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Trebs

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  1. Trebs

    Writing Tip: Conflict Is Key

    By Trebs,


    Writing Tips
    ANNOUNCEMENT: Please welcome GayAuthors.org's newest Hosted Author: David McLeod. David has been a Promising Author here and has a great body of work - hope you check it out!
     
    Sorry for the slight delay this morning, got caught up in one too many phone calls. Sometimes, conflict can be a burden, or - as Libby Drew helps point out, it can be the key to great writing. We hope you enjoy this latest writing tip - let us know some other ideas for conflict that you think could be effective. As always, if you have a writing or site tip that you'd love to share with the community, let me know. - Trebs
     
    Enjoy!
     
     
     


    Conflict Is Key


    Creating powerful conflict and weaving it tightly throughout the story is a difficult skill to master. It can take years of practice. But the reward is worth the learning curve, especially if the result is cathartic to the reader.
     

    Conflict is what makes us interested in outcome. A story with a weak conflict that leaves the characters exactly as they were at the start won’t be satisfying; your story won’t make a lasting impression. I’m betting that’s a no-brainer for most people reading this. Unfortunately, knowing isn’t the same as doing, so here are a few generalities to keep in mind while crafting your plot.
     
    Your main character, your hero, should face three different types of conflict.
     
    • Internal
    • Relational (with other characters)
    • External (against environment or circumstances).
     
    Use all three. It’s not as difficult as it might seem at first glance, and your story will have more depth.
     
    Keep the tension rising. Always. All the time. The pacing of conflict in your story should look like this:
    Conflict Simmers --> Conflict Boils --> Conflict Explodes --> Temporary Safety --> Repeat.
     
    Envision your story with peaks and valleys. Your peaks should get progressively higher as the climax nears. At every turn, ask yourself “How can I make this situation worse?”
     
    Conflict is the nervous system of your story. It sets characters in motion, forcing them to do things they would never have imagined doing. They may lash out or jump onto paths they never expected to travel. In reality, most people try to get along with others, to bring peace to potentially explosive situations. Your characters should go out of their way to make those situations worse. This will highlight their imperfections. Make them more richly rounded.
     
    Your characters can’t all love each other. They can’t always agree. If they do, your readers will be asleep by chapter two. Or looking for something else to read. So don’t hold back. Let characters say things they’ll regret. Make then lose their tempers, their possessions, and their hearts. Push them beyond their limits and then show the reader how much that hurts them.
     
    Consider these suggestions:
     
    • Give your characters opposing goals.
    • Make them face their fears and rely on their weaknesses instead of their strengths.
    • Deny them what they want most of all. Then deny them again.
    • Introduce uncertainty at every opportunity—is a friend truly a friend?
    • Make them care, then threaten what they care about.
    • Leave them isolated and under attack from both friends and enemies. Maybe even from themselves.
     
    It may sound complicated, but chances are you already have a solid grasp of what’s needed. Execution may not be so simple, so stay vigilant. Test yourself by “graphing” your story. Is the tension escalating as it should?
     
    Pushing your characters into conflict will drive your story tension higher, forcibly evict blandness and banality, and leave behind something far more fulfilling for the reader. Conflict is a requirement of satisfying fiction, so make it a strong component of your stories.
     
    ~Libby
  2. Trebs

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Trebs,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    ANNOUNCEMENT: We've heard your requests for more "Likes" and everyone has now had their ability to like content increased per day. To balance this, an author now needs a slightly higher reputation to have their stories no longer subject to the moderation queue.
     
    We started our week with a great review by Daithi of Hosted Author Lugh's Binding. Binding is a Premium Content story, and we additionally talked about how Premium memberships help GayAuthors.org. Even being only available in Premium, this story has quite a following based on the large number of comments in the blog.
     
    There are certain cliche'd traps that authors can tend to fall into, and Wednesday's writing tip from Libby Drew talks about them in The Writing on the Wall.
     
    Speaking of traps - looks like comicfan is setting out bait to see who jump on the latest of his wonderful Writing Prompts. This week's prompts include using a list of words (including rain storm and chapel) or a scenario prompt that involves a shifter. Will you take his bait - I hope you do!
     
    So - how was your week?
     
    Anthology Announcements:
    Fall Anthology: Pandora's Box - Due Sept 8th Winter Anthology: Recipe for Disaster - Due Dec 8th

    NEW READING
     
    In Premium this week:
     
    Save Tonight by CassieQ, Book 1 of Summer Premium Anthology
     
    By our Hosted Authors this week:
     
    Odyssey by Mark Arbour, Book 6 of Bridgemont
     
    In the Arms of an Angel by Nephylim, Book 1 of Wednesday Briefs
     
    9.11 by Mark Arbour, Book 13 of Chronicles of An Academic Predator (CAP)
     
    Flash Fiction - Second Shot - The Senior Year by Andrew_Q_Gordon
     
    Thwarted by Renee Stevens
     
    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    Roadhouse Reds by layla
     
    Refuge by David McLeod
     
    Life Changes by comicfan
     
    Pour Me Another by K.C.
     

    Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!
  3. Trebs
    Is the proof in the pudding or do the results stand for themselves? Here is our favorite writing tip guru, Libby Drew, with "The Writing on the Wall" - how using clichés can weaken your writing. Enjoy!
     


    The Writing on the Wall


     

    A cliché is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has become overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect to the point of being trite or irritating, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel.
     
    The cliché is your enemy. Writers, your editors and beta readers should be catching the clichéd phrases that slip into your narrative. “Lasted an eternity. As old as the hills. Frightened to death. What goes around comes around.” But clichés can affect good writing on a much broader level as well.
     
    Certain ones appear over and over and have become nothing more than crutches for the writer to lean on. The story progresses, but not because the author has stretched their abilities. Here are a few to look out for:
     
    • Characters describing themselves in mirrors—I have an opinion on just how much physical character description is needed in a story (little to none, if you’re interested), but many authors have a pressing need to give the reader something. This is far more challenging in a first-person narrative, obviously. But unless they’re incredibly vain and self-obsessed, what person hangs around in front of a mirror ruminating over their gorgeous locks and flawless skin? Avoid this. It’s lazy, and it’s been done to death. (Ha!)
     
    • Blaming bad behavior on bad parenting—Why is this overused? Because it’s easy. It’s difficult to justify bad behavior. Abusive parents and a tough childhood can explain a lot without the author having to work. Yes, an abusive childhood can be profound and deeply affecting. No argument. But a lot of the time in fiction, the bad parents are there because it’s convenient. You know what’s far more unsettling and provocative? A character who had a perfect childhood and still turned out to be a cruel, evil person.
     
    • Inside jokes—This is ego related. It’s cool to let everyone know that you, dear author, have seen every Monty Python movie ever made, right? No. Some people will think it’s cool. Others will be stopped cold by references they don’t understand and may never get the wheels going again. They’ll back-button on your story, close their Kindle, toss the paperback under the bed. Writing for your ego will alienate more readers than it will charm.
     
    • Veiling your message in a dream—I've achieved imagery! That means I’m a “real” writer. Nonsense. You were a real writer the moment you finished your first short story, novel, screenplay, poem, etc. There are thousands of ways to convey ideas and feelings using imagery. Don’t be lazy. A dream sequence isn’t even that effective as a storytelling device. Either the correlation between dream and story is so on-the-nose it’s ridiculous, or it’s so esoteric that the reader is pulling out their trusty “Meaning of Dreams” book to decipher the clues. Could you strike a balance? Sure. But why would you? You can do better than a dream sequence.
    What’s wrong with these storytelling techniques? Nothing, truthfully. They’re clichéd exactly because they’re effective. But you can do better. Work at it. Stretch your imagination. Don’t rely on what has become trite and meaningless.
     
    ~Libby
  4. Trebs

    Featured Story: Binding

    By Trebs,


    Featured Stories
    One of the current advantages of being a Premium Member of GayAuthors.org is access to wonderful stories like Binding, by Hosted Author: Lugh. Lugh recently completed Binding and we're fortunate to have a review of this work by one of our terrific new GA members, Daithi.
     
    Before we get to Daithi's review, I just wanted to share our philosophy of having a Premium section on GA. We strive to keep most of GayAuthors.org as a totally free site, building a community of authors and readers, as well as the ever needed editors, beta readers, artists and the like. On the flip side, to host and bring you all of this content is quite expensive on a monthly basis - and is offset in a number of ways, from GoogleAds to Premium memberships. Premium memberships are one way for community members to help with the costs of GayAuthors.org, and as a THANK YOU, we try to give our Premium members exclusive content on a regular basis. The cost of a Premium membership decreases per month, for those members who purchase blocks of months. The current pricing scheme is:


    GA Premium Membership Price Structure

    1 Month - $8.10
    3 Months - $24.00 (save $0.30)
    6 Months - $47.00 (save $1.60)
    12 Months - $93.00 (Save $4.20)

     
     
     
     
     
    As someone points out - that's typically less than a couple of coffee's a month, and as you can see, the longer you subscribe, the more you save! Please consider joining as a Premium member. Thanks and enjoy the review and Lugh's newest story!
     



    Binding


    By



    Lugh


     
    Reviewed by: Daithi
    Word Count: 21,511
    Status: Complete
     
    If you were to look up Lugh in the authors list on GA you would read a small description of what Lugh writes. One line sticks out the most for me. ‘Some is good, some is better, some is “Most Excellent Charley!”’ That describes Binding to a tee, it is indeed most excellent. Binding is the third book of the Vega-5 series. Vega-5 the planet where dreams come true.
     
    Before I found this story, I had previously read some of Lugh stories, I liked that his writing style combines mystery, intrigue, comedy and eroticism all in one story and he does it exceptionally well. In Binding, quite often I would have tears flowing from my eyes, sometimes in sympathy, quite often in hilarity, periodically sadness. You never really knew what was coming up next. I was drawn to this story because of the aliens and off-planet tags and because the blurb intrigued me. Dreams coming true, even dreams you didn't know about. This was right up my alley - I had to read this and sure enough by the second or third chapter I was hooked.
     
    Imagine a planet where the slogan is “ Where dreams come true”. But what happens when a wife plans a romantic get-a-way for two but before they can go, there is an accident and she dies. This is what happened to Bernat Arnad. His wife planned the vacation but died before the date arrived. By the time he put his life back together it was too late to cancel. So what is a father to do, he needed to get away and so did his small daughter Poppet. So with the help of the travel agent Bernat changed his romantic getaway to a family oriented vacation and that’s where the fun begins.
     
    The Sun Shade Inn where they will be staying starts off the mystery, Bernat was planning on focusing only on his daughter then came the first surprise they planned on making his dreams come true as well. Now we all know what a customer survey is - well Lugh took it to a whole new level. The only requirement to filling it out was don’t think, just answer the questions; the faster you answer the more truthful they were. Eventually Bernat meets Eron, a kilt wearing alien. From there it is a ride that never stops till the final word is written. Both men undergo many changes, some surprises but end up finding something they never expected to find, a love that surpasses everything.
     
    So come to Vega-5 where dreams come true…….just be careful of the spiders you never know where they might pop up.
  5. Trebs

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Trebs,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    GayAuthors.org has been here for over ten years, with so many wonderful authors calling this site home. There are other gay fiction story sites, and great authors elsewhere on the web (GASP - I know, shocking, but true). So recently when TheEggman started logging in and posting his fantastic story, A New Life, I was very excited. joann414 also was happy, as you can tell from her great review of this story, that we ran on Monday.
     
    On Wednesday, we had new GA.Stories site help advice with a post on Using Tags in GA.Stories which gave some great information for both authors as well as readers about the Tags system and how to use it to your advantage.
     
    And Friday - not only did we get our weekly two Writing Prompts from comicfan and a look at the prior week's response, less than 12 hours after these prompts were put up, we already have at least two responses, with one of those prompt responders wanting to write a SECOND response to the prompt! comicfan does it again!
     
    So - how was your week?
     
    Anthology Announcements:
    Fall Anthology: Pandora's Box - Due Sept 8th Winter Anthology: Recipe for Disaster - Due Dec 8th

    NEW READING
     
    In Premium this week:
     
    Picked at the Peak by Cia
     
    By our Hosted Authors this week:
     
    Recovery by Nephylim
     
    9.11 by Mark Arbour, Book 13 of Chronicles of An Academic Predator (CAP)
     
    In the Arms of an Angel by Nephylim, Book 1 of Wednesday Briefs
     
    Odyssey by Mark Arbour, Book 6 of Bridgemont
     
    Adverse Effects by Cia, Book 2 of Saving Caeorleia
     
    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    The Talents of the Fallen by JMH, Book 1 of Fallen
     
    0300 Book 1 by David McLeod
     
    Broken Prince and Mismatched Eyes by layla
     
    Pour Me Another by K.C.
     
    Guitars 2 by layla
     
    Prompt Ramblings by Mann Ramblings
     
    Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!
  6. Trebs

    Featured Story: A New Life

    By Trebs,


    Featured Stories
    I've loved TheEggman's writings for a long time, and when I saw that TheEggman had stated posting "A New Life" here on GA.Stories, I was very excited. I'm not the only one - many of our members are avidly following this story and joann414 was gracious enough to write up a review of Author TheEggman's fantastic story. Enjoy!
     
     
     
     
     


    A New Life


    by



    TheEggman


     
    Reviewed by: joann414
    Status: In Progress
    Word Count: 206,099
     
    So, as many of you know, when I see someone post a new story, I can't resist. I have to check it out. Well, "A New Life" by TheEggman was a wonderful and interesting surprise.
     
    The author introduces three of his main characters, and you kinda think, hmmmm. Then, I kept reading and he brought in a cast of characters that made me say, "What?". Meaning, when he introduces you to a character, he gives them their own place in his tale, a backstory, and makes you fall in love with them.
     
    His story takes you into a happy accepting family that has a gay son that falls in love with a new Californian, that is a transplant from Texas. Their journey is one including their two best friends, who are also gay, a couple of kid brothers, and awesome parents. Did I forget to mention a homophobic dad and brother of one of the friends?. Nothing is ever all rainbows and ponies as we all know.
     
    Sometimes an author throws so many characters at you that you have to re-read the last chapter to see what the heck is going on. Eggman throws his characters out there with a story, and you don't forget it. Each and everyone find a way into your heart. I don't even have to glance at the last chapter to figure out what is going on. I just know.
     
    This is not a spoiler, but he gives us a chapter in diary form and it blew me away. The character that the diary belongs to tugs at your feelings from the time he is introduced into the story. Once you read the diary, you feel like a whole new glimpse into this plot has been unveiled.
     
    As the story moves along , the characters develop, and many things unfold unexpectedly. The boys grow in their relationship, their best friend faces the homophobic father, and they all deal with their feelings after this major event.
     
    If you haven't checked out A New Life, you are missing a great story, and a great presentation of youngsters trying to become who they know they are, dodging the cruelty and disapproval of society and family. Go read and let Eggman know how awesome his story is and the enjoyment it gave you. It certainly did it for me.
  7. Trebs

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Trebs,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    I love our community and how many members just dive in and get so totally involved. On Monday, we had a great review from Sasha Distan, a relatively new member who nevertheless has already made almost 400 posts and has a reputation of over 1100! Sasha reviewed Nemesis by Author Thorn Wilde, another new member who has become very involved with GayAuthors!
     
    On Wednesday, we saw July's edition of Dark's popular feature, Ask An Author - with this month's interviewees being Luc Rosen, Libby Drew and Mark Arbour.
     
    And for Friday - not only two great new writing prompts from comicfan - one of them has a tag line of "Zombie Apocalypse" - ZOMG!!! We also were treated to Kitt's response to the prior week's prompt #243.
     
    So - how was your week?
     
    Anthology Announcements:
    Fall Anthology: Pandora's Box - Due Sept 8th Winter Anthology: Recipe for Disaster - Due Dec 8th

    NEW READING
     
    In Premium this week:
     
    Picked at the Peak by Cia
     
    By our Hosted Authors this week:
     
    Recovery by Nephylim
     
    Flash Fiction - Second Shot - The Senior Year by Andrew_Q_Gordon
     
    Odyssey by Mark Arbour, Book 6 of Bridgemont
     
    The Secret Life of Billy Chase 7 by Comicality, Book 7 of The Secret Life of Billy Chase
     
    Adverse Effects by Cia, Book 2 of Saving Caeorleia
     
    In the Arms of an Angel by Nephylim, Book 1 of Wednesday Briefs
     
    9.11 by Mark Arbour, Book 13 of Chronicles of An Academic Predator (CAP)
     
    "Waiting Outside The Lines" by Comicality, Book 0 of "Waiting Outside The Lines"
     
    Needing You by Cia
     
    Thwarted by Renee Stevens
     
    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    Pour Me Another by K.C.
     
    0300 Book 1 by David McLeod
     
    The Talents of the Fallen by JMH, Book 1 of Fallen
     
    The Prophecy by Dolores Esteban
     
    Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!
  8. Trebs

    Wacky Wednesday: Ask An Author #6

    By Trebs,


    Author Interviews
    One regular feature of this GayAuthor.org News Blog that I personally enjoy is "Ask An Author" - a piece developed and produced by Dark. Though normally posted the first Wednesday of each month, Dark was gracious enough to let us delay July's so that we could bring you last week's post about the Editor/Beta Ballroom. So - after a slight delay, here is Ask An Author number 6 - take it away Dark!
     



    Ask an Author #6


     
    Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors!
     
    In AtA #5, we had questions for authors wrathofmagneto, Naptowngirl, and C James.
     
    In AtA #6, we hear from authors Luc Rosen, Libby Drew, and Mark Arbour.
     
    For their protection, the members who asked these questions shall remain nameless (unless they choose to reveal themselves). Please note that all author replies are copied as is, spelling errors and grammar eccentricities original to the individual.
     
    Today’s first author is Luc Rosen (the author formerly known as FishWings). This author has been with GA since 2007 and would love to meet someone faithful and loyal. Poor Rover would, too, but … but … but …! I can’t believe you left us hanging like that. Want to know what this is about? Check out Luc Rosen's story, I'm Not From Earth.


    To Luc Rosen: If you could become famous (or infamous) for one story you've written, what would that story be about?  

    One that I have in mind is currently in progress, a science fiction work set in a hypothetical city some twenty years into the future. A mysterious disease has swept across the nation, and a secret agency is doing everything in their power to curb its presence to the ever-watchful eye of the public. The story follows a young high school boy who is chased and captured by that agency and focuses on his forced integration into the staff. There will be a primordial emphasis on ethics and nerdy scientific concepts, with secondary focus on romance…. And gore! I think I’d rather this story gain publicity than the stories that I have already published on this site because it’s one that really reflects my passions and opinions of prevalent global issues.  

    Today’s next author is Hosted (and published) Author Libby Drew. She has also been with GA since 2007 and has over the last 2 years started publishing her stories, stories that began their lives here. I confess I first ran into her after purchasing and loving Great Restorations. Carina Press has Libby’s latest novel, 40 Souls to Keep, and I’m told that another original-GA story will be published through them. I’m hoping it’s the one about the model railroad!


    To Libby Drew: Which story have you written are you most proud of? Why?  

    I’m always proudest of the last story I’ve written. Writing is not about going halfway or giving a certain percentage. Every time I sit down to write, I try to do it better. Every finished project is the apple of my eye… until I start the next one. That said, there will always be a special place in my heart for Running Far Afield. Capturing and retelling the truth accurately is a huge burden. It’s nothing like invention and supposition. I’m proud of Running Far Afield because I gave immortality to the boys who inspired the fictional Chris and Aaron. Their bravery deserved it. Every young person facing hatred and intolerance deserves it.  
    The final author of the day needs no introduction, but I’m going to give him one anyway. Mark Arbour is another founding member of GA. He’s a Hosted Author today and continues to spew stories left and right. There’s the family dynasty CAP series, the historical naval orgy of the Bridgemont series, and a handful of others. Posting a new chapter with astounding regularity has made Mark Arbour a bit of a legend around here. I wonder if that’s a side benefit to growing old?


    To Mark Arbour: In your landmark serial story, The CAP Saga, you are currently transitioning to a new generation of characters. Did you find it difficult to write a new generation, and how do you feel this new generation has affected the way you've writing CAP?  

    Actually, this is my third generation, so I've already done that transition once before. The transition from one generation to another has a few challenges, but the primary obstacle is creating characters that are not too similar. It's easy to create clones of prior characters and just have them live out new scenarios, but that's disingenuous. At the same time, children often have similar traits to their parents. So the mission is to try and create characters that have similarities so readers feel the continuity, but with pronounced differences so the story isn't simply a redux.  

    Moving from the second to third generation has changed the series in two distinct ways. First of all, because the characters are younger, I'm dealing with the under-age issue, and all the things that go with that. I've done that by showing two characters who are similar in age but entirely dissimilar in development. Laws and guidelines on underaged guys are standardized, but guys aren't. A 14 year old who feels like he's 18 physically is going to be a lot different than a 14 year old guy who has the body of a 12 year old. It's been in interesting topic to explore. The second big change is in dealing with parental relationships, primarily father-son relationships. That's been an interesting journey, one that I'll share with you if you're so inclined.  
     
     
    That’s it for now! For more info on these authors, go check out their stories, post in their forums, and/or catch them in chat!
     
    Coming next time: JWolf, K.C., and Mann Ramblings.
     
    Want to ask your favorite author a question? Simply PM me (Dark).
     
    Until next time!
     
    Dark
  9. Trebs

    Featured Story: Nemesis

    By Trebs,


    Featured Stories
    We have a great review from a new member who has only been with us for a short while, but who has totally embraced and been embraced by the GA community. Not only is Sasha an author as well, but in less than four months has over 360 posts and a reputation of almost a thousand. Here is Sasha's review of Nemesis, by Author Thorn Wilde and if you enjoy Nemesis, Thorn has six other current stories on GA.Stories. Enjoy!
     



    Nemesis


    by



    Thorn Wilde


     
    Reviewer: Sasha Distan
    Status: Complete
    Word Count: 61,073
     
    Thorn Wilde’s first novella Nemesis made me smile pretty much all the way through, except for the bits that made me unspeakably upset and concerned for the characters. Mr Wilde puts them through hell, and even though some of them deserve it, it was tough going at times. I read Nemesis mostly because the title and the blurb kept on hanging around my brain, and I loved the idea of having a ‘best enemy.’ The story follows the final school year of Nick Davies and Dave Thompson, who have been bitter enemies since the age of five, who find each other somewhere between hate, animosity and dropping books on each other.
     
    Thorn writes his two protagonists of Nick and Dave in a coherent and consistent manner. Dave is cocky and arrogant in his voice and actions, while Nick is softer; shy and endearing, but perfectly able to use his great wit and stand up for himself. The relationship and history between the two is palpable and entertaining and their various little tics and habits help to enrich the story and along with the realistic descriptions of the town and school (and of course, the bike sheds) make the world that Thorn has created intriguing and exciting.
     
    The cast of supporting characters are well rounded and interesting, and the exploration of the through Thorn Wilde’s collection of short stories is a lovely added bonus to the novel. Dave’s collection of friends start out falling into very defined stereotypes and while the main characters find their way in the big bad world of love and relationships, the supporting cast bash their way out of their boxes, developing and changing to become real solid people. It is a refreshing and exciting expansion of the core story.
     
    Nemesis is an enthralling story, one which I read as a reward system on which I then ended up cheating on myself with because I was driven to continue reading by the various twists and turns the characters take. Throughout the novel there are elements of fear and secrecy, the town in which Thorn sets his stories is deeply suspicious and homophobic in a very real way, and the constant drive to act undercover drives the characters to make rash decisions, chose interesting choices and ultimately build themselves up toward a climatic finish.
     
    The main character of Nick is a delight to experience. The little tousle haired geek who reads Neil Gaimen religiously and snaps at those who annoy and irritate him got right under my skin and drew me in. His circumstances, the rocky relationship with his mother, his sweet but rather independent sister and her deeply irritating and downright dangerous boyfriend, all spin together to create an empathic and believable character.
     
    This book has taken a decade to come to fruition, and it is easy to see where Thorn has allowed his character time to develop. The world he creates is rich and detailed, utterly absorbing, and the central relationship between Nick and Dave is strong enough to take a hell of a beating whilst still being beautifully fragile in the way of teenage romance everywhere.
  10. Trebs

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Trebs,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Happy July - isn't the year moving fast? We started the month on Monday with our usual CSR Book Club Selection - this month we're looking at Author Rob Colton's The Degan Incident. Take a look at this story (or review it if you've read it in the past) and come back on July 29th to join in the discussion day for this story!
     
    On Wednesday, we had an intro by Louis (LJH) and Joann (joann414) to the new "Editor/Beta Ballroom" - really, our re-energized Editor/Beta Program. The way they describe the program is great - for authors, editors and beta readers - and this turned out to be one of our most commented-on GA News Blog entries ever.
     
    We ended this first week of July with our fantastic Prompt Me - writing prompts courtesy of comicfan! His latest are Prompt 242 - The Prize and Prompt 243 - First Line. Where can you take them? Try it yourself and share it with the community in the Writing Prompts forum!
     
    So - how was your week?
     
    Anthology Announcements:
    Fall Anthology: Pandora's Box - Due Sept 8th Winter Anthology: Recipe for Disaster - Due Dec 8th

    NEW READING
     
    In Premium this week:
     
    Binding by Lugh, Book 3 of Vega-5
     

    By our Hosted Authors this week:
     
    9.11 by Mark Arbour, Book 13 of Chronicles of An Academic Predator (CAP)
     
    One Night by Cia
     
    Standing in Shadows by Krista
     
    Savage Moon 06 - The New Breed by Comicality, Book 6 of Savage Moon
     
    Odyssey by Mark Arbour, Book 6 of Bridgemont
     
    Recovery by Nephylim
     
    Legacy by Altimexis, Book 29 of Naptown Tales
     
    Line of Sight by Renee Stevens
     
    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    The Prophecy by Dolores Esteban
     
    Life Changes by comicfan
     
    Guitars 2 by layla
     
    A Cook's Tale by Mann Ramblings, Book 2 of Ship Logs of the Santa Claus
     
    Pour Me Another by K.C.
     
    Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!
  11. Trebs

    Writing Tip: Specificity

    By Trebs,


    Writing Tips
    REMINDER: Political posts/comments are not allowed in the GA Forums including status updates and chat - thanks!
     
    So - have you started going through withdrawals from not getting a writing tip from Libby? I really enjoy the perspective she has and the experience she shares in these tips that she does for our community. Here Libby writes on "Specificity" - Enjoy!
     
     
     


    Specificity


    Of course we can say “she cooked him dinner.” But why would we, when we could say “she broiled him a Delmonico to medium rare.” We experience life in particulars, not in vague generalities. Specific details jolt our memories and feelings. When writing, name things and actions specifically, but be wary of overbalancing. Too much specificity dilutes the power of your juicy Delmonicos.
     

    Specific details are the things that sell reality to the reader. They can be powerfully emotive, and they help our audience empathize and sympathize with our characters. They let us believe we have experienced what they have.

    Writing description—painting a vivid picture in the reader’s mind—is a bear to master. Often, we err on the side of too much or too little description to carry a scene.

    One key to making description work for us is specificity. It makes our prose more powerful. It can change a bland, generic piece of descriptive writing into something far more interesting to read. It draws the reader in. It makes the story more tangible and believable.

    There's probably no limit to the number of specific details we could build into a passage of descriptive writing. So we must be selective. Too many details can slow the action, and if they aren't of vital importance to the story, they become boring. On the other hand, a few telling details inserted in the middle of the action can paint a rich picture for the reader without slowing things down.

    He picked her up at seven o’clock and took her to the Chinese restaurant in town.

    Or…

    He roared up in his Porsche at seven. Candy-apple red and gleaming, it shamed the other cars lining the street. At the House of Chen, they parked next to a boulder-lined koi pond. The red fish matched the car perfectly.

    So… the next time one of your chapters seems a little bland, try replacing some general words with specific details. You may be amazed how much power they contain. But be selective. Think carefully on which details, when brought to life though specificity, will add the most life to your story.

    ~Libby
  12. Trebs

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Trebs,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    ANNOUNCEMENT: Congratulations on our newest Promising Author, Layla!
     
    It's been a fantastic week and our week here at the GayAuthors.org News Blog started with our monthly Can't Stop Reading bookclub's Discussion Day for Reach by Promising Author Cassie Q!
     
    Wednesday was an exciting day, with a great new writing tip from Libby on Specificity!
     
    Finally - not only did comicfan give us two great new Writing Prompts for Friday - the greek chorus has already chimed in. The comments are wonderful to read through - um, though a certain bear may induce epilepsy. You'll see
     
    So - how was your week?
     
    Anthology Announcements:
    Fall Anthology: Pandora's Box - Due Sept 8th Winter Anthology: Recipe for Disaster - Due Dec 8th

    NEW READING
     
    In Premium this week:
     
    Binding by Lugh, Book 3 of Vega-5
     
    By our Hosted Authors this week:
     
    Flash Fiction - Second Shot - The Senior Year by Andrew_Q_Gordon
     
    The Secret Life of Billy Chase 7 by Comicality, Book 7 of The Secret Life of Billy Chase
     
    One Night by Cia
     
    Odyssey by Mark Arbour, Book 6 of Bridgemont
     
    9.11 by Mark Arbour, Book 13 of Chronicles of An Academic Predator (CAP)
     
    Thwarted by Renee Stevens
     
    Legacy by Altimexis, Book 29 of Naptown Tales
     

    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    The Prophecy by Dolores Esteban
     
    A Cook's Tale by Mann Ramblings, Book 2 of Ship Logs of the Santa Claus
     
    Andy's Shorties by andy021278, Book 2 of GA Prompt Stories
     
    Roadhouse Reds by layla
     
    Life Changes by comicfan
     
    Guitars 2 by layla
     
    Pour Me Another by K.C.
     
    Broken Prince and Mismatched Eyes by layla
     
    The Talents of the Fallen by JMH, Book 1 of Fallen
     

    Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!
  13. Trebs
    The experiences of our members are always a valuable resource here at GayAuthors.org, whether it is in reviewing, tips on writing or in this case, how to market your work. Thanks go out to Hosted Author Andrew_Q_Gordon (the artist formerly known as Quonus10) for this blog entry on what to do, and what NOT to do!
     


    So you wanna be an Author – hope you took marketing classes.



    by Andrew_Q_Gordon


     

    I imagine many of the writers on GA want to not only publish the work, but also sell their books as well. It's a realistic goal. Many have done it and more will.
     
    When AnytaSunday and I sold (Un)Masked to Dreamspinner Press, she had already self-published a few titles. Some were free, others were $.99 or $1.99. I figured her name recognition would translate into buckets of sales for the professionally published book that was about to be released. Sometimes I can be so wrong.
     
    I knew there was a need to 'get the word out' so I created a blog and a Facebook page and thought – well, now I'll just announce things and the sales will tumble in. It's stunning how wrong I can be at times. [A word of warning – if you use your author name as your profile, Facebook may delete it without any notice to you thereby wiping out everything there because it violates the terms and service agreement. In theory, only real people may have a FB Profile. Pen Names and the like are supposed to use their much less user friendly Author Page. It's happened before and will happen again, even if it's rare, so be aware of the issue.]
     
    In the last year I've learned a few things that might be of use to others who are considering or want to be a published author. Marketing isn't so much about getting the word out about your new book as getting your name out there so when you do have a new book, people will be interested. The idea is you want fans/readers/followers who will read your announcements and be interested in your book. Sure you can buy banner ads, or put your book cover up on literary sites and hope it will catch someone's eye enough that they'll buy it, but real sales comes from somewhere else. [For today's discussion we can leave out what genre sells better than others and speak in more general terms.]
     
    Perhaps the single best piece of advice I can give is, start early. Well before your book comes out, you should be marketing yourself as an author. You can and should be cultivate a fan base, create an interesting website/blog, engage readers on a daily basis, help promote other authors work so when your book comes out they'll return the favor and you can tap into their readers. All of these things and others take time to build up. If you do what I did and wait until your book is almost out, you'll be disappointed by the sales. Anecdotally, for (Un)Masked, there were four (4) presales before it was published. The Last Grand Master presold 8 copies. As of June 18th, Purpose has presold 18. The difference is name recognition to some degree.
     
    If you're still writing your book, now is the time to start your site, your blog, create a twitter account and join groups. Make nice with authors, re-tweet their posts, have them as a guest, review their books and post it on your site. All these things will help you build up good will that is generally returned when you're promoting your own work.
     
    The second suggestion is find a way to get readers of your blog, FB, tweets, website, whatever, to sign up for email up dates. Wordpress has an easy tool on their site where you can put up a box where folks can add their email address and get email notifications. You should put this high on the page, on every page, so that anyone who visits your site/page will see it. Not everyone will join, but at least they don't have to hunt to find it if they want to. Here is an example from my site:
     
    http://andrewqgordon.com/posts/
     
    Once you've got your accounts and set up so people can sign up, you need to get eyeballs and you need people to keep coming back. While I'm certainly not authority on marketing – others have more experience and sell more books than I – I've noticed anecdotally that what works to get you followers and to a lesser degree what doesn't.
     
    First the don’ts.
     
    1) While this may seem counterintuitive, I'd say don't hype your book non-stop. If all you ever post, tweet, write about, is your book, people will tune you out. No one wants to sign up to get email alerts – or tweets for that matter – non-stop about your book. If you want examples of people who do this and want to see just how annoying it is, let me know and I'll send you some Twitter names to follow. It won't take long to see how off-putting it is.
     
    2) This piece of advice came from seasoned author and the more I think about it the more I agree. Avoid negative posts – no "this review is stupid and so is the reviewer". No posts about your horrible medical condition, or financial problems. Don't talk about how you don't get how reviewers can be so mean, or if you can't say something nice, don't leave a comment. None of that.
     
    The problem is people don't fan you to learn about your problems or to hear you talk trash about someone – or generic someones. They follow you and your characters. Readers escape into your stories. They don't want to know you have the same troubles and failings as they do. You and your characters are fictitious and they're fans of that fiction. Keep it that way. If you make friends with readers, sure share with them as you would any friend, but for the general public and on your blog – positive and up beat is the way to be.
     
    The Do's
     
    1) Give away free stuff. I don't just mean giving away a free copy of your book. That helps generate interest, but it doesn't keep people coming back. I mean consistent free fiction that they can come back to your site to read.
     
    I was fortunate to be asked to join the Wednesday Briefs group. Cia, Nephylim and Renee Stevens all belong as well. The idea is that each Wednesday, you put out a short piece of fiction and fans who like it will sign up to get alerts. When your book comes out, they'll get that notice too and if they like you well enough, hopefully they'll buy your book. The benefit of a group is that we all help promote each other. Sure there is a lot of overlap as we probably share more readers than are unique. But even if only 20% of our followers are unique, if you have 20 people spreading the word, you can see that the reach grows exponentially.
     
    Since I've joined the group and been posting regularly, the number of people who've signed up for email alerts from my blog has jumped considerably. That is the real goal. Anyone who is willing to type in their email address to get an alert from you is far more engaged than a follower on Twitter or a like on Facebook.
     
    2) Be a good friend. Yes, it's a bit of work, but having others visit and making it friendly and inviting is a big deal. It's also an easy source of content and new eyeballs.
     
    Having guest post – and doing it consistently and regularly is important. Each guest brings their readers/fans with them – not all but some. Many of those readers are new to you. Now they are not. You're also opening your readers to this new person. Again, some will know the author/guest, but some won't. It's a win/win for both.
     
    One of the most clicked on posts I've had in the year my blog was up was recently when SJD Peterson visited. Her post is far and away the most viewed Author/guest post. She is also a full time author with a large following. She publicized the event and her followers came. Because I can see when people follow my site, I can tell I got quite a few new followers thanks to her visit.
     
    Of course there are the usual marketing ideas – guest blogs, a blog hop, give aways, advertising, excerpts, etc. I don't mean to suggest these don't work or you should avoid them, not at all. They are all helpful and you should do these things. But in my mind the best way to sell a book is to make fans. People who know you and your work. Fans who will want to read your latest and greatest novel. It takes time, there is no magic shortcut, and it definitely will take time away from writing. But if you want to publish books, you need to do it.
     
    This is why I say, to be successful, start early. Well before your book is going to come out – and a month or two is not early. Post often. People like free and if your good enough to get people to pay for your books, giving away free fiction is a valuable commodity. It's the same as getting a free book. Make friends with others by helping promote them and their work. A tweet here, a review, letting them come take over your blog for a day – all these help build up good will that 99.9% of authors will gladly repay in kind when you need it. And ban together with others to take advantage of scale. You need to get as many people as possible to see your work. The more who read it, the more who'll sign up for email alerts. That's the prize. Engaged fans who like you well enough that they'll let you email them alerts every day.
    As I said, I'm no expert. I'm still feeling my way around, but if you have any questions, feel free to PM me on GA or email me directly – andrewqgordon@gmail.com.
  14. Trebs

    Featured Story: Something Unexpected

    By Trebs,


    Featured Stories
    Our thanks to Wildone, who has written a great review of Hosted Author Krista's Something Unexpected. We hope you enjoy it!
     




    Something Unexpected


    By



    Krista


    Reviewer: Wildone
    Status: Complete
    Words: 158,336
     
    I was in conversation with Krista a while back and she mentioned a story of hers that I have never had the opportunity to read. Something Unexpected is a very appropriate name for this great story.
     
    I debated on if to call this review a ‘before and after’ entry or maybe a ‘must get an editor’ one.
     
    As many of you know, Krista is one of our long term Hosted Authors that has continued to post over the years here at GA. I would call a lot of her stories as romantic but in this case, I would submit that it is a well written teen angst story.
     
    Now as far as the ‘before and after’ comment, it should be noted that Krista actually wrote this story when she was in high school (I can’t even guess how long ago that was ). Being her first novel, this story is full of spelling and grammatical errors that show often with new authors. The thing is that if you look at her current stories you will see how over the years she has become an experienced author as well.
     
    The ‘must get an editor’ comment falls in line with previous one as well. Like others she tried to do this alone. She is willing to admit that it does show what can happen if you try to publish without an editor or at least a beta reader.
     
    The story starts out on the first day of Grade Nine for Highschool student Andy. Quickly we learn of his overbearing older sister who is a senior and willing to protect her little brother. The only thing is her little brother is a basketball star and about a foot taller than her. Throw in that his mother is a very busy plastic surgeon and father is a multi-business owner who is home seldom it has a feel of a modern day family with two teenagers.
     
    Andy gets on the bus the first day and is intrigued when he meets a new student starting Grade 9 as well named Jase. He quickly finds out that he went to a different middle school and probably won’t have any friends at the new High School. Andy always being the polite and good kid that he is decides that he will become Jase’s new friend.
     
    Things progress through the first week of school and then Andy along with best friends Ann, Mandy, Tim and Evan decide to attend their first High School Party. They invite Jase too in order to make him feel welcome with the new group of friends. This is where things go horribly wrong for the first time in this story.
     
    I won’t give away the whole story and plot line but will mention that I was surprised when it didn’t really follow the typical teen angst plotline that you will find on the web. There are more twists and turns that make you unsure of what will happen next. Sometimes I was sure something would happen only to find out that it went totally a different way.
     
    A couple of warnings; one, you will probably be like me and wish you could find an edit button and fix some of the rookie errors within the story. One of my favourites was when someone was ‘jumping on the cough’ . Although there is mistakes, Krista has left it as it was first published as that is where she was so many years ago. Second is the ending. A bit disappointing in my opinion but she probably had to end somewhere and didn’t plan it out as best as it could be. That being said, Krista said she would like to maybe someday create a sequel to find out what happens to all the group of friends after the current ending.
     
    I invite everyone to enjoy this good read for the storyline and the plot. It is overall a great story for someone that first broke their teeth in High School for writing a complete story.
  15. Trebs

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Trebs,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    So - June is busting out all over! Barely into the month, and at least here in California, we're totally in a summer swelter. Of course, a great remedy is just staying cool inside, reading some great fiction... Hmmm - gee, where to go for great fiction...
     
    We started our week kicking off the June CSR - Can't Stop Reading Book club entry of Reach by CassieQ. Oh hey - maybe THIS is the great fiction I was talking about? Ya - check it out, and be sure to come back on June 24th for the CSR discussion on this story, as well as to be able to nominate a story for July.
     
    On Wednesday, we again had our great monthly feature of "Ask An Author" - installment #5. Dark does a wonderful job of interviewing a few GA authors and putting this feature together every month.
     
    We closed out the week (and started the weekend early) with two more great Writing Prompts by Comicfan. Mother talking or singing birds - where will our crazy dedicated writers take us this week?
     
    So - how was your week?
     

    Anthology Announcements:
    Summer Anthology "Roll the Dice" - Due June 8th - TODAY!!! "Paid Premium Anthology": 3 Summer Themes - Due June 15th (ie, NEXT WEEK)!

    Get writing and submitting :-) Some of us want to do some new reading
     

    NEW READING
     
    In Premium this week:
     
    Binding by Lugh, Book 3 of Vega-5
     

    By our Hosted Authors this week:
    9.11 by Mark Arbour, Book 13 of Chronicles of An Academic Predator (CAP)
     
    Flash Fiction - Second Shot - The Senior Year by Andrew_Q_Gordon
     
    The Secret Life of Billy Chase 7 by Comicality, Book 7 of The Secret Life of Billy Chase
     
    Odyssey by Mark Arbour, Book 6 of Bridgemont
     
    Line of Sight by Renee Stevens
     
    Legacy by Altimexis, Book 29 of Naptown Tales
     
    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    The Prophecy by Dolores Esteban
     
    Pour Me Another by K.C.
     
    Juvenile Feelings by SidLove
     
    A Cook's Tale by Mann Ramblings, Book 2 of Ship Logs of the Santa Claus
     

    Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!
  16. Trebs

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Trebs,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    He's baaacccckkk! Heh - this is my first Weekly Update in seven weeks, but as I mentioned in our Wednesday blog, I've been able to use this time to deal with a number of things and now that I have a handle on my offline life, I can put in a bit more time to this wonderful online community.
     
    So - what has been happening around here? Well, as is usual for the last Monday of the month, we had the Discussion Day for our Can't Stop Reading book club, where May's reads were four Reader's Choice Award winning entries from our Anthologies. Check it out and there is still time to recommend a book for next month's CSR selection!
     
    Wednesday, in addition to "The Return of the Trebs", I also announced a Restoration Project - something that I am going to start working on but also need YOUR help. There are some stories I've come across myself that show as complete, but when we made the transition a few years back into the new GA.Stories, some of those stories didn't totally get re-posted. If you find any OTHER stories that you know have missing chapters, or are mislabeled ("In progress" vs "Complete"), send me a PM and I'll work to make the system more accurate.
     
    Thanks to the ever inventive mind of Comicfan, we ended our week as usual with two new writing prompts, Prompt 234 on Insomnia and Prompt 235 with a list of words (including "one red shoe"). I know the wheels are churning on these and can't wait to see what people come up with - and be sure to share your prompt respose with the community in the Writing Prompts forum! What's that you say? There was more? Of course there was - we also got a very interesting response from PMDacey to Prompt 233. I'd love to know more of Tom's life (and hopefully Wallace's too)... hint, hint
     
    So - how was your week?
     

    Anthology Announcements:
    Summer Anthology "Roll the Dice" - Due June 8th - THAT's JUST ONE WEEK FROM NOW! "Paid Premium Anthology": 3 Summer Themes - Due June 15th!

    Egads - get writing and submitting :-)
     

    NEW READING
     
    In Premium this week:
     
    Binding by Lugh, Book 3 of Vega-5
     

    By our Hosted Authors this week:
     
    Flash Fiction - Second Shot - The Senior Year by Andrew_Q_Gordon
     
    In the Arms of an Angel by Nephylim, Book 1 of Wednesday Briefs
     
    Odyssey by Mark Arbour, Book 6 of Bridgemont
     
    9.11 by Mark Arbour, Book 13 of Chronicles of An Academic Predator (CAP)
     
    Adverse Effects by Cia, Book 2 of Saving Caeorleia
     
    Thwarted by Renee Stevens
     
    Legacy by Altimexis, Book 29 of Naptown Tales
     

    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    The Prophecy by Dolores Esteban
     
    The Talents of the Fallen by JMH, Book 1 of the Fallen
     
    Two Short Tales of the Fey by andy021278, Book 5 of My Old Anthologies
     
    Pour Me Another by K.C.
     
    Andy's Shorties by andy021278, Book 2 of GA Prompt Stories
     
    A Cook's Tale by Mann Ramblings, Book 2 of Ship Logs of the Santa Claus
     

    Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!
  17. Trebs

    Author Showcase!

    By Trebs,


    Reviews
    So - after a great interview of Andy021278, what better than to read his review of Author Ricky's Blind Sensations? We also are treated with a review by Dark of Promising Author Comicfan's Mirror Tells the Truth. We hope you enjoy these reviews and check out the stories - I know I will!
     




    Mirror Tells the Truth


    By



    Comicfan


    Review by Dark
    Status: Complete
    Word Count: 5,057
     
    Comicfan is one of our Promising Authors here on GA and currently has 28 stories to his name. This particular short story caught my eye with its intriguing title; it’s not every day that the main character is an inanimate object. In reading the author’s description, I found that this was a retelling of the story of Snow White, which seems to be the thing this summer with two movies on the same subject. Of course, he calls his mirror “Mir” for short, bringing our GA Overseer to mind.
     
    The greatest thing about this story and what kept me reading is the tongue-in-cheek narration. The mirror comes out as a solid main character with its own opinions and take on events. I love how he describes the queen and details her rise to Queen and fall through jealousy of her step-daughter’s beauty. I am familiar with different versions of this story and yet Comicfan manages to make the tale unique. The first paragraph with the dwarves made me laugh and they are a great supporting cast.
     
    I think I smiled the whole time I read. At times satiric or sarcastic, the mirror’s narration drew me in and I couldn’t help but empathize with his situation. The witty rhymes were delightful with their double meanings; they make you think. I looked forward to every stage in the story.
     
    Mirror Tells the Truth is a brilliant showcase of Comicfan’s skills as a writer. He kept my attention through the engaging characters and the way he alluded to details in the backstory of the supporting cast. I really loved how his exasperation with the Queen is shown through word choice. And the story doesn’t end with Snow White and the Queen, either. Comicfan rounds out the story by returning to the mirror.
     
    I was completely captivated by the tale and those five thousand words just zipped by. It’s refreshing and the whimsical humor will lighten up your day.
     




    Blind Sensations


    by



    Ricky


     
    Reviewer: andy021278
    Status: Complete
    Word Count: 39,102
     
    I’d previously read some of Ricky’s stories on Screeve.org, but have only recently realized that our Ricky is that Ricky (hope that makes sense). I really loved his other works, especially Roll Call, so I curled up with a large glass of Merlot for what, from my expectations, promised to be a great read.
     
    Blind Sensations is about Miles, who is a British boy who was left blind and orphaned at the age of five following a car wreck. In the care of his aunt and uncle, he ends up in America, where his uncle’s job has just taken him. Miles is blessed (or cursed depending on how you view it) with a kind of sixth sense when it comes to people; sometimes he would get flashes of what people were like, he would get flashes of their past or future.
     
    With moving around every few years, Miles is fed up with making friends and then losing them a week later; after all, what kid truly wants to be friends with the blind boy who loves classical music and can’t read the same books, watch the same films and play the same computer games as everyone else? So Miles decides why bother even trying to make friends; disappoint others before they can disappoint you has become his life’s motto. That is, at least, until he meets Jamie, who has a truly remarkable effect on Miles. Jamie is gay and the school outcast, yet the two quickly become friends.
     
    Jamie’s home life is awful since his parents found out he is gay; he is locked in the basement, he has to work to be able to afford school lunch, and worst of all he is not allowed any contact with his younger brother. Jamie falls deeply in love with Miles, and comes to find the love and affection he has been starved of; and Miles, likewise, comes to find the love and the touch of another that he wants.
     
    Miles has an amazing wit, which only serves to endear him to both Jamie and the reader, and Miles even gets share his world of darkness with Jamie. The story builds up as a sweet, lovely story that had me reaching for the tissues, and then Ricky leads us down a dark path; which sadly shows us that there is indeed a dark cloud within Miles and Jamie’s silver lining.
     
    The story does contain scenes of a sexual nature and they are written really well; there is however, one incestuous moment, which I know is not for everyone, yours truly included. There are a few technical issues, such as incorrectly punctuated speech tags and the occasional missing speech mark, which by no means detract from the story. There is name confusion every now and then between the two lead characters which led to me having to re-read paragraphs in places to work out what was meant to be happening in a particular scene; a surprise, considering that there was an editor working on this story
     
    Overall, I found this a really enjoyable read which delivered on its promise and then some, and it managed to throw more than one curve-ball. I for one can’t wait to read the sequel “Blind Sensations A New Adventure”.
  18. Trebs
    We wouldn't be able to produce and provide all of the wonderful content here at the GA News Blog without so many great contributors. Libby Drew gives us a great tip for authors on Writing Groups. Enjoy!
     
     
     


    Writing Groups: Some Pros and Cons


     

    A writing group can do wonders for our motivation and keep us accountable for our production. Members cheer us on, understand how even the smallest recognition can mean the world, and know not to say things like, “Oh, you’re a writer? Do you have any bestsellers?”
     
    There are pros and cons to using writing groups. Here are a few.
     
    Benefits:
    Writers of the same genre may have a helpful understanding of voice and target audience. Writers of different genres offer fresh opinions. Reading other people's fiction and trying to articulate a critique of that fiction increases our understanding of the way storytelling works. Further, other members may point out things we wouldn't normally notice. This process helps us develop a critical eye, specifically in regards to our own craft. Every writer is different. We use different routines, tools, and work spaces. Talking with other writers is a great way to expose ourselves to alternative processes. We may learn tricks that help us write better or use time more efficiently.

    Pitfalls:
    Writing groups can be a waste of time if the members are writing at different levels. Novice writers might be left behind while more experienced writers may not receive the level of critique they need. While the flattery will feel nice, it won’t help them improve. Bad advice is rampant. That it’s unintentional doesn’t make it any less harmful. Writing group peers are not all-knowing, nor are they (most of the time) well-established professionals. The writing group becomes happy hour. Like-minded people have the potential to become our close friends. Meetings can easily become social events. Enjoying being a writer is fine, but being a writer also means, you know, writing. Editing and critiquing can take a lot of free time. Some editing is good and will increase the quality of our own writing, but if all our time is taken up by editing, we’re learning how to be editors, not writers.

    And here’s one that can go on both the pro and con list: Writing groups are honest and critical.
     

    We all want to hear that our writing is good. Nobody puts their creation out there hoping to hear that it’s not. Some writers claim they don’t care what other people think, but with very, very rare exception, they’re lying. When our peers, and quite often they become our friends, tell us what doesn't work, it hurts. We have to develop a thick skin if we want to improve. A critique of our writing is not a critique of us as individuals. Writing may be more of an art than other tasks, but it’s still very much a learned skill.
     
    And, with caveats, a writing group is a learning tool.
     
    ~Libby
  19. Trebs

    Featured Story: To Move Forward

    By Trebs,


    Featured Stories
    ANNOUNCEMENT: Today is the submission deadline for our Poetry Anthology "Whispers In The Dark" - so you only have a few hours left!!!
     
    In another bit of randomness we're very pleased to have this review from LJH, of Author Randomness's "To Move Forward." We hope you enjoy the review and check out the story - you're bound to be as captured by this tale as many others have been so far.
     


    To Move Forward


    by



    Randomness


     
    Reviewer: LJH
    Status: Complete
    Word Count: 37,125
     
    You break up with a boyfriend.
     
    Twenty years go by quickly and there are moments when you think back and relive some of the good times you shared. Now and then there has been contact, but vague and brief.
     
    Then, one day out of the blue, you bump into each other and those old feelings resurface. But there is also fear. Apprehension. Questions. He has friends. You have friends. Do you want to see this person? What could he possibly want? Is a reconciliation possible? Do you really want to rekindle that lost love? And if so, at what cost?
     
    It's not an easy decision, and this is the crux in To Move Forward.
     
    Ben and Patrick were more than friends before they went their separate ways. In the years that follow, Ben marries and Patrick remains true to his sexual orientation as a gay man. Patrick takes life seriously. This is a good thing, considering that he has recently had a fallout. He and Ben, now divorced, meet at a fair, and suddenly Patrick is thrust into Ben's life once again. He has no idea what he is getting himself into because, as much as Patrick desires Ben and vice versa, there are skeletons in both cupboards and both must make sacrifices in order to be together.
     
    There is one aspect of this story that makes it all believable; Patrick and Ben must learn to trust each other. It is not trust at first sight; the trust between them grows as the story develops, and, for the reader there is no escape. It is impossible to put down, for, just as one thinks that things are looking up, another setback occurs.
     
    Randomness knows his craft.
     
    He knows how to engage the reader and make each sentence compelling. If there is one story you should read this Lent, make it To Move Forward. It will leave you feeling delighted and inspired.
  20. Trebs

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Trebs,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    The wrapup will be slightly late this morning - thanks for your understanding and come back around 11AM pacific [posted Fri night]
     

    So - I almost made it, if it hadn't been for Myk interrupting me
     
    Want to start with reminding everyone that April'sCan't Stop Reading Book Club is featuring Josh's Blog by Hosted Author CarlHoliday. We hope you join many in the community and read this great story so you can join in our discussion which will be held on Monday, April 29th!
     
    Also - the submission deadline for our Poetry Anthology "Whispers In The Dark" is in TWO DAYS!!! Yikes - not only taxes, but poetry too (reference only for US readers, Anthology deadline for the whole world tho).
     
    We had a great week here at the GayAuthors.org News Blog - starting with a recap of what Premium membership means, and with a wonderful review from Joann414 of Hosted Author Radiant Renee Steven's Premium story, Challenging Fate.
     

    Our Wacky Wednesday really gave a good glimpse at our community, starting with two views of How GA Changed My Life, and continuing with additional views in the comments. I love how our blog entries give prompting to allow members to continue to contribute through the comments.
     
    Speaking of prompting, we ended our week as usual with two new Writing Prompts, thanks to the ever inventive mind of Comicfan. We also got a glimpse of a response to the previous week's prompt by Mann Ramblings, that I can't want to read more of.
     
    So - how was your week?
     

    Site Announcements:
    April is Team Recognition Month - Authors, please be sure to recognize your Team members!

    Anthology Announcements:
    Poetry Anthology "Whispers in the Dark" - Due April 15th - TWO DAYS AWAY! Summer Anthology "Roll the Dice" - Due June 8th

    NEW READING
     
    In Premium this week:
     
    Burden of Secrets by Cia
     
    There and Back Again by Michael9344
     

    By our Hosted Authors this week:
     
    Harry Potter and the Destiny of Prophecies by dkstories, Book 2 of Harry Potter Destiny
     
    Legacy by Altimexis, Book 29 of Naptown Tales
     
    Palouse by rec
     
    One Night by Cia
     
    Recovery by Nephylim
     
    Flash Fiction - Second Shot - The Senior Year by Andrew_Q_Gordon
     
    Hercules III by CarlHoliday
     
    Goon by dkstories
     
    Standing in Shadows by Krista
     

    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    The Talents of the Fallen by JMH, Book 1 of the Fallen
     
    GA Writing Prompts by Dolores Esteban
     
    The Luxorian Fugitive by Mann Ramblings
     
    Prompt me not, for these are my prompts by comicfan
     
    Secrets and Lies by Dolores Esteban
     
    Spirit of Vengeance by Hamen Cheese, Book 2 of Adamagika Series
     
    The Road to the Future by JHM, Book 4 of The Centurion Cycle
     

    Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!
     

    And the secret word for the week is "prat" - discuss. Trebs
  21. Trebs

    Writing Prompts #224 & #225

    By Trebs,


    Prompts
    I've talked about our GayAuthors.org community many times, but I have to say, in seeing some recent comments and posts - I am once again just so privileged to be a part of GA. A few years ago, when Myr asked me to be the Member Advocate and among other tasks, help support and foster the community here, I immediately said yes and have had no regrets since.
     
    One of the great ways I see the community coming together is weekly here with our Friday writing prompts, courtesy of the great Comicfan. I have seen new members, barely on a few months or so with few posts to their name yet, see one of these prompts and take the plunge and try to write a short piece themselves. Or they read the pieces that other post in the Writing Prompts forum, and comment and review on them - again, providing that support and necessary feedback. So - a heartfelt thank you to Comicfan and to all of you who, our GA community, who may be reading this.
     
    This week's great prompts are:
     
    Prompt 224 – Challenge
    Tag – The Mystery
    Create your own mystery story. The only thing that must be included is a clue must be a blood red ruby.
     
    Prompt 225 – Creative
    Tag – Magic
    You just turned eighteen and your mother has come to tell you a terrible secret. You were born with magic. What you do with it will determine the outcome for everyone for the next one hundred years. What is the secret of your magic?
     
    Last week, one of the prompts, #223, read "You were on your way home, arms loaded down with your groceries when you were attacked. The men who attacked you made no secret of the fact that they intended to kill you. Suddenly, from the dark a large creature came forward, destroying them and saving your life. What is this beast that saved your life?"
     
    The ink was barely dry on the prompt post when Mann Ramblings already posted his take

    Shawn awoke as he lay unmoving in the filthy dark alley. Rank water and dirt stained the side of his face as his body ignored all attempts to raise itself from the ground. It wasn't surprising his body wouldn't cooperate. The pain spiking through so many places was making it hard to stay awake, let alone move. 

    Groggily, his eyes were open and functioning even if the rest of him was not. The groceries he was carrying were strewn about the ground, the broken eggs picking off a faint glimmer from the small amount of moonlight that peaked between the buildings.
     
    When he was pulled into the alley he recognized the three men. They were part of the vocal group protesting the LGBT center that had just opened. Shawn had told them all to fuck off before and after the police arrived to break up the group as it began to get out of control. He was not about to be bullied by a bunch of homophobes.
     
    They had waited for him.
     
    Shawn could smell the overpowering stench of liquor on the trio even before the first blow struck. It dropped him to the ground and they took full advantage, cursing and battering him until he prayed they would just kill him and end it all. Someone above took mercy on him and made his consciousness finally blink out.
     
    Now that he was awake, Shawn struggled to look around and assess the situation. He couldn't focus well or see far, it was simply too dark, but there was a figure crouched over another not far from him. The figure stood and with a single hand pulled the other from the ground. He seemed so huge. An animal like growl sent a chill through Shawn as the limp man was shook like a rag doll and slammed into the brick wall with an effortless toss.
     
    “Common garbage,” he growled. The voice sounded almost inhuman, but that could have been the swaying senses Shawn was dealing with.
     
    The body on the ground caught a sliver of moonlight. Shawn could recognize the gaudy tee-shirt worn by one of the trio. It was spattered in blood and he didn't appear to be breathing.
     
    Even with all of the pain coursing, Shawn could feel the touch of hands drawing up his prone leg. Fear skittered his spine like insects as he could hear the distinctive sound of being sniffed. The standing figured whirled and ran towards him. Shawn wanted to scream but the sound gurgled in his throat. The figure kicked out and with a grunt and a fleshy impact, the weight at his legs was suddenly gone.
     
    “Don't touch him!” the figure snarled.
     
    COOL - huh? Oh, want more? He posted a bit more and here is the rest!
     
    Enjoy!
  22. Trebs

    Wacky Wednesday: How Ga Changed My Life

    By Trebs,


    Author Interviews
    How GA Changed My Life



    Compiled By



    Renee Stevens


     
    I don't remember what really brought me to GA in the first place, but that's not important. What is important is what I found here at GA. I no longer get asked why I write what I write. Instead, I have found acceptance of my writing that I haven't really found anywhere else. I was made a part of this community and I have met so many wonderful people who I am honored to call my friends. Those friends have been instrumental in so many aspects of my writing, but even more than that, they have helped me through some extremely tough times, especially lately, and I don't know what I would do without them. They are always there to encourage me and many of them I talk to on a daily basis. I talk to them about everything from story plots to what is going on in life. I can only hope that I am there for them as much as they are there for me.
     
    With the way GA has helped me, I decided to ask GA Members to PM me with how GA has changed their own lives. I got a couple replies and if you feel like sharing something else, please feel free to do so via the comments!

     
  23. Trebs

    Featured Story: Challenging Fate

    By Trebs,


    Featured Stories
    I am especially thrilled to present today's review for you. I've been preparing for this for a while, went out and asked someone whose reviews I particularly enjoy and asked that person to give a review for this story that I personally LOVE!
     
    BUT - before we get to the story, I want to give a little plug for our Premium membership, especially as it seems like we haven't plugged Premium in almost a year (last July, if I recall correctly).
     
    We strive to keep most of GayAuthors.org as a totally free site, building a community of authors and readers, as well as the ever needed editors, beta readers, artists and the like. On the flip side, to host and bring you all of this content is quite expensive on a monthly basis - and is offset in a number of ways, from GoogleAds to Premium memberships. Premium memberships are one way for community members to help with the costs of GA.org, and in return, we try to give our Premium members exclusive content on a regular basis. The cost of a Premium membership decreases per month, for those members who purchase blocks of months. The current pricing scheme is:


    GA Premium Membership Price Structure

    1 Month - $9.00
    3 Months - $26.00 (save $1)
    6 Months - $50.00 (save $4)
    12 Months - $99.00 (Save $9)

     
    As someone points out - that's typically less than a couple of coffee's a month, and as you can see, the longer you subscribe, the more you save! Please consider joining as a Premium member. Thanks!
     

    As I mentioned, one of the benefits, or Thank You's, for Premium members is some exclusive content and recently, the Radiant Renee Stevens finished posting her story, Challenging Fate. I asked Joann414 if she would consider reviewing this story, and was thrilled when she agreed - actually, her exact words were "I fell in love with the story."
     
    With that - here is Joann's review of Renee's Challenging Fate.
     




    Challenging Fate

     
    Reviewed by: Joann414
    Status: Complete
    Word Count:24,946
     
    If you are like me and I am sure many other readers ,you have that certain genre or storyline that you look for in a story. Until I found GA, I had no interest whatsoever in fantasy. But, I ventured off into a story with unicorns and fell in love with it, so I decided to try dragons and found that many great stories are fantasy, and Challenging Fate is one of them.
     
    Cyan and Ryder are the two men/dragons in this story that keep you invested throughout the tale.
     
    Cyan is of the Warrior clan, but is spurned by his family and clan after is he shifts and shows his dragon side in his early teens and he is a blue dragon. The blue dragons are believed to be evil and even turn against their own family and clan.
     
    Ryder is of the Peacemaker clan, who are not allowed to associate with the Warrior clan, but do not see the blue dragon as evil.
     
    Several years after being outcast by his family and clan, Cyan happens upon Ryder being what appears to be brutally tortured by a wizard. He rescues Ryder from his captor, and the story becomes even more intense as the two try to sort out their feelings, the other's feeling, and how they feel being together. Sounds like a lot huh, but you have to remember that you are not only dealing with human emotions, but also the strength of a dragon in each of these characters.
     
    Once I started this story I did not stop reading. I read it at one sitting and was very sad to see it come to an end. The author makes you want to hug, slug, and kiss both Cyan and Ryder. This is one of the best stories that I have read here on GA. So go read and let Renee know how much you enjoyed her tale of the fates of the two man/dragons.
     

    Thank you Joann414 for the review, and I am glad you enjoyed a story that is one of my favorites as well - Trebs!
  24. Trebs

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Trebs,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    As we started April, instead of a trick, we got a treat in the start of this month's Can't Stop Reading Book Club which this month is featuring Josh's Blog by Hosted Author CarlHoliday. We hope you join many in the community and read this great story so you can join in our discussion which will be held on Monday, April 29th!
     
    Wednesday was again a wonderful entry in our monthly Ask an Author - we are so thankful to Dark for creating and managing this great look at various authors on the site. This month, he gives us insight into Luka Fox, Johnathan Colourfield and Andrew_Q_Gordon.
     
    Our Friday Prompt Me! gave us two really compelling prompts - Prompt 222, tagged "The Dream" and Prompt 223, tagged "The Beast". I can not wait to see where people go with these. We also enjoyed looking at Greg_A's response to last week's Prompt 220 - to start with the first line of "Why is my underwear hanging off the chandelier". Part of Greg's answer "You were very... entertaining Zach!"
     
    So - how was your week?
     

    Site Announcements:
    April is Team Recognition Month - Authors, please be sure to recognize your Team members!

    Anthology Announcements:
    Poetry Anthology "Whispers in the Dark" - Due April 15th - NINE DAYS AWAY! Summer Anthology "Roll the Dice" - Due June 8th

    NEW READING
     
    In Premium this week:
     
    There and Back Again by Michael9344
     
    Burden of Secrets by Cia
     

    By our Hosted Authors this week:
     
    Palouse by rec
     
    Goon by dkstories
     
    The Secret Life of Billy Chase 7 by Comicality, Book 7 of The Secret Life of Billy Chase
     
    One Night by Cia
     
    In The Arms of an Angel by Nephylim, Book 1 of Wednesday Briefs
     
    Tentacles by Nephylim
     
    Friends First by Renee Stevens
     
    Legacy by Altimexis, Book 29 of Naptown Tales
     

    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    Prompt Ramblings by Mann Ramblings
     
    GA Writing Prompts by Dolores Esteban
     
    The Talents of the Fallen by JMH, Book 1 of the Fallen
     
    The Luxorian Fugitive by Mann Ramblings
     
     
     
    Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!
     

    Special PS since you worked your way down here - OMG the new OneRepublic Native album is sooooo fantastic. "When I was a kid, I used to buy and sell gravity. I knew how to fly, and I would teach you for a fee." This has been an unpaid and unsolicited testimonial from Trebs...
  25. Trebs

    Wacky Wednesday: Ask An Author #3

    By Trebs,


    Author Interviews
    ANNOUNCEMENT: Don't forget that April is Team Recognition Month, so don't forget to thank your teams! Author's know better than anyone how valuable editors, beta readers and the like really help to mold and tighten their stories, to make them a better finished product. Now is your chance to recognize those who help you
     
    I love the features that some members have come up with on their own. Dark's "Ask An Author" series is one of them - a great look at our favorite authors and some additional insight on who they are. Dark came up with the idea and does all of the work on it - and as such, is a fantastic contribution to not only this GayAuthors.org News Blog, but to the entire site. So, with much thanks, here is the latest in his series:
     


    Ask an Author #3


     
    Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors!
     
    In AtA #2, we had questions for authors Graeme, Andrew Todd, and Joann414.
     
    In AtA #3, we hear from Luka Fox, Johnathan Colourfield, and Andrew Q Gordon.
     
    For their protection, the members who asked these questions shall remain nameless (unless they choose to reveal themselves). Please note that all author replies are copied as is, spelling errors and grammar eccentricities original to the individual.
     
    Today’s first author is another Aussie, young newcomer Luka Fox. Since joining GA in October of 2012, this young woman has been posting a delightful coming of age story called Domino. Domino’s main character Jacob gets dealt a lot in that first chapter, but Luka Fox keeps him loveable and engaging.


    To Luka Fox: Do you have any writing rituals?  

    Nothing that I do consciously. But I have noticed that I sit in front of my computer for a good few hours before I can actually start. I don't even think about the story in particular, but it's like I just can't start writing straight away and I need to give myself some time to settle down or whatever. Oh and also music, I can't write without music, but nothing intrusive or anything. I like to listen to stuff like The Lumineers, or Imagine Dragons where the beat is enough to distract me when I can't think, and perfect for encouraging fast typing for when I can.  
    The next author today is Brit Johnathan Colourfield. He’s an actor! as well as a writer, with plans to teach in the future. Now, JC hasn’t quite been around forever, but he has been here since 2008, so that’s plenty long enough. With 27 different stories over the years, there’s a little something for everyone. His latest completed story is The Woman's Game, but don’t let the name throw you. There’s some sci-fi, some vampires, and 60k worth of words to enjoy.


    To Johnathan Colourfield: What is your favorite character in a GA story you didn't write? Why?  

    My favourite character in a story would be 'Silver' in Enigma by Nephylim. She really has created a sublime character which is almost as complicated as the author herself. It was an excellent well penned character - and also character revelation and i look forward to hearing more from the character in future tales.

    Newly-published and Premium Content (and Hosted) Author Andrew Q Gordon is today's last author. If you’ve been around GA for the last couple years, you may remember Andrew by his pseudonym: Quonus10. Of course, we all called him Q and you still see his namesake in Andrew’s profile pic. It’s lucky Andrew started down the road to being published, because otherwise we’d have never seen pictures of the Mysterious Mike! Or the darling Lil’Q. Wander on by Andrew’s website (http://andrewqgordon.com/) to gawk and say hi, and don’t forget to check out the stories!

    To Andrew Q Gordon: Have you and Mike made your final plans and will it be a big or small intimate wedding?  

    We have not finalized plans for many reasons, most completely lame. But the issue of big or small is one of the sticking points. He doesn't want anything other than a small ceremony. I want some kind of after wedding party - and I don't mean a big sit down dinner with a band and stuff. I think we'll end up a reception at the house - maybe get a tent for the back yard in case of rain. That way we can invite friends and family and not have it be a huge deal. So we're discussing weekends when it makes the most sense.  

    That’s it for now! For more info on these authors, go check out their stories, post in their forums, and/or catch them in chat!
     
    Coming next time: comicfan, Cia, and C James.
     
    Want to ask your favorite author a question? Simply PM me (Dark)!
     
    Until next time!
     
    Dark
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