Talo Segura

That means you read your favourite authors, but will look for something new when you run out of stories to read. Adding a story genre helps readers choose a story they might like to read. I'm not at all sure what you're comments are saying? You don't like the idea of a genre label, or you personally would pay it no attention so don't see the point?

I think your story falls into Realistic Drama. At the start of the thread I gave a list of story genres. It could be examined and is not definitive, but I did say: I listed only nine genres, because I thought the classification should be simple. There is absolutely no need to make things complicated, it is a general story genre, not a one word description. Writing a story synopsis is a different question. Mike has started the Coming Attractions Forum and is summarising new stories. It's not easy, almost an art in itself, but he's doing it really well. His synopsis of Michael Arram's latest story is perfectly done. So I think you can leave that job up to Mike? If you wanted to write a synopsis of Courage it doesn't need to give away the crucial surprises you want your readers to discover. For example: The story is about a special boy - no need to say in a wheelchair, handicapped, or gay. His surprise encounter with a new friend is destined to change his life - no need to say boy meets boy, falls in love despite being wheelchair bound. Keep it simple, not requiring too much work, free to implement, and for synopsis, think outside the box and use your imagination. ☺

Mike, thanks for your response. It's great that you are happy to discuss ideas. I, in turn, am replying to each point you make, simply to clarify the original suggestion. The author needs to submit a category/genre - I was thinking that when you receive a new story and read it, you label it. The author can suggest if they wish to, and readers could suggest genres for existing stories, if that is possible. Not organised as a department store - I would substitute library for department store, seems a better analogy for a story site? Primarily gay, but with non-gay stories - that doesn't really have a bearing on adding a story genre, unless you want to identify the two categories. The Coming Attractions Forum - excellent addition. Putting stories into boxes limits authors - no it doesn't, it helps readers know if they are reading modern drama, historical drama, or Sci-fi, etc. If one thinks that Michael Arram - a published professor of Medieval History at a renowned British university writes 'fantasy' because an 'elf' appears in his current story introduction, then one probably lacks the imagination to really appreciate good fiction in the first place. - Well okay, there you are having a little dig at me. But wasn't JR Tolkein a professor of English at a renowned British university? And he wrote about hobbits and elves and that was fantasy. Develop and maintain a database to categorise stories - that was mentioned in the thread, but not by me. My suggestion was to add the genre to the story title (Another Quality Story by Another Author [Sci-fi]. So no data base, no spend. We pay attention to quality and visual presentation - that's great and very much appreciated. In summary, it is very simple to add the genre to all new stories, once you have a list to choose from. If detracts nothing, costs nothing, and only adds a reader guidance. For you to decide, as is plain to see, I believe a large collection of (thousands of) stories should be categorised, like books on library shelves. One heads for the history section or modern literature or whatever is of interest, few people wander aimlessly through the library picking up and putting books down at random. Still, as I said, for you to decide. Thank you for a great site ☺

Me too, even if it is sad, but then I'm not a happy ever after person. I just hate the smulchy endings that usually accompany American films - LOL! I also love the way different writers can come up with very different stories based on the same premise or prompt. Makes me wonder how those brain neurons get wired up? I'm really pleased you liked it 🤗

I didn't get any response.

Thanks Cole for your comments and thank you also Trab. It was intended as a short story so it was cut short, but it didn't finish as you are led to believe. You said you don't like sad endings too much, this is what happened next: A strong arm pulled him coughing and spluttering from the watery grave and dragged him onto the smooth ledge. He felt the cold hardness of the place. Blinking, he tried to make out the figure who stood over him. But all he could do was shiver and watch. The man seemed tall and thick set, but he said nothing. Finally, he took hold of his cold wet hand and placed something in his palm, closing his hand over it. The shadow moved around and appeared distorted, to stretch like a reflection in a pond. Then it receded and he was once again alone listening to the waves crashing through the entrance of the cave. The light illuminated the distant sea entrance ever more clearly, but that was not the way out. He scrambled back in the gloom, crawling over the ledge, until he found what must be rough hewn steps. Achingly, he stood up. Slowly, one step at a time, he climbed the stone path. His bare feet could feel the smooth uneven stone, and he took care not to slip and fall. It could have been an eternity, he had no idea of time, but finally he emerged into the outside. The world did not reflect his ordeal. It was as if nothing had happened. The sun warmed his near naked body and the gentle breeze caressed his bruised and battered skin. As quickly as possible, recovering his senses, he made his way farther up the cliff. He needed to reach the top and escape into the wooded interior that he knew was not too far away. Otherwise he was exposed and had no idea if a castle patrol might pass. Certainly they would find no body, but that would be later. He needed to make his escape, and he knew where he had to go. Perhaps I should have included those last three paragraphs. I didn't, because it becomes the opening chapter of a sword and sorcery story, a fantasy, that is another project, perhaps for another day. I have lots of writing projects and no time to progress them all. I'm giving you these next few paragraphs because it shows how things are not always what they might seem to be. Still not yet a happy ending, but you do know he survived... Don't you just love twists? 😉

After reading the forum thread on Moonlit Cave by Jason Rimbaud https://awesomedude.com/jasonr/moonlit-cave/moonlit-cave.htm I was motivated to add my own short story which I wrote in response to the same writing prompt: the first line - You watched as the water rushed into the cave as you tugged helplessly at the shackle on your arm; realizing high tide was starting to fill the space, dooming you to drown. You Cannot Save Me by Talo Segura. He watched as the water rushed into the cave, tugging helplessly at the shackle securing his arm; realising the high tide was starting to fill the space, dooming him to drown. The first light of dawn illuminated the small entrance which gave out onto the sea. Crashing waves pummeled the rocks and shoreline somewhere in the distance. The roar from outside contrasted with an echoing calm within the darkness. Successive waves broke over his head as he struggled in vain to free himself. Today I will be in paradise he thought and wept, even as he cried in anguish. The boy was half-dead when he'd pulled him from the wreckage and dragged him out of the water onto the damp sandy beach. He could not have known, nor could he have rightly been held responsible, it was not just. Those events played out in his head as the salty water filled his nostrils and stung his eyes. He gulped in air between mouthfulls of choking water. It was another bright and sunny day, the sand damp, but warm, on his bare feet as he walked along the water's edge. The peace was broken only by the gentle sound of rolling waves and the screech of a seagull swooping overhead. He shielded his eyes as he looked towards the sound and then to the distant horizon. The deep blue of the sea sparkled in the sunlight and only the faintest of lines marked where the horizon touched the sky. A cloudless sky that reflected the colour of the water. His habit was to wander the shoreline alone, keeping company only with his thoughts, allowing the sounds of nature to fill his head and the warmth of the sun to caress his bare chest and warm his sadness. Nothing would take away the emptiness he felt, not the beauty of the savage shore, nor the kind words of those few friends who still bothered to try and talk to him. He was dead to their words and sentiments, consumed by the loss of the first and only person he had loved, would ever love. No one, nothing, could fill his life now. To that, he was resigned, and the desolation he felt inside himself left him inconsolable. Hardly ever did he encounter anyone on these lonely walks, even less a patrol of the castle guard. The army were usually content to walk the ramparts and guard the city, seldom concerned with anything outside, whatever it might be. They were perhaps confident that the fortifications alone were more than enough to hold back any attack. After all this was one of the remotest parts of the kingdom. That was reason enough for the King to have despatched his son and heir to the distant outpost. Certain he would be safe from the ravages of the impending war in the south. Rounding the headland that warm sunny morning he was immediately confronted with a scene of devastation. Wreckage was scattered against the rocks. He scrambled along, being careful with his footing on the slippery stone and avoiding the ragged strands of emerald green seaweed. It was as he made his way towards the beach on the other side of the outcrop that he saw him. Jet black hair with a strand of seaweed in it, torn clothes, and surely a broken leg judging by the unnatural position. The boy was half in, half out of the water. His body lifeless, an arm moving with the water, bobbing up and down. He quickly drew close and grabbing the boy's shoulders lifted him out of the water and dragged him a little way up the beach. Putting his ear to the tiny chest he tried to listen, but heard nothing. A finger against the boy's creamy white neck may have given a hint of a pulse. Without hesitating he pinched the nostrils and covered the cold lips with his own. He breathed into the lifeless body. He gulped in air and breathed into the boy's mouth again. Then again. A reaction! He turned him on his side as the once lifeless body coughed up water, two, three times. Spewing the salty liquid onto the sand. Laying him back, he looked into the dark eyes. For an instant he thought those eyes matched perfectly the strands of discarded seaweed, and somehow they echoed those eyes he had lost. Before he could do more there was shouting and noise. Galloping horses and harsh words. The sound of a drawn sword as it slid from its scabard. A glint of steel. Hands dragged him away as the voices shouted at him. He saw the expressions on their faces. They were accusing. Accusing him. Of what? The blackness enveloped him like a sudden eclipse. The stone floor was cold, he could not understand where he was. Reaching for his head he noticed blood on his arm. How long had he been unconscious? He had no idea. Stumbling to his feet he moved uncertainly in the gloom. The heavy wooden door wouldn't move. It was locked. He slumped back down. "You kissed the Prince Royal," the stern, gruff voice, announced. He was bent over on his knees, prostrate before the judge. A guard held each arm outstretched. "You are condemned to die by drowning." He heard the words, but didn't register their meaning. His head hurt, his whole body hurt. Why was this happening? Was it the next day? How many days had he lain there, on that stone floor? They dragged him out, kicked and beat him. Pulled him with them, wrapping his eyes with a band of dirty cloth. He stumbled, weak and blind. He heard the waves and smelt the salty air. Then the water was all around his body. His arm was shackled to a chain as voices echoed. The dirty cloth was ripped from his eyes and the darkness was replaced by a deep gloom. He shivered in the cold water. Then a glimmer of light gave a faint impression of his surroundings. He was alone, totally alone. He watched as the water rushed into the cave, tugging helplessly at the shackle securing his arm; realising the high tide was starting to fill the space, dooming him to drown. He was condemned. Condemned to walk this world alone or to drown in a sea of sorrow. The love of his life awaited him in paradise and his tears joined the salty waves as the water rose and covered his head.

As you suggested Cole, I emailed the Dude, aka Mike, and introduced myself, asked him what he thought about the idea. As Trab suggests it can be, should try to be, a very simple label, and next to the title seems like it might be appropriate. My own preference is to use the genre name, because then a reader doesn't read to decode a list. It could look like: Baxter by Colin Kelly (Genre) Chapter One The list of genres I put up was only a starting point and is up for discussion if this were to go ahead. Trab's idea of two or more genres seems like it would introduce a second, even third tier of labelling. I would as a preference prefer to keep it simple. It's intended just to let the reader know the type of story they will be reading.

Cole and Pedro, you both make good points. My thoughts tend to just adding a simple label which Cole picked up on, so that when you see a new story, and later on, if possible, with the help of authors and readers classifying old stories, each has a genre label. Being able to search by genre would be fantastic, but as pointed out, a lot of work to set up. What could also be easily accomplished would be a story summary on the story page. To keep the work minimal, a genre label for new stories, maybe a summary on the story page. To take it further, a way to suggest/add the genre to old stories, and a summary for old stories. This doesn't help in the searching by genre that Pedro would like, but would at least let you know what you are reading before you pick up the book. As concerns liaising with Mike - the awesome dude himself - this is the forum thread for that and seems to me it's only active and interested (I nearly left a typo in there saying: only active and interesting... lol) members taking part.

I'm happy to offer genres for stories I read, but there needs to be a process to suggest the genre. First though we need a list. I suggest: Realistic Drama : fictional stories that could happen in real life. Science Fiction : stories based in the future, including space stories and alternate worlds. Fantasy : fiction that creates an imaginary often magical or supernatural world. Historical : stories that are fictional but based on historical events. Horror : vampires, ghosts, and the supernatural, designed to scare the reader. Crime and Mystery : the story involves a secret or crime that needs to be solved, usually by the end off the story. Mythology : fictional stories based on mythological events and or characters. Fictionalised Biography : stories about the real life of a person based on real events but with some imagined scenes. Short Story : stories under 6000 words ( 30 minutes to read ). You will notice this list does not include Romance, which is because I view all the stories falling within the romance genre just as they fall within the LGBT genre. The idea is to keep the list simple and avoid overlapping. I would think all members are capable of helping out and categorising the stories they have read (old stories) all new stories get read before being posted (I presume) so can be categorised before posting.

So I read a new story introduction which went like this: It is 1690 and the world is at war: the Great Turkish War rumbles on and the Empire has armies in the field in Hungary and in Lombardy ... And unknown to him greater conflicts by far are beginning in the World Beyond for an elf appears on the streets of Strelsau to seek the help of the ragged children of the Conduit. I thought to myself, this sounds like a great historical novel, until you mentioned the elf at the end and it turned into a fantasy story. I'm sure it's another great story to read, it's only that you can never be sure what type of story is being posted. I wondered if you had ever thought of categorising new stories? Obviously not going through the whole library on here (unless you got the time) but for new stories. Because like in any library, the books ought to get filed by sections, and that helps you find the stories you're looking for, the type of stories that grab you! You have got a large collection and I don't think the story lists do this justice. Besides, apart from Dude's Choice from the Past, there is no way to browse the whole library except clicking authors names. If you were to categorise every book you need only to make section lists under genre headings on a new page and copy the story links there. You make the genre list, with a section Uncategorised, and ask readers to suggest appropriate categories for those stories they read which have no label. So you get help in setting it up, slowly over time. Presuming you get new authors coming and new books all the time, this library can only get bigger and bigger, so if you don't organise it, books will collect dust on the shelves like relics in a museum, hidden away in corners where nobody ventures.

Maybe: https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/adult-youth/discovering-jayson/

My first book, Milo, has finished publishing online at Codeys World. Sometimes readers prefer to read the complete story as an ebook. For the moment, I do not have anywhere online where you can download a copy, but if you email me at talo.segura.x@gmail.com I will gladly send you a copy free of charge. Please say which format you want your ebook, mobi for Kindle or epub for other ebook readers. When you receive your copy you simply place it in the directory, kindle or other, where you access your books.

The Summer of the Firefly , by James Carnarvon. There is a satisfying and emotional feeling when reaching the end of a good book. A good book, such an easy turn of phrase, and so difficult to achieve. James Carnarvon has managed such an achievement with his wonderful story, full of evocative descriptions, and beautifully drawn characters. In equal measure the ordinary is brought to life as so much more than ordinary, the drama is almost heart breaking, yet full of hope. A message of triumph through struggle, nothing is ever easy, people are human and make mistakes. How different is Father Stefano from the Catholic priest we might expect? How strong is the influence of our parents even when they are no longer there? How easily do events lead themselves to misinterpretation? The author is the first to admit that no story is perfect, but nevertheless, this is a little gem that sparkles with the magnificent landscape of the Italian mountains and villages and with the emotions in the hearts of the people who live there, not the least of whom are two lonely boys. https://gayauthors.org/story/james-carnarvon/the-summer-of-the-firefly/

Here is a story I am reading at the moment. The summary speaks for itself and gives the background. It is a gentle slow paced novel with good dialogue and nice descriptions, rather like those "period" dramas produced by the BBC. Yes, it's very British, but not a Britain you would find these days, and the author is Irish! The Charmed Life of Danny Murphy Hiding part of what makes you who you are may sometimes seem necessary. And sometimes you may hide a part of yourself so well that you don't even realise that it exists. Danny Murphy seems to be living a charmed life. But he has a secret; one that he tries to keep so well hidden that he doesn't even want to admit it to himself. However, if he is hiding part of his real self, not just from others but also from himself, is his life really as charmed as it may seem? This story spans a period from the nineteen-sixties to the present day. Although much of it is light hearted, there are some dark sections to it, including an attempted suicide in one of the later chapters. Great story, feels very real and true to life. I do have a penchant for period novels, if you count the sixties as "period," I do, it was well over half a century ago. Rock and roll, the Beatles, and in 1966 England actually won something on the football field... lol! Wow Marty I am loving this story! I love your description it is just wonderful and has a true to life feel to it I cant wait to see where this will lead So I think that I could safely call this a truly great beginning to a great story and Journey.

“Ships that pass in the night, and speak each other in passing, Only a signal shown and a distant voice in the darkness; So on the ocean of life, we pass and speak one another, Only a look and a voice, then darkness again and a silence.” ― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Tales of a Wayside Inn.

I read this a little while ago, practically in one sitting, it was so good. In the vain of Morse if you've ever watched that British police series, but set in Cambridge rather than Oxford. Kind of quintessentially British, right down to tea time. I wondered about the title and I'm sure Jonah would not object to me sharing his answer to my question. -- The title was originally going to be A Cantabrian Whodunnit, "Cantabrian" because it is set in Cambridge, and, of course you will have realised that it is a whodunnit. A note from my friend Jacob Lion, in America, flagged up that the term "whodunnit", for crime stories, might be common in England, but wasn't appropriate for a story that is being read around the world. I changed the title, bearing in mind that a production of The Yeoman of the Guard, by Gilbert and Sullivan, features prominently in the plot. "Operetta" (sometimes called light, or comic, opera) doesn't distress Jacob's spell checker as much as "whodunnit" did. -- If you enjoy a good crime story in a very British style, read it, you'll love it, and it's very well written.