​The Pledge

by Mikiesboy

Length: ​10,295

Description: Young Tristan, sent to work for Lord William discovers much about life and love.

​A Reader said: Nonetheless, the richness and complexity of this tale was terrific. ~ Reader1810

Don't forget, this month's Discussion Day will take place on Monday, January 30th.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Well I hope everyone had a great night bringing in the New Year. I know I did The great thing about celebrating the New Year is not to forget everything that has happened in the past year, but also to look forward to what will come in the New Year. We will all be experiencing some changes coming up and I'm excited about it and looking forward to looking back next January 1st and seeing where we have come.

So for the final time, we will look back on the last week of 2016 for the GA News Blog.

We started out on Monday right out of the gate with Cia having the CSR Discussion Day where Kuragari129's story; My Life Started At The End Of The World was discussed. Cia started off here nail biting investigating style where we learned that Kuragari doesn't eat enough fruits and vegetables . Cia, being a mom, was able to overlook this and move onto other questions relating to his writing on site . Make sure to pop by and see the responses.

Next we had Myr make another entry on Tech Tuesday. This week Myr shared with us some more information about the upcoming changes to the site were we may have to adjust our minds around the difference between a Review and a Comment. Personally I like what is coming as it should enable both the authors and the readers the ability to communicate back and forth with the comment part, yet still review that will be peer promoted to give you an overall idea of the story. Myr included some screen shots of both the upcoming feedback tools. Now, hopefully I got that right as I'm still trying to figure out what the difference is between a forum, topic, thread etc. Even if you do have troubles with the wording, I'm sure this will be easily caught on by all.

Wednesday Renee brought us a new feature that we haven't seen before called Favorite Self-Written Story. This is a different approach to what usually relies on others opinions of stories to be reviewed. This time Renee asked authors what their own personal favourite story is that they have penned. This time she asked Valkyrie, Craftingmom and Mann Ramblings. In addition to finding out what the story is, we also learned the why.

Friday was a return to the Writing Prompts which always seem to get some takers to the challenge of creating something new. Renee and Cia approached this one a a bit differently being the last one of 2016. The first one of two that are New Years related was your thoughts at the moment 2017 begins. Looking back at last years resolutions and what you want to have for new ones in 2017. The second prompt was you receiving an envelope with a mysterious note inside; "I've been waiting for this chance to accomplish last year's resolution, so please meet me on the patio at 11:59". Lastly Renee shared some of the responses to Prompt 544 from JohnAR, Timothy M., and Jamessavik.

Saturday Renee updated us on the 2017 Spring Anthology: Jagged Edges / Unintended Consequences. We had a great response to the 2016 Anthologies so maybe hunker down at start off 2017 with a great anthology to share with everyone! You have until April 30th to git er done! Reading some status updates the other day a certain wolf I believe is 20,000 words in already. Jeez, bet they have next years Christmas shopping done too!!!

Anthology Announcements:

***NOTE: For the immediate future, please copy in Cia on all Anthology PM's to Renee
***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team

• 2017 Spring Anthology: Jagged Edges / Unintended Consequences - Due April 30th, 2017
• 2017 Fall Anthology: The Fall Out / Secret Spaces - Due November 15th, 2017

Studly Ranch Hands by Renee Stevens *Premium*

Signature Updates:

Innocence & Carnality - Part Two by Mann Ramblings; Book 2 of I & C

Mental Games by Bill W

Mine! by Cia

Studly Ranch Hands by Renee Stevens

Temporary Dads by Graeme

The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 2 by Bill W; Book 11 of The Castaway Hotel

Promising Updates:

Confide/ant by Sasha Distan

Morningstar: The Malaise by Headstall

Headstall's Reflections by Headstall

Of Prophets, Saints and Sinners by AC Benus; Book 8 of Christmas at Famous-Barr

Tiger Winter by Sasha Distan

Walls by Carlos Hazday; Book 6 of CJ

Don't forget.... Read, Write, and Review!

Do you eat your fruits and vegetables?
Oh hell no, I'm terrible at eating my fruits and vegetables.

If you had 30 minutes of free time, what would you do?
Probably pull out my 3ds and play Pokemon. I basically play pokemon whenever I can so that's probably what I would do.

What brought you to GA?
Originally, I have no idea what brought me to GA. When I actually started putting my stories on GA I had another site ask me to submit my stories on there. And then I got told the story I was asked to submit didn't fallow their rules/guidelines. So I went onto here, looked at the guidelines and put up the stories I was able to put up.

Do you have a favorite story on GA that you’ve read?
Paradox of Friendship by InTheMindOfSunshine. It was the first story on GA that I read to the end and one of the stories that inspired me to write my own. It's a very serious story and has some dark themes in it.

What’s the first thing you do when you start to write a story?
Concept or plot usually. What kind of plot will this story have or what kind of concept the story will bring forth. Every story is a little different.

Was there any particular reason you chose an apocalypse setting for your plot?
I simply thought of one question to myself, “I wonder what happened with gay kids around 2012?” and that turned into “I wonder if they came out in fear that the world was actually going to end.” And that became the basis of my story.

How did you come up with My Life Started at the End of the World as the title?
Oh man, MLSEW was started back in 2014 and I have no idea what exactly happened to get the name. I knew I wanted to start the story at the point where Aidyn came out in front of everyone. So it probably spawned from the idea that your life really starts when you come out of the closet.

Did the characters or the plot come to you first?
Definitely the plot in this case. Like I said before, the story started with asking about coming out before the end of the would. So the plot came before anything else.

Though I think I had Aidyn's name ready right off the bat. Noah and Skylar were also names I wanted to use for a while at the time so I decided on their names rather early in development. Greyson was the only character that needed to be made from the ground up.

Was it a challenge to write two different couples in one story?
My first story actually had 4 couples in it, so having many couples wasn't new to me. The part that makes it easy for me is knowing who each couple will end up with. When I have the endgame planned from the beginning I can play with what happens to each character easier. It helped that Aidyn & Noah and Skylar & Greyson had different relationships to work with.

What are your future projects?
At the moment I have three current projects; My Life Started After High School(MLSAHS)(MLSEW's sequel), Life's Unexpected Surprises(LUS) and Life of Phoenix(LOP). I am just finishing LOP and that will let me focus on MLSAHS and LUS.
With that in mind I have had a story idea in my head for a while and just haven't had the time to do it with all my active stories, so maybe I'll finally get to writing it! For right now like I said, I'm focusing on my current projects in the works.

Merry Christmas

Happy Hanukkah

I'm sure many of you have already opened your pressies and getting ready to have a feast! If you don't celebrate either of these traditions, we all wish you all the very best on these happy days to everyone, everywhere!!

So let's look back at the week that was.

Monday we started off the week with Cia doing up the December Signature Feature. We learned the that December is Valkyrie's Alex's Legacy. Valkyrie shared some of her favourite reviews she received on the story. Also, we were given the banner that we can download to our signature if you choose.

Tuesday was a day for Myr to take over and give us another addition of Tech Tuesday. Myr updated us all on the workings going on behind the scenes with the upcoming launch of the new IP Board Software that drives our site. There has been 2 years of updates that we have passed on and now we are getting ready for 4.1.18 to drive our forums. Expect more blog posts as we move even closer to the launch in early 2017. Also a big thank you to everyone who had helped out with the beta testing!

Wednesday the we featured Valkyrie's story Alex's Legacy again! This time it was the Signature Excerpt from this popular story. We learned that she actually got the story started from a prompt. Just shows that Prompts are a great way to get ideas coming to life. Val also shared an except that meant the most to her!

Then on an different Thursday post, we finally found out the much anticipated release of the 2016 Special Anthology "Rewind" was made live! We have 12 new stories that everyone had an option of choosing any past themes. Not only that, Headstall won a prize given out for authors participating. We also learned of another contest running that every story you read, and review, you get entered into another draw for some great prizes. Make sure you check out every one of these great entries as well as leave a review to show how much you appreciate the authors for making the effort to participate! Also, maybe pop onto the many members profile page's of the Anthology team and leave a nice thank you for their work on their profile feed.

Anthology Announcements:

***NOTE: For the immediate future, please copy in Cia on all Anthology PM's to Renee
***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team

• 2017 Spring Anthology: Jagged Edges / Unintended Consequences - Due April 30th, 2017
• 2017 Fall Anthology: The Fall Out / Secret Spaces - Due November 15th, 2017

Studly Ranch Hands by Renee Stevens *Premium*

Classic Updates:

The Red Wagon by Ronyx

Signature Updates:

Bill's Christmas Gift by comicfan **2016 Special Anthology: Rewind**

Black Widow by Mark Arbour; Book 16 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)

Faeries Anonymous by Valkyrie **2016 Special Anthology: Rewind**

Innocence & Carnality - Part Two by Mann Ramblings; Book 2 of I & C

Maelstrom by Valkyrie **2016 Special Anthology: Rewind**

Mental Games by Bill W

Mine! by Cia

Release Me by Comicality

HMS Valiant by Mark Arbour; Book 7 of Bridgemont

Temporary Dads by Graeme

The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 2 by Bill W; Book 11 of The Castaway Hotel

The Legend of Treehaven Woods by Valkyrie **2016 Special Anthology: Rewind**

Promising Updates:

An Advent Calendar by aditus

Boxed In: A Christmas Story by Headstall **2016 Special Anthology: Rewind**

Daddy Issues by Sasha Distan **2016 Special Anthology: Rewind**

Family Matters by Sasha Distan **2016 Special Anthology: Rewind**

Finding Refuge by Headstall **2016 Special Anthology: Rewind**

Headstall's Reflections by Headstall

Morningstar: The Malaise by Headstall

Of Prophets, Saints and Sinners by AC Benus; Book 8 of Christmas at Famous-Barr

Stepping Through the Mirror by Headstall **2016 Special Anthology: Rewind**

The Egyptian Pantheon by Sasha Distan

Tiger Winter by Sasha Distan

Trade Deals by Sasha Distan **2016 Special Anthology: Rewind**

Voli Me Tangere by aditus **2016 Special Anthology: Rewind**

Don't forget.... Read, Write, and Review!

**Special Announcements**

Many of you have spoken and we have listened. Have you ever had to decide how many of your likes to use within an 24 hour period and were limited and unable to like everything you wanted? Well starting today we are happy to announce that there is no limit on the likes you can use in a day!!! The only exception will be the Newbie Group that will be increasing from 3 to 20 a day. Just so you know, if you are a Newbie and want the unlimited feeling, you only need to make one single post to get out of the Newbie Group

Also we are consolidating the numbers needed to move out of Moderation Queue and Peer Review Queue as well. With more likes being available, we are sure most can get more, more quickly. In order to consolidate you will need 150 likes to move out of the Moderation Queue, and we have lowered the number from 200 to 150 to move out of Peer Review.

Now don't be afraid to like this blog as it won't go against your daily total (shameless solicitation on my part )

And now to our regularly scheduled Weekly Update to see what has happened over the past week.

Monday Renee introduced us to the Featured Story; A Taste Of Desire by Arazon. Timothy M was very helpful in providing a great review of this completed story to us. After reading the review it piqued my interest and now I'm reading it myself. Always great to find something new to read that you weren't aware of before.

Wednesday we received some Writing Tips to help any of our New Authors, but really is good for the experienced ones too. Two of our popular authors gave us some great tips. Aditus shared with us all how to he handled Starting Out with posting stories. Being around a while myself, I can personally attest that what he shared is great advice and many of our authors have followed this advice themselves. Next Graeme gave some invaluable advice on Planning your story. There is multiple ways to tackle this issue and Graeme reviews some of them. I guess the key piece of advice is to have a plan when you start.

Thursday gave us all an update on the 2016 Special Anthology. If you haven't checked it out already, please do if you have contributed a story to be featured in this first time reboot of all past Anthology themes. Even if you are not contributing, it is a good chance to plan out what you are going to want to read. If by chance you didn't see your story, please contact Cia and Renee as soon as possible.

Friday Cia gave us our Weekly Prompts for the week. Prompt 544 has a first line of It's time to bury the hatchet. Hmmm, that can be taken several different ways. Which way will you choose to interpret this one? Prompt 545 seems like a great one for this week. The tag is a Party Nightmare. I'm sure most can relate or sympathize for others on this one. A total disaster is about to break loose hours before the family is about to arrive for your first ever Family Holiday Party that you are in charge of. Finally Cia featured Timothy M's response to Prompt 543.

Anthology Announcements:

***NOTE: For the immediate future, please copy in Cia on all Anthology PM's to Renee
***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team

• All Pre-2016 Anthology Themes - Due December 14, 2016 **Now Closed**
• 2017 Spring Anthology: Jagged Edges / Unintended Consequences - Due April 30th, 2017
• 2017 Fall Anthology: The Fall Out / Secret Spaces - Due November 15th, 2017

Studly Ranch Hands by Renee Stevens *Premium*

Signature Updates:

319 Winesap Lane by CarlHoliday

A Class By HImself by Comicality

Black Widow by Mark Arbour; Book 16 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)

Innocence & Carnality - Part Two by Mann Ramblings; Book 2 of I & C

Mental Games by Bill W

Mine! by Cia

Temporary Dads by Graeme

The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 2 by Bill W; Book 11 of The Castaway Hotel

Promising Updates:

An Advent Calendar by aditus

Headstall's Reflections by Headstall

Morningstar: The Malaise by Headstall

Of Prophets, Saints and Sinners by AC Benus; Book 8 of Christmas at Famous-Barr

Tiger Winter by Sasha Distan

Don't forget.... Read, Write, and Review!

Monday we had Cia introduce us to the December CSR Feature. This month we are going to look at Kuragari129's story My Life Started At The End Of The World. If the title doesn't capture your interest then wait until you read the synopsis. Discussion day for this story will be on Monday, December 26th. You have just over 2 weeks to git er done.

Wednesday was the ever popular feature called Ask An Author here on the blog. This is where Renee turns the blog over to Dark for questions presented to authors of our site. This month Dark interviewed albertnothlit, Nephylim, Riley Jericho, and skinnydragon. Not only is it interesting to hear from popular authors but also to learn how they handle writing and making the great stories that they do.

Friday finished up the week with our return to Writing Prompts 542 and 543.These new prompts are good to get the creative juices flowing (hopefully more than molasses in Calgary this week ) and get some interesting ideas and works on the site for everyone to enjoy! Prompt 542 was a creative one using these words - red leaf, turkey, squeaky wheel, pumpkin, and a blue shoe. Prompt 543 was a creative one using the first line of I think it is time for you and I to have a little talk. Lastly Cia featured Hunter Thompson's response from Prompt 539.

Anthology Announcements:

***NOTE: For the immediate future, please copy in Cia on all Anthology PM's to Renee
***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team

• All Pre-2016 Anthology Themes - Due December 14, 2016
• 2017 Spring Anthology: Jagged Edges / Unintended Consequences - Due April 30th, 2017
• 2017 Fall Anthology: The Fall Out / Secret Spaces - Due November 15th, 2017

Disastertastic by Cia *Premium*

Studly Ranch Hands by Renee Stevens *Premium*

Classic Updates:

Door Number Three by Ronyx

Signature Updates:

319 Winesap Lane by CarlHoliday

Black Widow by Mark Arbour; Book 16 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)

Innocence & Carnality - Part Two by Mann Ramblings; Book 2 of I & C

Mental Games by Bill W

Mine! by Cia

On The Outside by Comicality

Temporary Dads by Graeme

The Best Year by Krista

The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 2 by Bill W; Book 11 of The Castaway Hotel

The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 9 by Comicality; Book 9 of The Secret Life Of Billy Chase

Promising Updates:

American Steel by Carlos Hazday

An Advent Calendar by aditus

Fallen Pride by Sasha Distan; Book 7 of The Best Circle of Hell Stories

Headstall's Reflections by Headstall

Morningstar: The Malaise by Headstall

Of Prophets, Saints and Sinners by AC Benus; Book 8 of Christmas at Famous-Barr

One Hundred and Fifty-Five Sonnets by AC Benus; Book 5 of Verse

Right Where We Live by AC Benus; Book 5 of Christmas at Famous-Barr

Tiger Winter by Sasha Distan

Don't forget.... Read, Write, and Review!

My Life Started at the End of the World

by Kuragari129

Length: 58,366

Description: Back in 2012 where people feared the doom of the world, Aidyn Scott must face his fears. Aidyn has strong feelings for a class mate, Noah Wesley. Skylar, Aidyn's little brother is just starting highschool and has began getting feelings for others. Specifically a new kid in town named Gresyon Payne, a blind boy whom he guides around the school. How will these four boys find their way through the "end of the world"?

A Reader Said: This is very good, each character is developing and adding to the whole, with several distinct threads of storyline to keep moving forward. ~kagenokami

This month's Discussion Day will take place on Monday, December 26th.

Monday we started the week off with the November CSR Discussion Day of Comicality's Between the Lines. Cia had a lengthy interview with Comicality about not only the story but also what motivates him to believe he is writing a good story. A lot of tips and information from one of our most read authors at GA.

Wednesday on December 1st, we learned about a first here at GA. Cole Matthews, Valkyrie and Aditus all shared with us a project that they are working on called Advent Calendar. This will be 24 short pieces by the 3 authors posting every day up until Christmas. To add some fun, the 3 have a topic where you can try to guess who penned the pieces and a big reveal at the end of the week. Make sure to pop in daily to see the story posted by Aditus and then try to not only guess the author, but participate in the discussion.

Friday was our Prompt Day and we had the Second Chance Prompts #509 & #511. 509 is a creative prompt that is based around a Tire. Mainly a flat one and no working spare and encountering a person from your past that comes out from the Auto Club. 511 is a creative prompt called the Child. Things aren't normal in the neighbourhood when a new family moves in and they have a child. What is it about this child that has upset the normal day to day activities of the neighbours? Sounds interesting, eh?

Anthology Announcements:

***NOTE: For the immediate future, please copy in Cia on all Anthology PM's to Renee
***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team

• All Pre-2016 Anthology Themes - Due December 14, 2016
• 2017 Spring Anthology: Jagged Edges / Unintended Consequences - Due April 30th, 2017
• 2017 Fall Anthology: The Fall Out / Secret Spaces - Due November 15th, 2017

Premium Updates:

Disastertastic by Cia *Premium*

Studly Ranch Hands by Renee Stevens *Premium*

Classic Updates:

A Christmas Eve Awakening by Ronyx

Door Number Three by Ronyx

Signature Updates:

319 Winesap Lane by CarlHoliday

A prompt a week by comicfan

Black Widow by Mark Arbour; Book 16 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)

Innocence & Carnality - Part Two by Mann Ramblings; Book 2 of I & C

Mental Games by Bill W

Mine! by Cia

Temporary Dads by Graeme

The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 2 by Bill W; Book 11 of The Castaway Hotel

Waiting Outside The Lines by Comicality

Promising Updates:

American Steel by Carlos Hazday

An Advent Calendar by aditus

Fallen Pride by Sasha Distan; Book 7 of The Best Circle of Hell Stories

Headstall's Reflections by Headstall

Morningstar: The Malaise by Headstall

Right Where We Live by AC Benus; Book 5 of Christmas at Famous-Barr

Tiger Winter by Sasha Distan

Don't forget.... Read, Write, and Review!

If you were an animal, what would you be?
- You know, I'm not sure why, but I have always had a thing for panthers. Ever since I was little, the idea of a huge jungle cat, with all black fur and bright cat eyes...both beautiful and dangerous...I LOVE it! Hehehe!

What do you like best in a story if you’re reading it?
- Character interaction. Definitely. That's my number one allure to a story. Not just in relation to advancing the plot, but just a few golden (sometimes random) moments where the main characters get to truly bond with one another on a human level. A little fun, a little romance, a little humor, some emotional support, some backstory...I think that truly adds something special to what you're reading. I think that's what makes readers truly care about what's going on. They get to be a part of the adventure first hand, you know? I always try to leave my characters some space to just have some fun outside of the main plot in everything that I write. It can be endearing.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
- There's hardly any time during the day when I'm not writing. Hehehe! I've learned to appreciate a heavy dose of isolation each and every day, and I realize that I overdo it on occasion and have to make an effort to reconnect with my friends and family to make up for it. But outside of that, I'm a huge hog for movies and TV shows these days. The stories have gotten so complex that I can really get involved in what's going on and start bingeing myself silly. Video games too. So I can get really absorbed in a good story, no matter what the medium. I've also been learning more about cooking, which is new for me. Well, for the last year or two, anyway. And I've been enjoying that as well. Cooking is an art in itself. I hope to keep getting better at it.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
- Foreshadowing. Hands down. I like for my stories to be built up to a climax and a logical solution as I'm writing them, so foreshadowing is a must. You don't want to get to the end and have something just 'happen' for no reason, you know? You have to leave little breadcrumbs along the way. Unfortunately, I think people have seen sooooooo many movies and TV shows and read so many stories online, that they've become too savvy for foreshadowing to really be effective. They're 'hip to the game' at this point. So every time I write something, most people are already trying to jump TEN steps ahead of me to figure out the rest of the entire story before it's even written. It's extremely hard to beat people to the punch anymore, because nobody just sits back and enjoys the ride. There's a huge race to be the first one to say, "I CALLED IT!!!" With hours of analysis and hints and clues and speculations and fan theories...foreshadowing is a really difficult magic trick to pull off these days. Either your plot twists and endings came out of nowhere and don't make sense, or the story is seen as cliché and predictable. It's nearly impossible to find a Goldilocks type of middle ground between the two extremes. But it's just a challenge. Challenge is what it's all about, after all. So it makes things a LOT harder, but it's worth it when you can surprise a few people every now and then.

Do you plot out your stories or just write as it comes to you?
- I have to plot everything out in advance before I start writing. First for the story as a whole, then chapter by chapter, so I know where I'm going and have an idea of how to get there. So the stories are already finished in my mind, with a major arc covering it all. But there are story arcs to each chapter as well. There are certain events that I want to tackle every chapter, even if it's just a set up or solution to the chapter coming up or the one that just passed. So I have a blueprint, but there is a LOT of room for spontaneous ideas if I feel like adding them at a moment's notice. So I keep a structure in mind, but it's not carved in stone if I think of something better along the way.

Is writing more of a flurry of inspiration or a daily wordcount you adhere to?
- You know, I really try to stick to the word count discipline, but it doesn't always work. I definitely write every single night. I doubt I'd be able to sleep
at all if I didn't. But I always write according to what I'm feeling at that particular moment, on that particular day. The reason I write SO many stories at once, is because they all have different themes, different moods, and different issues and emotions involved. I don't want to force myself to write something happy and cute when I'm having a really bad day. But I don't want to write something that's supposed to have some emotional weight and somber depth to it when I'm feeling silly and fun. Nor do I want to write something 'sexy' when I'm angry at the world and need to vent my frustrations. No matter what I'm feeling...I have a story that I can use to channel that emotion and it feels authentic and has a greater impact. I don't want to 'fake' it. Emotional involvement is what my stories are all about. It's the most important part of writing for me. So when people read something from me...I want it to feel real. Because it IS real. It's my therapy and my release, more often than not. Which is why I can't rush one story over the other, but I work on them all every single day. It's not just words for me, I want readers to feel it like I feel it. I hope that gets accomplished every now and then. Hehehe, when I'm being moody.

Did the characters or the plot of Between the Lines come to you first?
- The plot was the first thing that came to me with this story. The theme of it was something that I wanted to write about before, but never had an idea that I thought would really focus on the ideas I had in mind the way "Between The Lines" did. I wanted to create a story about someone who was finally getting the freedom of the college experience, embracing a new life for the first time, and has convinced himself that he's truly happy simply because he's experiencing something new and different. But he has nothing to compare this experience to. He hasn't really been exposed to what's out there, and just how amazing romance can be with someone who's more than just 'gay like me'. I wanted it to be a journey that displays the way time and experience expands our views on relationships altogether over time. I'm happy to say that I was proud of the way this one turned out.

You use a character who is a writer. Did you model Eli’s writing style/inspiration after your own?
- Definitely! I LOVE being able to write about writing! Hehehe! So the story was one of my early chances to really describe what it's like to have ideas in your head and developing the ability to translate those thoughts into words and what it feels like to be able to put them all down on paper. (Or on screen, in this case) I can remember my first semester of college when I took a creative writing class. Now, this was a film school, also full of actors, writers, etc...and I was SO nervous! I kept thinking, "These kids are going to be soooo much BETTER than me! They've been doing this all of their lives! This is what they want to do for a living! How can I possibly match up?" But I went in and did my own thing, and they embraced it. I made some really good friends in those classes. Even with teachers, who splattered my stories with red ink...but gave me good grades anyway because they liked what I wrote. So this story borrows heavily from my own college experience with creative writing in front of an audience. If it wasn't for those favorable reactions, there might not be a 'Comicality' today.

Do you have a favorite scene in Between the Lines?
- There's a moment in the computer lab where both Eli and Devon go to write and print out their work for the next class together that I thought was endearing. That scene was originally going to be much shorter, only be a random bumping into one another...but as I was writing it, these fictional characters just started having this really cool conversation all on their own. I refused to stand in the way of them getting to know each other better. Hehehe! So that scene ended up being one of my favorites in the whole series. There's something 'organic' and natural about it. I'm glad that it turned out as well as it did. It still makes me smile when I read over it again.

Can you share a little of your future projects with us?
- Well, writing wise, I think the biggest project that I've got in the works right now is a horror anthology called "Darkness Waits". It has four separate stories in it, and I was trying hard to get it done in time for Halloween, but I had two long months of weird life circumstances that took me away from the site, and I wasn't able to catch up to the momentum that I had going before. But, while gay themed, it's actual 'horror'. And it's a bit of a new challenge for me. So wish me luck, and I'll keep everybody informed as to when it's ready.

Outside of that, I've been spending a LOT of time on ebooks, there's a "Billy Chase" animated series of shorts in the works, an audio book for "Gone From Daylight" that already has the first three chapters recorded, Imagine Magazine...the fans of the site have really been coming out to lend their incredible talents to the site as a whole in 2017, and I want to lend as much support as I can so I can be a part of it. I think readers will be surprised with what's coming in 2017! I'm excited about it! I hope everyone else will be too!

UPDATE: First let me apologize. I have a lot going on right now and I completely spaced that I was supposed to announce the Reader Incentive winner for the anthology. I'm happy to announce that, for the 17 stories in the current anthology, we had a total of 41 unique reviewers. Of those 41 reviewers, we had a total of 262 entries in the Reader Incentives drawing. I assigned each reviewer a number, and repeated that number however many times they reviewed, and the winner is....

ARAZON

Arazon, please PM me with your choice between a $5 GA Ebook store credit, or a 1 month premium membership. Now, let's see what you might have missed this week:

November Signature Feature & Excerpt: So Little Magic Left By Mann Ramblings
Yep, this month Mann Ramblings is our author for the Signature Feature. If you haven't already read the story, this is your chance to take a peek and see if you want to read the whole thing. Plus, there's a nice little signature banner you can use!

Happy Thanksgiving!
I think that pretty much says it all, lol. We hope that everyone celebrating the holiday had a wonderful day.

Writing Prompts #540 & #541
If you're looking for some inspiration, make sure to check out our Friday post. There were a couple of new prompts for you to take a shot at. Don't forget to share your prompt responses in the appropriate forum thread so that you might have a chance to be featured like Mikiesboy was this week.

Anthology Discussion Day - November 2016
We finished off our week with the monthly Anthology Discussion Day. If you're writing for the anthology, considering it, or just curious as to what other authors are thinking regarding the special anthology, join in!

Anthology Announcements:

***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team

• All Pre-2016 Anthology Themes - Due December 14, 2016
• 2017 Spring Anthology: Jagged Edges / Unintended Consequences - Due April 30th, 2017
• 2017 Fall Anthology: The Fall Out / Secret Spaces - Due November 15th, 2017

Classic Updates:
Door Number Three by Ronyx

Signature Updates:
319 Winesap Lane by CarlHoliday
Black Widow by Mark Arbour; Book 16 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)
Innocence & Carnality - Part Two by Mann Ramblings; Book 2 of I & C
Mental Games by Bill W
Mine! by Cia
Temporary Dads by Graeme
Thanksgiving Knight by Valkyrie
The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 2 by Bill W; Book 11 of The Castaway Hotel
Weightless by Cynus; Book 2 of Less is More

Promising Updates:
American Steel by Carlos Hazday
Fallen Pride by Sasha Distan; Book 7 of The Best Circle of Hell Stories
Morningstar: The Malaise by Headstall
Practically Perfect by AC Benus; Book 4 of Christmas at Famous-Barr
Right Where We Live by AC Benus; Book 5 of Christmas at Famous-Barr
Talking Turkey[s] by Carlos Hazday
Tiger Winter by Sasha Distan