Grammar Resources

Posted on November 25, 2008 by SloanParker

I’ve been working on editing a draft of my first gay erotic romance and it has been a pretty intense process. I’ve spent time reading “how to” books (keeping what made sense and disregarding what didn’t work for me), studying grammar, and working on my own style. I’ve learned a lot about writing, about myself, and about the kind of writing I like to read vs. write.

Anyway, as a result of my research and studying, I’ve come across some various grammar sites that I thought I’d share. Some of these have been helpful in answering the tough questions or have provided me with an additional source to backup other resources.

Maybe they’ll help some of you.

If you have any other sites that you’ve found helpful, let me know via the contact form on my website. Thanks!!

Added (2/6/2009): check out the Links page to see all my grammar resource links. I’ll be adding new links to that page.

Video I love: Gay marriage is a question of love

Posted on November 11, 2008 by SloanParker

If you believe in the right for gay people to marry. If you believe in equality. If you believe in love, share this video with your friends and family. It gives a few good points to really make people on the fence think about it.

“In a time of impermanence and fly-by-night relationships, these people over here want the same chance at permanence and happiness that is your option. They don’t want to deny you yours. They don’t want to take anything away from you. They want what you want—a chance to be a little less alone in the world.”

Keith Olbermann
Anchor, ‘Countdown’
msnbc.com

Full text of the video

Quote I love: Obama’s Speech, hope for us all

Posted on November 5, 2008 by SloanParker

I just had to post a copy of this part of Obama’s speech. For all those gay couples living in California, Florida, Arizona, Arkansas, and the rest of the country, for me and my partner…We must not give up. We must not lose hope.

“If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.

It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.

We are, and always will be, the United States of America.”

Barack Obama
President-Elect
United States of America
In Chicago, Illinois
Wednesday, November 5, 2008; 12:02 AM

Hope still lives on…

Gay Erotic Romance Fiction Blogs

Posted on November 2, 2008 by SloanParker

About a year and a half ago, I discovered the world of gay romance/gay erotic romance. The first book I read was Ransom by Rowan Lee and I was hooked. I’ve been reading and writing like crazy since then. (Well, I’ve been reading and writing since I was a kid, but this was in a whole different world).

Once you start getting into reading different works by different authors and publishers, you get a sense of what trends are out there, what talents, styles, etc. But even though the market may seem small and the number of books much smaller than other niche markets of Romance, there are still a lot of great sources out there. I’ve been searching around for months now, learning the market, the players, the publishers, but it still seems like there is so much I don’t know. I figured there were others in the same boat, so I thought I’d share some of what I’ve found.

Whether you are a reader, a writer, or just interested in what the this world is like, here are some blogs that might be of interest.

Fiction With Friction

Author Blogs

Sensually Wicked Man Love

Josh Lanyon (author of the writing guide Man, Oh Man!: Writing M/M Fiction for Kinks & Cash)

If anyone has a blog site they’d like to recommend, let me know and I’ll check it out.