Trebs

Our Summer anthology deadline has come and passed, so looking forward to soon being able to read some good "Choices". Our week started by Seeking Nirvana - a story by LittleBuddhaTW that was reviewed by Mark 92. Seeking Nirvana is a great story that I first read when David wrote it, but it was sooo good to take another fresh look at this gem. We had a couple of great tips this week. As one of the possible uses for Tip Tuesday will be interviews, what better than a tip on conducting interviews? We also had a look at Beta readers - specifically this time, how to find one that you can work with. Our Author Showcase this week spotlighted The Funny Thing Is by Promising Author JWolf as well as Author Naptowngirl's Hello My Name Is. Friday's Prompts by ComicFan were "Beloved" and one using a Word List - and Dolores Esteban has already risen to the challenge with a whimsical poem called "A Real Man". We also looked at another past prompt response, "Confession" by Percy. Wrapping up this week was a review of ComeWhatMay's anthology entry from 2008 "Living in The Shadows". Speaking of anthologies (deja vu), in addition to our upcoming Novella Anthology "Secrets Can Kill", due July 31, we're also announcing the Fall Anthology "Friends and Enemies", which will be due Sept 4. These are great ways to get your writing further exposed - consider submitting something for one or both of these upcoming anthologies! Anthology Announcements: Novella Anthology "Secrets Can Kill" - Due July 31st Fall Anthology “Friends and Enemies” – Due Sept 4th NEW READING In Premium this week: Chosen of Honorus by Quonus10, Book 1 of Champions of The Gods By our Hosted Authors this week: The Experiment by Cia Picture Me And You by Comicality 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) Circumnavigation by C James Odyssey by Mark Arbour, Book 6 of Bridgemont The Kandric Saga by Kyle Aarons Forging Trust by Renee Stevens By our Promising Authors this week: GA Writing Prompts by Dolores Esteban The Shunning by JMH Angels Ascending by JMH, Book 3 of The Centurion Cycle The Strange Life of Jonas Marks by Comicfan Nemesis by David McLeod Circle the Noun by JMH, Book 2 of The Watch Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!

It is always fun looking through old newsletters and GA Anthologies - so many treasures. Like a story from ComeWhatMay, written for the 2008 Anthology "Living in the Shadows". Much thanks to MJ85 for their review of Falling Slowly. Falling Slowly by ComeWhatMay Reviewer: MJ85 Status: Complete 2008 Anthology: Living In the Shadows I stumbled across this story while checking out some of the older anthologies on the site, curious as I was to see what they were (this is from 2008’s “Living in the Shadows”). Reading it, it’s very clear that the subjects of this story are things that are very near and dear to the author, and that is to this story’s benefit, I believe. I will say that I normally don’t get into stories that involve one of the protagonists having pressure put on them by people close to them () , which does happen here…but, I feel that the way the author had this play out just plain works. That’s especially critical for this story, seeing as it’s the centerpiece of the plot. What also struck me about this story is, quite simply, how vivid it is. The characters’ emotions are so clear – you can especially feel Matt’s inner turmoil. In addition, I checked out the author’s profile, and… *does a bit of quick math* he was only 16 when he wrote this! Quite a feat to have come up with such a well-written story. In a nutshell…yeah, I would definitely recommend giving this story a read. Even if you’re not a fan of the ins and outs of movie-making, some of which are touched on here, I’d still recommend giving it a read.

Wind down your week with our foray into writing prompts! With our usual profound thanks to ComicFan, we have two great new Writing Prompts to try out - and once you do, share them with the community in the Writing Prompts forum! Prompt 144 – Creative Cue – Beloved We all have someone or something that we love dearly. Tell a narrative in poetry. Who is this person or animal? Is it your ever faithful dog? Your doting parent? Your incredible partner? Bring them to life in a poem so that we can get to know them too! Prompt 145 – Creative Cue – Word List Use the following words in a story: recipe book, clothing store, vintage car, pink box, and a tiger. Got some ideas flowing? Good - RUN with them... And to see how someone ran with a past prompt, here is Percy's Confession - which is in response to Prompt 126 - Creative (The Wedding): 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? A bit back, we looked at a difference response to this prompt and here is Percy's take: Here's the rest...

First - the deadline for the Summer Anthology "Choices" is LESS THAN A WEEK away! Also, if you haven't seen Myr's Thursday post on the "EU Cookie Law and You", please take a moment to check it out. I hope your weekend is going well. I seem to have a bit of a head cold so this is going to be a more minimal wrap up - hope you understand. Our Hosted Author Feature story was Double Down by Cia. In the Author Showcase, our Promising Author spotlight was on Dolores Esteban and our Author story was Kyle and Kodi by Andy021278. Our Tuesday Toss-up (the new category for the Tuesday GA News blog entries) was a call for volunteers, and a number of you stepped forward - THANK YOU! Our weekly writing prompts are up - please check them out. Lastly, our Blast From the Past looked at an newsletter review of Nickolas James' Birds of a Feather. GayAuthors.org Announcements: We have a new "Promising Author" - welcome JMH to the Promising ranks Anthology Announcements: Summer Anthology “Choices” – Due June 8th *** THIS IS LESS THAN A WEEK AWAY *** Novella Anthology "Secrets Can Kill" - Due July 31st NEW READING In Premium this week: Displacement by DKStories - NOW COMPLETE! Chosen of Honorus by Quonus10, Book 1 of Champions of The Gods By our Hosted Authors this week: Dribbles by Cia Paternity by Mark Arbour, Book 12 of Chronicles of An Academic Predator (CAP) Standing in Shadows by Krista Odyssey by Mark Arbour, Book 6 of Bridgemont Circumnavigation by C James Forging Trust by Renee Stevens Hypnotic by Cia, Book 3 of Carthera Tales By our Promising Authors this week: Reach by CassieQ Nemesis by David McLeod The Academy by JMH, Book 2 of The Centurion Cycle The Princes of Mir by JMH, Book 2 of The Gods of Mir Tower of High Sun by JMH, Book 1 of Of Sun, Moon, and Stars Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!

Glorious Saturday! And here at the GA News Blog, we like to look back on Saturday's to previous newsletters or anthologies. Today is a review by Birds of a Feather, of a poem by Nickolas James called The Hand that first appeared in the December 2006 newsletter. We hope you enjoy! The Hand by Nick James Reviewed by Birds of a Feather Poetry Review There is an eminent paradox that most poets at GA have confronted, but few have conquered as triumphantly as Nickolas James. Is there a way of reaching out to people with our truest thoughts and feelings without being destructive? This is the precise intention behind his poetry - to provide an outlet for our sentiment and give introspection from his own experiences. Nick’s poetry is drawn from life itself; a series of recollections turned eloquent. “His Hand”, a poem reflective of the adolescent perception of a father-son relationship, is an ode dedicated to his father - the universality of the message, however, helps his poem transcend to an ever greater scale. During our ‘conversation’, Nick told me, “I wrote it after I had a pretty nasty argument with my dad… and then I sat around and I thought about how insignificant it was in the grand scheme of things.” For this gifted poet, regret seems to be an inspiration. How can such a muse provide a drive to write poems? “I Understand”, a poem portraying his latent understanding of uncontrollable circumstances, answers the question superbly - it is only through years of questioning and remorse that he finally commiserates with and comprehends the true benefits of his father’s decision. His repentance, in turn, is the reason why we can all enjoy this author’s poems. During the interview, Nick mentioned that writing poetry was a “very sporadic process” for him. “Sometimes I feel like I have something to say, something I want to release… and when it hits me like that I find that I can’t concentrate on my chapter stories until I get it off my chest.” Lastly, I asked Nick why he posted his poetry at GA. He said that “I like to share my thoughts and feelings with people, and maybe by posting my poetry I have a way of reaching out to people with my truest thoughts and feelings without being destructive.” It seems like Nickolas James luxuriates in a full understanding of his writing inspiration, something that many older authors still search for. Birdsofafeather Poem: His Hand by Nickolas James I used to reach for your hand when I was smaller Now sometimes I push it away. But I’ll never forget how you still loved me the day I told you I was gay. We fight a lot and you still yell at me Every time I act like I don’t care But the truth is I still idolize you From the way that you walk To the clothes that you wear. God blessed me with you But you say that I’m wrong You call me the blessing Somehow you stay strong. You’re the man in my life and you’ve taught me so much. How to be my own man How to always stay tough. I know you panic whenever I’m sick But then I get better and act like a prick Still you know I love you Even if I act out I hope in your heart there’s never a doubt Just because I’m not little I hope you understand. I’ll always be willing to hold my dad’s hand. © 2006 Nickolas James

So... It took me a while to find my blog. Everytime I tried to search, it would just show me the GA New Blog because of all of the entries I've made there. But eventually - YAY - found it again. Ya, blogging. I'm not good at it. I love FaceBook because I can do quick updates or thoughts on things, but kvetching about my health - heh, an actual blog seems better. So - nothing as horrible as my last health problem but - meh... Started a couple of weeks ago. As part of the follow up to the lymphoma, I see my oncologist every six months for a check-up. At the last one, he thought my blood sugar was a little high, but the lab hadn't been a fasting one so he wanted me to fast for this one. On Mon the 21st, I went in after 13 hour fasting and had my blood drawn - then I'd see him the following Tuesday for results. I also had a PET scan scheduled on Thursday the 24th. PET scans also need 12 hour fasting so I didn't have anything after 9PM on Wed. Then Thurs, one problem after another and instead of getting in to the tech at 9AM, I wasn't seen until 11:30. With a PET scan, they put radioactive sugar in your blood then you have to just rest for 30-45 minutes. Then you go in to a big machine like a CT, and it scans for the sugar in chest/abdomen. Cancer cells draw in the sugar more, so they light up the screen on the scan. Of course, before they put in the radioactive sugar, they test your blood to make sure your sugar count is low enough. 100-120 is normal, 140 is iffy, 200 is no way. Mine - um... 210. Ya... so it's finally happening :-( See, both my parents had diabetes so it was just a matter of when. Though, you'd think that if you get to 45 without it happening, you might be home free? Or is that just tag. So first thing I did was to call my oncologist's office to see if they had the monday lab results and if they were similar. Oh ya - monday it was 250. So made an appointment to see my primary care for a diabetes consultation and was able to see her the next morning. I came in to the office, and someone had gone to a European bakery and brought back great danishes. I figure it would be my last chance - so I had one. I thought most of the analysis would be based on the labs my oncologist did, as they had faxed them over to the primary care. Nope - they took my blood sugar when I got there and oh my - 363 (translation - NOT good). To say my doctor was upset would... um, be putting it mildly?

It's Friday AND it's JUNE!!! Be sure to change your calender (people still use calenders, don't they?!?) and then settle down and try one of our prompts, supplied by the ever inventive Comicfan. Be sure to share what you do with the community in the Writing Prompts forum! Prompt 142 – Creative Cue – First Line “Because … how could you not know this was done to me?” Prompt 143 – Creative Cue – Superhero Don’t they only exist in comics? Who expected to run into a real life superhero? What were they like? Both of these sound great - I can't wait to see what people come up with. Speaking of great, we had a simple premise for Prompt 128 - use the following words in a story: fog, bus, newspaper, coffee roll, and toilet paper. Dolores Esteban took this and ran with it. Here is her "In the Dark" - um, which you might want to read in a well lit room... Like that? There's more - here is the rest of her story.

See Dolores - it pays to read the blog everyday! ;-)

Gayauthors.org, as with many sites, thrives on its Hosted Authors. They are a valuable part of this board and unlike some sites, we have a formal contract with them, including such things as either exclusivity or preferential posting to GA (the details of which, vary by author). They are authors who are recognized by our site as special, and we here try to make sure that we show our appreciation to them, for the value they bring to the site. We also have a cadre of wonderful Promising Authors. These are authors whose quality and completed stories have shown they have the potential for Hosted. Typically an invitation to become Promising also comes with additional recommendations and guidance on how to continue to excel here. And we are additionally fortunate to have many other authors and poets, who start (or move) here, posting and creating a following. It is remarkable to watch in some cases, the changes and growth achieved when resources, such as good editors or beta readers, can help an author flourish. And then peer reviews and blog posts and so many other ways that authors start both sharpening their talent as writers as well as cultivating their readership. As with most things, we try to provide the opportunities and resources to help this development occur. One of these resources that I'm happy to be personally involved in is this Wednesday blog - the Author Showcase. The Hosted Author's get their spotlight on Monday with the Featured Story. But each week on Wednesday, we highlight two authors - one GA Promising Author and one GA Author or GA Poet. As this IS Wednesday, I am happy to present two great reviews. First, Comicfan has a review of Promising Author Dolores Esteban. Then we have Kiltie69's review of Kyle and Kodi, by Andy021278. I hope you enjoy these reviews and check out these authors! A Look at Dolores Esteban Reviewer: Comicfan Status: Various stories, many complete Dolores is one of the Promising Authors here on GA. I first became aware of her writing from going through her prompt stories. I found her stories to capture my attention and make great use of the short story form. While she has a multi-chapter, multi-book story entitled Aglanthol, I have decided to focus on two of her short stories. First up is A Man Like Ethan. Here Dolores sets the scene of two men meeting on a train. Gabriel is stiff, proper, and on his way to a job interview he hopes will alter his future. On the train he meets Ethan. Barely a half a dozen words are spoken between them, but when Ethan leaves the train he has the book Gabriel has been reading. This forces the two men to meet again. Will the rigid Gabriel be able to talk civilly with gregarious Ethan? What will this second encounter mean to both men? Will Gabriel be able to overcome his own prejudices to become friends? Only one way to know, read on. Dolores states she deals with historical pieces but she does poetry, short stories, and character studies in her writing. In the second piece I have chosen to focus on, Dolores has written a piece entitled Black Magic Woman (Hear My Chant). Poetry is something you find either you like or you don’t. Here her poem tells the story of a man sent to end the evil of the Black Magic Woman. It contains magic, words of power, and even death but it all flows effortlessly and quickly through her poetry. There is reason why this woman was chosen as Promising Author, and her work shows the craftsmanship that she uses in creating her work. If you haven’t taken the time to read any of her work before, take the chance and read something different from the usual fare. Give Dolores a read, and when you do feel free to leave her comment on her work. Kyle and Kodi by Andy021278 Reviewer: Kiltie69 Status: Complete Word Count: 22,786 When I come to read a story I'm usually a very blinkered reader I like my genres and I like my styles. Being on GA is helping to expand this in some ways. I recently read a story by Andy021278. Just a short one but through it I started to read some of his other works. Andy has a number of stories on the site covering off some of the prompts to and single chapter story, all excellent reads. His main story, which is also his first work, is called Kyle and Kodi. Presently there are 10 chapters to this tale, and more on the way. The story is about two boys, and yes they are boys, just into their teens. But before you stop and leave thinking this another coming of age stories, let me say this story is handled with a care that I found drew me to read more. Having dealt with youth groups in my past I would have tended to avoid the story because of the age of the main characters but from the first chapter I was drawn into their lives. Not to give the story away, we see the boys, who are best friends to start with, work their way through coming out and realizing love. All of this is handled well, given the characters age. The story is a no sex which makes it easy to read. There is some kissing and suggested "fun" but nothing that would be deemed inappropriate in most eyes. We, ourselves, were all young once and experimented so I found the level to be quite natural. For a first story, I found it, on the whole well written, particularly when you take into account there was no editor or beta. I found the characters were very well written and you quickly fall in love with the boys. Who from the start show a maturity beyond there years but with still have a child like innocence, which led me to reading more and want the next chapter. Andy's writing is very enjoyable, if you read this or any of his stories I'm sure you will enjoy them greatly.

First, for our US members, here is hoping you have an enjoyable Memorial Day. Though my father didn't die in service, he was in the US Military from shortly before World War II until the late 60's (and in three different branches - Army, Navy and Air Force). So thank you - to all who have served and died while in service. On to our feature story - I'm grateful to one of our favorite guest reviewers, Fozzie Bear, for this great review of Hosted Author Cia's Double Down. Enjoy! Double Down By Cia Reviewer: Fozzie Bear Status: Complete Word Count: 24,399 Wocka, Wocka, Wocka. Your favorite bear is back with another look another amazing author. This time I’m turning my eye to the resident Administrator, Hosted Author, and all around answer Queen. Ahh! Cia has written all sorts of stories from one shots to a story she has just finished that spanned three books. However this poor bear has decided to take a look at one of her shorter chapter stories. Welcome to the world of Double Down. The story centers around Marc Whitson. Marc is the oldest of two brothers and when his parents unexpectedly die is left to deal with everything, including his younger brother Ry. Marc barely makes it through his parent’s funeral and is only able to function due to the assistance of his friend and soon to be lover, Preston. However, things don’t go as one would expect for Marc. Preston takes advantage of Marc using the money he has inherited to pay off his gambling debts. However, Preston soon owes more money than Marc has to people that can’t be ignored. One day Marc finds himself hustled down to meet one Mr. Mestrick, to whom Preston owes a great deal of money. Unable to pay him off, Preston offers up Marc as sacrificial lamb, telling Mestrick that Marc is an incredible card counter. Marc soon finds himself involved in the shady world of gambling, trying to pay off Preston’s debt, and keep his brother safe, leading to his own steadily declining life. Ry refuses to see his brother suffer and soon finds a way to discover what is happening in his brother’s life in the form of Nat, a private investigator. Marc is soon walking a fine line where he is trying regain his life and rediscover who he is. Will he be able to escape Mestrick? Will Ry be safe? Is the handsome Nat as straight as he seems? Wocka, Wocka, Wocka. Wanna know? Then read the story, ahh. This bear isn’t giving up all the secrets Cia wrote. Double Down is a great little find. Take the time and read it, this bear thinks you will enjoy it. Wocka, Wocka. Oh, and don’t forget to leave a comment or click like if you enjoy.

Hope your weekend has been going well - mine started poorly due to allergies but major recovery today, so that's good. We had some fantastic reviews and other material here in the news blog this week. On Monday, we got a great review of prolific Hosted Author Mark Arbour's Wars End. If you haven't checked out any of his work, this may be the one to try first! Tuesday, I extended the conversation started the previous week, getting some additional input on this news blog. I really appreciate everyone who chimed in, and if you still have thoughts that haven't been voiced yet, you can always send them to me as a PM. We had a cool set of reviews on Wed - not only were they both of poems, they also were both reviewed by Mark92! First he reviewed Promising Author Bugeye's The Art of Poetry, and then he reviewed Author Menace's Poetry Collection. We don't feature poetry often enough, and we are grateful to Mark92 for these reviews. Thursday we had another wonderful tip by Cia, on "Ingy verbs" and how NOT to start sentences with them. Or the more wonky title: 'Present Participle Phrases Do Not Belong at the Beginning of a Sentence' - heh... Our weekly writing prompts, by the ever-inventive ComicFan, are there to give you some starting points - this time with two creative prompts called "The Date" and "Elements". Lastly, we wrapped up the week with a look back - this time to a 2007 anthology entry from Altimexis called Broad Ripple Blues. So that was our week - how did yours go? Anthology Announcements: Summer Anthology “Choices” – Due June 8th *** THIS IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER *** Novella Anthology "Secrets Can Kill" - Due July 31st NEW READING In Premium this week: Displacement by DKStories Chosen of Honorus by Quonus10, Book 1 of Champions of The Gods By our Hosted Authors this week: Hypnotic by Cia, Book 3 of Carthera Tales The Experiment by Cia 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) Circumnavigation by C James Forging Trust by Renee Stevens Odyssey by Mark Arbour, Book 6 of Bridgemont By our Promising Authors this week: Reach by CassieQ Nemesis by David McLeod The Strange Life of Jonas Marks by ComicFan The Prompt You Say! by ComicFan Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!

Friday - start (for me) of a three day weekend! Hope you enjoy your weekend but first, our weekly writing prompts, thanks to the genius of ComicFan. Our prompts this week are: Prompt 140 – Creative Cue – The Date This wasn’t what you expected when you finally agreed to go out. You figured maybe a movie and dinner but that isn’t you got. Who could have expected this on a date? So what did happen? Prompt 141 – Creative Cue – Elements Life is created by the elements around us from the elements found on the periodic table. That is challenged when a meteorite strikes the earth near the farm lands. You have been studying the fragments brought back but you have also gotten calls from the farms in that area. Seems new plants are growing and their makeup includes items of new elements. Life is changing due this fragment. What will these new elements mean to mankind? Take a chance and see where you can go on one (or both) of these, and share it with the community in the Writing Prompts Forum. Every week, we also look at how someone approached a past prompt. We featured James Savik's response to Prompt 127 already and now I want to show you how Andy021278 took the same prompt and went in a totally different direction. And that's one of the things I love about our writing prompts, the varied responses the same prompt can generate! Like the beginning of what Andy wrote? Here is the rest!

Ingy Verbs - Where They Don't Belong by Cia Interesting title, no? I thought it was better than if I hit you with 'Present Participle Phrases Do Not Belong at the Beginning of a Sentence' because that's just confusing right? I mean, who remembers what those grammar rules and names were for all the little bits of a sentence? *puts hand down* Soooo not me. So, if you're like me and it has been a long time since you took grammar lessons in school, I'm going to go with laymen's terms like . . . ingy verbs. They have a place in writing, and I've recently learned, that is NOT at the beginning of a sentence in almost all cases. I have learned that when you write, using the ing form of a verb tends to lessen the dramatic punch of the action you want the word to convey. It can also lead to your characters doing things in an order that just doesn't make sense or the action ends up happening to the wrong thing in the sentence. Editors frown harshly on it, and from what I've read, it is a frequent mark against writers who attempt to get published. Unfortunately, it's a habit that is hard to break! So, how about an example? Ingy verb use that is not okay: Crying out, he sat down hard on the ground again, cussing as he gripped the offending body part. Possible rewrite: Dane cried out in pain as he sat down hard on the ground again, then cussed as he gripped the offending body part. So, see the change in what I did? Not only did the first clause with the ing verb remove the impact of the cry, all those actions were technically taking place at the same time. There was no sequence of events. How do you cry out, fall to the ground, cuss and hold your ankle at the same time? Readers need to see a sequence for the story to flow without having to think about it. You could have him crying out and falling at the same time, since that is physically possible, and my edit grouped the two actions, crying out and falling, with cussing and gripping, and gave the sequence of events. I know this isn't an in depth explanation on all the technical aspects of ingy verbs. There are places that they can be placed and work well in your story; it is knowing the difference can be difficult. I didn't want to do too much at once in this blog so I chose to highlight the format most often redlined by editors. I do know a few good websites with more information as well as the popular book written by King and Brown, Self-editing for Fiction Writers, which includes a section on participle phrases. That can be found on Amazon or possibly your local bookstore, I know my fav local one has it used for only 6.95. Website links below. Grammar Wench Novel Publicity & Co. The Editor's Blog This one also explains different participle phrases. They do belong in some places in sentence structure; the ones I found that editors frown on are the participle phrase at the beginning on the setence, dangling modifiers, and participle phrases with passive voice. This one is technical but with great examples and includes punctuation rules. About.com Grammar Page on Participles Again, technical page on participles with further examples.

The weekend is almost over - but at least NEXT weekend will be a three-day one for many of us in the states. We've had a busy week with a ton of great feedback. For our "Tuesday tip", we did something different and had a poll as well as requests for open comments about this news blog. If you haven't chimed in, or if you have something new you want to add - please go and either post there or as a comment here. One of the suggestions has even been implemented already. As we continually ask for reviews, MJ85 noted that we hadn't covered writing reviews as a tip in the blog. Well - now we have with our Thursday tip on reviewing. Now - heh, I'm not saying we're going to be this quick with all of the feedback, but this one was perfect and we just had to get it on deck as soon as possible. In addition to these tips, we've had our usual great reviews of various stories on GA. Monday, Fozzie Bear gave a review of Hosted Author Lugh's story Catara. If you're looking for a new story and like Sci/Fi - Catara sounds like something you might want to check out. Wednesday we had reviews of both Promising Author Rilbur story Choice, as well as a review of Author Houdinii's story Agoraphobia. Both stories are intriguing and and based on these reviews, I've already gone and read Choice myself, and looking forward to checking out Agoraphobia. Our prompts this week both gave a snapshot of a background for a story, one called "The Oracle" and the other "The Sleeper". I am looking forward to seeing where people may take these. Finally, we looked back yesterday on a writing tip from VLista that appeared in our December 2006 newsletter, giving advice on how he approaches the writing process. So that was our week - how did yours go? 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 Chosen of Honorus by Quonus 10 By our Hosted Authors this week: Hypnotic by Cia, Book 3 of Carthera Tales Belovéd by Don H 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 Circumnavigation by C James Perfect by Nephylim Odyssey by Mark Arbour, Book 6 of Bridgemont Forging Trust by Renee Stevens By our Promising Authors this week: Nemesis by David McLeod Reach by CassieQ GA Writing Prompts by Dolores Esteban The Prompt You Say! by ComicFan Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!

Today we look at a writing Tips by VLista... That still hold true today! This was from the December 2006 newsletter. From Imagination to Publication Steps every writer should know You never know when it’s going to hit. You could be lying in bed trying to sleep, at the movies with your friends or family, driving down a long stretch of highway. Oftentimes, when you least expect it, your brain starts moving at a rapid pace, formulating and creating an idea for your next masterpiece. You can’t wait to get home or get up and fire up the old computer and start working it out into actual words. The process from that point on is different for everyone, though there are certain steps that are necessary in getting that idea out of your head, onto paper or into your computer and ready for the public eye. At some point in the beginning stages of your story you should work out a rough outline. The ideal time for this is before you even put that first word down. Though, speaking for myself, I often get too excited to just get started and find myself making my outline after the first chapter or two is written. The best reason for an outline is to remain focused and to keep working towards the same direction. If you have something to follow you are less likely to stray off into side stories. Not all side stories are bad, but too many of them can cause confusion and often times frustrate the reader. An outline does not have to be specific, each author is different. You don’t need to sit and write out what’s going to happen in each chapter. Some outlines are as simple as one paragraph with a description of what will transpire in the story. Much like a website has a ‘mission statement,’ one paragraph explaining it’s purpose. How much you want in your outline is totally up to each individual writer, it’s just best to get a rough plan out on paper before your story progresses too far. Another import part of this is a list of characters. You start out with two in mind, but they all have friends, family and pets. The best way to keep them sorted is to have a handy list of each characters name and a one or two word explanation for their role in the story. So you have your outline and you have your list of characters, it’s time to sit back and let your brain flow through your fingers. Many writers, myself included don’t stop to think about punctuation and spelling, you just want to get it all out. After all there’s spell check for that right? Well of course, but when you story is all done a simple spell check will not fix everything. After you have finished writing you need to go back and read it. Fix any glaring errors and see if there’s anything that just doesn’t sound quite right. Words missing, phrases jumbled any number of things could have happened while you were a writing machine! Once you have read it over and are satisfied to let someone else read it, your next step would be to find editors and beta readers. I would highly argue against being your own editor, another eye is always beneficial. Close friends are also not recommended for this task. Many close friends would read it over say it’s great and not get down to the nitty gritty that often needs to be done. If you do not know of anyone that can do this for you GA can help, with a very active editor/beta reader program. With an editor and a few beta readers you can get advice and ask questions to polish your story into becoming the best it can possibly be. Once it is at it’s best there are tons of option to get it out into the public eye. Websites are always taking story submissions. Not all are accepted at every site. However, GA does offer a place for new writers to post their stories. A great way for a writer to start getting exposed to the public eye. Something important to remember is to include your contact information with your story. Feedback good and bad is a valuable experience. Most emails will be positive, a lot providing constructive criticism, but there’s always someone that likes to mouth off about something just for the sake of mouthing off. So be prepared to take the good with the bad, the bad doesn’t happen often, most people who will take the time to email an author do it because they really liked your story. GA has many programs to help the budding author if you have questions about storylines, building suspense, character development or basically anything that you need to know, there is a place on GA to ask it, whether it’s in the writer’s corner or the newly developed mentoring program if you need any help at all there’s people at GA that are here to help! VLista

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!

Too many of my friends are waiting for 3AM EDT/6AM PDT for the servers to come up... heheh

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!!!

Friday! Time to jump in and try a new prompt, with our most sincere thanks to ComicFan! Prompt 136 – Challenge Cue – The Family Caretaker You almost laugh as you read the century old book. Who knew that someone would write stories about tattoos coming to life or electric grandmothers who never die? Little did that author know how close he would come to the truth that you live with every day. You shiver as you turn to face the family caretaker, who might live forever but isn’t the sweet kindly personage that was found in the story. What is the Family Caretaker and what are they like? Prompt 137 – Creative Cue – First Line “But if you don’t do it, you know you will regret it for the rest of your life.” Mull on these (but not too long) and then jump in with your own take on one or both of these. Be sure to share them with the community in the Writing Prompts forum so we can all enjoy! Speaking of enjoying, here is how Mark92 took prompt 134 - writing using a set of words, with the words in this prompt being Gravesite, balloons, pregnant woman, cold cereal, and an old book. From this random set of terms, Mark crafted a beautiful poem, The Passing: The Passing I sat at the gravesite, all sad and forlorn It had been many years since you were born I come here each year, to celebrate your day I didn’t mind, it was a small price to pay A few balloons an old book and a piece of iced cake It was your birthday, and I loved to bake. I will sit and read to you, as I always did I’ll take out the cake, just like I did as a kid. A pregnant woman the story was about The mother of Jesus, I had no doubt While I read, I thought about home and the farm Cold cereal on the table, would come to no harm I never knew you, I wish that I had You would have protected me when things got bad So I wish you happy birthday dear grandma You were my leading lady. My guiding star.

Two great stories - first a review of our Promising Author AFriendlyFace's Buy Me A Drink followed by a review of Author Frostina's Prison of Hope. I hope you enjoy these reviews and check out the stories - and if you are interested in a reviewing a story, let Renee Stevens or myself know! Buy Me A Drink by AFriendlyFace Reviewer: Trebs Status: Complete Word Count: 30,401 Aaron starts off as just a clinical sociology student who hangs out at the local gay bar with his roommate Mick, the straight male stripper. Ummm - k... Aaron spends the night taking notes on the scenes around him, in hopes of using it all in an eventual dissertation. He has cute nicknames for each of the "specimens" he observes: Daisy, Cosmo, Georgio and BMAD (shorthand for "Buy Me A Drink" - the mating call of this particular specimen). AFriendlyFace paints the scene so wonderfully, you quickly relate to the main characters - whether you've had friends or classmates like Aaron, or run across bar-types like Daisy and Cosmo. But then with the foundation laid, AFriendlyFace starts making you realize that these are three-dimensional people that he's writing about - a realization that shocks Aaron. Aaron quickly finds out that while he may be seeing what is happening around him, he really doesn't know or understand much. These specimens actually are real people, have real problems and motivations and secrets. And maybe, instead of trying to study those around him, he might have given some thought to studying his own life. Buy Me A Drink is a well-written tale of college-aged men learning about life, friendships, misconceptions, caricatures and love. I enjoyed it and highly recommend it. AFriendlyFace did started a sequel, but unfortunately that has been on hold for a while. Buy Me A Drink stands on its own - but I would have enjoyed seeing where AFriendlyFace would have taken this... Prison of Hope by Frostina Reviewer: Houdinii Status: Complete Word Count: 6,944 I just read a story that got me at the core. Sent by the people above, I decided to review a work by Frostina, and I landed randomly on Prison of Hope. I have always loved dark fiction, and yet again for the second time today, I get to review a truly awesome story. I've never read Frostina's work before, as I'm not a fan of shorts, but I think I'm definitely going to read more. How I'm going to write this review without spoiling the ending I'm not sure, outside of just giving it up. I began reading the story around 11 pm, and even passed up the necessary bio breaks to finish, and was met with what I would consider the best ever ending to a story. Character development was key, never missing a beat. I envisioned my own brother listening to the story, and was amazed I didn't nominate Paul as the antagonist of the year. Rubbing elbows with some of the talent this site produces makes me feel both privileged, and honored, and it astounds me that it is only a hobby for the majority. I've been a reader for well over a year, and when it's time to hit the books, I'm never without a great story to read, and Frosty just proved that point in a well written Anthology addition. You surprised me, seriously. The little blue tag I see in chat does you no justice. Your an author in every sense of the word, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to review you

Home by Nephylim 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!!!

We asked for tips - and you responded! Here is K.C.'s tip on Life in the Fishbowl! Do you have one that we can feature? If so, let Renee Stevens or myself know. Life in the Fishbowl by K.C. As I swim around Gay Authors, I see a wide range of different users here. Those who write put a great deal of time, effort and themselves into bringing amazing and entertaining stories to the GA community. Those who read have the opportunity to talk to the writers, to comment on their stories and discuss aspects that they like or perhaps don’t like about the characters, plots and storyline. Where else can you communicate with someone who brings you such enjoyment? Do you get to high-five the players after they score the winning goal? Can you tell Hollywood’s A-listers’ what you thought about the newest blockbuster? At Gay Authors, you can and the authors want to hear from you. If you like a story, tell the author. Reviews encourage new authors to keep at it when they are struggling to create that perfect spine-tingling tale. It can mean the difference between a young new author continuing on the path of becoming and amazing writer or giving up their dreams. There are over 2,500 stories currently on GA’s website. Tags and categories make it easy to find whatever kind of story that you’re looking for. There is something for everyone. If you like it let them know! Happy reading!

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!!!