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Found 24 results

  1. How's February treated everyone? I know it's the shortest month of the year, but it feels like it can't possibly have already passed this quickly! But, it has, and today is the discussion day for David AB's All We Have Now. Did you get a chance to read or re-read this story posted back in 2015? Make sure you gave the author a few likes, comments, or even share your thoughts and questions below. David's going to pop in as he can today, so let's encourage him to share more stories by sharing how much you enjoyed this month's read! First we have my interview with him, of course! Are you a person who makes their bed in the morning, or do you not see much point? Not in the morning, because when I wake up I'm more corpse than man and it usually takes me a few hours before I manage to lure my soul back into my body with an unreasonable amount of caffeine and nicotine. I do make my bed at some point though, but only so I can just collapse onto it and pass out comfortably at night. If you had 30 minutes of free time, what would you do? Maybe lie down on my couch and read the news or google random stuff. (That's just the least inappropriate answer I could think of though, so who knows what I might do, haha.) What brought you to the GA? Serendipity. Many authors like to write in genres they enjoy reading. Do you have a favorite post-apocalyptic story or book you’d like to recommend? Well, Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" is by far the best post-apocalyptic novel (aside from "All We Have Now" of course, haha) and one of the best books in general I've ever read, but I don't think I would recommend it to anyone, because it's emotionally devastating and I kind of wish I had never read it myself to be honest. (I know it's a bit tacky to promote my own stuff, but if you've enjoyed reading "All We Have Now", I did write another apocalypse-themed (short) story called "To Last". I can definitely recommend that one, haha.) If the apocalypse hit and you survived, where would you go to live? I love my apartment, so I'd probably stay right where I am. (I would've answered "IN A SPACESHIP!!! O.O" However, I'm assuming there would be no more Google after an apocalypse, so to find a spaceship I'd have to drive around aimlessly and hope that I'd happen to come across a spaceship-parking lot or whatever. That just doesn't sound like a lot of fun to me, especially not if I could be lying on my couch instead, doing who knows what, haha.) Did the characters or the plot come to you first for All We Have Now? This is probably not something I should openly admit as an "aspiring" writer, but I don't really care about plots all that much in general, I'm mainly interested in characters and their interactions and development. To answer the question though, the setting "came to me" first. At the time I loved "The Walking Dead", so I decided that I wanted to basically write a more intimate, gay version of that show. After the setting I "developed" the characters, came up with a whole bunch of "moments"/scenes to get a proper feel for them and finally I used those "moments" to roughly map out the basic plot of the story. How did you flesh out your world? Did you plot out the events and the settings as an overall “this is the world now” or did you include the post-apocalyptic elements as they came to you while you wrote? Before I started writing "All We Have Now" I already knew what I wanted the world and all the different locations to look and "feel" like and how realistic or rather "unrealistic" I wanted the story to be, but I only outlined the plot very roughly and let the characters heavily inform most of my decisions on what should happen between all the abovementioned "moments", so consequently I did keep adding new elements throughout the story. I also kept researching every little detail, which made me change and add a bunch of stuff as well. One example is the [spoiler-alert] farm-chapter(s) – originally I wanted Cody and Troy to stay in the house, but the problem was that dead bodies had been decomposing in there for quite a while and I had planned for them to do a poop-ton of cleaning and bleaching etc., but when I arrived at that chapter I did a lot of research on crime scene cleaning and things of that nature and I soon had to realize that there was absolutely no way that they could realistically get rid of that corpse-stench, at least not in a day and without proper equipment. So I scrapped that idea and let them find the RV instead, which I had originally decided against, because I thought it would feel too similar to "The Walking Dead". However, in my opinion "Book 2" (which is set almost exclusively in the RV) turned out far better than both "Book 1" and "Book 3", so in hindsight I'm quite happy that corpses reek much worse than I ever could've imagined, haha. Do you have a favorite scene or moment in All We Have Now you can share with readers? I know the whole thing drags on for way too long and probably isn't nearly as funny as I'd like to believe it is, but the chapter in which [spoiler-alert] they get stoned out of their minds was such a blast to write and there's one line in particular that I immediately had to think of: At one point Troy is wondering whether they could make [potato] chips themselves and then he lists all the stuff they have, but he's high, so he lists both "oil" and "canned potatoes" twice without realizing it. (Here's the line: "Hey, wait a minute, we have canned potatoes, oil, spices, oil, a pen, canned potatoes and a camping stove, we could make chips ourselves," he said.) The thing is, when I wrote that line I didn't do that on purpose, I simply listed "canned potatoes" twice by accident, probably because I was tired at the time. When I realized what I had done I laughed so hard, because it was exactly the kind of mistake you'd expect a stoned person to make, so it fit perfectly and became one of my favorite jokes in the whole story, even though it was just a lucky accident.
  2. Holy mackerel it's Monday, the last Monday of the month! How did that happen already? Well it's a good thing we're ready for it, right? Did you take advantage of the time you had to read Aceinthehole's story, The Hidden Ones: The Spotlight? I know it was really long! Hopefully you made a dent. I will caution you, if you're still mid-read, there are some questions below in the interview that have answers that might be a tad revealing about the story, so I've hidden them with spoilers. Or maybe they will just entice you to read it! Your choice. Do you eat your fruits and vegetables? I can’t say I always did, but I’ve gotten a lot better about it! I recently graduated college, where I used to only eat frozen pizzas, chicken nuggets, take out and the like. However now that I’m onto the next chapter of my life, I’ve tried my hardest to make a strong commitment to my health, both mental and physical. If you were writing a book about your life, what would the title be? The Eighth Circle of Hell: How to Survive in a House with Four Sisters. I’m just kidding. I love my sisters and the chaos that comes with a packed house. But sometimes, it does feel like the eighth circle of hell! What don’t we know about you? In addition to loving sports and music, I’m a gigantic nerd. I love comic books, video games, T.V. shows and movies. These mediums are really what inspired me to become a writer. I’ve read and watched so many amazing stories, that I hope to one day contribute one of my own! Is there a literary character (in the whole universe of fiction) that you’ve read who you really identified with? I’d have to say Tyrion Lannister from A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. I’m nowhere as smart or tactical as he is, but I closely relate to him being an outcast. I’ve always been blessed with family and friends, however I grew up in an area where being gay isn’t widely accepted. His words and wisdom really meant a lot to me, especially when I was coming out to those close to me. Did something specific in your life/history inspire you to write The Hidden Ones: The Spotlight? I’d say my experience in High School was what really sparked the idea for this story. I can’t say I was bullied much, but I was also never that popular. Instead I was an anonymous kid who kept to his friends and simply observed everything that was happening around him. Yet what I observed always ate away at me. For no specific reason, certain kids got made fun of for the same qualities the ‘popular’ kids had. In addition, at every High School I knew, there was always one kid at the top, usually the captain of a sports team or school president. This kid always tried his/her hardest to seem perfect at every turn. Worst of all, they always offered help without ever actually intending to follow through with it. They rarely got their hands dirty in terms of bullying, but turned a blind eye to it. They pretended to be friends with everyone, but in reality they were in it for their own selfish gains. I guess what I’m trying to say is that the popular kid isn’t all that different from the kid with a target on his back. This hypocrisy was what really inspired The Hidden Ones: The Spotlight. I wanted to show what would happen if that popular kid ever learned just how much they had in common with the bullied kid. Is there anything you found particularly challenging while writing this series? If you could give advice to yourself when you had first started writing the story, what would it be? Stop overthinking it, and just keep writing. There were a lot of moments when I was writing that I just wanted to give up. I often doubted the story, and where it would go. I felt silly trying to create my own rock star, and citing music I’m not sure many people had heard. But now looking back, those doubts were silly. I was so worried about how it would be received, that I almost lost the story I wanted to tell. It may not be perfect, but I’m proud of it. I got to write about a genre I love, and about an issue that always seemed to bother me. I credit @JayT, who edited the story, with helping me through my doubts and even brain storming along with me during certain parts. By the end I was able to get to a place where I was really having fun with this story. What do you think makes The Spotlight stand out compared to other “similar” stories? I think what separates it from other stories is how dark and gritty it can get. This is not a light hearted, feel good story. It explores the boxes we force ourselves into, and how much damage that can do to a person. Even when things get better, the damage is already done. I understand that many people read stories to escape certain realities. After all, I read certain stories for the same reasons. However, we don’t always get the happy endings we dreamed of. Life has a way of warping our endings, and giving us what it feels we need. I always try to keep this in mind while writing, and to me that whole concept sets this story apart. I wouldn’t say this is a dark story, there are a lot of light and happy moments within it, but I tried my hardest to keep it as realistic as possible. What do you like best about the story? This is a very tough question for me, as this story is perhaps the most fun I’ve had writing so far. I got to combine my passion for writing with my passion for music. Often before writing a chapter I would sit down and watch music video after music video to help me get into the right mindset. It was like I got to take messages from the bands I loved and let it flow through me into my own story. However, after looking at the whole of the story, the thing I like best... Can you share something about your current work or an upcoming story? So I have a current story I’m writing along with the editing help of OzLoGo called The Golden City, and two upcoming stories Tales of the Underground Book four: Vision and an unnamed The Hidden Ones third book (although this book is more for fun!). The Golden City is very unlike anything I’ve written before. I’m not too sure where it came from. It’s just been this really fun and vibrant story. It’s the journey of Arthur Price following the loss of his single mother and his move to San Francisco. It follows him exploring his new city as he begins to discover his true self. It feels like a lot more of an adventure than anything I’ve written before. The fourth and final Tales of the Underground story, Vision, will be released after The Golden City is finished. It’ll take place a good twenty to thirty years after the first three books and will focus on Matthew Sanders-Taylor’s journey to find who he really is. This journey will require the help of many characters from this series and in many ways will mirror the first book, Velocity, that sparked my love for writing. Finally, the third The Hidden Ones which is still unnamed will follow the rising of a new rock star. It was a story I was uncertain about at first, but after receiving requests from some of my readers, is something I will happily begin. It will be a running story I update throughout the year. It’ll help people stay updated on their favorite characters, while also allowing me to continue writing characters I miss!
  3. Sorry all, I know that we missed out on the February discussion day for the current anthology. Before we get started, a quick reminder that the deadline to get your votes in for the April Fool's Short Story Contest is 2:00 PM EST TODAY. The themes for the Spring anthology are Jagged Edges and Unintended Consequences and the deadline to get your story to the Anthology Proof Team is April 30th. So, let's get this discussion started! Feel free to answer any of the questions, all of the questions, and/or ask your own! Are you planning on participating in the 2017 Spring Anthology? Which of the two themes are you thinking about using? Have you started writing your anthology? If so, how far along are you? If you haven't already started, do you have an idea of what you want to write? Do you have your anthology planned out? Do you work from an outline or just write as you go? If you've already started, would you like to share anything about your story? If you've already submitted your story, are you planning a second story?
  4. *Note: for the purpose of this entry i will be using the term amateur writer inr regards to someone who is self-published or self posting. Not in reference to experience or skill level* My interest in gay romance started in a way, I think, is similar to most straight women's: fanfiction. It all started with the Percy Jackson series. For those of you who are not familiar I'll give you a little background. This series has a totally bad ass character named Nico. He is sort of a minor character or a background hero. He starts out very minor but his importance grows as the series progresses. He becomes one of those characters that isn't really 'the hero' but you can tell without his efforts the hero never would have been able to prevail. As his character arch progresses you realize his motivation for saving the world has more to do with saving the hero himself. When it's revealed that hes gay and has a thing for the hero you can't help but wish manages to capture his love interests attention. Spoiler, he doesn't. He's such an awesome character and has been through so much you can't help but want something good for him. So of course, there a million fanfics where the hero changes his mind, comes to his senses, dumps him girlfriend and realizes how bad ass awesome Nico is and the live happily ever after. I fell in love with him and his love for Percy. My second big step into the 'genre' came with Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg. A story about a gay boy who struggles with the balance between being "Gay Rafe" and "Rafe, who happens to be gay" The 'nail in the coffin' so to speak for me was when I realized I didn't identify with the females in amateur writing. Not just because I would be considered 'masculine' or 'a tom boy', but because the female in these stories seemed to be very ditsy, unreasonable drama queens. I read story after story where the female characters were just ridiculous and the stories I was reading all followed the same equation. I find myself drawn to gay romance/ literature because it's fresh and new, the characters are more relatable, the struggles are real, and yes because gay sex if f*cking hot (LOL). I read one article that made me prickle about how women are attracted to MM romance because it allows them to relate to a 'submissive' character without feeling like they are giving into gender roles. It went on to say women like the idea of being submissive but shy away from it because they feel the pressure to be a 'strong' women. While I could relate to idea of yes, sometimes it's nice to be the 'girl' even thou I see myself as a 'strong women', I don't feel that pressure to shy away from it. (the article was written by a straight man, may or may not be relevant) Another discussion board I found expressed it as the same attraction men have to lesbian porn; two is always better then one. Again, while it has some merit it didn't feel like the whole picture. Yes, the sex is hot, but it's not ALL about the hot sex, or even the fact that it's two men. it's about well written, sexual sex instead of fluffy caresses and quivering members. Most women see to express the same feelings I have. The portrayals of women in media and novels, even amateur, are just ...blah. Discussion Questions How did you first discover MM romance? What attracted you to it? How do you feel about the article about women and submissive roles? About two men just being hotter? How do gay men/women feel about this "gay fandom"? How realistic do you find the portrayals of queer characters written buy binary authors? Any other comments are welcome as always
  5. As a parent who struggles with gender identity (Neutral? Fluid? A-gender? Something else?) the hardest thing I have faced is figuring out how to raise my kid. He is a mini me, personality and attitude. In many ways he is what would be considered a 'regular little boy' but in a lot of ways he displays 'overly feminine' behaviors. I do my best to keep a neutral environment, but find have started over thinking things that is making my life, perhaps, more complicated then they need to be. (FYI he's only 4) When he assigns gender to inanimate objects, such as hair or toys, I correct him. When he labels gender roles, boys/ girls don't do that, I correct him. But sometimes it's not as easy as that... A good example took place last week. We were both home sick and decided to paint our nails (actually his idea). When I finished his he turns to me, hand out and says "Mommy, look I have pretty girl nails!" So I reply by telling him just because they are pretty, they aren't girls nails. Boys can have pretty nails too. He says again, "I have pretty girl nails" So I start second guessing myself; maybe he WANTS to have GIRL nails. Do I say "you can have girl nails if you want", or do I try to teach him they don't have to be "girl nails" in order to be pretty" I idea behind not pushing gender roles on a kid is one I am fully 100% behind (his juice bottle is pink hello kitty, his thermos is spider man), but it's a lot harder in practice. I keep worrying I'm going to unintentionally push him towards something without even realizing it. And I find it's difficult to teach gender to a kid who doesn't even understand that no mommy doesn't have a penis. Any other parents facing similar... i don't want to say problems... confusions is perhaps a good word. Any other parents facing similar confusions? Any examples of things your parents did you found very positive? Any advice on how to maintain a healthy environment? How young is too young to start worrying or trying to explain the idea of gender?
  6. Entertainment vs Commentary on Human Condition is this week's topic. I was originally going to do one on Infodumps and why they are good and needed in Fantasy/SciFi stories, despite what publishers and those that adhere to dogmatic writing rules, say. But after reading @Carlos Hazday's blog entry called "Stories so White," I felt the need to switch up topics. This is also a topic, that I've discussed several times with my Non-GA friends, who I play tabletop RPGs with. While the majority, of this topic, is based on my opinions, I am going to show a couple of examples. Human Condition There's been a shift over the years, in how people consume books, movies, music, and tv shows, where they are looking for the underlying commentary on the human condition. A very vocal minority called "Social Justice Warriors" or "Fragile Snowflakes" are the ones leading the charge on this. They will dissect your work, looking for any hidden meaning or message you may have put in it. And, if you do put some sort of message into your work, then by all the Holy Identity Politics, it better be something that they approve of, or you might get something like this: "Your story sucks because you talk about slavery." "Your story sucks because the main character is white." "Your story sucks, because you are not advocating < Insert a cause I deem worthy here > in your story." Add on to that, a campaign to ruin your life, get you fired from your job, death threats, and boycotts of anyone that supports you. If you think I'm joking, just look at Twitter or Google search for Brenden Eich. These "Group-Think" Activists will use social media to harass you, your readers, your publisher, and your family, friends, employer, school, and your 2nd-grade teacher, to shame you into either retracting your work or changing it to what they consider appropriate. Carlos' blog entry above is about, how one writer changed her entire story, after a campaign of online bullying from these SJWs. It's all utter BULLSHIT. Yes, bold, underline, and italic. "But, BHopper2. Didn't you just post a thread, saying as Gay Writers, we should hold ourselves to a higher standard? And that whole thing about sex scenes? Isn't that being a little hypocritical?" Glad you asked or thought that. It would be hypocritical of me, to not point out, I did say that as Homosexual Writers, because of the Double Standard that exists between us and Heterosexual Writers, should hold ourselves to a higher standard when it comes to what we write. That thread was based on the perceptions that some Heterosexuals have that Homosexuals are sexual predators, and have an obscene obsession with sex. I don't make the rules; I just point them out. Your mileage may vary, and things have become a lot better over the years, in Western Culture. Entertainment Not everything has to be for some cause. Sitting down to read a book, or watch a movie, can be for the entertainment value. Something that amuses you. For instance, the movie Warcraft is a high fantasy action film based on the MMO by Blizzard called World of Warcraft. If you love the game, you'll hate the movie. If you love High Fantasy and looking at eye-candy, you'll love the movie. Same can be said about a number of different movies, shows, and music. I love the show Supernatural, and the characters Sam and Dean. It's a story about two brothers, who hunt monsters. Some say it's more than that, but at its core, that's what the show is about. There's no politics in it, there's no plight to show a tale of the human condition, there's just a tale of brotherly love, and family. In fact, I've stopped watching a number of shows when they've become overly political, or are very biased. I want to be entertained. I don't want an essay on what you think are the sins of the human race. In fact, when I write my stories, I'm not doing it for any reason other than for entertainment purposes only. I don't give a shit about causies, and their causes when I write. I write a piece of literature, that I like, and I tell a story, that I want to tell. Then I ask a group of friends here to Beta Read it and Edit it, and then post it as an entertainment piece. If people like my story, and leave a reaction to it, or even better a comment or a review, then I know I have brought joy to someone else. "But, what about your Forbidden Love story, and what you said above?" I would say that is the only cause, I do advocate for, and have written about. I do try to hold myself to a higher standard, but I'm human. I will fail at that. I did have my main characters in No Regrets killed because they were Gay because that's what does happen in parts of our Modern World, today. Most of my stories, don't include that sort of stuff. So, there's my thoughts, and opinions on the topic. What are your thoughts on this?
  7. I was in transit yesterday, coming home from an Epic Weekend of immersive storytelling. Otherwise known as, "I was getting my nerd on by playing some Dungeons and Dragons." So, I apologize for not posting this yesterday. Before I start this week's topic if anyone has suggestions for Topic Tuesday, please feel free to share them, or Start a Topic Tuesday (or any topic), and we can work together. "Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen." - John Steinbeck I've always heard that Steinbeck's quote above was the foundation of the Plot Bunny meme. Well, it's true. Stories, Worldbuilding, Characters, Plots, Scenes, are all like rabbits, and they breed rapidly. I don't know about anyone else, but for myself, I end up with a TON of ideas. Most I write down in my "Notes Journal" and look at them from time to time, to see if I feel they are viable to use. There's some I've gotten and had not have time to write them down and soon forgot them. So, what about you? How do you handle the Plot Bunnies? Can you herd them, and get them written down? Or do you turn them into Rabbit Stew? Let us know how you do it, and Let's Work Together!
  8. Thread for everyone to discuss and talk about the upcoming anthology. Have fun, visit, just don't forget to post the links to your submissions in the announcement thread so that I don't overlook them!
  9. This thread is dedicated to bringing you news about my writing, discussing stuff, and anything you want to say here rather than in story comments, about my books. You know, the things like: that didn't seem real, hated that bit, how did you/could you write that, what next? I typed in WKW as a snappy title, the spell check kept changing it to WOW! That's okay I guess, I don't have any problems with WOW! Anyway, I would love to interact with anyone who wants to, and if not, that's fine too. I will be checking back here from time to time to let you know what's going on. So what is going on? I was very fortunate to find a great editor for Refugee, and now that we have almost completed the re-edit, I am starting to publish it. The book appears as a new story, for the publicity, well perhaps. But, it was always intended as one single book, in four parts, which is really why it is getting published a fresh. Rompecabezas I wrote way back in 2016. I say, way back, because I've learnt a whole lot about how to write since then. Which has prompted me to edit and proof read the book. This is so I don't cringe at the errors I made back then. I still make mistakes, but hopefully less with the practice I've had. The book gets published with the new edition over the old, so you need to follow the story if you want up dates, it won't appear as a new book. That's all for now good people, happy reading.
  10. I've been playing recently in an online Dungeons and Dragons game via voice chat over Skype. In the fifth edition of the game, there is a mechanic to award inspiration to players for excellent Role-Playing. This can be used to augment rolls later on in the campaign, turning that Natural 1 failure to something much more dramatic with the re-roll of the die (it's really awesome to go from a Natural 1, an automatic and horrible failure, to a Natural 20, a stunning automatic success). Also, recently, @Myr started posting about Pinterest, and in another thread, how pictures can provide inspiration to Writers and Role-Players alike. So, that's what today's topic is: What inspires you? For me, I write because I have a need to, due to my disabilities. However, when another one of my disabilities steps in and prevents me from being creative, I can feel it in my bones. What inspires me to write, is simple, I love telling stories. Sometimes, too much, but that is a different topic. I will sometimes, find inspiration in other people's work. Like @Mikiesboy's poems, when I need a good visual, or like the ones he posted yesterday (3-12-2018) about love when I need a shot of "feel good"-ness, or @MacGreg's Dissonance to see a different perspective. @Carlos Hazday's works with CJ, which I so need to sit down and read more of, and @Timothy M.'s epic Clueless Camping are all different points of inspiration to take ideas from. @Cia's Newsletter games are all good sparks for inspiration as well. Some good prompts can jar a quick scene lose. But the inspiration for me isn't just in the form of written words. I have a vast collection of Movie and Video Game Soundtracks. Just turning on the Halo 2 Theme, with the Steve Vai's Mjorliner mix, is enough to put me into the mindset of an epic space opera. The Superman Soundtrack, from the original Christopher Reeves movie, Star Wars, The Princess Bride, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and Tom Cruise's Legend can send you places in your mind, with just a few notes. Queue them up on your favorite music streamer, or YouTube, and you'll see what I'm talking about. Like Myr posted, pictures can serve as a form of inspiration. My current avatar as of today, 3-13-2018, is B&W sketch drawing of two male elves, one older with a beard, and a younger twinkish guy kissing. I've written a story based on this pic, that I won't share on GA, lol, as it's firmly in the "Plot, what plot," camp of erotica (have I ever mentioned I like twink and bear couples?). There have been a few others that a picture has inspired me to write. Sadly, they are among some I won't share. Not because of it being smut, no, most are not, but I write a ton of stuff, that only me, my cat (rest her soul), and select friends have ever seen. With that rambling mess, I hereby award you with a Point of Inspiration. So, what inspires you? Topic Tuesday is a personal initiative to foster communication between Writers of GA. So #LetsWorkTogether.
  11. Thread for everyone to discuss and talk about the upcoming anthology. Have fun, visit, just don't forget to post the links to your submissions in the announcement thread so that I don't overlook them!
  12. Today I would like to talk about two "new" writing trends that have developed over the past 5-10 years, and 20-40 years respectfully. A new genre called LitRPG and Deep PoV. LitRPG LitRPG, or Literature Role-Playing Game, is a new genre that has started in the last 5-10 years. This type of story has a few elements that are required to be a LitRPG: The story is based on a Role-Playing Game. Can be a Virtual Game, like an MMO, or Tabletop. The story has both "real world" and "game world" elements. So Main Character lives in the real world, and the Author writes about it, and then plays the game, from that PoV. The In-Game Character knows its a game. There is Game Engine discussion, like Leveling Up, Stats, Inventory screens, gear fits, quests. etc. Fantasy, SciFi, Romance, Horror, are all different styles of the genre. LitRPG is not a sub-genre of any other. This is a work of Fiction, not FanFiction. But, there are some Real World games, LitRPG is based on. Most games are fictional, in these stories. The type of game depicted controls the flavor. So, a Fantasy based game, makes it a Fantasy style world. Deep PoV I was sent a link via PM, to a writer's blog that spoke of Deep PoV. The writer of the blog made is sound like it's the latest in writing trends, and one that you need to heed. As most major sellers are going this route. (First person PoV can go lay an egg!) Basically what Deep PoV is this. It's the Third Person Point of View, but with Speech Tags, Sensory words, and Thought words removed. SO:“Alright, son,” Adam said. He chuckled silently, shaking his head. He thought, ‘Oh, to be a teenager again.’ Turns into: “Alright, son.” He chuckled silently, shaking his head. ‘Oh, to be a teenager again.’ Because you the reader knows which character is talking and thinking, and you don't need to be told. Each scene of a story is focused on one character, and gets the treatment. Action Tags might be necessary for other character's in a scene. If you Google Search Deep PoV you can find some related blogs, and articles about it, with more examples. A word of caution though... There was some Not Safe For Work results when I searched. As it was pointed out to me, several GA authors already use the Deep PoV method in their writings. Two such examples are @Mikiesboy and @AC Benus. I personally hadn't noticed until it was pointed out, and I went back and looked at some of their writings. Also, Stephen King in his book, On Writing (and subject of the First Topic Tuesday) has ideas and thoughts on this Point of View aspect. So, what do you think of the latest writing trends? Have you used Deep PoV? Would you write a LitRPG?
  13. Thread for everyone to discuss and talk about the upcoming anthology. Have fun, visit, just don't forget to post the links to your submissions in the announcement thread so that I don't overlook them!
  14. With self-publication become more popular, it seems to me that anyone can become a writer, and put a book out. I know at my current skill level I am by no means at a place to even entertain such an idea. However, from some stories I've read some Authors have overestimated their skills. I've recently have read a few Amazon Kindle eBooks, that have been less than stellar. While fun and light-hearted some have been, they've been really low quality. (Which is why I think they were free.) For those that have Self-Published, how do you go about standing out in a vast crowd of eBooks? Have you thought about going small press, and use companies like Dreamspinner Press? I hope to one day be good enough, for publication on a more professional level, but I'm happy being an amateur right now.
  15. I saw this question posted on a Queer SciFi Writers Facebook Group. Have you ever written a story, that Readers and Editors loved, but for some reason, you ended up hating your own work? For me, not yet. While writing, I've found elements I didn't like and rewrote those sections before they ever appeared to anyone. What about you all?
  16. Most stories I've read here on GA, and in books in general, are written in the Third Person format. A detached narrator who guides the reader through the story. I'm currently trying my hand at writing one in the First Person and must say it's daunting. Finding out that I use the word "I" a lot in starting sentences while trying to keep the story in a past tense. Though, I am reworking that, to make it less often. So, what is your favorite writing style? Why do you choose that one? Have you tried the other? What shortcomings have you experienced, and how have you tried to overcome them?
  17. Hi guys, So basically, I've just finished Desert Dropping this second time round and I first read it back a couple years ago and never got to partake in any of the discussions. So hopefully I'm not too late. Besides, after a couple years, it was like reading it for the first time again. Anyways, can I just ask if anyone felt as frustrated as I was with Rory in the first few chapters. I basically had to walk away from my laptop before I did anything stupid. I was just waiting for him to get his heartbroken by Aaron and I was just annoyed with him up till then. I really expected Luke and Rory to get together too. I feel so sorry for Luke throughout though I really liked Seth's character and his relationship with Rory. Just my 2 cents worth.
  18. Soooo I found a poem I wrote a while back and decided to post it, and since I occasionally engage in poetry I thought I may as well post a collection that I can add stuff to when fancy strikes me. Thus, I give you, Thorny Poetry So far, there's just the one. A little free-verse thing called Kiss Me with Books. Click above to check it out! Or don't. You don't have to if you don't want to. Like, I'm not gonna force you or anything. But it would be cool of you. Either way, yay, I'm a poet!
  19. Hi guys, My second story here at GA is posted. It's a coming-of-age story. Main character, Clency, is the introspective, sensitive type, who escapes issues at home by going to the museum. He met Andy there..., whom he didn't like at first. The main structure follows the tradition of The Catcher in the Rye. The story took place in one day. True to Modernist style, two story lines are woven into one stream of consciousness. Feedbacks are welcome. Let me know what works and what doesn't, what is unique and what is too much of a cliche. Some questions to think about while reading the story: (optional. To me it's easier to keep track of the story I'm reading if I have a list of objectives) Do you find any character relatable? Are you more of a Clency, or more of an Andy? Beside going to a museum, what other defense mechanisms did Clency use to distract himself from his problem at home? Do you think Clency's parents love him? Why or why not? Do you think Clency wants to be loved in the beginning of the story? Clency seems to have trouble accepting Andy in the beginning of the story. Why? Modernist movement started around early 1900's, as a feedback of (second) Industrial Revolution. One of the characteristics of this literature style is bleak outlook of future. Did you observe such description in this story? Is this story driven by plot or characters? Which character is more complex? Clency or Andy? Love sometimes comes gradually. When do you think Andy started to win Clency over? There is one line in the story: Museum goers shuttled around us, aimlessly looking for something. It seems to be a very specific description of people that Clency knew nothing about. Why do you think Clency have such a thought? At one point of the story, Andy told Clency about various museum goers and their back stories. What is the purpose of that? Did he make those stories up? Would you fall for a guy like Andy? [sharedmedia=stories:stories:4041]
  20. I've noticed that while vampires, ghosts and other supernaturals get the limelight, it is not very often that we see genies take their place as a major contender. I know they are fairly hard to insert because of their usually omnipotent nature and reality altering powers, but they are just as important to the literary world as any other supernatural creature. This is especially true for gay characters, although I have come across a couple of titles which include them, such as the Dragon in Training series by Emily Carrington. If you include genies in your stories, in what capacity do you use them? Possible options could include: Comic Relief Deus Ex Machina Possible Love Interest Random Inclusion To Progress The Narrative
  21. After a bit of writer's block, I've finally posted SOMETHING I didn't hate. Take this for what it's worth... an outpouring of feelings... a way to purge the poisons of my own mind. You can find "Pain" here
  22. This shall be the discussion forum for my novella Remember my Heart. This novella is part of the special 10 year Anniversary Anthology. Our theme: Secrets can Kill. Tell me what you liked/didn't like, comment on the characters, settings, etc., and ask questions! Beware spoilers if you haven't read it yet. And don't forget to check out the other stories in the anthology. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GA!!
  23. This is my first forum post. Sorry if the name is kinda weird. Just an area to make new friends, learn new things, say hi to new authors /coughmecough/, and anything you want to chat about really. <-----Literally the best emoticon ever
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