realistic situations.
We actually had three tips this week. Setting the Scene gave some hints on how to better give context to where events may be happening and how to use this information to make your story better. Synonyms was great - and with the variety of synonyms, you can make your story richer. And while we normally only have two tips a week - we snuck a third in by highlighting a tip from a Feb 2007 newsletter on The Editing Process: From the Writer's Point of View.
From our midweek author's showcase, we saw reviews of our Promising Author JWolf's Nowhere Man as well as a review of The Waltz, by newer author Percy.
And our great weekly prompts by ComicFan challenges you to write either about a possible third sex and how people would react, or write a story using the following terms: fog, bus, newspaper, coffee roll, and toilet paper. Have you tried to write one or both of these? If so, be sure to share your writing with the community in the Writing Prompts forum!
Anthology Announcements:
Poetry Anthology "Cracks in Time" - Due April 17th
Summer Anthology “Choices” – Due June 8th
Novella Anthology "Secrets Can Kill" - Due July 31st
In writing, especially when doing character pieces, you need to watch for repetition. The words used when writing can give clues to accurately express how the character appears or acts depending on what synonym is used. Physical cues are very important when it comes to showing and not telling. However, using the same word repeatedly is boring. Below are a few common actions and examples of synonyms you can use to highlight them in different ways.
Fight: verb-engage in a physical encounter Synonyms: box, brawl, battle, scrap, scuffle, tussle, wrangle, wrestle, exchange blows, feud, bicker, duel, quarrel, war
Cry: verb-physical tears and making sad sounds Synonyms: bawl, bewail, blubber, keen, howl, wail, whimper, shed tears, snivel, sob
Have Sex: verb-physical intercourse Synonyms: make out, neck, intimacy, coitus, relations, lovemaking, sleeping around
So - give us some good examples of other synonyms by leaving a comment. And if you have any great tips that you want to share with the community, let Trebs or Renee Stevens know!
Well, it's Wednesday again, and you know what that means! Is everyone ready for their weekly dose of "Author Showcase"? Today we bring you a story by Promising Author: JWolf titled "Nowhere Man". Also, we are bringing you a story by a bit of a newer author here at GA, Author: Percy and his story "The Waltz".
Nowhere Man
by
JWolf
Reviewer: LouisHarris Status: Complete Word Count: 44,350
JWolf understands the edge. And, in this short thriller, he doesn’t waste words. Every word transports the reader to a place where there is no turning back and the reader is suddenly, inextricably, sucked in.
Nowhere Man is a dark escape into one man’s reality. But that is not the sum of the story. Every action has a reaction. Note, not an equal and opposite, but every cause has an effect, and this is clear from the time you start reading, to the time you finish. Every scene, every chapter of Nowhere Man is suffused with action and drama born out of a conflict that leads to disaster. One thing is absolutely certain, Mr Wolf is not afraid of the edge, and he places his reader, without too much interior thought, straight into it with him.
Travis lives in a trailer park with his brother and his wife, stuck in a nowhere place. Life is humdrum in the park, until he meets the tattooed Tyler Lafferty. Lafferty is one serious hunk of a man who likes to sing a song called “nowhere man” and Travis is drawn to him, both mentally and sexually. Lafferty plays him like putty in his fingers even to the point of stalking him. But Lafferty isn’t enough for Travis. The young man’s seclusion leads him to meet a man called Wade. And this is where the trouble starts. It becomes apparent that nothing is what it seems, and when Lafferty confesses to Travis that he had murdered his wife, it is too late to turn back. Travis is unable to withdraw, and it is this inability that leads him closer and closer to the edge of his own sanity. Only a miracle can save Travis. That, or murder.
Lafferty is conspicuous in his stalking of Travis:
I recommend Nowhere Man as a roller coaster of a read. It has a well-constructed plot that will not bore. The reader is hooked from the first word through scenes of action and reaction and the heat is on from the very first line. But the hook in Nowhere Man has several levels. It is real and it is imagined. It is internal and external. It is both positive and negative. There is an underlying threat of impending doom with every turn of the page, and Travis knows and understands the situation he is in and that it must be dealt with.
The conflicts increase between Travis and Lafferty and Wade, and Travis finds out all too late that the conflict has developed into a game.
Wolf increases the stakes at every turn and puts forces into place for the grand finale. The ending had me pulling my hair out, for I wanted this story to continue. It felt a little unresolved even though so many secrets had been revealed and so many questions had been answered.
The Waltz
By
Percy
Reviewer: Comicfan Status: Complete Word Count: 10,093
Is there anything better than stumbling onto a new author who has something to say? Anyone who knows me, knows I have a thing for fairy tales and seeing them bent into new configurations. If you share that enjoyment then come join me in the Waltz.
Percy’s first story here on GA centers around Lacy Winters. She is an attractive woman, who just happens to have been born in the wrong body. Lacy has undergone surgery and refuses to hide her past from anyone. She is upfront, takes no prisoners, but also has known heartache as well.
Having finished college Lacy has found her first job after grad school working for Mayor Drew Halperin. In time Lacy and Drew will find themselves being drawn to each other. Is this simply a case of the Mayor being interested in Lacy or is he out to experiment with the transsexual?
In what basically becomes a new twist on the old Cinderella fairy tale, Lacy will be made up to go to the ball. Will she met her Prince Charming? Will misunderstandings be cleared up? Perhaps a happy ending is in store? Then again, maybe not. You will have to read Percy’s The Waltz to find out.
In addition to his story The Waltz, he has worked on two prompts and has begun a new story as well entitled, Neither Here Nor There. So give this new GA author a read and surprise yourself with a whole new perspective. Enjoy.
As always, a great big Thank You goes out to our reviewers for providing us with the reviews for the blog. We still need reviews, so if you are interested in reviewing for the blog, please contact either Trebs or Renee Stevens!
Before we review the past week, I want to point out that the deadline for the Poetry Anthology is just NINE days away. If you are planning on submitting a poem (and I hope you do), it needs to be sent Lugh by April 17.
Our week started as always with a Hosted Author review - and this week, Roan wrote a review of Renee Stevens' Eternity. This is a story that I loved when I first read, and Roan's review is a great reminder of what a gem Eternity is.
Our tips this week were both very useful for authors - how to Blog for Exposure, by Cia and Writing for Technical Geeks, by Myr. Great helpful tips - and if you have a tip that you think others would find useful, let me know and you may be featured in the future!
Our Author Showcase had a review by Houdinii of Charlie, by our Promising Author Hamen Cheese. Houdinii really enjoyed Charlie and it shows in his review. We also had a review of K.C.'s Mr. Anonymous. Our new special guest reviewer, Fozzy Bear, made this his first review and I'm glad he did, as Mr. Anonymous sounds like a great read.
Our Writing Prompts by ComicFan were "The Wedding Secret" and a First Line prompt. Take a peek at them and give one (or both) of them a try. If you post them on GA.Stories, you can now choose "Prompts" as a genre when categorizing your story.
We ended our week with a look back - a Blast From the Past from the 2007 Spring Anthology. K.C. did a review of Time to Grow Up, by Jack Scribe. Jack did a really interesting modern twist on Peter Pan.
Anthology Announcements:
Poetry Anthology "Cracks in Time" - Due April 17th
Summer Anthology “Choices” – Due June 8th
Novella Anthology "Secrets Can Kill" - Due July 31st
GayAuthors.Org Announcement
We have two new Forums!!!! “Sports Bar” and “Video Gamers” are now OPEN!!!
NEW READING
In Premium this week:
Displacement by DKStories
By our Hosted Authors this week:
The Only One by Renee Stevens
Paternity by Mark Arbour, Book 12 of Chronicles of An Academic Predator (CAP)
The Secret Life of Billy Chase 6 by Comicality, Book 6 of Billy Chase Chronicles
Standing in Shadows by Krista
Circumnavigation by C James
Crosscurrents by Adam Phillips
By our Promising Authors this week:
Nemesis by David McLeod
Aglanthol 4 - Tyrnae (Journey to the Otherworld) by Dolores Esteban
The Prompt You Say! by comicfan
GA Writing Prompts by Dolores Esteban
Blue by Bugeye
Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!
Today we're going to revisit another Anthology Entry from some of the earlier anthologies. So from the 2007 Spring Anthology: Fairy Tales, here is the review for:
Time to Grow Up
by
Jack Scribe
Reviewer: K.C. Status: Complete Word Count: 8,584
“Time To Grow Up” 2007 Anthology piece by Jack Scribe is a modern twist on a timeless fairytale of Peter Pan. The character of Peter Pan has delighted children and adults alike for more than a hundred years. Peter’s carefree life of a playful boy who never grows up is intriguing, but who wants to be stuck as an adolescent forever?
After the Lost Boys went home and Wendy was long gone, Peter is still stuck in Never Land. If it wasn’t for Tink, he would be all alone. The gender swap of Tinkerbelle being Tinkerboy is charming.
So, what is a boy, who never ever ages, to do? There’s only so many times one can masturbate before even that starts to get old. Peter doesn’t want to be alone anymore, but it’s been over 70 years since the Lost Boys went home. The ones still alive were now old men with grandchildren and even great-grandchildren. Of all the Lost Boys, Peter still feels a special connection with Nibs.
Peter’s scared to leave the comfort of Never Land, but when he sees Nibs' attractive grandson, Nelson, has Peter finally found a reason to grown up? Can Peter really give up fun and fairy dust for a chance to find love in the real world?
The whimsical feel of the story is charming. I would rate it 5 stars, since even with his own twists to the story it still has that old fairytale lure that thrilled me as a kid, yet the new version excited me more now as an adult. Well done Jack!
Why don't you go check the story out and leave a review! And don't forget, read, write, and review! If you are interested in reviewing a pre-2009 Anthology story for "Blast from the Past" please contact Trebs or Renee Stevens.
How to get more traffic to your stories is frequently something author's are concerned about. What use is it to write a fantastic story, if people don't know about it. Here is one way - Cia writes about blogging as a way to increase your exposure. Check out her tip and let us know what you think! Also, if YOU have a tip, let me know. It may be one we feature on a future news blog entry.
Blogging for Exposure
by Cia
Do you blog? I didn't until about 3 months ago. I've writing scattered on FSO, Literotica, All Romance Ebooks, and here. I decided when I wanted to send a few things to publishers that I should start a blog, get an audience, and put myself out there. This way, readers can find all the various things I write and where they are. It worked too; I've increased my readership on every site.
See, if you want readers, you can't just write a story and sit back and wait for them to show up. A book on the shelf, an online story on a site full of online stories, or an ebook on a publisher's website, whatever you have - will not stand out unless you make it. A great cover, blurb, and excerpt or any combo of those help, of course, but that's just the tip of the iceberg, imo.
A good story will keep readers coming back for more, but to get them there you need to network. On the sites you are on, the best way is to get involved in author discussions, use status updates, signatures, reviews... whatever resources are there. A blog is also a great way to feature yourself in whatever capacity your art takes you. I've created one and posted links to all my stories on various sites, and threw my photography in for fun. I also post a story part on there every few days (which get the highest reads) but that's boring after a while I think. Not to mention hard to keep up with!
So, I researched, considered posts of blogs I follow, again networking-I follow authors I like and some of them follow me back, and ended up with a list of things you can share on your blog to keep it interesting. Hopefully, if you decide to start a blog or already have one, these will help you keep it fresh.
Here are not quite 35 blog topic ideas:
1) Do a book review. And don't do what everyone else is doing. Choose a book that's controversial, edgy or just different.
2) Interview an author.
3) Interview a magazine or ezine editor about what's hot, what's not, the Do's and Don't's for their publication and what they're looking for right now.
4) Highlight a new writing opportunity.
5) Do a giveaway.
6) Get another writer, author, editor or publisher to do a guest post.
7) Review a writing resource.
8) Do a 'Top ____' list. Choose a subject such as best/worst books, best writing tools, etc.
9) Do an interview with a character from either one of your works or someone else's.
10) Post a picture and have followers write short story about it.
11) Do a weekly writing prompt.
12) Start a story and invite followers to keep the story going by adding their own scene.
13) Interview a child about his or her favorite books and why they love them. (Kids are a GREAT resource for writing ideas!)
14) Flip through a book, read the fourth sentence and write something based on that sentence.
15) Share a short story, article or chapter from your latest work.
16) Participate in writing prompt circles or other writing groups.
17) Write a post about your favorite song and why it means so much to you.
18) Put another author's blog in the spotlight.
19) Discuss a media tool (eg: Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, etc.) or give some tips on how to use it most effectively.
20) Have a 'Writers' Treasure Hunt' where readers have to go to fellow writer's blogs for clues to win a prize.
21) Participate in, or organize, a writer/author blog hop with a specific theme.
22) Share a special childhood memory.
23) Talk about an issue that needs to be in the spotlight.
24) Highlight one of your other favorite creative distractions.
25) Have another writer join you for a post where your readers come up with three (or more) prompt words you have to create a story with.
26) Discuss a specific genre.
27) Talk about how you broke into a specific market and share a few tips.
28) Interview a publisher and get some tips for submitting to them.
29) Open the discussion about what a certain celebrity is doing.
30) Give a list of writing opportunities or writing contests.
31) Discuss ways you embrace your audience.
32) Share your favorite flames! We all have trolls, and some of them are just hilarious in their vitriol. Share your favs.
33) Check your comments. Readers/Followers often have interesting questions or provoking ideas.
34) People seem to like surveys. Keep them simple and fun with amusing topics (or hot pictures, lol).
We had a great week and now it’s that time again to take a final look at what was included in the News Blog over the last week.
On Monday we featured a story by Hosted Author: Krista entitled “Are You Christian?”, reviewed by Zolia Lily. Hopefully it gave you a slight insight into this author's writing, and if you haven’t already, go check it out and leave Krista a review letting her know what you thought!
On Tuesday we had a very informative tip written by WatchPatRun on Online Safety. While it was geared more towards the minors on the site, every member should go and read it. It discusses ways to protect yourself and your identity in the online world.
On Wednesday’s Author Showcase, Renee Stevens reviewed Promising Author: Linxe Turmoil’s story L.A.F. We also had a review by Frostina for Author: Greg_A’s story Dangerous Impulses. Hopefully you already went and checked these two wonderful stories out, if not, why not give them a look? We are still looking for more people to do reviews for the blog, if you’re interested, then please contact Trebs or Renee Stevens!
On Thursday we had a fantastic little poem called “Ode to the Spell Check”. It was quite humorous and well worth the minute or two it takes to read it. If you need a chuckle, take a look!
On Friday we featured two new prompts brought to us by Comicfan, “The Mystery” and “The Shift”. Both of these look to be quite interesting. Prompts are a great way to get the juices flowing and who knows, you might be featured on a future blog entry!
Last but certainly not least, we took a look back in time at an old Newsletter article on Editing Tips that gave some great tips to keep in mind when you are helping to edit an author’s work!
Anthology Announcements:
Poetry Anthology "Cracks in Time" - Due April 17th
Summer Anthology “Choices” – Due June 8th
Novella Anthology "Secrets Can Kill" - Due July 31st
GayAuthors.Org Announcement
We have two new Forums!!!! “Sports Bar” and “Video Gamers” are now OPEN!!!
NEW READING
By our Hosted Authors this week:
The Secret Life of Billy Chase 6 by Comicality, Book 6 of Billy Chase Chronicles
Paternity by Mark Arbour, Book 12 of Chronicles of An Academic Predator (CAP)
Hypnotic by Cia, Book 3 of Carthera Tales
By our Promising Authors this week:
GA Writing Prompts by Dolores Esteban
Aglanthol 4 - Tyrnae (Journey to the Otherworld) by Dolores Esteban
Blue by Bugeye
Nemesis by David McLeod
Purpose by Quonus10 - NOW COMPLETE
Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!
I love looking back over older GA Newsletters. This gem about editing was published in the December 2006 issue - but is still very relevant today. I hope you enjoy!
Editing Tips... How Far Should You Go?
There can be little doubt that editing is an extremely complicated process. Sure, anyone with basic literacy skills and a spellchecker can read through a story and correct spelling and grammatical mistakes. It's not exactly brain surgery. Yes, it takes a certain degree of skill and patience to comb through a story and spot the errors, to know how to put them right and to do so in a way that is helpful to the author, but as any good editor will know, this is only part of the process.
The job of an editor is not just to correct mistakes, but also to help an author learn to be the best that they can be, to make their story shine. For many authors, this may just mean rewording a bit of dialogue to make it seem a little more realistic or helping them to develop their descriptive skills, but sometimes a little more work and creativity is required. So, what do you do when you get a story or scene that doesn't quite work? Do you shrug your shoulders, correct the mistakes and move on or do you work with your author to help them fix it?
The answer to this question goes straight to the heart of the dynamics between author and editor. Some authors just want a glorified proofreader to look over their work, stick in a few commas and fix the spelling, but a good author, an author dedicated to developing their talent, will want something more. They will want their editor to help them to learn, to improve, to fix those sentences, paragraphs, scenes, even whole chapters that just don't work.
A good editor should never be afraid to tell their author when there is something in the story that simply isn't up to par. The question is, how do you do it without upsetting your author? How do you help them fix their story and expand their skills without offending them? Let's face it, the majority of authors have fairly fragile egos and telling them that their story is a steaming pile of crap is probably not the best way of dealing with the situation.
Ideally, the best approach is to discuss with your author right at the start how they would like you to deal with problems with plotline, structure and weaknesses in their writing. A gentle, but proactive approach is best. Authors rarely know what they actually need from an editor. Let's face it, there are very few authors who are truly capable of judging their own strengths and weaknesses, so it may be up to you, their editor, to spell it out to them. Suggest to them that the best way to deal with such problems is for you to let them know if you spot something that isn't working. Offer to provide notes to explain the problem and suggestions about how to fix it.
When you encounter a problem, don't be afraid to let your author know. Sure, they might get a little frustrated, but isn't it better that they hear from you that their story isn't working in places rather than from the readers afterwards? You need to be tactful, direct and, wherever possible, provide suggestions to help address the issues you encounter, but a good author will appreciate the opportunity to make their work the best it can possibly be rather than to publish something that is merely mediocre.
So, how do you go about it? One of the mistakes many editors make is to attempt to rewrite difficult sections themselves. Never do this. You're an editor and even if you know you can do a better job of it than the author, your job is not to become the author, but to guide them, help them to learn how to improve, let them write their own story in their own words. Think of it this way - when you're teaching someone to drive, you can get behind the wheel and demonstrate the maneuvers as much as you like, but until they're in the driver's seat they'll never master the technique. You can guide them, whisper words of encouragement in their ear, but if you do it for them they'll never learn.
When your author sends you a new chapter/story, read through it and be prepared to make notes about what you see. Be honest. When your author writes something that you really like, tell them. If a section of the story moves you, let them know. And where you see something that isn't working, be sure to tell them what, where and why. Maybe your author won't be interested in correcting their mistake, but if they are really serious about their writing they will listen, learn and rework a section until it's just right.
The editing process isn't about getting a piece of text, looking it over and sending back a corrected version, it's about developing a story. As an editor you play a vital role in the growth of your author, helping them expand their skills and making them the best that they can be. If they have to rewrite a chapter a dozen times before it's right, so be it. It's only through this process that an author can learn to master their craft and a story can go from being run-of-the-mill to a work of literary art.
Today we bring you two more stories. One called L.A.F. from Promising Author, Linxe Termoil. The other story, Dangerous Impulses, is brought to you by Author, Greg_A.
L.A.F.
By
Linxe Turmoil
Reviewer: Renee Stevens Status: Complete Word Count: 12,017
I was looking for a story to do a review on and I decided on Linxe Turmoil’s story L.A.F. This story was first published as part of the 2011 Fall Anthology: Legends. I must say that it was an interesting read which enough twists and turns to keep me interested and wanting to find out more.
The story is told in first person by Danny, the main character, and follows a short period of time in his life. L.A.F. focuses on the relationships in his life, both old and new, and how he handles different aspects of life that for a teenage boy could end up being crippling if he allows it. His best friend doesn’t want it to be public knowledge that they’re friends. Another friend of his is determined that he needs to find romance. Add to all this, school sporting events have a tendency to turn violent. What is a guy to do when chaos abounds around him?
Linxe did a wonderful job, in my opinion, of mixing a dose of drama with a dose of humor into a believable story that at times made me want to smack characters and at other times made me want to laugh. I especially found the main characters relationship with his parents to be a nice change from some of the other stories I have read. As for the characters, it includes many of the clique’s that you find in high school. The jock, the shy artist, the popular cheer leader, and many others.
I strongly suggest that if you haven’t already read this story, that you do so. I know from experience that wrapping up a short story can be a difficult task. Linxe handled this perfectly and has wrapped this story up well enough that the reader isn’t left questioning what has happened to a particular character. Want to know what L.A.F. stands for? Check it out now and find out that and so much more!
Dangerous Impulses
by
Greg_A
Reviewer: Frostina Status: Complete Word Count: 19,664
This story came as quite a bit of surprise to me, especially when it was posted on GA. But given that I was already a big fan of Greg’s from having read Alex and Zach, there was no way I was going to let it just pass. Also, it was a ‘Complete’ story. How could I have let it go?
This story gives us the tale of Geoff, a shy, introverted man and Adam, a friend of his that he’d met online. Initially, as we’re introduced to Geoff, I couldn’t, for the life of me figure out why he was so terrified of meeting a friend in real life, especially someone he was close enough to have shared a lot of secrets with. But then again, if one could do so in the first few hundred words, why would they bother reading the rest?
Adam, in a word, was an admirer or Geoff’s work: no matter how amateurish Geoff thought they were. In fact, that’s how they’d begun corresponding, in the first place. Reviews turned into emails, which then became IMs and regular conversations of the interesting and the mundane. So for him to meet his friend, who sort of understood him, knew him better than a lot of people around, was something to look forward to, and without the trepidation Geoff seemed to have. So while Geoff is trying his best to keep a distance, Adam is determined to show Geoff the best time in his city. Make sure that their friendship is worth maintaining, and also, he seems hell bent on bringing the quieter man out of his shell.
Neither was prepared for what seemed to hit them full force, and that is where Greg does an excellent work of taking us along on the journey of their lives. Although the story only takes place over an extended weekend, it does echo the sentiments of the characters, by the time we’re done with it. We feel like we know the characters so well, that it’s hard to believe in the end that it is just a short story that told you their tale. And to all of those who prefer reading novel/novellas because they seem to be able to tell a much deeper story, this is an answer to how even short stories can do so. (So, here goes a personal Thanks to Greg for giving the short story writers a boost of confidence!)
Although I want to say it’s a sweet romance, I really can’t do the story or Greg justice in doing so. It’s a bittersweet tale of new friendships, love lost and found. There really is no way anyone should miss giving this story a go! Take it from a voracious reader!
Well, there we go! Two more stories featured by two wonderful authors! Why not go and read them and let the authors know how much we appreciate them sharing their skill with us. Thank you to all of our reviewers. How about you? Is there a story that you have read and would like to see featured on the blog? Why not write a review for it! If you're interested, please contact Trebs or Renee Stevens.
So is this spring break for you? Or does yours start later? Either way a good way to kick off the week is with out Hosted Author story review! Today, Zolia Lily reviews Are You Christian, by Krista. Enjoy!
Are you Christian
by Krista
Review by Zolia Lily
I chose to review this story never having read it before purely upon the recommendation of a friend, and I’m glad I did.
Christian, the protagonist of this story, finds himself attending school in small town North Carolina after his father is shot by a client and his family relocates. Everything is different from Baltimore, and Christian and his family have to adjust to life in Landfalls – or “hell” as Christian refers to the town on their way there. His kooky psychologist mother, lawyer father, and grumbling older sister all have to adjust, and when his mother decides that they should attempt to fit in, this means going to church. Christian could probably cope with this ok – but the preacher is one of his new friends’ fathers, and Jonathon and Christian have something in common. Despite Christian’s initial dislike towards Jonathon, it becomes apparent that he is gay too – but his parents are a striking contrast to the accepting and loving family that Christian goes home to – and a relationship between them seems the most impossible of things.
Christian himself is a strong, grounded individual, who, despite some initial nerves at starting over, is true to himself and refreshingly different from the angst ridden teenagers so often at the centre of coming out stories. The family dynamics are realistic and the characters interesting. Christian’s mother, especially, offsets the claustrophobia of the town by providing a contrast with the adult characters at the church and school and heightening the sense of isolation from their previous life in Baltimore.
Even Christian’s new friends step out from the mould and provide the reader with their own moments of amusement and frustration. There’s the girl who is sure Christian wants to date her as much as she wants to date him, the pot-smoking joker and then there’s the girlfriend from the next town over who knows more than she lets on, all of whom provide Christian with small revelations and tensions along the way. There are intimate moments and a couple of strikingly romantic scenes which made me smile all goofily, but what transpires between the two is not only sweet and sexy but full of an innocence and peppered with moments of nervousness and self-consciousness which reflect their age and experience.
The story has realistic dialogue, a good, clear writing style, with only a few minor errors with punctuation and differences in formatting between chapters that I found fairly easy to overlook. The themes of Christianity and religion and homosexuality were well handled through multiple characters, and yet never overbearing or heavy handed. Acceptance and negotiating other people’s opinions in a small town all play a part in this story as well.
I felt the plot unfolded in such a way that the reader really got a chance to know the characters and the town, as well as wanting to read on to find out more and more. Perhaps my only point of contention was that I felt the climax of the story was a little hurried and a change of pace. It felt as though there was still so much left to explore, yet, maybe the author didn’t want to leave us with every question answered, all the ends tied up, and an easy happily ever after.
The ending did provide hope though, and I’m very glad I took my friend’s recommendation and read and reviewed this story and now I hope you’ll take mine: This is a thoroughly enjoyable story! I hope you'll read it and enjoy it as much as I did!
The sun goes down - I think about you. The coffee cup - I think about you... Oops - sorry... need to do the weekly wrap up, eh? Heh -and it WAS a great week to wrap up.
Monday started with Cia's review of Weeping Lily, by our Hosted Author Nephylim. On Wednesday, Frostina did a review of Over the Precipice by Promising Author Dark, and we got to see a glimpse of a story by Jasper, a new author who wrote Out of the Woods. Though this is still in progress, Michael9344's review makes it sound like an intriguing story to follow.
Two great writing prompts this week - one on correct usage of certain words/phrases in Oops, it's wrong... or is it? The other has the odd title of Said-Bookisms, but nothing odd about how helpful this tip is on how to put more variety into dialogue sections of your writing. Both are written by Cia and both are fantastic.
Our new Friday prompts are really interesting - I hope a few people take the plunge and especially try out the poetry one. These prompts are a great way to go beyond your comfort zone - just play with them and see what you can do. We also took a look at how two writers tackled prompts - one recent and a quite older one.
Then we closed the week looking at a review by K.C. of one of our earliest Anthology entries, Nicks_a_writer's Finding My Summer Adventure.
So - did you enjoy this week's blog entries? Send me any suggestions or comments please!
Anthology Announcements
Poetry Anthology "Cracks in Time" - Due April 17th
Novella Anthology "Secrets Can Kill" - Due July 31
GayAuthors.Org Announcements:
Reminder that March is Team Recognition Month
NEW READING
In Premium this week:
Displacement by DKStories
By our Hosted Authors this week:
The Experiment by Cia
Paternity by Mark Arbour, Book 12 of Chronicles of An Academic Predator (CAP)
The Secret Life of Billy Chase 6 by Comicality, Book 6 of Billy Chase Chronicles
St. Vincent by Mark Arbour, Book 5 of Bridgemont
Circumnavigation by C James
Sky Light - Phase 1:Impact by Comicality
By our Promising Authors this week:
Blue by Bugeye
Aglanthol 4 - Tyrnae (Journey to the Otherworld) by Dolores Esteban
Purpose by Quonus10
Nemesis by David McLeod
Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!
Happy Friday everyone! Our two new writing prompts to play with are from ComicFan:
Prompt 122 – Creative Cue – Word List Use the following words in story: Red hand print, shattered vase, new car, fifteen year old boy, and a spider.
Prompt 123 – Challenge Cue – Poetry Mention poetry and see the look of fear on so many faces. Choose whichever kind of poetry you prefer to write in, but it must be about one of three topics. Either your favorite season, favorite holiday, or your favorite person. Length is up to you, but it must be long enough to give us a sense of why this is your favorite.
Let your mind wander and see where you can take them - be sure to share them with the community in the Writing Prompts forum.
And for our featured responses - I actually have two to share this week.
From last week's Prompt 121, LouisHarris came up with his "The Wish", An African Gay Fable.
Like it? Here is the rest of the story...
The other featured prompt response is a recent entry to a Prompt from May 22, 2011. I find it fantastic that we have such a trove of great prompts to help stimulate these great writing exercises. I love seeing where people take the same starting information.
In this case, andy021278 came up with his own idioms. To see the full list, visit his full prompt response but a couple of my favorites are:
What a busy week. Did everyone catch the news that the Spring Anthology: It Wasn't Me is now live - we have some fantastic entries there!
So, we started the week with a review of Myr's fanfic Three Edged Sword. Andy021278's review was so good, I started reading the story. It's reviews like this that are so vital to the site - gives you a great flavor for the story so you can see if you want to go read more. And in this case, I personally say yes - more please!
We had two tips this week, a thoughtful one with good advice on Revisiting "On-Hold" Stories, by Renee Steven, and an extremely funny but contemplative piece that Myr found on English Joke / Writing Primer. If you find or write a great tip that you want to share, be sure to send it to me!
We changed the name of our Wednesday feature to Author Showcase so Monday's blogs will continue to be reviews of Hosted Author stories, and Wednesday's will be two reviews, one of which will be for one of our Promising Author's story. This week, K.C. did a really nice review of Comicfan's The Strange Life of Jonas Marks. Comicfan had started this as an anthology entry, and now his new story is a fuller development with six chapters already completed.
We also had a review by Kiltie69 of Billy Brat's Trials and Tribulations. As Kitte69 puts it, "I first started to read Trials after being asked, as a favour, to see what I thought of the first chapter, I was not disappointed and have gladly read each new chapter within a few hours of release."
This weeks writing prompts, thanks as always to the imaginative Comicfan have already spurred some authors to see where they can take them. Even if you've never written - try them out. You may find yourself going from a reader to author!
So - did you enjoy this week's blog entries? Send me any suggestions or comments please!
Anthology Announcements
Poetry Anthology "Cracks in Time" - Due April 17th
Novella Anthology "Secrets Can Kill" - Due July 31
GayAuthors.Org Announcements:
Reminder that March is Team Recognition Month
March 15 - Clean Up Deadline. So did YOU help by going through your old PMs, attachments, etc and reduce the clutter... honestly you do not need those "yes me too" messages from 2008. Look at your gallery and see if there are pictures you should trim. The more space you help to recover, the better GA runs for all of us. The deadline might be passed, but we still all need to keep the clutter down.
NEW READING
In Premium this week:
Displacement by DKStories
By our Hosted Authors this week:
Birthday Surprise by Lugh
The Experiment by Cia
Rich Boy: Inheritance Book 3 of Rich Boy by DKStories
St.. Vincent Book 5 of Bridgemont by Mark Arbour
Shorties by Renee Stevens
Paternity Book 12 of Chronicles of An Academic Predator (CAP) by Mark Arbour
By our Promising Authors this week:
Purpose by Quonus10
Nemesis by David McLeod
GA Writing Prompts by Dolores Esteban
Blue by Bugeye
Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!
One of the fun parts about doing the GA News Blog is to highlight authors on the site - especially our Hosted Authors. In this case, it is especially gratifying to share a review of a great short story by Myr. Andy021278 does a very comprehensive review of this five chapter complete fanfic. Enjoy the review, then hopefully the story itself!
Three Edged Sword (A Harry Potter Story)
by
Myr
review by andy021278
This piece of fanfiction by Myr is one of the best pieces of fanfic I have read anywhere. I’ve read both gay and more traditional versions of fanfic based on a number of TV shows and books – from Star Trek to Malcolm in the Middle through Dr Who, Twilight, Peanuts and everything in between.
I have been left sorely disappointed in the past with gay genre fanfics written elsewhere, and I approached his works with such trepidation and fear that I almost didn’t even start reading. However, I’m so glad I did; I found I really enjoyed Harry Potter and The Three Edged Sword from the beginning and will say that this rivals the HP stories written by J K Rowling. At times I found I had to remind myself that I wasn’t reading one of her works. The other reason why I enjoyed this fanfic is that it doesn’t feature the “traditional” gay fanfic pairing of Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy.
The story picks up around the start of the fifth book, Order of the Phoenix, following the murder of Cedric Diggory at the hands of Lord Voldemort. The events of the fifth year at Hogwarts have been almost completely rewritten as you would expect with a fanfic, yet there are nods to events from the HP world and there are also elements from Order of the Phoenix present; you don’t even need to look for them if you know the stories well.
Myr’s world has a genuinely Potter feel to it, and although there are surprises and the occasional “huh, what!” moment, none of it feels totally out of place or a far stretch from the established Potter world. There is fun and laughter, but there is also the darker chaos you would expect with Lord Voldemort’s return, and the presence in the school of Dolores Umbridge.
Unlike many of the gay fanfics around, The Three Edged Sword reads much more like a romance than the usual smutfest. For a fanfic (especially for one in the gay genre) this is extremely well written, and the characters are very imaginatively developed beyond the original works.
There is really only one sex scene in this work, and it occurs in the first chapter; which is, as Myr has forewarned his readers, a non-graphic rape scene. However, in spite of the briefness of the scene, the after-effects are no less devastating and heart wrenching. You may want to have a tissue on standby; I know I needed one. It is also this scene which serves as the catalyst for the story.
My only criticisms are that there are a few minor grammar and spelling errors, but nothing that really detracts from reading or the flow of the story; they are really only obvious if you go looking for them. Also, since the entire school year was written in only five chapters, it is not as developed as it could be nor does it truly allow Myr’s writing talents to shine through as much as some of his other works.
If you have never read a fanfic before, then make this your first. If you have been left disappointed by other fanfics, then you have to read this. If you are simply looking for something new to read, then read this.
Having read and been highly impressed with Myr’s other fanfics, Harry Potter and The Three Edged Sword gets a 4 out of 5 from me.
So - did everyone (who needed to) remember to change their clocks?
Before going into our Weekly Wrap Up for GA, I wanted to share a few quick announcements. First - a hearty thanks to Lugh who had been the Lead on this, the GA News Blog. This past week we switched over and I'll be the Lead for a while - so if you have any suggestions or comments, please let me know. Lugh did a fantastic job getting this set up, figuring out the daily format and rounding up the ton of content in the goal of making GA a more accessible place for all of us. Again - a HUGE round of thanks to him.
We've also welcomed recently a new moderator to GA - Renee Stevens, as well as a new chat moderator - Patrick (WatchPatRun). These key volunteers, in what are usually thankless jobs, help us keep GA running and a welcoming environment. When the admins asked them (and others in the past), they were willing to step up and help out and we very much appreciate their help.
And with that, the Wrap Up: We started with a Tip from our fearless leader, Myr. He had a fantastic write up of GA.Stories that is so extremely useful. Cia also did a wonderful Tip piece on reviewing stories. Speaking of reviews, Cia pulled out some reader reviews that help give a much better idea of what Kiss Me Deadly, by NoMoreTears and Wolf, by NightOwl88 are like. After reading these reviews, now I want to go out and read these stories too.
We also had our two weekly writing prompts, thanks to the efforts of ComicFan. CassieQ has already written a very cool alternate perspective of a classic American legend. I can't wait to see where others will take these new prompts. And we closed our week remembering a Dec 2006 review of a very magical TheZot story.
So - did you enjoy these blog entries? Either way, remember to send me any suggestions or comments please!
Anthology Announcements
Spring Anthology - deadline has passed (was March 8) - we hope to have these up for reading by next weekend
Poetry Anthology "Cracks in Time" - Due April 17th
Novella Anthology "Secrets Can Kill" - Due July 31
GayAuthors.Org Announcements:
Reminder that March is Team Recognition Month
March 15 - Clean Up Deadline - by March 15, please go through your old PMs, attachments, etc and reduce the clutter... honestly you do not need those "yes me too" messages from 2008. Look at your gallery and see if there are pictures you should trim. The more space you help to recover, the better GA runs for all of us.
NEW READING
In Premium this week: Displacement by DKStories
By our Hosted Authors this week: Belovéd by Don H
The Experiment by Cia
St. Vincent Book 5 of Bridgemont by Mark Arbour
New Kid In School by Comicality
Paternity Book 12 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP) by Mark Arbour
Circumnavigation by C James
Harry Potter and the Parliament of Dreams by Myr
Rich Boy: Inheritance Book 3 of Rich Boy by DKStories
By our Promising Authors this week:
Prompts? by CassieQ
Blue by Bugeye
Nemesis by David McLeod
Purpose by Quonus10
The Strange Life of Jonas Marks by Comicfan
Aglanthol 3 - The Castle of Saelethiel (The Law Cannot Be Shaken) by Dolores Esteban
Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!
