Trebs

Oh BTW Cia - Surprise! ;-)

This summer has been a fantastic time for GayAuthors.org in terms of Premium content, We've had two great Premium Anthology stories, Save Tonight by CassieQ and Coin in the Fountain by comicfan. Cia has also started and is going strong on her new story Picked at the Peak. And we had the completion of two wonderful stories - Binding by Lugh and Burden of Secrets by Cia. These, and all other Premium content, are available as a "Thank you" to those that are current Premium members. The current pricing scheme for Premium membership is: 1 Month - $8.10 3 Months - $24.00 (save $0.30) 6 Months - $47.00 (save $1.60) or 12 Months - $93.00 (save $4.20) You can see how the longer you subscribe, the more you save so please consider joining as a Premium member if you are not already one. Here now is joann414's review of Cia's newest completed story - we hope you enjoy it! Burden of Secrets by Cia Reviewed by: joann414 Status: Complete Word Count: 25,443 When I was approached to write this review, I pulled up the story and was thrilled when I realised what story it was. I've read this and loved it! The first paragraph of this story is branded in my mind. I barely had to skim it to remember this great plot and its two main chacters. Chris works in his father's restaurant, in hopes of one day being the chef in his own restaurant. He is dating one of the waitresses until they have a big blow up in the kitchen, resulting in Neil (the busboy) getting burned with melted sugar that Chris was cooking on the stove. Avoiding a plate the angry girlfriend throws at him, Chris sloshes the hot liquid and is shocked when he hears the cries of anguish and sees the boiling sugar on the skin of the young man. The story of Chris and Neil is unique to say the least. As you read about these guys, you can't help but fall in love with them. We all have our secrets, and some we hope we never have to reveal. I wouldn't dare spoil the story by revealing secrets, but one of the boys has a BIG secret, and it's worth every minute you take to read their story to find out what it is. I was enthralled with the story from the get go. Cia writes in a way that always makes me take sides when it comes to her characters, and I seem to pick the good guy everytime, so far.. I promise you. Her imagination can take you places that you've never imagined or dreamed of, and she does this in 'Burden of Secrets'. The plot has a little bit of everything. You have the drama from beginning to end. There's sex and romance, and a little bit, or maybe a lot of fantasy thrown into the mix. It is definitely something you need to read and find out. You can't go wrong with such a great writer and captivating story. Go read and let Cia know how much you enjoyed it. It's definitely one to be put on your list of "must reads" if you haven't already done so!

When your people can actually come together and figure out what to call the day - whether it is Civic Holiday, New Brunswick Day, Saskatchewan Day, Natal Day, Simcoe Day and/or Heritage Day (not to mention the many more local names) - well, then we can talk.

Isn't that redundant? I thought all of your's were really good (or better) :-)

I was out of it and checking the blog from my phone... I corrected the Mark->Mann, but as to Binding, we've not been listing eBooks in the blog but anyone is free to add in the comments on additional new items of the week (especially when Binding is a great new eBook)

Correctified - sorry...

How's your writing going? Everyone know that the Fall Anthology, Pandora's Box, is due just one month from now? Give it a try - and realize, that month is going to go by faster than you think! So, first monday in August, beside being a bank holiday for some of our community, was also the launch of this month's edition of our Can't Stop Reading book club - and the August story is Don't Shout by Author Sasha Distan. Join us in reading this story and talk about it on the August 26th discussion day. We also had a new Ask An Author, with this month's questions going out to JWolf, K.C. and Mark Arbour Mann Ramblings. Great new insight on these three authors and as always, we're thankful to Dark for creating and managing this monthly feature. (sorry Mann - accidentally listed Mark as the third interviewee) And then the best recurring feature - our Friday Writing Prompts by comicfan. Oh my - these two new prompts, #252 giving a list of words and #253 tagged "The Secret" - they've both already generated some great responses. 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: Coin in the Fountain by comicfan, Book 2 of Summer Premium Anthology By our Hosted Authors this week: Odyssey by Mark Arbour, Book 6 of Bridgemont Arthur in Eblis by David McLeod 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 0300 Book 1 by David McLeod Recovery by Nephylim Hercules III by CarlHoliday By our Promising Authors this week: Roadhouse Reds by layla The Talents of the Fallen by JMH, Book 1 of Fallen Prompt Ramblings by Mann Ramblings Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!

Since this event is over, I'm going to unpin the topic...

***REMINDER - It is appropriate in this thread to talk about the upcoming movie and your views on the MOVIE. Politics is not allowed in GA forums***

Saw a news article about this as well - looks like he's an actor as well as internet star and was in X-Men Origins: Wolverine as a young Wolverine

Thing I really like about Capaldi, and it was true of Tennant as well, is that he's been a Doctor Who fan for a long time - that fandom helps bring a bigger understanding to the role. I look forward to his episodes and hopes he stays for a while.

HELL YES! Got goosebumps... Looking forward to this one!

Ieshwar - it has been a while (in fact, looks like last time we had articles like that was when we were still doing the blog six days a week). Three examples of what I was thinking of when I included that choice are: Author Feedback Perspective Constructive Criticism These are some examples, but I can already think of potential other articles, like how to engage other community members via our forums, how to use the site for finding stories that interest you based on stories you already love, etc. Of course, we have so many members here in the community, and getting YOUR ideas and YOUR articles about tips, tricks or other things you've learned and want to share - that's one thing I love about our GA News Blog, it is a way for everyone to help out and help each other. In other words, got a tip and want to write about - let me know!

Heh - couple of clarifications... "Wacky" was picked, because Wednesday's articles can be anything, unexpected sometimes. And we're asking what everyone likes, not to restrict to just one thing on future Wed, but to try to see what the community enjoys most :-)

We are deeply grateful for the time and work put in by Dark for these great Ask An Author articles. Here is August's edition - we hope you enjoy it! Ask an Author #7 Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors! In AtA #6, we had questions for authors Luc Rosen, Libby Drew, and Mark Arbour. In AtA #7, we hear from authors JWolf, K.C., and Mann Ramblings. 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. Promising Author JWolf is today’s first author. Just two years ago, Jwolf took GA by storm with his popular story The List. It was no surprise when he became a Promising Author a few short months later. His latest story, The English Year, has garnered 119 reviews; reader Lisa had this to say: ‘"He's one skittle away from completing the rainbow." has to be one of the funniest lines I've ever read! You are such a comedian Jon!’ To JWolf: What inspired you to begin writing? I started writing when I was a kid, probably eight or nine years old. And the reason I started writing things down is because I would tell myself these outlandish stories while I was trying to fall asleep. And the next day, I'd try to keep going where I left off, but I'd forget. So without even thinking, I started jotting down the plot points in my sketch journal that I used to sketch clothes in. Eventually, I'd take these plot points and turn them into stories. They were AWFUL at first. Third rate versions of my favorite movie or TV show at the time. TERRIBLE. But they got me writing. And the got me thinking. And they got me creating. And they got better. And they got me to access a place in my mind that I hadn't been able to archive before. So in short, I started writing to help myself fall asleep, and I haven't really been able to ever since. Today’s next author is the semi-obnoxious but loveable K.C.. Did you know he’s a twin? Just ask him sometime about his secret name! Although 2012 started out rough for K.C., it ended on a good note when JMS Books published KC Grim’s first book, “Love is in the Cards.” This is another story that started its life here on GA and so lucky were we to experience it first! Nowadays, we can enjoy the sexy vampire Garrett McQuinn in Chasing the Shadows. To K.C.: You have had some unique ideas as the basis for your stories, making your readers wonder where they come from. Is there anything in particular that motivated you to do something like that? As a kid, I always had a very active imagination and was completely enthralled with science-fiction and mythological creatures. My home-life was very difficult and as a result, I found myself wishing that I could live in another world. I started writing my own stories as an escape, it was a place that I created and I could control what happened to my characters, unlike my real life. Most of my stories have an element of some kind of supernatural, because the possibilities are so deliciously endless. Today’s final author is yet another Michigan Man, Mann Ramblings. New to GA as of Sept 2012, Mann has already posted 3 stories, and with plenty of variety. Mann’s latest offering is The Luxorian Fugitive, a rousing sci-fi story with space ships, travel, and santa claus! Now how could you pass that up? Of course, Mann has a wicked sense of humor (and a quiet love affair with chardonnay). Give him a chat sometime; you won’t regret it. To Mann Ramblings: What are your primary sci-fi influences and how did they inspire you in writing your current story? I've always been a fan of Ridley Scott's "Alien" and "Star Trek" when it comes to the first thing I think of when I hear the words, "Sci-Fi." I always like the human story being dominant with the sci-fi providing the setting. I loved "Alien" for it's harsh realism and I wanted a lighter version of that for "The Luxorian Fugitive." Living in space doing blue collar work would never be a luxury, but didn't have to be a death trap either. I also wanted the light military/family interactiveness that I always recognized between crew members in the Star Trek franchise. Even with those influences, I wanted the characters to drive the story, not the environment. 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: andy021278, podga, and Nephylim. Want to ask your favorite author a question? Simply PM me (Dark). Until next time! Dark

Great suggestion Ieshwar - and even if we can't do it for all author's, we can see if that is something we could do occassionally...

I've been involved in online communities since 1983 - in fact, was just reminded of an earlier one when I ran into someone yesterday from 15 years ago and my efnet irc days :-) There are other "story" sites out there - like most, I started at Nifty (well, after usenet's ASSGM). But it wasn't until I was reading a story, where the author had posted the wrong chapter on Nifty but had a link to GA at the bottom of each chapter, that I found GayAuthors. And what I found was the start of a vibrant community. Since then, I've met some wonderful people, both virtually but also in person and formed some deep friendships. It allowed me to finally meet that author who mis-posted and eventually call him first my partner and now about eight years later, my ex. For me, GA has been and continues to be a wonderful experience and part of my life - it's one reason I put so much time into it, because of all I get from it.

Perv...

ANNOUNCEMENT: In case you missed it - we are happy to announce our newest Hosted Author: David McLeod. David has been a Promising Author here and has a great body of work - hope you check it out! Another month ended - can you believe it is already August?!? O.o I don't know about you, but the calendar has been moving fast. Before we said goodbye to July, we had a great Discussion Day session of our CSR Book Club, featuring The Degan Incident by Author Rob Colton. Based on the comments, looks like it was another great month for the book club. Good writing has many features, and we are always fortunate when we get another writing tip from Libby Drew - this Wednesday's was on Conflict is Key. As she puts it, "Creating powerful conflict and weaving it tightly throughout the story is a difficult skill to master [...] But the reward is worth the learning curve." Comicfan is constantly on the prowl for new victims talented writers interested in taking up his wonderful Writing Prompts. This week's prompts include using either his given First Line, or ... well, as his tag goes, a creative prompt on "They're Real"! Are you going to take the plunge - 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: Coin in the Fountain by comicfan, Book 2 of Summer Premium Anthology By our Hosted Authors this week: 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 0300 Book 1 by David McLeod Crosscurrents by Adam Phillips Flash Fiction - Second Shot - The Senior Year by Andrew_Q_Gordon Recovery by Nephylim By our Promising Authors this week: Roadhouse Reds by layla Pura Vida by KingdombytheSea Pour Me Another by K.C. Prompt me not, for these are my prompts by comicfan Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!

I love this story - I come back and read it again and again. From eyes that are malfunctioning and leaking, to talking and waiting in the big park with the stone bird hangouts - the voice and phrasing is so perfect! If you haven't read this yet - please do! Such a quick read, but so very worth it.

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

It was 50, and as the updated FAQ http://www.gayauthors.org/story/authorhelp/faq17/5 notes:

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!!!

I categorize posts like this as Writing Tips, and you can pull up the whole list of them at this link: http://www.gayauthors.org/forums/blog/blog-258/cat-38-writing-tips

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