An Introduction, and A Question.

[Rawr]

Welcome to the forum, if you search some of the threads you may find a lot of answers you are looking for

[Counselor]

[QUOTE ]
*Put's a fresh piece of cheese in Counselor 's maze and opens the cage door*[/QUOTE]

*trots off*

[EvenOlderButWiser]

*trots off*

For more cheese?

ObW
x

[Geminize]

Welcome, Cayris. I think you have taken on quite a challenge to write from a male perspective; not to say it can't be done. I suggest you check this forum regularly. You will gain a much more authentic view by reading the threads as they arise, with the responses and discussions that are generated. There are some common themes that are expressed again and again.

[Pix]

When writing about boys, I know many of them are afflicted with (externally if not internally) the Boys Code, a horrifying set of values that severely restricts the ability of a male to show any positive emotion (or tears, good and bad) or "any other weakness." It's essentially a hatred of femininity (though the subscribers, who really aren't lucid enough to say otherwise IMO, would argue that) and punishes boys who violate it with everything from slurs (like "pussy" and "fag" because you know how much contempt they have for anyone weak who they'd fuck in a literal "fuck you" showing contempt through sex instead of love) to outright violence. As a result, closeted gays in school have been known to go overboard in upholding the Boy Code to show that they're not (which includes gay bashing), even to the point of knowingly & willfully attacking others who violate it.

[Cayris]

The advice always given to writers is "write about what you know".

I don't think anyone has ever suggested "go on a gay message board, patronise it's members within an inch of their lives and then expect them to supply material for your book", but who knows, someone may have.

If you are implying that I am incapable of writing this novel because I am not a homosexual teenager, I wonder what sort of books you DO read. Is J.k. Rowling secretly a magical 12 year old boy? Has Steven King lead a double life as a killer serial clown? Did Charles Dickens meet 3 ghosts after deciding he hated Christmas?

If, however, you are implying that I don't know what it's like to be outcast, labeled, bullied, conflicted, violated, or abused for my identity or my sexuality, then I am forced to tell you that you are completely and utterly incorrect.

The New York's Times Bestselling Author, Diana Gabaldon, writes a widely popular series following a book called, "Outlander." In it, she starts her novels with a 2-5 page acknowledgement in which she acknowledges the hundreds of people who translated languages, told her of old rituals, described 1700's Scotland, provided medical advise, etc. At no point do these people take to the press to claim, "I translated EVERYTHING from Gaelic to English and told her about EVERY medical procedure. This is my book, I demand royalties!" I find it a bit ignorant that you think my attempt at finding, "What would you have liked to hear in a book written about coming to terms with your sexual identity?" is asking anyone to write my novel for more.

Finally, how you believe I feel superior to anyone is beyond me. If I felt superior to homosexuals and was using kindness to cover that fact, I definitely would not be dedicating myself to writing a novel about their struggles.

Let me elaborate on my goals of this writing:

Several years ago, I met a very descent fellow that had a derogatory statement burned into his arm for being very secure and obvious about his homosexuality. Literally, he was held down while some sick disgusting SOB's took a lighter to his flesh.

Two years ago, I made friends with 3 men that I contribute my life too. That, during a time of very dark depression, didn't tell me just to suck it up and sat and held my hand as I fell apart. Due to my labeled "feisty" personality, my attempt to reach anyone else was laughed off as, "You're too tough to need real help, you don't even have emotions."

These three men spent the better part of a year confessing their deepest secrets, their troubles, their stories about love, sex, shame, and regret, to me. I realized, at that moment, that EVERYONE struggles with self identity. And that writing a young adult novel about self identity was my main goal. I chose homosexuality because several people admitted all they wanted was ONE person to know how they felt. And since I can't go meet them all personally, I SINCERELY hope that ONE (if not more, but at least one) person can feel less alone if they read a novel where it feels how they feel.

Which is why I asked you all, what you felt. The novel is mostly written and in the stages of being seen by authors and re-edited before I try to submit it to publishing. However, if someone here had said something profound that really bothered them, I would have loved to incorporate that feeling through my own words.

I appreciate everyone who understood my goal and offered their opinions. I apologize to anyone I offended.Writing this book I have had a lot of people walk away, or call me out, as offended. I just never thought it would be the community I was writing it for that would call me out. I can see now that was near-sighted of me.

[Undreamt]

Don't be dishartened Cayris, there are always going to be narrow minded people.

There are many gay guys who are jaded about women for a number of reasons, there are also alot of women that take advantage of gay guys for their own gain.

Its hardly surprising that you would have some resistance.
Be that as it may, there are also many women that write gay fiction or books with gay themes (Anne Rice and Poppy Z Brite are notable examples)

My only advise, make sure your the proactive one, being a spectator or insisting that other people share everything with you without any reciprocation is the easiest way to get people offside.