Krista

Thank you. There's a myriad of different reasons anyone can list, but it all comes down to the individual with the eyeballs looking over the words on the pages, really. Although with online fiction I do think: Posting schedules and presence are a lot more important, you can write a damn good story, but if it takes you three months between chapters, it's a bit too much time for most people. You have to be consistent with your posting if you want to keep readers. I learned that very thoroughly across three different stories that I wasn't consistent with. In this writing community, it isn't so large that you can't remember names. When those names stop coming along with you for the ride, you notice. That is, if they actually react to the story in the first place. I will also say this: Sometimes authors feel like they're on an island by themselves. So, if readers are reading the story, they should consider giving something for the author to acknowledge. Readers that allow them to become an anonymous number doesn't build anything with the author they're enjoying. An anonymous number becoming known might be fuel for someone on the edge of quitting or saying, 'this is my last story...' I know that was a bit off-topic. But if the author is doing everything right, readers should reward them for it.

Lovely news, and in October! Keep your ears warm, Steven. Enjoy the snow.

It isn't GA's fault that some people don't take the time to learn the mechanics of the site, either. They're easily found, you just have to do a few more clicks. If people can't manage that, then there's not a lot that can be done. You can literally find the Anthology stories multiple different ways. There's only so much coddling that can take place, come on now. Example: Filtering your Story search, you can list both themes and get the entire published list. Took all of two seconds.

No, and especially not sneaky, cheeky, pick-pocket, swindling, intoxicated ones with beady eyes, and grabby little hands.

I love a good made-from-scratch chicken pot pie... my goodness. As for my favorite animals it is a close race between Red foxes, Leopards, Meerkats, and Giant Pandas.

Congratulations @lawfulneutralmage

It means a great deal. I was young when I found GA, when I started writing. I used to think that the internet was a lot less than it is. More than my thirteen/fourteen year old brain could comprehend. When I started writing, it was around the same time that I and my real life gay friends found Nifty. I honestly didn't need to be on that site at that age. I didn't see it as scary, so when I started writing I was very much a teenager dealing with mostly adults. Adults that didn't know that I was so young. I got some interesting e-mails and comments. I don't think I would have stayed past my first two stories if I hadn't found GA. I used to have a blog here. I deleted it years ago, I'm sure it is still in the deep back alleys. I talked about everything that I won't talk about now. I want to protect my privacy, so I want the smallest online footprint possible. When I found GA one of those things I talked about changed the course of my entire life. Still does to this day. If you were around back then and happened into my "tell all," blogging I used to do, you know what that is if you haven't forgotten. The writing, posting, and community were a distraction from that and the island I put myself on for a time. It has of course morphed into the 'home' I use for my writing. I don't post anywhere else, not even to Nifty anymore. GA gave me @wildone. Someone I might harass, belittle, torture, poke at... but someone I have told things to that I've not spoken out loud to another living person. If I'm honest there have been years, months, that I said, "no more," with GA. I wasn't writing or present here, but he was, so I stayed. If he ever says he is stepping away, I'll go too, I've said that in the past and it still holds true. It's not that he carries all the weight and love I have for this place. I have learned, laughed, fussed over, and fought for a lot while here. It impacted my life to a degree. I wouldn't have written half of what I have to show without GA's support. Lastly, and probably most importantly, I could see what this place was for people who were alone in their personal worlds that didn't have anyone they could confide in about sexuality, fears, relationships, and/or writing. People found a place to be for a little while. To witness it, not fully understanding it as a heterosexual woman has been valuable to me.

I'm the Rudy Judy, by the way.

Mercy Bill, going way back in the time machine... lol. I remember nothing about this story. I guess that means I can squint and read it, maybe. Thank you for dusting off the cobwebs and dust to read this thing, commenting, and leaving a review. Stories like these is why I partially stopped doing Anthologies. I've never mastered the art of writing short stories, I tend to leave them far too open-ended and needing more of a continuation to be a satisfiable read. I don't think I've gotten any better at that since I'm looking at an 81 page "short story," idea I still have to edit and do some rewriting on.

Oh goodness. To be honest, Cory would spend a lot of his football season injured, so he'd be rather bored on the bench, I imagine. There was a lot there left, but my brain had already moved on to, "The Best Year," I think I started that story while ending this one. And, since you already read it, you know it became a monster of a story with a huge word count. Mercy. Cory is a precious character that needs protected, a sweet boy. If I'm remembering correctly. lol. He was the reason I wanted to write Jackson, to be honest. The conflict would've been that people didn't accept his sexuality after being outed, and I think there's enough stories swirling around the world about homosexual characters fighting to maintain their sanity, finding acceptance where it is, and standing up for themselves. I don't think being an injured football star with a scary father would've protected him from some/most of that. I didn't want to transition into that conflict, I doubt it would've been a fun write. So, I let them party... up until I didn't. And yeah, the parents took an L on interrupting something they should've known was about to happen with agreeing to let the cabin be an option for some of them. Even if the girls didn't come, they had to know alcohol would've made it regardless of the entire guestlist. And, there was still the issue with Cory and Clinton, if they didn't want wild teenage shenanigans that also could've included the sexual variety and creativity of all that then Clinton should've been left off the guest list too. But it would've been boring if it was just the three of them. lol. Thank you for reading and flying through most of my stories. They get significantly older now, so the writing and editing quality takes a hit.

hmm... appropriate name, I'm thinking.

Thank you! It was a really fun project for me to write over all. I saw you reading through this one and, "The Best Year," so I want to thank you for taking the time to read both of those stories... Also... you read fast. lol

I mean, with his friends out of the picture Luke has his opening. If Jackson didn't go sliding bare assed across the gym floor covered in soap, this story wouldn't have happened. 😮 My opening line to this story could've been: It all started when I got a floor burn on my left ass cheek. If that's not a hooking sentence, I don't know what is.

I do remember people thinking that Jackson was going through the motions with his friend groups, that he didn't really see them as significant friends. Although, I think it was the distance I placed between them that caused that, as they didn't seem to look to engage with Jackson whenever he was grounded.

Aww, I'm glad you liked it. It took me literally a couple of years to write it... I felt so bad for the people that had to wait on me.