BL Reading Club! (M/m fiction) for Readers and Writers!

[AdLeto]

The secret to attract people to your thread is having BL in the title

 

[minacia]

The secret to attract people to your thread is having BL in the title

Well, mass-summoning actually

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

A Hawaii chair? For workouts?

What is a Hawaii chair?

 

[yansusustories]

What is a Hawaii chair?

I didn't know either and googled it. Apparently, it's a strange-looking chair with big armrests that people use for workouts and that is being advertised by bad infomercials

 

[Moonpearl]

I didn't know either and googled it. Apparently, it's a strange-looking chair with big armrests that people use for workouts and that is being advertised by bad infomercials

... Why does this chair look like it has some other kind of purpose?

 

[AdLeto]

Well, mass-summoning actually

You doesn't understand the beauty of BL hungry people

 

[yansusustories]

... Why does this chair look like it has some other kind of purpose?

I mean this is a BL thread ...

 

[Moonpearl]

I mean this is a BL thread ...

Clearly, we should add the Hawaii Chair to the anthology prompt list, if there is one.

For research.

 

[The_Long_Serpent]

A Hawaii chair? For workouts?

Or as a set-piece for dinner parties. Or as a gag gift. Any reason is good.

 

[Deleted member 5560]

This thread moves too fast for me. And I know it doesn't even move that fast that is truly the joke, I don't pay attention. I'm reading random posts as I go through the pages and responding to them on whims I apologise djskljgsg.

Thus, 1st question -- does an anthology or competition event centered on BL interest any of you?

I think an anthology event would be fun just to get started. Competitions are higher stakes and people may feel pressured, and as you said, they're more work to organise. I sorta like your Quick Transmigration idea but I have a small issue with it that I'll expand on down below, but it's just my feelings.

2nd question, just to start a discussion or to get better acquainted with each other -- what is your BL-writer history? (Where did you first discover BL? How did you come to SH? What are your specific interests in the genre or issues that bother you?)

Where did you first discover BL?
I actually started reading GL fanfiction - or as it was known back then, lemon - in the baby days of the internet! I was just googling about Legend of Zelda as a lil baby flucket jr. and found out through some very lewd fanfiction that (adult) Malon/Nabooru is a surprisingly common ship. After I found out people not only wrote stories about media they enjoyed, but naughty stories (with same-sex couples, no less! My Catholic/Lutheran raised mind could barely comprehend!), I fell down the rabbit hole of illicit black market fanfiction goods, BL amongst them. My favourite BL fanfic pairing is the Hotspur Husbands of the Hornblower series, and you can find my work over on AO3 but I won't tell you my pen name there or the names of the fic, because some of it is lewd and I have Jesus in my heart.

How did you come to SH?
Came to SH, like a lot of people, through NU, which I found through manga/webtoons. I was binging the King's Avatar manga adaptation, ran out of chapters, googled around to find some raws, found out it was originally a webnovel, started reading the webovel, found out I could keep updated on webnovels through this site called NovelUpdates, found out this was a whole internet subculture, and now I have been cursed by the choking black cloud of amateur trope-fuelled webfiction and it will be my ultimate undoing. (Okay, I specifically came to SH because I was writing a lil slice-of-life novel over on NUF and Tony made this site and I was like, aight, brand solidarity).
Implied sub-question: talk about your BL works on SH.
I had a comedic story on here based on the isekai trope that I removed along with my other stories as I've been struggling with severe mental health problems and (trails off ominously). Some people miiiight remember it. I wrote the whole thing while spliffed, and if I repost it, it will probably be after I write a few extra chapters for various side pairings. It also was a secret prequel to another isekai BL novel I wanted to write, so if I do end up doing that story, I'll definitely repost it.
Some people thought SHLO might have ended up BL, and the sorry truth was, there was never going to be an intended romantic arc in it. It was about the healing power of friendship, as I do not like the trope of "getting a spouse will fix your problems" that happens in the romance genre as a whole, queer and het.

What are your specific interests in the genre or issues that bother you?
I just generally like good character-driven stories! The problem with a lot of media, eg. TV shows, movies, games, books, etc. is that female characters tend to be very superficially written, or their relationships with the other characters feel forced and artificial. I think most people here know what it's like to be watching a show and a new female character is introduced and immediately, before she even has a chance to establish a personality of her own, she starts being pushed into a romantic subplot with a leading male character. Meanwhile, other male characters in the cast get to have their own character and motives and stories that make them more engaging and fleshed out, so I just think a more natural chemistry evolves between male characters due to this. Any audience with a brain will find my fulfilment in exploring stories and relationships between two characters that are actual characters, rather than an obligatory female love interest that has very little to no personal goals besides her designated heterosexual relationship, and my theory is, this is what leads to the proliferation of BL-centric stories in fanfiction specifically.

As far as original fiction goes, I like GL/GB/BL in equal measure, but they all have their own issues. GB and BL both have issues of rampant misogyny (not all stories, but enough that it's a trend that makes me weary), as even in same-sex male/male pairing stories, female characters are constantly villainised due to the threat of being potential love rivals, and you very rarely see female characters in either GB or BL that are supportive, or at least antagonistic without being portrayed as outright blood psychopaths. Another issue I have with BL fiction, both original and fan, is the woobification + bimbofication of members of the lead pairing, usually the bottom/uke/shou. This happens across GB+GL+BL equally, and I don't have an issue with dense characters in theory, but a) I think they should have personal strengths to balance out their brainbusting stupidity to make the stories bearable and b) the specific feminising of male characters in BL just feels like, weird to me for lack of a better word. My final issue, strangely enough, is that I often find some BL stories to be surprisingly homophobic.

Not to be overly negative, as I obviously enjoy the genre overall and participate in it as both a reader and a writer, and the good vast outweighs the bad! I think that some of the most creative storytelling happens in BL, which I love. The fact that Russian and Chinese BL fans basically created an entire creative sandbox based on a defunct US-Canadian genre show from the 90s that only ran for four seasons absolutely slaps? While I don't like ABO and ger stuff myself, I think the shared universe writers have created with it rocks. One of my personal favourite gimmick universes was from a single volume BL manga where everyone is a plus/minus, like a battery, and minus people had to recharge by finding a plus that is compatible with them and exchange bodily fluids. Eg. Kissing, maybe more? What strikes me about all of these is the energy writers have put into make a universe where same-sex relationships are not only accepted, but completely normalised (though it's more sort of displaced in ABO rather than eliminated but that's another gripe for another day). That's very cool. Not to mention the power of BL fangirls in supporting media. ST:TOS only came back because of the organising power of Spock/Kirk shippers! We are very powerful.

 

[Geek_Aflame]

An anthology sounds good as I plan on writing short stories anyhow.

I first started reading MxM romance through fanfiction. While I came across some Yaoi manga when I was first getting into manga at 16, I didn’t really get into it as the strong presence of sexual assault and predatory age gaps made me uncomfortable.

By 2010/11 I was desperate to see any positive LGBT+ representation in fiction after accidentally reading a FxF novel. When I looked up fanfiction for my favourite shows Doctor Who, Sherlock, Supernatural, Once Upon A Time ect. I was surprised to find that the most popular ‘ships’ were LGBT+ particularly MxM.

My first MxM ship was either John/ Sherlock, The 10th Doctor/The Master or Count D/Leon Orcot around 2010. I come from a fandom background. I’ve been into fan culture and shipping since I was shipping Maxwell Smart and Agent 99 while I was practically still in diapers. I was creating fanfiction long before I realised anyone else was doing it, at 14. Yes, I was a sheltered kid, but that was 2009 and fanfiction was just becoming open and mainstream.

Around 2013 when my first NaNoWriMo was on the horizon I realised I was writing YA about cis-het woman because I felt like I had to, to have success as a writer. I was reading a lot of MxM fanfiction and writing about a gay man allowed me to explore non-het sexualities without having to look inward and examine my own attraction to women. I wrote the Viktor chapters of the first story arc of Hartwright Vampires, my first adult novel and the MC was a gay man.

Most of my MC’s have been LGBT+ since then.

Based on my Goodreads profile the first original MxM book I read was Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, after I’d read Fangirl. I hadn’t really explored original LGBT+ fiction before that, even though I’d written a gay MC in 2013. Likely because the Yaoi manga I read left a bad taste in my mouth, I’m not super into people falling for their rapists. Fanfiction felt more progressive and with AO3’s filters I could avoid things I didn’t want to read like non-con entirely. I started reading MxM web comics on Tapas around the end of 2017 as well. I was drawn into the world of indie web comics and novels and would eventually start publishing my own.

I found SH earlier this year after someone mentioned it on the RL forum and decided to post my stories here as I was looking for as many websites as possible.

My main interest is in speculative/mystery fiction with MxM romantic subplots. I rarely read/write outside of mystery and the genres under the speculative umbrella. While I write about various LGBT+ characters these days I still consider my writing an opposition to all the forced heteronormativity and even queer bating in fiction I once loved. The current mess with Supernatural is a great example of why I was right to dumb that shit, like the steaming hot pile of garbage it was and never look back. I have all the queer fantasy I could desire now and if not, I’ll write it myself. If cis-het writers can make a career only writing cis-het characters, then this lesbian can make one writing only LGBT+ main characters.

I feel like most indie writers have moved past any of the issues I have with the genre especially those who identify as LGBT+ themselves.

 

[Deleted member 5560]

Or as a gag gift.

Just get a gag. Some people are into that.

I sorta like your Quick Transmigration idea but I have a small issue with it that I'll expand on down below, but it's just my feelings.

I FORGOT TO EXPAND UPON IT BELOW BRUH I'M PEAK DUMBASS AND NOW I FORGOT WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY so assume it wasn't that pressing.

But I think it would be more fun/cute to create our own like... QT loreverse here on SH! I started outline a QT story but I found more energy was going into the framing device for why/how the MC was travelling than like the actual arc plots themselves. I think it would be very cool and fun if we came up with some kinda dimensional hopping organisation as a shared universe, so people can make characters/stories within that framework without having to also come up with like, Lore for why QT is a thing.

I was specifically thinking of it being like "some kind of organisation that exists outside of any dimension/universe", so it may have different departments that have different goals and rules for how it functions. Like a cupid department that is all about finding love for specific people, for those who wanna write fluffy stories, and like, an apocalypse-prevention department that does the more "this world is off track because of interlopers (born again, transmigrators, etc.) and if someone doesn't intercede it will cause the world to prematurely end" for people who want more dogblood, etc.

And then people can do little cameos/crossovers too! Which is always neat.

 

[cravingsoul]

Omegas-We are finally getting noticed. Yayyy.
Alpha- Told ya the world is changing for sure.

Finally found you(BL)

I searched for you everywhere. But I don't trust you. It's ok, now that I have finally found you I am ready to wait until you are ready. The Alpha Hier of a multinational company encounters the love of his life finally, a cute and charming Omega who is the...

www.scribblehub.com

 

[Dountmindme]

hmmmm interesting.

 

[Queenfisher]

Just get a gag. Some people are into that.

I FORGOT TO EXPAND UPON IT BELOW BRUH I'M PEAK DUMBASS AND NOW I FORGOT WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY so assume it wasn't that pressing.

But I think it would be more fun/cute to create our own like... QT loreverse here on SH! I started outline a QT story but I found more energy was going into the framing device for why/how the MC was travelling than like the actual arc plots themselves. I think it would be very cool and fun if we came up with some kinda dimensional hopping organisation as a shared universe, so people can make characters/stories within that framework without having to also come up with like, Lore for why QT is a thing.

I was specifically thinking of it being like "some kind of organisation that exists outside of any dimension/universe", so it may have different departments that have different goals and rules for how it functions. Like a cupid department that is all about finding love for specific people, for those who wanna write fluffy stories, and like, an apocalypse-prevention department that does the more "this world is off track because of interlopers (born again, transmigrators, etc.) and if someone doesn't intercede it will cause the world to prematurely end" for people who want more dogblood, etc.

And then people can do little cameos/crossovers too! Which is always neat.

Thank you for expanding on that -- I like the idea a lot! But there are going to be some big management issues if we are going to do Shared Universe of any sort yet. I think beginning with the Anthology would be easier at first, so we can learn what to do and how ^^. I will probably PM you for details first and will see where we can go from there because I feel this idea needs a lot of discussing

Thanks everyone from pitching in and making suggestions! Since there are people's votes almost in all categories (yay!) I feel like it's time to start talking about what we can do about it now . I know that most authors probably use the forums rarely, so sorry if we begin before you come here!

Anyway, I only have a few suggestions and I don't really know what to do of them yet -- so anyone's ideas added will help immensely!

Since I don't know if anyone would be able to scroll through this thread efficiently -- I'll mention the voters specifically in each category ^^.

1. The Anthology or the Art Events​

@Dountmindme @Moonpearl @MyLadyQueen @yansusustories @Owl @Geek_Aflame @cravingsoul @Maple-Leaf @minacia @AdLeto @bafflinghaze @Lazy_Acorn

I think this one is the easiest to begin with because we already have the offer of help and advice from @Moonpearl about how to manage one! I suppose that I am the... erm... manager of the anthology now? Lol, scary. If anyone wants to co-manage it with me -- Please write to me here on the forum or in the PMs here or on the main site!

The only issues I have to ask the majority on it is:

• What should be the first theme of the anthology, if your opinion?

• When do you think the Anthology should begin and for how long should it last (what do you consider comfortable duration)? I think I've already talked to @yansusustories once about wanting to focus it thematically on love, holidays, celebrations of any sort due to this being a holiday season and the Valentine's Day and then the Spring coming up . It can make the anthology quite cute if it's gathered around mainly-HE short stories with a celebratory lean, especially with added themes like specific tropes or narratives. So to do that -- this type of anthology would have to take place during winter-spring seasons, if we are going to do something like that! What do you think about that?? Anyway, that's just my first idea, and I am open to ANY suggestions as well!

• If there is an anthology -- then it would have to be published on the main site by an official BL-community group of the site. What should we call that group? By an analogy with Yuri Garden -- BL Garden? Bl Cafe? BL... er... Sect? Cultivation Sect? BL Library? BL Reading Club? Something simpler and more elegant? Please give me suggestions because so far -- I have no idea!

• For Art Events -- is it better for it to be completely separate from Anthology works or somehow connected? Shared? What do you think?

(I think I can ask the rest of the management advice from @Moonpearl in PMs so as not to overload this thread too much with my endless questions . But if any of you have any suggestions/offers to make -- I accept everything! Thanks!)

2. BL-Trending Support on the forum​

@Moonpearl @MyLadyQueen @yansusustories @Owl @Geek_Aflame @AdLeto

This one is weird, okay. Essentially -- it just means that I don't believe that BL authors can benefit nearly as much from being on Trending as all other users of this site. So if we will get ANY real promotion here on SH, it's got to be more niche than the regular Trending.

At first, I thought that it can work like a kind of a blog or just a thread monitoring new regularly-updated releases (or just any newcomers to welcome them to SHF!) and the titles in BL that are featured in "Trending" or "Activity" tabs on the main site? Or the novels that go (or return) from hiatuses or are tagged 'Completed" to give them promotion? Like an editorial of some sort? But I only have the vaguest idea how to do that...

My first random thoughts about it are:

• PM open to everyone like a blog, I guess? (how does it work, really? Need to try it out)

• A "book" on main SH that works like a newsletter blog for all things BL on SH???

• Or just one thread here on SHF devoted solely to the same newsletter thing? Tagging people on the main site to come see it? (the authors featured in every current weekly Trend, at least?)

• A discord server or something else like that?

3. BL News​

@Moonpearl @TLCsDestiny @MyLadyQueen @yansusustories @AdLeto @bafflinghaze

This one is easier ^^. A thread where everyone can pitch in and share their new favorite manga/webtoon/games/TV Show/WN or traditionally-published books everywhere (not on SH) so that we can cross-pollinate our newest BL obsessions and newsfeeds if we have any ^^. Share your other projects and releases there as well -- this kind of thing!

Do you have any suggestions for what else can such a thread be? I only had this "BL-share-feed and occasional talks" idea, but I am happy with any other suggestion regarding what it can do!

_______________________​

Anyway, these are my random thoughts about it but I am happy to hear yours too. Mainly because I made this thread and the poll on an impulse and I feel a bit inadequate to deal with it just on my own so any advice and help is WELCOME! I just dreamed of there being a BL-tight-thread or community here on SHF, but it wasn't made by anyone else who would probably be more efficient/competent than me -- so I did it myself. But now I feel like I'm responsible for it and everything that comes out of it ^^.

A bit scared to let people down, but oh well!

That's why any pitches would be incredibly helpful!

 

[Scribbler]

Thank you for expanding on that -- I like the idea a lot! But there are going to be some big management issues if we are going to do Shared Universe of any sort yet. I think beginning with the Anthology would be easier at first, so we can learn what to do and how ^^. I will probably PM you for details first and will see where we can go from there because I feel this idea needs a lot of discussing

Thanks everyone from pitching in and making suggestions! Since there are people's votes almost in all categories (yay!) I feel like it's time to start talking about what we can do about it now . I know that most authors probably use the forums rarely, so sorry if we begin before you come here!

Anyway, I only have a few suggestions and I don't really know what to do of them yet -- so anyone's ideas added will help immensely!

Since I don't know if anyone would be able to scroll through this thread efficiently -- I'll mention the voters specifically in each category ^^.

1. The Anthology or the Art Events​

@Dountmindme @Moonpearl @MyLadyQueen @yansusustories @Owl @Geek_Aflame @cravingsoul @Maple-Leaf @minacia @AdLeto @bafflinghaze @Lazy_Acorn

I think this one is the easiest to begin with because we already have the offer of help and advice from @Moonpearl about how to manage one! I suppose that I am the... erm... manager of the anthology now? Lol, scary. If anyone wants to co-manage it with me -- Please write to me here on the forum or in the PMs here or on the main site!

The only issues I have to ask the majority on it is:

• What should be the first theme of the anthology, if your opinion?

• When do you think the Anthology should begin and for how long should it last (what do you consider comfortable duration)? I think I've already talked to @yansusustories once about wanting to focus it thematically on love, holidays, celebrations of any sort due to this being a holiday season and the Valentine's Day and then the Spring coming up . It can make the anthology quite cute if it's gathered around mainly-HE short stories with a celebratory lean, especially with added themes like specific tropes or narratives. So to do that -- this type of anthology would have to take place during winter-spring seasons, if we are going to do something like that! What do you think about that?? Anyway, that's just my first idea, and I am open to ANY suggestions as well!

• If there is an anthology -- then it would have to be published on the main site by an official BL-community group of the site. What should we call that group? By an analogy with Yuri Garden -- BL Garden? Bl Cafe? BL... er... Sect? Cultivation Sect? BL Library? BL Reading Club? Something simpler and more elegant? Please give me suggestions because so far -- I have no idea!

• For Art Events -- is it better for it to be completely separate from Anthology works or somehow connected? Shared? What do you think?

(I think I can ask the rest of the management advice from @Moonpearl in PMs so as not to overload this thread too much with my endless questions . But if any of you have any suggestions/offers to make -- I accept everything! Thanks!)

2. BL-Trending Support on the forum​

@Moonpearl @MyLadyQueen @yansusustories @Owl @Geek_Aflame @AdLeto

This one is weird, okay. Essentially -- it just means that I don't believe that BL authors can benefit nearly as much from being on Trending as all other users of this site. So if we will get ANY real promotion here on SH, it's got to be more niche than the regular Trending.

At first, I thought that it can work like a kind of a blog or just a thread monitoring new regularly-updated releases (or just any newcomers to welcome them to SHF!) and the titles in BL that are featured in "Trending" or "Activity" tabs on the main site? Or the novels that go (or return) from hiatuses or are tagged 'Completed" to give them promotion? Like an editorial of some sort? But I only have the vaguest idea how to do that...

My first random thoughts about it are:

• PM open to everyone like a blog, I guess? (how does it work, really? Need to try it out)

• A "book" on main SH that works like a newsletter blog for all things BL on SH???

• Or just one thread here on SHF devoted solely to the same newsletter thing? Tagging people on the main site to come see it? (the authors featured in every current weekly Trend, at least?)

• A discord server or something else like that?

3. BL News​

@Moonpearl @TLCsDestiny @MyLadyQueen @yansusustories @AdLeto @bafflinghaze

This one is easier ^^. A thread where everyone can pitch in and share their new favorite manga/webtoon/games/TV Show/WN or traditionally-published books everywhere (not on SH) so that we can cross-pollinate our newest BL obsessions and newsfeeds if we have any ^^. Share your other projects and releases there as well -- this kind of thing!

Do you have any suggestions for what else can such a thread be? I only had this "BL-share-feed and occasional talks" idea, but I am happy with any other suggestion regarding what it can do!

_______________________​

Anyway, these are my random thoughts about it but I am happy to hear yours too. Mainly because I made this thread and the poll on an impulse and I feel a bit inadequate to deal with it just on my own so any advice and help is WELCOME! I just dreamed of there being a BL-tight-thread or community here on SHF, but it wasn't made by anyone else who would probably be more efficient/competent than me -- so I did it myself. But now I feel like I'm responsible for it and everything that comes out of it ^^.

A bit scared to let people down, but oh well!

That's why any pitches would be incredibly helpful!

Regarding the name of your slightly shady organization, isn't yaoi analogous to yuri, and bl to gl?

Even I've heard that much, though I have not bitten of either particular forbidden fruit. Or at least not much of it.

 

[Queenfisher]

Regarding the name of your slightly shady organization, isn't yaoi analogous to yuri, and bl to gl?

Even I've heard that much, though I have not bitten of either particular forbidden fruit. Or at least not much of it.

Thanks for peeking in ^^

The topic you are raising has already 5+ pages of discussions to it about what the proper name for BL should be, LOL! (Spoiler: most terms are loaded and bear connotations with them, so many people use different ones for different reasons!)

On Defining The "BL" Genre

There are so many different types of stories featuring a guy loving another guy. On the more female (both straight and queer) dominated side, are the genre names "Boys Love" biasing towards Eastern tropes, and M/M romance biasing towards Western tropes. On the more male dominated side, we have...

forum.scribblehub.com

And we are not shady! Very in the open! Very in the spotlight ^^.

~nya

Join our Light Side and bite into this not-at-all-forbidden fruit! Trying new cuisines and new tastes/flavors-tourism is a thing ^^

 

[bafflinghaze]

Yuri Garden -- BL Garden? Bl Cafe? BL... er... Sect? Cultivation Sect? BL Library? BL Reading Club? Something simpler and more elegant? Please give me suggestions because so far -- I have no idea!

I loled at the BL [Cultivation] Sect

BL Cafe sounds like it should be Butler Cafe~

 

[Scribbler]

Thanks for peeking in ^^

The topic you are raising has already 5+ chapters of discussions to it about what the proper name for BL should be, LOL! (Spoiler: most terms are loaded and bear connotations with them, so many people use different ones for different reasons!)

On Defining The "BL" Genre

There are so many different types of stories featuring a guy loving another guy. On the more female (both straight and queer) dominated side, are the genre names "Boys Love" biasing towards Eastern tropes, and M/M romance biasing towards Western tropes. On the more male dominated side, we have...

forum.scribblehub.com

And we are not shady! Very in the open! Very in the spotlight ^^.

~nya

Join our Light Side and bite into this not-at-all-forbidden fruit! Trying new cuisines and new tastes/flavors-tourism is a thing ^^

*pat pat* I just read more of your post.

I don't think it's that complicated, or, idk, not to knock it or anything. But it seems like it aught to automate itself once you get it going, like riding a bike, probably. I'm sure you can do it, or, well, you probably already know that. What I'm trying to say is, idk, accept that you'll probably have to fail before you can succeed, that way you'll get a lot more done by not stressing. But it's also totally okay and normal to stress too. *pat pat again*

 

[Moonpearl]

1. The Anthology or the Art Events​

@Dountmindme @Moonpearl @MyLadyQueen @yansusustories @Owl @Geek_Aflame @cravingsoul @Maple-Leaf @minacia @AdLeto @bafflinghaze @Lazy_Acorn

I think this one is the easiest to begin with because we already have the offer of help and advice from @Moonpearl about how to manage one! I suppose that I am the... erm... manager of the anthology now? Lol, scary. If anyone wants to co-manage it with me -- Please write to me here on the forum or in the PMs here or on the main site!

The only issues I have to ask the majority on it is:

• What should be the first theme of the anthology, if your opinion?

• When do you think the Anthology should begin and for how long should it last (what do you consider comfortable duration)? I think I've already talked to @yansusustories once about wanting to focus it thematically on love, holidays, celebrations of any sort due to this being a holiday season and the Valentine's Day and then the Spring coming up . It can make the anthology quite cute if it's gathered around mainly-HE short stories with a celebratory lean, especially with added themes like specific tropes or narratives. So to do that -- this type of anthology would have to take place during winter-spring seasons, if we are going to do something like that! What do you think about that?? Anyway, that's just my first idea, and I am open to ANY suggestions as well!

• If there is an anthology -- then it would have to be published on the main site by an official BL-community group of the site. What should we call that group? By an analogy with Yuri Garden -- BL Garden? Bl Cafe? BL... er... Sect? Cultivation Sect? BL Library? BL Reading Club? Something simpler and more elegant? Please give me suggestions because so far -- I have no idea!

• For Art Events -- is it better for it to be completely separate from Anthology works or somehow connected? Shared? What do you think?

(I think I can ask the rest of the management advice from @Moonpearl in PMs so as not to overload this thread too much with my endless questions . But if any of you have any suggestions/offers to make -- I accept everything! Thanks!)

I strongly recommend not beginning any event in December. It's the worst time of year for user engagement - everyone gets super busy with present-buying, final exams, family visits, etc., and most will completely disappear to enjoy their holidays. I've tried a low-engagement event during this time before, where people didn't even have to put in more than 2 minutes of effort, and the response was nearly 0.
(I was even thinking of delaying our current anthology's publishing date until January, if everyone submitted in December, to avoid this weird white noise period.)

Trying to aim it for Valentine's Day would be nice, but it might be unrealistic. You'll need to leave the ability to join open for a decent amount of time to attract enough people to write, particularly as about half of them won't succeed.
(Our current anthology had a two-month opening for guaranteed sign-up, and we close completely as soon as the last person with a reservation either submits their work or loses their reservation.)

I'm not sure how nicely an art event would tie in with a writing event, but it might complicate matters severely. Also, trying to run more than one event at once is asking for death (our first anthology ran into this year's competition and I've never wanted to cry more).

In regards to the name... I would try to think of something that doesn't use the Garden as a template. The reason I ultimately ended up with the "Yuri Garden" for our group's name (which was someone's elses coinage - I originally called it both the Yuri Room and the Lily Garden, and someone shortened it down to refer to it) is because the symbol of yuri is the lily.
I know BL has chrysanthemums, but I think there's already a Chrysanethemum Garden translation group or the like that's fairly popular.

Possible place/organisation-type words that might be more effective to use might be (off the top of my head), palace, chataeu, academy, chambers, association, alliance, union, etc.
I assume that you'll want to make an SH account for posting the anthologies, so I suggest making the name for that based off of the group (but not identical).

However, I think a light-hearted spring theme sounds ideal.

(I have no experience with making anything like the Trending thread/blog, unfortunately, beyond the Recommendations List I kept for the Garden back when that was feasible.)