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  1. I’m in the midst of publishing my first story on this platform. I wanted to share how GA has encouraged/forced/required me to be a better writer. My story was 100% complete before I began the process of publishing it here, chapter by chapter. I’ve discovered a few things. 1. Previously, I thought of myself as a pretty good writer. That being said, I only had nifty and a couple of other sites to use for comparison. After hanging out on GA consistently, I’ve found that I’m in the company of many VERY good writers, lots of whom leave me behind in the dust. Their story telling ability, compelling and unique narratives, and realistic dialogue are truly impressive. 2. GA’s standards have made me look at my work with a more discerning eye. Early on, I was called out by a moderator for inserting too much sexual activity and not enough character and story in my work. The moderator was 100% correct. Although my work is still infused with a lot of sex, I’m much more careful about fleshing out the important story leading into and out of each one of these encounters. Overall, the story just makes more sense now. I’ll continue to rewrite future chapters to insure these standards are met. 3. I’d like to call out the numerous active readers of my work and other works on this site for making comments, recommendations, and giving reactions. They truly help and encourage me. Anybody else? What has your experience been like on this site?
  2. This is one heck of a tome. Guy Sclanders has a wonderful YouTube Channel that goes into a lot of topics beyond his books as well. Aside from being a professional artist, game master and author, he's also on our team as a fellow gay creator. There are some really nice techniques described in this book about giving the bad guy goals and motivations. I think this can help us as writers as well, writing it down and when the muse causes us to deviate, the villain will have to adjust his plans too. Not to dissimilar to when Players deviate from a planned story from a game/dungeon master. Even if you aren't a gamer and are just writing a story, the ideas, concepts, motivations etc, help fill in the world and give the sense of purpose to those characters that would otherwise just be milling about.
  3. So, good news and bad news. Bad news is that I'm going to need a short break to be able to write, and good news is that I plan to write SO much while I am away. I wanted to at least address the people who follow my stories and wanting to know what the hold up was. The reason behind my short hiatus is mainly due to the fact of so little material that is written. I want to be able to write as much as I can without feeling like there is a deadline. I like to take my time to write and not feel rushed. Thanks so much for reading this, and I hope the followers of Trigger can understand my decision. (I'm also drowning in school work. Being a teen sucks.) I also plan to start new series while I'm gone. Thanks so much for understanding, and sorry if I sound air-headed. Haha.
  4. I remember last year I had heard of Nano and truly wanted to do it..I was all set and had a story forming in my mind....when tragedy struck. My father-in-law died on November 11th and all hell broke loose in my personal life. Writing was out of the question and wasn't even on my brain again until sometime the following March! Finally though, working through things and with help; life went on. When this November rolled around, I was determined to do it! I had two writing buddies that would help unstick my thoughts and get me rolling again, plus a wonderful beta that wouldn't let me post until it made sense! So...long story short, this year I won Nano! 59K words in about 23 days. Ahhhh. I finally did it!
  5. I finished NaNoWriMo! I’m a winner! I feel really happy and accomplished and proud of myself and very happy. Look, I got a certificate and everything! Of course, this doesn’t mean that the novel is finished. Far from it. I’ve mostly finished all the chapters, and mostly done it the way I planned. But this is just a rough draft. Currently, the sequel to Nemesis (the proper title of which will be decided at a later date) is a collection of loose scenes, it feels like. That’s not to say that there isn’t an ongoing story arc and red thread, but It feels very episodic, and there are bits missing to tie the story together. It’s also full of errors (not so much the spelling and grammar kind as the continuity kind), and it’s very bare bones; I’ve written dialogue and the bare minimum of necessary description, and the language is simple and direct. Now comes the bit I like. Now comes the edit. I will read through everything that I’ve written, changing things as I go, fixing everything that doesn’t make sense, adding flourish to the language and detail to the settings, address the needs of characters who were overlooked (Chas needs more lines; Chas is funny). In the coming months, I’ll likely read through this thing a dozen times before I deem it worthy to even be seen by a beta reader. A lot of authors hate the edit. I love it. Just writing was very stressful to me (and I didn’t quite manage to do it; I kept going back, adding bits and taking bits out of what I’d already written), it isn’t the way I usually work. I always edit while I write. Now I get to take this lumpy, crippled piece of fiction and polish it and turn it into art. This is the bit that I enjoy the most. This is the part of writing that I truly love. This is the fun part.
  6. When I write a short story, I usually sit down and write until I'm done. Then I go back, revise, edit, remove stuff, add stuff, read it out loud to myself, fix every minor thing in the dialogue, and then, when I'm happy with it, I'll send it to a beta or an editor, or both. That is my process. When I write a novel, I can't just write until I'm done. I'll write a chapter, go back and read it, polish it, add stuff and take stuff out. Then I'll move on and write the next bit, and maybe do some research for some detail or another (and I need everything to be correct, so my research is meticulous), go back, reread, polish, add stuff, take stuff out. I fact, nearly half my word-count often comes in the editing process, because my rough draft is very stark, often just dialogue and a few tags, the bare minimum of detail and internal monologue so that I know what's going on. I add descriptions, embellish my language, fill out my characters' thoughts and actions, on the first rewrite. When you do NaNoWriMo, you're not supposed to do that. You're just supposed to sit down and write. I have a really hard time doing that. If I manage 2000 words in a day, it's often because I went back and reread and added stuff to previous chapters. At the moment I'm only a tiny bit behind, and I should be caught up by this evening, but I'm not really doing this the NaNoWriMo way. It'll be interesting to see if I make it in the end.
  7. I just read Giovanni's Room ... Now I want to drown my existential sorrows with a bottle of cognac.
  8. I have been thinking about writing professionally for years now but have never managed to go through with it. Much of my trouble stems from me being a rather random thinker in addition to being unfocused and lazy. When thinking about things in greater depth, I think the problem lies deeper in my psyche. I know I am capable of writing because this is flowing easily out of my mind, through keys on a keyboard, onto the virtual page on my laptop’s screen. Throughout my life I have been quite capable in expressing myself both verbally and through writing. My experiences at high school and university attest to this fact. Only when I was a small child in The Netherlands did I struggle with writing- the physical act of putting pen to paper and creating something legible- until I was challenged by my teacher in year 4. He ‘took no prisoners’ and insisted on me producing better quality work, daubing messages of disappointment all over my untidy and messy written work: “Sloppy” appearing on nearly every page in my various notebooks. I soon learnt to put more effort in right from the start, and even though it required more thought and forbearance, it allowed me to actually go out for recess. When I moved to a new country (Canada) and new school, I found myself blossoming as a student and managed to produce such good quality work in grades 7 and 8 that I ended up with the General Proficiency Award at graduation. My diligence in the presentation and content of written work continued through high school and university. I have had some work published in university community publications too. Apart from teacher’s appraisals and input, never have I received harsh negative feedback on my writing. When I launched into my career as high school English teacher, I knew I was capable of writing and assessing the quality of others’ writing too. Incidentally, the children’s picture book I wrote for my Teacher’s College English module was enthusiastically praised by my professor who said it was outstanding. Then why did I go on putting my own writing career on hold? Why am I still struggling and procrastinating? When I dig deeper, I think it all has a great deal to do with my self confidence and its manifestation in the anxiety I experience when it comes to producing written work. What am I scared of when it comes to my writing? As my personal life coach I have been working with over the past few months put it to me (paraphrasing) “Who decides if the writing you produce is good quality?” She also suggested I pose myself the following question: “What would it take for me to set my own benchmark and not to require external validation?” Writing this blog in a public forum is my first step to acknowledging that anxiety around my writing is a concern I have. I think the only option I have is, using Susan Jeffers’ words “to feel the fear and do it anyway.” Only by putting myself and my work ‘out there’ can I move forward and progress. Every writer has to deal with criticism and rejection along the way- I accept that- and who knows, maybe the worst critic is the one I’ve always feared most: the inner one that exists deep within me!
  9. I've been meaning to do NaNoWriMo for years, but I never got around to it. November always seems to be a bad month for me. So when I heard about Camp NaNoWriMo this year, I decided this was my chance. So, in April, I finished and rewrote Nemesis. And I won! I'm sort of giddy and very pleased with myself right now.
  10. I started writing Nemesis a decade or so ago. While the essence of the story was the same, so many things about it have changed. Back then, Dave's name was Leo. Leo was a far more aggressive, macho type of character than Dave. When I began to rewrite the story from the beginning, a bit less than three years ago, I found that Leo had changed so drastically as to be almost unrecognisable, and his name had to change. Dave just felt right, somehow. Nick has always mirrored me, to a certain extent. When I created him, at fourteen, his big interests were anime and Harry Potter. He wrote poetry and would, in some sort of dramatic gesture, recite the poetry out loud to himself. But the Nick I write now is a songwriter rather than a poet, his great passion is music and his favourite book is, just like mine, American Gods. He's also much better as standing up for himself, quicker and cleverer. I was always terrible at clever comebacks when I was in school, and if It hadn't been for my friends I wouldn't have made it through those years. But Nick doesn't have any friends. It was suddenly clear to me that he needed some more street smarts if he were to survive school without the safety net of friends. So, instead of being the sad loser that everyone picked on, Nick had to become a loner by choice. A non-conformist. Not good at making friends, but getting by without them. In the original story, Leo was very much superior in every respect. However, Dave meets Nick half-way. They're more evenly matched. The minor characters have also evolved. They were, originally, far flatter, and the antagonists didn't really have motivations. That all changed when I took a leaf out of Neil Gaiman's book, literally. Neil says in his introduction to American Gods that when he wasn't sure what was going to happen next, he wrote one of the Coming to America stories (stories about how people ended up taking their gods, superstitions and deities with them to the new world), and when he'd finished, he knew exactly what was supposed to happen in the main story. Whenever I wasn't sure who a minor character was or what their motivations were, I sat down and began penning a short story exploring that character's origins or an episode from his or her life, and when that story was finished, I suddenly knew exactly what that character would do in any given situation. I call the collection of these short stories Hubris. I shall leave you (if anyone is reading this at all) with the rather embarrassing first paragraph of the original Nemesis, exactly as I wrote it ten years ago: There are many small towns in this world, where everyone knows each other and no one's a stranger. If you would ask any of the residents of one particular suburban small-town who the two boys Leo and Nick were, this is the response you'd most likely receive: Whoever it was would get a faraway look in their eyes and chuckle slightly before turning to you and saying, "Don't even get me started on those two!" Because there wasn't a single soul in this town who didn't know the names of the two archenemies Leo Thomas and Nick Davies. Cheerio! Going to sleep now.
  11. B1ue

    Dribble Drabble

    Had this image in my head for about a week. Needed to excise it. "Why are you praying?" Fitzpatrick screamed, activating the neural whip in her hands. The bright blue pulse entered her prisoner's skull, arresting the flowing intonation in his throat. But only for a moment. He swallowed, spat, then continued on as if it had been nothing. "Holy Mary, mother of God..." They'd been at this for a while. At first, she'd been cheered when it started. Former priests, as this man was, were high on her list of least favorite subjects. It was odd, because the perverted faggots should have been wonderful to experiment on. She should have been able to draw immense satisfaction from working them over, forcing them to realize that God did not exist, that their determination to cling to such illegal modes of thinking was nothing but cowardice, but it was hardly ever the case. Sometimes they broke fast, and could be gold mines on occasion, as the unthinking reactionaries still tended to place their trust and their secrets in their illegal clergymen, but mostly they were just pains in Fitzpatrick's ass. Her initial cheer evaporated when the actual words dutifully recorded by her computer penetrated, and the cadence in which he said them was recognized. Out of all the gall, the bastard was praying at her. In her indignation, what few scruples she had evaporated. "God...does...not...exist!" she said, punctuating each word with another pulse from the whip. Fitzpatrick had been exposed to the whip, once, during her training. Every pain receptor in her body seemed to flare at once with the stimulation, her stomach muscles going strangely slack or tight as the pulse flat refused to allow her body to vomit. That one touch haunted her dreams for years, but it gave her a real understanding of the work she did everyday. This priest had been exposed to hundreds of such stimulation in the last hour. She was slightly in awe he could even speak, let alone remember whole prayers. Perhaps he couldn't. He seemed to be saying the same one over and over a lot. "Why do you still call to a figment of your imagination?" He'd met her eyes, once or twice during the session, but didn't even acknowledge that remark with a frown. He simply carried on. "Pray for us sinners..." "Prayer is nothing! It does nothing! Gives you nothing!" she cried. "Are you blind? Are you stupid? How much more proof do you need that God is nothing but a lie? Your kind says miracles happen, but what miracles can come from a being that can do nothing, not even stop your pain?" "Amen," he said. Then he looked up, meeting her eyes. "But He is. He is doing something. And if you cannot see it, you are the one blind." He turned away, and resumed his pace. "Glory be to the father..." Fitzpatrick sighed. There was nothing for it. That was the only reaction she'd gotten in a session long enough to drive almost any other person to madness. The only explanation she could see was that he was already crazy, and so they could not trust anything out of his mouth anyways. She hated the waste on her time, but at least she finish up. She stepped back, and with a smooth motion extracted her sidearm. "...is now, and ever shall be, a world without--." *** Now that's out of the way, how about I say a few offensive things, yes? I blame the Old Testament for the misunderstandings people have about Christianity. Catholicism in particular, at least as I understand it, but Christianity in a wider sense too. The Old Testament made things too easy for it's adherents. It is easy to have faith when faith alone kept fire from touching you. Shadrach in the charnel, singing of His glory, must have made a terrible impression on the Babylonians. It is equally easy to follow a god who provides a 60' pillar of sand to act as your GPS navigation device. Who will turn rivers into blood in protecting you and yours. Who can, will, and does provide tangible proof when such proof is demanded. I encountered someone who told me that God cannot exist, because if He did, the world would have no problems, since he'd provide miracles enough to keep his followers in the style in which they'd like to be accustomed. I thought, My God, what a moron. Christianity isn't like that. Christ performed miracles yes, in front of thousands sometimes, but on the whole, they were quiet ones. Do you really think all 5000 people knew there was only a scattering of bread and fish in that basket? That people who saw the corpse didn't think they might have been mistaken when the soldier's daughter lived? Yes, people said, people testified, but it wasn't like they had EEG devices back then. Even people who witnessed might have been able to doubt the evidence of their eyes. The Bible says they believed, but I'm sure some did not. Many, I'd think. If Christianity isn't about pillars of flame, it is about more quiet forms of faith. A grown, important man taking them time to speak to children. It's about the head of a saint rolling just so to stare accusingly at his murderer. It is about a woman giving her last coin in the faith that it will make a difference in her life. It is a man, dying, finding it in himself to offer comfort to another. A woman in mourning wiping the sweat and blood from the brow of the condemned. Instead of a man defying fire, it is a man chained, yet still singing to His glory. The martyrs are telling, I think. In the Old Testament, the martyrs would have been saved. The bitter cup would have passed their lips. It is a bit grim that we wear crosses to show our faith. It is a reminder of the greatest miracle performed for our sakes, yes, but also the cost that our beliefs sometimes carried, because God would not save us from that fate. Not on this world. There is a reason St. Peter is the father of Catholicism. Yes, yes, his name signifies that he is the rock upon which the church was built, but any biblical scholar, or even someone who's read a Dan Brown novel, knows the Bible we have wasn't all we had to work with. I feel confident the church patriarchs could have done a bit of editing, should they have felt the need. Paul, from the perspective of someone who thinks in Old Testament terms, would have made a much better example, which is why he did most of the proselytizing. But Peter, ah, Peter was the man who denied. Who, before Thomas, doubted. Who failed himself, when the chips were down and when Christ himself reached out a hand and asked him to step forward. We are told that it was John whom Christ loved best. But it was Peter, that sank beneath the waters, who became the rock. Faith isn't supposed to be an easy thing. It isn't supposed to be blind. That was the miracle of Saul/Paul, after all. Faith is supposed to be tested, and sometimes found wanting. But it is also supposed to be a light in dark places. It cannot save us from the gallows. But it can touch us, let us walk to our deaths in peace.
  12. The infamous Writing List that I have. Mind you, I can't exactly post most of these here since they are...smut. Except Imaginary which I will post eventually here. Once I get it posted. Hopefully. For now, enjoy. Read, what ever. If you are 18 I'll give you a link to my AFF.net account and you can raid me there. As of October 29, 2009: Editing/Overhauling: Xanders Many Faces Imaginary: A Sailor Moon Story What I am writing: Chapter Stories That are being written and posted: A Butterfly's Dream: Chapter 13 - written - sent to beta Chapter 14 - being written To Catch a Kitten: chapter 5 - written chapter 6 - need to type it Honey Drops: Chapter 2 - In planning stages Xanders Many Faces Hellsing 2, 3 and 4 - with beta Planned Chapter stories: Harry Potter Travels (tentative title): Bill/Charlie/Harry Status: Starting to write Untitled Harry Potter Crossover: Crossed over with: Sex Therapist Anita Blake Hellsing Yu Yu Hakusho Bleach Weiss Kreuz Saiyuki Summary: Harry travels the world to discover more about himself. UntitledOuran High Host Club: Mori/Everyone. Thought: Mori knows how to work itbehind closed doors. Showing the host club why he's always silent, Moritakes control without being in control. Just don't ask. Just read.Haruhi will be a guy, not a girl. Finding a Bit of Trust: For truly here. Naruto/Ibiki. Something goes horribly wrong and Naruto isleft with more then just emotional pain. Ibiki fixes it for him. Prologue - Posted Chapter 1 - being written The Ultimate Betrayal Chapter 2 - planning stages Untitled Bleach and Weiss Kruez crossover. Summary:After Ichigos mother dies, he goes to stay with his uncle, his mothersbrother, Yohji. Coming back after many years, he stumbles onto the ongoing war, tilting the war in favor of the side of evil...Aizen andthem are evil...right? All the while, he makes others think about theirperceptions of right and wrong as his friends come to help kick someass. One shots and requested one shots: Dreamcatcher Status: Being written once more...one paragraph at least. Next story for 'Xanders Many Faces' Status: Being edited and reposted. Cyny: Spy VS Spy fiction chynyll: Bleach threesome: Renji/Ishida/Ichigo NinaFox: Grimm/Renji (crack anyone?) knaveofhearts: David and Clary Smut: Being outlined Shiauko: Umi/Baby Smut: Another Penthouse letter Most of the following people aren't on here (or at least not to my knowledge) so don't be surprised, yes? Pairings only really. For Anon on AFF.net: Kisuke/Issin Shunsui/Hisagi Ishida/Renji Ishida/Hisagi GreentreeFroggy: Urahara/Renji - also requested by Dragonmist753 Shirosaki (Hichigo)/Ichigo/Renji OfMagicalEssence: Urahara/Nova Ichigo/Nova (I will enjoy writing that one) Roberta2002: Ichigo and Issin (don't know if this will turn into incest): Finds out dad is a soul reaper. Ichigo/Ukitake: MPreg Story Liz: Chad/Ichigo: Virigin!Ichigo, Vamp!Chad Aizen/Urahara Aizen/Ichigo: Another Virgin!Ichigo Affriel and Rysha: Yumi/Ishida: Ribbons, measurments. Happygirl124: Continue the Ukitake/Byakuya/Ichigo Ichigo/Grimm/Aizen: Unable to choose between the two. GeneralSephiroth: Continuation of the Renji/Shunsui with Grimm as the main focus, babysitting Ichis kid. PickleReviewer: Ikkaku/Ichigo Kensei/Ichigo KiraRose: Aizen/Ishida Byakuya/Ishida Anony: Byakuya/Ukitake Bya: kind of evil like dom, Uki: uke taken by surprise virgin like Mizukotsuchan: Shunsui/Ichigo athello Gin/Hanatoru sneere: Byakuy/Hanatoru: making plans 2 Stormraven Aizen/Hana Bleach Melodies YaoiSmutMaster: Shunsui/Chad Ukitake/Shuuhei/Hanatoru (totally yummy...) chynyll: Stark/Shunsui sweetseme Gin/Byakuya Sado/Maso, Uke Bya (warning: will be major OOC!) Rose NymphGreen Jugo/Naruto with back up pairing First Hokage/Naruto/Second Hokage Drawn from a Hat Pairings How this works. You take 8 characters, fandom or originals and put them onto 16 pieces of paper. Two pieces per name here! Now, stick them in a hat, mix it all up and pull them from said hat. Every 2 slips are one pairing. Write a story rotating around Shonen-Ai (sweet and fluffy), Yaoi (hard core smex, breaks down into 'no point, no climax, no end), and/or Smut (you get the idea). My pairings are: Bleach Set 1: Finished Naruto set 1: Finished Pairings for Weiss Kruez: Pairing 1: Yohji/Ken - Written - chapter 2 Pairing 2: Crawford/Aya Pairing 3: Farfarfello/Omi Pairing 4: Schuldig/Omi Pairing 5: Crawford/Nagi - Written - chapter 3 Pairing 6: Farfarfello/Aya Pairing 7: Schuldig/Aya Pairing 8: Nagi/Aya - Written - chapter 1 I WILL TAKE REQUESTS IF THEY MAKE ME PERK UP IN INTEREST. I HOLD THE RIGHT TO DENY OR DELETE YOUR REQUEST IF I FIND MYSELF UNABLE TO BECOME INTERESTED IN IT. ALL CHAPTER STORIES COME FIRST MOST OF THE TIME, SO EXPECT TO WAIT. I WILL GET TO YOUR STORY THOUGH.
  13. I owe it to my fan to let him know what is up. The check is in the mail. ________________________________________________________ Broken- on hiatus. Six to nine more chapters, 2 written, all outlined. This is a pretty emotional story to write and the climax of the story is coming. When it is released, it will be ready. I thought about finishing this story this fall but wasn't satisfied with it. Operation Hammerhead- working There will be much more of this story. Coming Soon the Legacy- in development A World War II veteran leaves his son a dangerous legacy. the Alternative- in development. What happens to a troubled kid that gets in trouble? Blind Spot- in development. When loyalty is a liability.
  14. AFC 2006 Preview/Predictions AFC North Steelers- if there is a weakness in the defending super bowl champions, I don
  15. NFC 2006 Preview/Predictions NFC North Bears- the Bears have improved steadily over the last 3 years. With a draft that improved their depth on both sides of the ball and 22 starters back from their division winning team of last season, I expect them to continue this trend. If they can add some punch to their passing game, they could make some noise in the playoffs. They are the team to beat in the North. Vikings- the Vikes have made some major moves bringing in Brad Johnson, a lot of help on defense and Ryan Longwell to give them a steady kicker. How well it goes for the Vikings depends on chemistry but they
  16. A friend and fellow author that I have a great deal of respect and admiration for is having a crisis of confidence. I will not name him but I too have suffered from this type of criticism. Some people can not tell a plot element from an endorsement. When a murder occurs in a story, is the author endorsing murder? When drug use happens in a story, is the author glorifying it? Silly questions? As authors, I believe that the interesting stories are told on the edge. Somewhere on the border of normalcy and madness there is a place where drama comes from. That place can be mundane or high brow. It can be common or rare. It is about people in conflict facing adversity and without it our stories are just so much soggy granola. I have read stories that glorify drug use. I know what they are when I see 'em. Yawn. I have read stories that are nothing more than a common masturbation fantasy typed with one hand. Snore. You know what they have in common? They are simply not interesting. Touchy subjects can be addressed if the author handles it right. If you start reading a story and stop four chapters in because a character smokes a joint, then you don't know what happens in the other umpteen chapters. You miss the character suffering negative consequences like failed relationships and hanging out with a lower class of people. You miss him getting busted and asking himself what's wrong with me. You miss out on that characters chance at redemption or his fall into jails, institutions or death. So you see something about a story that makes you uncomfortable. GET OVER IT. Here's YOUR chance to look at situations that you would never chose to face without getting your hands dirty. Here's your chance to experience things vicariously that would cost you body, soul or life to experience and maybe... avoid, identify with or recover from or perhaps have empathy for people who have actually been there. An author is NOT his work. At his best an author is a catalyst to help the reader see and understand with different eyes. At his worst he is a propagandist or a pornographer. It is up to the reader to make this determination for himself. If there is truth in his work and an author has applied his craft with heart, then the work will stand or fall on its own merit. As an author all that I ask is that you think for yourself. -JS
  17. vEE

    Feels Like The First Time

    Wow, this is joyously freaky! I'm long-in-the-tooth, but only recently committed to writing full-time, all the time (a Coming Out of sorts for me). I suppose I finally got tired of keeping my head down, preaching that old mantra, "you have to do what you have to do, to do what you want to do" (paraphrase of St Augustine). I think it's fitting thus, to start off with immortal words that shook me out of space, into my true and rightful place: "It's better to physically force yourself to write 1000s of words, which may be shit, than to not write anything, and nurse vague and anxious thoughts about wanting to write something amazing." Shon Faye, 2017. Here's to the wordsmiths! Blessed be! .vEE
  18. Fascinating article about an author rewriting her first book after a barrage of negative Tweets. The over-the-top reactions by some of her fans don't surprise me. An idiot on GA lambasted me when I had the chutzpah to call out an author he liked. He claimed she was trying. Well, if she was trying then she would have appreciated my telling her what she wrote was crap. She did. And she earned my respect by acknowledging she didn't have any knowledge of what she was writing about and asking for help. I'm a firm believer in honesty when reviewing. There are a handful of GA authors I don't bother with because they seem to whine whenever anyone says anything about their work that isn't absolute praise. Keira Drake seems to be the type to pay attention to what readers say even if it's not laudatory. Unless as authors we're willing to listen to what others find wrong with our work, we'll never improve. Maybe I'm weird, but I'd rather hear how something I wrote doesn't make sense so I can improve. So, what do y'all think? http://www.vulture.com/2018/02/keira-drake-the-continent.html
  19. Words are amazing aren't they? Are we even aware of how much they can affect other people? The casual use of a nickname. A kind “Hello” when you’re having a bad day. A softly muttered “Bite me,” when someone crosses you, or you cross someone else! Words we use to make light of a situation; or that attempt to pretty something up, make a concept or idea less gritty, better for polite company. Yes, words are powerful. Think of a parent with a child. A sharply spoken “STOP” can avert danger, cause the child to not touch that hot stove, or dash into the street. “I love you,” can be the sweetest thing you ever heard! “I don’t want to see you anymore,” can be the harshest; or could cause a sense of relief to wash over you. If someone tells you that something was difficult the words that you choose to bring comfort, or support, may sound like you are dismissing their pain or the effort that it took to get thru or past this thing. It can have the effect of invalidating that person’s experience. Think about that nickname for the guy you work with, for that friend of yours, whether you’ve known them for 8 years, 8 months, or 8 weeks. What does it mean to them? That you have christened them with your own appellation, something that only you call them, be it just between the two of you, or out where the world can hear. Or maybe a nickname that confers some kind of acceptance into a group. Maybe you have taken it upon yourself to shorten their name, Richard to Rich, or Dick, Jonathan to Jon, Victoria to Vicky. Does that person even like that you have done this? Does he or she grudgingly accept that you have done this, would they rather you didn’t? Was it the name that an old nemesis used as a form of torture or derision? Does this nickname bring this person joy? Does it makes him or her feel special? Make them a little giddy that you did this for them? Words can be truthful or they can be lies. They can help you make wants and needs understood, they can be used to baffle or enlighten. Think about the proverbial used car salesman, that fast talking shyster, trying to make that old clunker sound like a classic driven by a sweet little old lady to the market, the church, and home. A legal eagle’s contract written with lots of loopholes, the language archaic and full of jargon. Or those little quotes from someone you admire. A former president, or first lady. A spiritual leader you admire perhaps. A book or an essay that explains that thing you've always wondered about. They can tell you why the caged bird sings, or take you far away chasing a mysterious white whale. They can transport you to fantastical mythical places, or the corner store. I believe that words are one of the most powerful tools in all of humanity. Just look at what they do. They can bring comfort, joy, peace. Or they can wound, deeply, fatally even. Bring about war and division, foster hate and distrust. Because of the inherent power of words, we need to be mindful of them. Words are forever. Yes, even those spoken, not written, as they will be passed down by word of mouth to become tomorrow’s folk tales, and legends. So before you call that new guy in the office Jon ask, before you call the short cashier at the market “The Garden Gnome,” stop and think about the power behind what is about to come out of your mouth. When you finish a poem, chapter, or story, reflect on the power in what you just read. MacGreg Sir wrote about just that in His poem “Taste Your Words Before You Spit Them Out” What is the point of communicating with someone If your intentions are meant to maim? Taste your words before you spit them out. Consider the impact of their flavor As they roll across your tongue. For once expelled, they cannot be retracted. Consider this: Will what you are about to say produce acidity? Or lay a foundation for common ground? So consider the power of words, your words. With many thanks to @MacGreg Sir for allowing me to use part of His poem. Please look here for the complete poem, and here for more. And as always to tim @Mikiesboy for his never-ending love and support.
  20. Last week was pure hell. Anyone who has ever lost a beloved furbaby you have my sincerest condolences. I lost my little girl last Tuesday and I miss her terribly. She was over 18, had end stage kidney disease, and a couple new health items that cropped up. We did all we could to save her, but it was too late. She awaits us over Rainbow Bridge now. Luckily, I have a tuxedo kitty too and he is not quite 14 yet. Diabetic, but in good health otherwise. He's been my love and light. He loves to cuddle and purr as soon as I touch him. Cats are definitely one of the three greatest loves of my world. After such a loss, I took a few days to recoup and regroup and cope with how quiet the house is, and it feels emptier without my six-lb calico always vying for attention. I luckily, found solace in writing again. Anyone who's a regular sees that I've been posting a LOT more and trying really to get involved. I have no day job, and hubby works a lot, so it's just me and tux baby all day. My love for words, men in love (or falling) and trying to be social are winning out over the choice to be a hermit or grieve forever. I have dealt with the fact girl kitty is gone, but I still kiss her urn and picture every morning and night. She's never really gone...just waiting.
  21. In phonaesthetics, the English compound noun cellar door has been cited as an example of a word or phrase which is beautiful purely in terms of its sound, without regard for its meaning. It has been variously presented either as merely one beautiful instance of many, or as the most beautiful in the English language.[1] In a 1955 lecture, J.R.R. Tolkien stated that “Most English-speaking people ... will admit that cellar door is 'beautiful', especially if dissociated from its sense (and from its spelling). More beautiful than, say, sky, and far more beautiful than beautiful.” It’s been suggested that Edgar Allen Poe chose the word ‘Nevermore’ for the refrain of The Raven because of its similarity to the euphony of 'cellar door.' I recall that even Drew Barrymore’s character in the film Donnie Darko makes reference to it when asked why she's written it on the chalkboard: “This famous linguist once said that of all the phrases in the English language, of all the endless combinations of words in all of history, that cellar door is the most beautiful.” As early as 1903 - and possibly its point of origin - a Shakespeare scholar, Cyrus Lauron Hooper, wrote in his novel Gee-Boy: "He was laughed at by a friend, but logic was his as well as sentiment; an Italian savant maintained that the most beautiful combination of English sounds was cellar-door..." I’m not a linguist, but language fascinates me, and certain words energize me purely for how they sound when spoken: · Fuselage · Metamorphosis · Sanguine . Disposition · Asphyxiation · Paprika (the list could go on) Cellar door belongs on the list. I understand its resonance. As a writer, I never just write a sequence of events to move the plot forward. I intentionally choose to arrange words that create flow, even if that means stepping outside of some standard grammar rules (a reason I enjoy writing poetry, too) and even if it's just to please my own ears. Are there certain words that do this for you? Roll off the tongue nicely; cause an emotional response simply for how they sound when spoken? I'm curious to “hear” yours. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellar_door
  22. Neil Gaiman once wrote, in response to angry A Song of Ice and Fire fans demanding the next book in the series, 'George R. R. Martin is not your bitch.' Much like getting attacked on Twitter, I think alienating readers is proof that you're doing something right, if that makes any sense. You've pushed someone's buttons, made them think or feel in some way, even if it was negative. I have alienated multiple readers because of artistic choices I have made, and the same artistic choices have kept many more on the edges of their seats. And that's fine. People don't have to read my books, they have every right in the world to put them down and go do something else. Lord knows I have. (Full disclosure: I find Lord of the Rings dreadfully boring and never made it past the third chapter.) Life is too short to read books you don't like. Some people didn't like all the swearing in The Jacob & Marcus Tales and stopped reading. Some people didn't like what I put my characters through in Nemesis. And I'm sure I've lost lots of readers who never said anything, simply put down the book, and moved on. But then some readers become angry. They feel entitled to have the story move in the direction they wanted it to. They claim ownership of someone else's creative labours. I will happily receive constructive criticism of my work. And I love hearing and reading what people think of what I write. I think it's wonderful that we can have this kind of interaction, that you and I can communicate about the things we write. But no one has the right to dictate what I should write, just like I have no right to dictate anyone else's work. And it's all in the delivery; some people are just rude. I firmly believe that art is a dialogue between artist and audience, but the artist still has final say. The thing is, I don't write for you. I write for me, and I share it with you just in case you might like it. That, I think, is what most writers do, certainly most good ones. Often when I write, the story and the characters take me in a completely different direction from what I thought they would, and that creates richer stories for me to write. I will never compromise my artistic vision to make people like me. I write what I want, what the story wants, and if people like it, that's great. If they don't, they can stop reading. But don't yell at me for my story moving in a direction you didn't anticipate. For lack of a better phrase, that's a dick move. So, dear reader, just to clarify: I am not your bitch.
  23. Have you ever completed a story that you were truly proud of writing, that got a standing ovation from your readers and fans, and became one of the shining gems in your body of work? If so, let me add to the giant round of applause and congratulate you on creating something truly special for everyone to absorb and keep close to their hearts for years to come. It's not an easy task, believe me. So take pride in the moment. Sometimes the success of something that you've previously written, along with the rabid cravings of fans wishing that they had more to read, can lead you to a strong desire to continue on with the story that your muse once gave birth to. I mean, you know these characters like the back of your hand, right? You've lived with them long enough to build an entire world around their personal story and people reacted favorably to them. Creating another story with these same characters would be like revisiting an old friend, right? Can't go wrong with the idea of jumping back into the story to give the people more of what they want! Well…that's not always the case. There are some things that you've got to think about before returning to a story that has already been told. Sure, you have some advantages in place...but there are also some pitfalls involved. No matter how well a story does, no matter how beloved the characters are, we all have to be able to ask ourselves..."Does anything really need to be added to this?" And we have to be able to give ourselves an open and honest answer. Because, truth be told, if you add to a story that doesn't need adding to...not only can it come off as weak without depending on the original text...but it can actually end up ruining the power and the impact of its predecessor in a way where both get dragged down into the mud. Obviously, we don't want that. So, today we're going to talk about sequels, prequels, and spinoffs! Something I definitely have dabbled in enough times to figure out some of the flaws and fortunes in the process! Hehehe! Because 'trial and error' ROCKS! Let's start by thinking about what these three expansions really mean in terms of your original story. When writing one of these extra ideas on your original project, it's important to keep in mind that you are trying to give the reader something NEW. Perhaps even unexpected. Sure, you want it to be familiar enough to draw them back into the world that they cherished so much from the original, but this should be a new angle, a new perspective...it provides information that could not have been provided in the first story. The last thing that you want to do is go back and repeat old information that the audience could have easily gotten in the first story without any more description needed. Otherwise, you're just telling the exact same story over again. The problem with that is the readers already know how the story ends. One of the big mistakes that many Star Wars fans site for the release of "Solo" in theaters dealt with that exact concept. No matter how dangerous the mission, or how risky the mission...nothing is going to happen to Han Solo or Chewbacca, because they obviously show up in later chapters. So putting them in mortal danger during a prequel kind of loses its effect. It goes from 'Can they get out of this???' to the much more mild question of, "What do they do to triumph and come out clean on the other side?" It's not a boring or unimportant question...but it doesn't have the same punch. These are the things that we, as writers, need to think about beforehand. The elements of each idea are slightly different from one another, so let's go into the difference between a sequel, a prequel, and a spinoff, in terms of the stories that you've written so far. I've done all three, and I've enjoyed them immensely, but I still have much to learn. Let me split them up and tell you what I've discovered so far... Sequels The very first question that a writer should ask themselves before attempting a sequel to a story that they've previously completed should be, "What is it about this story that was left unsaid?" When you finished your tale and wrapped it all up in a neat and tidy manner...what is it that is motivating you to keep going? It can't just be the readers asking for more. I mean, that's extremely flattering and all...but if you said everything that you had to say with your first story, and have nowhere else to go...then why write a sequel? I totally understand that telling a story and giving it that 'happily ever after' ending is sweet, but it doesn't often work like that in real life. Hehehe, happily ever after? That's a pretty optimistic stance to take on the characters that you've built through multiple chapters of struggle and strife and had to fight to be together at all. I'm sure that they had a few other problems and conflicts in the future, some significant, some...not so much. But a life free of drama and obstacles from that point forward, in my opinion, is not only unrealistic, but it would be downright boring after a while. Hehehe! However, if you are looking to add a new chapter in your characters' lives and continue the story...there are some questions that need to be addressed in the planning stages. What's changed since the end of the last story? How have the characters grown since their happy or unhappy ending? And how will that affect their decisions in the future? Is the threat of new challenges in this relationship enough to carry an entire story? What will the impact be on the readers to follow these characters on their next big adventure? And will that impact be significant enough to tell that story and update your readers on what they're doing since the last story ended? If you're iffy on that last question, I suggest you abort that plan immediately and go back to the drawing board. Don't retell the same story you did before. If you said what needed to be said, no matter how long or how short the story was, don't be tempted into continuing it unless you feel it's really necessary. Like I said, you might just end up sapping strength away from your first story by doing so. Have you guys seen the new trailer for the "Halloween" movie reboot recently? Hehehe! Perfect example! It's basically saying, "Let's pretend that we had the original 1978 "Halloween" movie, and everything that took place after that NEVER happened! LOL! If that's not the definition of a true sequel, then I don't know what is! I have one or two sequels in the works at the moment, and I am taking everything that I've written here in this topic into account. Believe me. I've put a lot of thought into it, and I want to make sure that I do it right. One of those stories is a hidden secret for now! But, I will tell you that a sequel for the story "Gone From Daylight: Nightfall" has been in the works for quite some time now. It was a story that I have wanted to continue since the original was finished, and it takes place a number of years after the first one. "GFD: Nightfall" is on the site and the "Blood Bank" for free, but the ebook version has been redone from scratch, and it is a MUCH better version of the story that I was trying to tell, in my opinion! Consider that the 'director's cut'! Feel free to check it out when you get a chance, and look for an explosive sequel in the near future, with much higher stakes and a different dynamic that I think will enhance the characters and the storyline as a whole! Coming soon! Prequels Now, with prequels...you have to ask yourself some of the same questions as you do with sequels...but with a few slight changes in your perspective of it all. The most important, of course, being...'what story is it that I need to tell that couldn't have been (or hasn't been) explained in the original text?' If you're writing a prequel, then it is assumed that there are secrets and revelations that can explain and further demonstrate the thoughts and future actions of your main characters. The cool part about writing a prequel is that you get a chance to look at your original story, choose certain moments or character behaviors, and then go back in time to explain why those things took place, or why a character feels a certain way about themselves or why they reacted a certain way to a certain situation. It gives you the chance to say why a certain trinket might have some significance to your main character. Or why they have a particular phobia, or why a few situations might trigger a nasty response from them. Prequels give you an opportunity to go back and look at those first few dominoes that you set up before your main character became who they are. It can be a lot of fun! Especially when you get to draw from your original story and look at the questions and speculations that other readers had concerning the writing. Again, the goal is to answer questions without an answer. Otherwise, there's no reason to write it. I've written a few prequels on the Shack, and they have always been projects that I made sure were necessary and enjoyable, as well as informative, adding another level of insight into what was previously going on with the characters that my readers had come to know and love. Stories like "Ryan's Heart" repackages the very first chapter of "New Kid In School", but from Ryan's point of view. Not only that, but it reaches back to events that happened before meeting his future sweetheart, Randy, for the first time. And I even got to play around with a few special cameos that fans of the original weren't expecting. Hehehe, which is also fun. But that's the whole point! Can you give your readers something new and involve them on a deeper level with a prequel? If not...don't write it. I know that it's fun to rewind the clock and add a bit more information, but it can backfire on you if you're not careful. You can end up spoiling the untold motivations of a character that was better off being 'mysterious'. Or you can end up giving away secrets to people who haven't read the original text yet. Which is why, even though I don't really give any big secrets away in the "Gone From Daylight" prequel, "Taryn's Song"...I always advise everyone to read "GFD" first! These are things to think about before you begin, and if you still think your characters can benefit with a bit of detailed backstory, then go for it! Again, just make sure that you have a legitimate reason for diving into the background of your original story. If you didn't feel the need to do so the first time...why do it now? You can give backstory on your characters in a few paragraphs if you feel it's important to the telling of your story. That can be done in the original. Only tackle a prequel if there are multiple unanswered questions about the actual origin of the characters that you're focusing on. Questions that need an entire story to explain and bring to light for your audience. If the material seems thin? Don't do it. Let your original stand on its own merit. I think a lot of stories work better that way. Spinoffs Now, as most of you guys know...I'm an 80's kid! Hehehe, I grew up with comic books, and those comics taught me everything that I know about storylines, character arcs, plot twists, triumph and tragedy, etc. I can't tell you how AWESOME it is to see those same comic book characters being brought to life in the movies, and watching those movies make billions of dollars at the box office every year! Because of that, crossovers and cinematic universes are now seen as the Holy Grail of blockbuster movies these days. But stories have always done that in the past, not just in comic books. There's an isolated story that may exist in one book, surrounding a few characters and their journey through life...but there's still a whole world out there beyond that. The idea behind an effective spinoff is taking the opportunity to tell your readers what was happening outside of your original story. You may be focused on one or two characters in the main story, but what else was happening at the same time? If your main character falls in love and gets obsessed with his new boyfriend...what is going on in his best friend's life? How does HE see this new relationship? What does the character's mother or father think? Maybe he has a brother or sister. How do things look from their perspective? The world doesn't revolve around one or two people in a single story. If you want to do a spinoff, then it's important to make sure that you have strong, three dimensional, characters that can carry that spinoff on their own, and that their perspective is a welcome change to what readers can easily get from the original story. Nearly everything that I've written for the "GFD: Blood Bank" has been a spinoff that, in some small way, builds upon the world of vampires that exists in the original story. This is the peek behind the scenes for readers who enjoy the main series. This is what is going on before, after, and during, the story being told. It's assumed that this is all information that will be alluded to or mentioned later, and will have some impact on the main story. Spinoffs can be fun, as they let you explore different characters and flesh them out individually, while still having them be a part of the main project. I truly enjoy doing that. But it takes time. And you have to be sure that your focus is placed on a character that your readers want to know more about. One that is interesting enough to inspire readers to follow them on a journey of their own. Anyway, either of these three exercises can be an enlightening experience, for both the writer and the readers alike. Just make sure that it's necessary. Don't just do it for the sake of doing it. Provide another level of effort, some new revelations, and maybe even a few big plot twists that further enhance the appeal of the original story. It's a lot of fun...just be careful. You've got a 50/50 chance of making a great addition to an already popular story, or possibly dulling the applause you got for a project that might have been better off being left alone. I hope this helps out and gets you guys thinking of new ideas for your own projects! Take care! And I'll see ya next weekend!
  24. I started rereading a story I wrote a while back. Camp Refuge is such a keystone for me. It has so many good things going for it, embedded in a package of terrible mechanics. I'm going to try and explain what I mean. I began it to help a reader who had written while I was in the process of releasing Guarded on another site. He was recently diagnosed with HIV, and he was wrecked. I'll never forget the last two lines he ever wrote to me - "Who could love me now? Who could possibly love me now?" I was a chapter away from finishing Guarded when I got that email, and I started Camp Refuge immediately after Guarded was done. I had to. I had to show him that he deserved love, acceptance, and peace. He never wrote again, and as I released chapters, I wondered if he even saw them. But, something started to happen around that story. Other's wrote. People who were HIV+, demisexuals, gray asexuals, trans folks, people suffering from depression, those who had been abused... they all reached out. I got some of them to explore getting treatment locally, even had our HIV nurse and a case manager reach out directly to a few who consented to such. I began to realize that it was bigger than the beginning. It made me understand something scary, and thrilling, all at once. It was the very first time I realized that my words have power. Rereading it now, I know I can't put it on GA. Not yet. I head-hop soooo much; it's almost laughable. But, the bones are there. It has a good skeleton. In the words of the esteemed Stitch, the story is "Broken but Good". I think it deserves to simply be "good". Another project... urgh.
  25. I'm a nice guy. I think about how others feel, consider their beliefs, and I try to be respectful in as many things as I can. So when I write I do my best to adhere to those same principals. Yet, therein lies a limitation. Not rocking the boat of the reader, not challenging their beliefs, not forcing them to grow is a failing. It's one that I struggle to move beyond, and it has kept me from posting work. I know some of the things I've written will simply not pass muster for some readers who are decidedly experts in their own slice of experience - an experience I seek to depict as an integral part of my story. A friend had to remind me that I'm not claiming to be an authority. That I am only showing the lives and struggles of my characters, and not staking ownership on the only path. I've put in the work. I've done my diligence, and it's time to set it free. Anyway, this one means a lot to me. It means a lot. Maybe that's a part of why I have such a tremendous trepidation around turning it loose. The pictures embedded in most of the scenes are part and parcel of the work, which is why I am only linking it from my Google drive vs posting. By the way, Pexels is a fantastic place to dig up free to use pictures for your own artistic endeavors, and BeFunky was the program I used to tinker with them and add captions. Fleeting Eternity It can be a tough story to read. There's a lot of emotion here, but I love how it turned out. So, here we go. As terrifying as it is, I'm setting it free.
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