Shack Out Back

The Secret Life of Billy Chase Background

by Comicality

What is the "Blood Bank", exactly? And how did it come about?

The "GFD: Blood Bank" is a 'fansite' of sorts for readers who have been long time die hard fans of the "Gone From Daylight" vampire series. (Which has been ongoing for over a decade now!) It's a collection of Shackers who have kept this particular story held high above all others, making it the number one story on the website! Holding that title for at LEAST 6 or 7 years straight! It's a place where many other authors can exchange ideas, talk about the story, add pictures or drawings or videos or poems...anything "GFD" or even just 'vampire' related. Anything you find of interest...bring it on in! Share it with us! We'd love to see it! And not only can you see the creative efforts of many other "GFD" fans from around the world, but I have also worked very hard on creating an entire CATALOGUE of original "GFD" vampire stories myself that you won't find anywhere else. All brand new stories with brand new characters...occasionally crossing paths with characters that you know and love. So if you like "Gone From Daylight"....ummm...there's probably a good 20-30 more vampire stories there that you haven't even read yet! So don't miss 'em!

How did it come about? Well, basically, the idea of the "GFD: Blood Bank" came from the earliest readers of the saga, years ago. Once the story began to pick up steam and gathered a loyal following, I began to get some truly AMAZING emails from the readers, full of enthusiasm and excitement about what was going on and where they thought the story was going to go next. They asked questions and made suggestions and analyzed what a lot of the metaphors were in the plot. It was, like, "Wow! Really???" To be totally honest, I wasn't even sure that most people would 'get it' when I first started planning "GFD" and writing it out for the first time. So it was beyond flattering to have people respond and relate to the idea, believe me.

Those emails and conversations with the fans evolved over time and turned into them asking more questions about how things in the "GFD" world 'worked' and why. They wanted to know about the backgrounds of some of the other characters and how they came to be, and also about some of the technical aspects of what it would be like to live in darkness. These were all questions that I had honestly never even thought of before. At least not as far as them being a story all their own. Some readers made vampire names for themselves, and wondered what other hidden 'extras' there could be out there...I was really touched by how much they were getting into the story and wanted to be a part of it. The possibilities were endless.

Those questions later turned into bigger and better ideas that they had of their own. Completely original takes on how the vampires in that world lived and how they related to one another. How they were governed, how they fed, how they found mates and sired other vampires to be with them, how they survived, how the 'ancients' must have been...it was like a whole new universe had opened up. Much deeper and more complex than my ONE story could possibly hold. No matter HOW long it was! Hehehe, I met my boyfriend just because he absorbed a part of the story and created an entire ('WORKING') vampire language for it! So the potential to really expand on the whole "GFD" mythology was quite literally...'infinite'.

The story continued to grow, the plot continued to unfold, and more and more emails rushed in! Word spread and more people were sucked into the story as well. (I still owe a lot of hugs to IronDragon for helping me advertise too! Hehehe!) And then they took up the reigns, as most people know the story better than I do, and created their own interpretations of the story. Wildly imaginative, and really capturing the essence of what "GFD" was all about.

Other readers cultivated story ideas of their own, and traded them back and forth online. GREAT ideas! And in GREAT numbers! So many, in fact, that we decided to have a writing contest on the Library for the best "GFD" spin off. The entries that rolled in were beyond incredible. I remember reading every last one of them and being blown away at how different each interpretation of the story was and how well it fit into the whole theme of the "GFD" saga, obeying certain rules and boundaries...but still being completely open and flexible to someone else's vision. So that pretty much opened the floodgates right there as far as I was concerned. I gave an open license for others to do the same any time they wanted to, and soon after that *MANY* more stories/pictures/poems/etc appeared over time! In fact, last year, we had nearly 50 new stories/chapters from other authors' "GFD" material (and some new ones of my own) submitted to the "Blood Bank" in the last few months of the year alone! Short miniseries with all new characters and storylines, solo stories/series using characters from the original "GFD" plot, some posted some sweet photos of what they thought the characters looked like and doctored them up to give them that special 'vampire' look, others did some FABULOUS artwork and paintings and penciled drawings, some wrote beautiful sonnets of poetry, some found music that they thought fit the story perfectly...and it truly became a unique collection of raw creativity on the part of the readers. Stuff that I couldn't even TOUCH, not even if I tried!

I did all I could to save every last piece of "GFD" fanfare that I could handle, but my mail space (back then) was soooo limited, and I HAD to find a place to put it all. Unfortunately, many stories and drawings were lost over time. I tried to retrieve them, but I couldn't. If those artists and authors are reading this...even if it's been YEARS since we've spoken last...PLEASE talk to me! And I hope you saved those, because the "Blood Bank" is lacking without them! I honestly thought that this stuff was WAY too damn good to just be sitting silently in my email box just for 'me' when it could be shared with all the other fans of the series. And that's how the idea for the fansite came to be.

It was JeffP and ACFan from the Fort Family that came to the rescue, and the dark underground negotiations began. I figured, if we were gonna do this, why not go all out, right? Ideas got put into the magic pot, a message board was put together, they made the design, I found as many of the original emails from fans as I could and worked on adding a bunch of new stuff of my own...and voila...just a few short years ago, on Halloween Night...the "GFD: Blood Bank" was launched, and became open to the public. And has since been re-launched with even *MORE* new material than before! (With much more to come!)

We now have an open chatroom, an active forum, videos, trivia games to play, a "GFD: RPG" room...I have to admit, I'd love to see just how far we can take it. Because you guys come up with new ideas all the time. I had to push myself harder and throw a bunch of new stories at ya to see if I can hold my little 'ego pedestal' for just a little bit longer before you come and overthrow me! Hehehe! :P

So yes! That...is the "GFD: Blood Bank" in a nutshell!

Can I add something of my own to the site?

OF COURSE!!!! In fact, that's the very reason why the site exists in the first place! If you ever get the urge to submit ANYTHING of your own...DO IT!!!! We'd love to have it there! We're building up quite the archive now! So we'd love to have you be a part of it!Everybody is welcome!

How do I submit stuff?

Simply take your project (whatever that may be), and send an email to submissions@shackoutback.net and consider it done! Stories can be sent in HTML or .DOC formats, drawings and photos can be sent as attachments, videos and music can be sent with an appropriate link to the media. The "Blood Bank" has a special 'curator' that will check for your project, upload it to the site in the appropriate section, and when it has been posted, the spotlight is all yours! :)

It's as simple as that!

Does it have to be gay themed and/or erotic?

While "Gone From Daylight" is technically a gay teen erotic story...YOUR story does NOT have to be! Ok? Your story is exactly that...YOURS! You can do whatever you want with it. It can be anything you want it to be.

There ARE certain things that the Shack Out Back (as a whole) frowns upon. Mostly rape and overkill with acts of sexual brutality or extreme fetishes. I also ask that any adult/youth content is clearly marked in a disclaimer at the BEGINNING of the story to avoid complications later on. There's nothing wrong with it, but I think it's fair to have that information where people can make a choice about what they're reading in that situation. If you have any questions about your story, please let me know at Comicality@webtv.net, and I promise to be fair. No worries! Hehehe, if I was any more open minded, what's left of my brains would fall out on the floor. But....you know...I don't speak for everyone. So if you have a question, let me know, and we'll talk. K?

What kind of vampire stuff can I write about?

Literally anything that you want to write about. Vampires have been around forever, and "GFD" has a LOT of open ended themes and lifestyles that you can use to create your own story! You can write about Raiders, nightclubs, junkyards, slaghunters, sanctuaries, blood dealers, noc dealers, SPICE dealers, fighting arenas...ANYTHING! Or you could create something all your own. It's up to you.

You can write about *ANY* vampire, with *ANY* story, during *ANY* time in history! The 'rule book' here is practically nonexistent! The four major themes of "GFD" stories are 'Action', 'Society', 'Sex', and 'Philosophy'. Or any combination. But those are the major focuses of a "GFD" spin off. So pick one and go crazy with it!

Can I use characters from the original "Gone From Daylight" series?

Most DEFINITELY! If any of you want to write ANY story of your own using a character or group of characters from "GFD"...feel free! Go for it! I'd be honored! :)

That includes having your own characters bumping into one from "GFD", writing as the "GFD" characters themselves, writing 'what if' scenarios, back stories and prequels...the sky's the limit.

What if I don't wanna mess up the storyline?

It's YOUR story. No matter what. You don't have to worry about messing up the "GFD" storyline, because that has been set in stone for YEARS now! Hehehe, there's not going to be any interference, whatsoever. Hell, write your own version of the whole series if you want. And do it BETTER than I did! This is your chance to build your own world, so don't hold back. Again, I'd be honored.

Do authors get credit for their work?

YES! Each and every author of any story on the "Blood Bank" will get full credit for their work, and will be listed on the 'Authors' link on the homepage. Post your email, your screen name, your website, your facebook, your twitter, your shoe size...whaever you want! Feel free to advertise yourself anyway that you like! Hell, write a good story, and bring a whole new audience back to your own website to read more of your work! Do it! I love it! Remember, the "Blood Bank" isn't about 'me'. It's about you displaying YOUR talents and sharing them with other people doing the same. Nothing more. Everything is 100% free, so what have you got to lose, you know?

Can I put my stories on my own website too?

YEP! Put them on your own websites if you like! If you're a part of a community of other authors on their own server, you can post it there as well. Newsgroups, Yahoo groups, and even Nifty, if you want.

The *ONLY* thing I ask (Yeah, there's a catch! :P)...

Is that you mention the original "GFD" story, either in the beginning of your project or the end. Just...like..."Based on the story "Gone From Daylight" By Comicality". That's it. A little wink and a nod, and I'm happy. Do that, and I'll do a private pole dance for ya! :)

Can I ask you questions about the facts and ideas I'm using for my story?

Anytime you have a question or want some clarification on anything that you're writing about...feel free to drop me an email at Comicality@webtv.net and I'll get back to ya as soon as I can with a detailed answer. I'm available for anything you wanna know. K?

Also, there is a "GFD: Wiki" available to you as well. It has TONS of information about the story, as well as some character profiles, the vampire language (verzpertillio), vocabulary terms and what they mean, etc. So you have a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips there too any you need it.

Can we post vampire themed videos from YouTube?

Yes, yes, yes!!! :) If you see any vampire related videos...dark ones, documentaries, funny clips or cartoons, spoofs, movie trailers, fan-vids, or just some hot vampire boys making out, hehehe, feel free! Check out the Vampire Video section to see the stuff that's been posted so far to get an idea of the stuff we love to watch. We could always use more!

Also, if you're feeling creative, you are MORE than welcome to make your own videos as well. That's even BETTER! (We've got one already!) Something like that might get Comsie to send a little vampire 'reward' your way for all the hard work! :)

Can I post my own original artwork?

Post away! We have a section SPECIFICALLY for photos and artwork on the "Blood Bank" site (Check out the "Vampire Sightings" list)! And it is full of some amazing stuff! So if you've drawn anything at all for "GFD" and want to post it there for all to see, feel free! Post as many times as you like, as often as you like. There's no limit at all. I've seen some others elsewhere online that were incredible too...so don't be too surprised if I sneak up one day and send you guys an email! Hehehe! ::Winks::

What are the 'Story Starters'?

The 'Story Starters' are actually four different stories that I began for the "Blood Bank" where other authors were invited to finish them off with their own ending. So basically the setup and the characters and the main idea was all put into place, and if you ever get the urge, you can tell us how it ends! Write as many different endings as you like. We definitely need more of those!

Two of the stories are more the physical, action type. And the other two are more of the somber, emotional type. So whatever you like, feel free to have at it!

Will my story get noticed in the archive?

It most definitely will! When your story gets posted, I will be adding an announcement to the Shack Mailing List (which has well over 500 members) to let them know when you post anything new. And the 'New Blood' link on the "Blood Bank" homepage is automatically updated with every new submission. So anybody looking for what's new can hit that link and get a list of the last 20 posts made to the site. If you want to be even more visible, feel free to post a link or an announcement on the "Blood Bank" Forum and/or over at the "Comicality Library". Plenty of people will see ya, so make it good! :)

When can I get started?

Vampires live forever...we don't! Hehehe, so the phrase, 'no time like the present' come to mind! Get started now! You guys inspire me!

This page was last updated on February 11, 2016.