Around 19 I graduated from typewriter to this word processor, and I never felt more like a writer. I love my modern computer, but in some ways this machine will always be my trustest love.

MG Allan Beyond the Curtain The rain beat down on the roof in a staccato rhythm that was almost soothing. Like nature’s lullaby. Scott sat in his comfy chair by the living room window, staring out at the gr…

My flash piece "Beyond the Curtain" is up. clubplumliteraryjournal.com/mg-allan/

Exactly!

When people say they have to be able to relate to a character they usually mean the character has to be likeable. Truth is sometimes I can relate to the unlikeable characters too. I think some people get uncomfortable by being able to relate to unlikeable characters.

What was the first book that made you fall in love with reading? For me it was Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

A little glimpse of my writing space.

My short story "The Wish" is now up with @everydayfiction.bsky.social.

everydayfiction.com/the-wish-by-...

Most of us queer men grew up with fathers who tried everything they could to make sure we wouldn't be "sissies." Doesn't work that way; we are what we are.

But oddly it isn't making him any less crazy!

The other day my husband and I were called fags out in public. If I put that in a story, a certain subset would start yelling "STOP BEING POLITICAL!" Some readers don't want to see the reality of queer life but that's not my problem. Even in fiction, I tell the truth.

Finished the first set of edits for my upcoming novel!

Walking hand in hand with my husband today, someone rode by and called us faggots. Oddly there was no sting to it. Yup, tell me something I don't know.

My flash piece "Beyond the Curtain" is up now if you wanna give it a read.

clubplumliteraryjournal.com/mg-allan/

How Horror Movies Taught Me Empathy | Mark Gunnells | TEDxFurmanU YouTube video by TEDx Talks

Several years ago I was lucky enough to do a TED Talk on horror and its link to empathy. I am very proud of this opportunity.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=153C...

It's like they think if those readers weren't reading Hoover they'd be reading them. It doesn't work that way, and there is room for all of us. Someone else's success doesn't equal my failure.

I actually get annoyed when writers attack Meyer or Hoover. They are just writing their stories like the rest of us. They didn't bribe the world into buying their books.

Oddly though different it's why I fell off the Scream movie series. What am I rooting for? For my beloved characters to survive just to wait around for the next trauma?

My husband and I have only one Easter tradition...we watch Steel Magnolias.

Agreed.

I posted a similar thing on my page, though so far I haven't been flooded, but I'm open to being flooded. :p

The Advantaged Amazon.com: The Advantaged: 9781637897690: Gunnells, Mark Allan: Books

My queer coming age novel The Advantaged, which I'm so proud of.
www.amazon.com/Advantaged-M...

Writers should be fans of their own work and should be pimping it because they are so proud of it. So share links to your work here. And those that see it, considering buying something. I promise to buy at least one thing posted here if not more.

Carsick by John Waters, Caregiver by @rickrreed.bsky.social, and Steel Magnolias for Easter

Ooh how gross. Time to block.

It's even more disheartening when it's other writers criticizing the way others promote.

I used to work at a university and in the post office they had to put out an example of an envelope so students would know how to address it if they needed to.

I once had an editor tell me that because readers hate prologues I needed to retitle my prologue "chapter 1." What that suggests isn't that people hate prologues, just the label. Which is stupid.

I find writing such a joyous experience. When a story or book of mine gets published, what I hope to share with any readers is my joy.

Threads user djjohnmichael (who’s also on Bluesky under the same name but doesn’t seem to be active) posted: If I could sum up LGBTQ allyship in a phrase: Don’t come to the party if you won’t come to the protest.

This!

I always loved Anne Rice's proclimation that there were no rules for writers. The three P's you mentioned do seem to be all that is required, and from there we can all do our own thing and follow our own path. Although I do prefer keyboard, fingers, and perseverance, but that misses alliteration. :)