Formed over forty years ago, our Writers Circle is based in Felixstowe, Suffolk. Meetings are held in The Room at the Top in Felixstowe Library, normally on the first and third Tuesday of each month commencing at 7.30pm and finishing by 10.00pm. Check this weblog for details of meetings.

There is an annual November to November fee of £30, April to November is £20 and June to November £15. For members preferring to pay at each meeting the charge is £5 per meeting. To contact Felixstowe Scribblers simply email scribblers.1@btinternet.com or the Secretary, catherine.stafford1@ntlworld.com

Tuesday 31 May 2011

COMPETITION UPDATES

SPILLING INK SHORT STORY PRIZE
Closing Date 1st July
1500 word max
£425 in Prizes / Publication / Free Anthology

UNBOUND PRESS FLASH FICTION AWARD
Closing Date 1st August
Guest Judge: Laura Marney
500 word max
£425 in Prizes / Publication / Free Anthology

UNBOUND PRESS BEST NOVEL AWARD
Closing Date 1st September
£750 in Prizes / Publication / Free Anthology

SPILLING INK FICTION PRIZE
Closing Date 1st October
3000 word max
£875 in Prizes / Publication / Free Anthology

Check it out



AVAILABLE NOW!! CHECK OUTSPILLING INK: ISSUE 5







Fabian Acker – Short Circuit

Darci Bysouth – Mud Puddle

Alex Cox – Sealed

Andrew McCallum Crawford – Cl

Andrew Graham – And Into the Summer

Bronwen Griffiths – Inch by Inch

Karen Holmes – The Pass

W.F. Lantry – Saaki

Lynsey May – Chewed Blankets

James McIntyre – Glass Cow Town

Kenny Mooney – In Hospital Greys

Daniela I. Norris – In Search of a Hero

Dan Powell – Jump Start

Amy Ralston – Transition

Mark Wagstaff – Leaving Drink










Paul Abbott – Re-Document

Nicola Belte – Marked

Colette Bernhardt – The Rail Enthusiast

Joanna Campbell – Lily

Ryan Hardgrove – The Other Side

Benjamin Judge – The Last Songs

Marian Kilcoyne – The Leaving

Jeremy King – Resizing

Stephanie Lam – Cargo

Amy Mackelden – Eternity

Iain Maloney – Happy Café

JoAnne McKay – Eli

Denise Reeder – The Glass Rhinoceros

John Revington – The Same Direction

James Smart – Olives and Mustard

Ethyl Smith – Two Visitors

Winn Smith – The Food of Love

Gordon Wallace – Nocturne & Walk…Don’t Walk









Sally Bellerose – Aging Well


Martina Young – Sketch








Chelsea Cargill – Confirmation Day


Sarah Rae – See Rock City

Entries invited...

The V.S. Pritchett Memorial Prize is open for entry, which is an exciting opportunity for our members and colleagues.

The V.S. Pritchett Memorial Prize is a £1000 prize for un-published short story. Aside from its monetary value, previous entrants have valued it as an opportunity to hone their skills. Moreover, with the winning entry published in both the RSL Review and Prospect magazine, it presents an excellent platform for writers to enhance their reputations.

Entry formscan be found at http://www.rslit.org/

Royal Society of Literature
Somerset House
Strand
London WC2R 1LA

Friday 27 May 2011

Waves

Felixstowe on a sunny summer's day. Sky, Sea, Sand and Stones...



Our next meeting is on Tuesday 7th June when the homework theme will be 'Waves'.

Monday 23 May 2011

Upcoming Competitions

Spilling Ink Short Story Prize
Closing Date 1st July 2011
£425 in prizes / publication / free anthology / £5 entry / 1500 word limit

2011 Spilling Ink Short Story Prize
Now Open!
Closing Date: July 1, 2011
Winning and short-listed entries notified no later than July 31, 2011+++
1st Prize – £250, publication, 1 free copy of annual print anthology
2nd Prize – £125, publication, 1 free copy of annual print anthology
3rd Prize – £50, publication, 1 free copy of annual print anthology
Shortlisted Entries* – publication, 1 free copy of annual print anthology
Entry fee £5

Unbound Press Flash Fiction Award
Closing Date 1st August 2011
£425 in prizes / publication / free anthology / £5 entry / 500 word limit
Guest Judge:Laura Marney

2011 Unbound Press Flash Fiction Award
Now Open!
Closing Date: August 1, 2011
Winning and short-listed entries notified no later than August 31, 2011+++
1st Prize – £250, publication, 1 free copy of annual print anthology
2nd Prize – £125, publication, 1 free copy of annual print anthology
3rd Prize – £50, publication, 1 free copy of annual print anthology
Shortlisted Entries* – publication, 1 free copy of annual print anthology
Entry fee £5






Congratulating the winners of the
2011 Unbound Press Short Fiction Award
We’d like to offer a special thanks to our wonderful guest judge: Elizabeth Reeder.
1st Place
John Mole
The Case of Mary Ford
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
2nd Place
R. A. Martens
High Tea
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
3rd Place
Graeme Scott
Jump Rope Practice
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Shortlist:
Wayne Lee Gay – Lonesome RoadAndrew Graham – All This TimeGabby Meadows – The Cull
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Honorable Mention:
Fabian Acker – Short Circuit

Ian Crockatt – An Honest Question

Bronwen Griffiths – Inch by Inch

Karen Holmes – The Pass

Amy Ralston – Transition

Alla Velts – A tree, the sea, a silver spoon

Mark Wagstaff – Leaving Drink
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
The winning and shortlisted entries will appear in our annual print anthology due for publication November, 2011. Honorable Mentions will appear in Spilling Ink Review: Issue 5 (pending author agreement).
Thank you to all who participated in the Short Fiction Award

NEW Material Every Other Monday

Starting your week off right.

Writing Raw is a FREE weekly literary magazine dedicated to new and emerging writers. Our goal at Writing Raw is simple - to serve the literary community with the opportunity to have their work online and out in the world. In this world of disappearing literary magazines, Writing Raw is providing the blank pages for writers to fill. New in this issue:

FICTION:
Broken Rib by Traci Wingfield
Isolation by James Anthony
Newsworthy by Tiffany Lewis
Ogre by Jason P. Henry
The Breech at Shade Tree Orchard by Ron Koppelberger
The Out-Patient by Joseph Grant
The Reunion by James Anthony
Ways of the Heart by Andrew Vastag
What The Eye Doesn't See by Elizabeth Tyrrell
Worker Bee by Andrew McGregor

SERIAL:
Destiny Diverted: Chapter 3 by Don Clifford
Panes of Blue: Segment 3 by Jason P. Henry
really BAD Shakespeare Season 2, Episodes 5 and 6

POETRY:
Bathroom Wars: Operation Cloaca Storm - Battle of the Bowl by Christopher Nagle
Bitter Root by Una Clarke
Legacy by Susan S. Calfee
Plastic Extravagance by Nicole E. Turiano
Self Image by Molly Burley
Sunrise by Kristine Y. Snow
The Chill by Kristine Y. Snow
The Fifteen Percent Daddy by Tonn Pastore
The Little Girls Are Selling Dope Again by Tonn Pastore
The State Of Things As They Actually Exist by James Dye
The Steering Wheel by Ann Kavanaugh

ASSORTED:
Down Memory Lane by Eric L. Marsh
And All His Songs Were Sad (A Full-length Play) by Mattie Lennon
Silence with the Storm, 10 - A Life's History by Rattan Mann
The Snap by Mattie Lennon

INTERVIEWS:
Geraldine Brooks
James Rollins

ART:
Weeb

REVIEWS:
Allbooks Review
Between the Sheets: The German by Lee Thomas
FLASH REVIEW by Ditch - Let Me In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
Rib Reads


Now, some announcements:

· Good News/Bad News - Well, the good news is that we are back! May was a very busy month for us and now we are back stronger and better than ever. Seems that this thing called LIFE interfered with WritingRaw this month - what with Weeb being in a play (Play On! with the White River Valley Players) and all. But that's all behind him now (until July, when he will be part of the Chandler production of Boys in the Band… we think he's infected with the acting bug. Doctors have been notified.) so now he can devote his time back to his first and true love - WritingRaw…. Now, the BAD news… After much thought and consideration, WritingRaw is going back to every 2 weeks. There is a positive side to this - longer exposure for the pieces on the site. The reason we are doing this has nothing to do with product or material, it just has to do with time. We tried the experiment and realized that it would work out best for everyone if we went back to 2 weeks, but still sticking to those Mondays.

· Full-Length Play - In this issue, WritingRaw is proud to present a full-length play by Mattie Lennon called: And All His Songs Were Sad.

· How to Use the Wall - Let everyone know how you feel about a particular piece on WritingRaw. This is YOUR space to give feedback, recommendations, or just self-promote something that you want to bring further interest too.

· NEW Column - Panes of Blue by Jason P. Henry. What better way to introduce this creative column... allowing the author to introduce it for us:

An Introduction to Panes of Blue
by Jason P. Henry

Not long ago I came across an older woman who, though I had encountered her on a few occasions, knew nothing of me. She spoke three words that completely silenced me... 'you're a writer'. I was flattered, however, I had never been published so I was dying to know what brought her to this conclusion.
'I watch you observe everything... people, conversations. You take it all in and I see your wheels turning... you are a writer.' she said.
Though the writer part remains to be seen, the rest of her words were true. I have always been a watcher. I have index cards filled with ideas that have been born of things I experience in everyday life; People, thoughts, conversations and much more.
If you are at all like me, you have spent hours online reading the how-to and advice pages in abundance. You have probably encountered this phrase time and again... 'writers write'. While this is true, I feel there is a less encountered phrase that holds as much bearing... 'writer's live'.
I see people who walk with their heads down and, for all intents and purposes, with their eyes and ears closed. If asked, they likely could not describe the back of their own hand let alone a sunrise or a thunderstorm. Writers are a different breed, they watch, learn... absorb. We take everyday, random things and develop plots, scenes and characters. We allow ourselves to become those characters in order to puppeteer their actions, commandeer their thoughts and guide them through our stories. Inspiration comes in many forms and writers search for it eagerly, more importantly, they allow themselves to be susceptible to it... they live.
In this column, I hope to use that theory and my own observations to bring you the story of Blue... a man with a 'front row seat' for his eye on the world. Allow me to show you how things I've seen, excuse me, how things Blue has seen can turn from simple into, well, look through the Panes Of Blue and see for yourself... .

(Remember... write and live... everyday.)

© 2011 by Jason P. Henry

· Calling for all artists – If you would like your artwork showcased on WritingRaw.com – please send 5 pictures, along with a short bio (hot links and other information accepted) to Weeb at weeb@writingraw.com

· Click HERE to visit our NEW WritingRaw Conferences Page: Listing upcoming conferences and workshops from all over the world. If you would like to have your conference or workshop listed, please contact Weeb at weeb@writingraw.com

· NEW books in the bookstore - Use the Writing Raw Book Store to promote your novel or poetry collection: If you have a novel or collection that you would like to place in our store, we would be more than happy to do so – for FREE. Just send us a copy of the cover of the book (jpeg, bmp, etc. – please don’t send pdf), a brief synopsis, and a link as to where the material can be purchased.

· really BAD Shakespeare starts with repeats this week - starting with Season 1. Two expanded episodes will appear in each issue for 12 weeks... building to the start of Season 3.

WritingRaw also supports other sites that help writers: http://www.writingraw.com/ believes in reaching out to other sites, writing groups, forums, and organizations. Contact us on how you can place a FREE banner, announcement or link on our site! Or, perhaps you would like to partner in some way with WritingRaw (column, monthly essay, writing tips, etc.). We are open to ideas…

Or, use the Writing Raw Book Store to promote your novel or poetry collection: If you have a novel or collection that you would like to place in our store, we would be more than happy to do so – for FREE. Just send us a copy of the cover of the book (jpeg, bmp, etc. – please don’t send pdf), a brief synopsis, and a link as to where the material can be purchased.

We are also looking for people to write weekly columns, such as – book and publishing news, exercise and tips, or… well, we are always open to suggestions to help make the site one of the most informative and innovative out there. Let us know if you would like to help in this aspect. All columns will have your byline, your bio information (with hot links to your site), and you will retain all copyright.

The archive has been somewhat purged (after 2 years of material, we needed to clean up some) but, if your material was on WritingRaw.com before the purge and is no longer listed in the archive, we will be more than happy to place it back. Just contact me at weeb@writingraw.com and let me know.

So, what are you waiting for? Stop in and discover a new and emerging voice today.

Weeb
WritingRaw.com

Sunday 22 May 2011

MEETING REPORT

17th MAY 2011.

Apologies: Trish, Jane, Beryl
Present: Jane, Tony, Cathy, Sally, Sandy, Martin, Stephen, Carolyn, Ray, Dave, Dick, Les, Ruth, Liliane and Barry (chair).

Due to unforeseen circumstances Barry has been unable to do any notes on the Bill Budner competition last week. He has a jigsaw to complete – 22 pieces of a new summerhouse...according to the makers blurb the number of pieces were for ‘ease of erection....’ Good luck Barry!

On to the report: first and foremost a warm welcome to Carolyn who hails from the USA and made her way to Felixstowe via Sydney down under. She and her husband have made their home locally so we wish them every happiness here.

Two whispers of happy events on the near horizon, Ally is soon to be married in Mauritius and also Morag is set to take the vows soon. Our best wishes from the Scribblers for memorable wedding days and happy futures together.

Dick gave us notice of the Jack Wilkinson Memorial Walk which is due to take place Sunday, 25 September 2011 with a start time at 9:30am. Whilst this seems a long way ahead the walk is in aid of Cancer Research and hope you make a note in your diaries and take part or sponsor one of the walkers.

News of the launch of Ruth’s fourth novel, ‘The Sacrificial Man’ on Saturday 25th June at Waterstone’s Ipswich at 6.30pm.

A healthy fifteen members were in attendance for the Bill Budner competition. As expected there would be some really good stories but it was a long evening with fifteen writers equating to 15,000 words!

The entries were as follows:

It’s Not Like This Where I Come From by Liliane – read by Jane
Pauline by Dave – read by Tony
Never The Twain, A Love Story by Stephen – read by Cathy
A Hard Day’s Night by Ray – read by Sally
Methala by Tony - read by Sandy
Taking a Break by Jane - read by Martin
Mayday by Barry – read by Stephen
The Man With the Midlife Crisis by Sally – read by Carolyn
A River Walk by Cathy – read by Ray
Love Hurts by Les – read by Barry
Fathers and Sons at the Transport Museum by Carolyn – read by Dave
A Single Woman by Ruth – read by Dick
The Price of Pride by Sandy – read by Les
The Golden Rainbow by Dick – read by Ruth
Just Like Estée Lauder by Martin – read by Liliane
The winner was Ruth with A Single Woman.
Runner up (again) Jane and third Dick.

The trophy was awarded to Ruth by our Les as previous winner Angela is now on her summer stay in Italy.

Well done to all writers. A long but very rewarding evening of enthralling prose.

Our next meeting will be on 7th June when the homework assignment for up to 1,000 words will be ‘Wave’ ‘Waive’ or something similar!!!!

Until next time,

Keep Scribbling!

For all your research and information
visit your local Felixstowe Library
and the Suffolk Record Office .

Saturday 21 May 2011

I would like to draw your group's attention to an online writers' forum, Great Writing. The site has existed since 2005 and has just been rebuilt to improve its speed and user-friendliness.

You can explore it as a guest, without joining, but registration enables you to post and to review work. We would be very happy to see any of your members taking part.

Sue Millard
Daw Bank, Greenholme, Tebay, Cumbria CA10 3TA.
http://www.suemillard.f9.co.uk/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/

Wednesday 18 May 2011

Ruth's forthcoming booklaunch

Simply click on image to enlarge.

The Bill Budner Trophy ...

... and the winner is.....


... our celebrated author Ruth Dugdall who is seen here receiving the trophy from Scribblers stalwart Les Smith. Ruth's winning entry was 'A Single Woman' based on Wallis Simpson.





Here are fourteen of the fifteen Scribblers who between them produced some 15,000 words on an eclectic evening where the Scribblers talent shone through as they vied for the prestigious trophy once more.

The trophy has now been awarded 12 times to their deserving winners whose names are engraved by Scott at Mr Cobbler and Mr Locks in Felixstowe.

Sunday 15 May 2011

Remembering Bill Budner


It's competition time for attending Scribblers on Tuesday 18th May with the twelfth staging of the Bill Budner Trophy. If you are coming along then please view the rules on a tab at the top of our weblog.

Good Luck to all!

Just remember - Keep Scribbling!

Friday 13 May 2011

We don't normally advertise but this is an exception

.... for our friend and writer Caz.


A look ahead to the ...











Just a small selection of events taking place at this years Ipswich Arts Festival so worth making a note in your diaries and booking up....

Thursday 12 May 2011

Hollander Literary Agency

A new company, Hollander Literary Agency is now looking for new clients to publish their short stories.

If any Scribblers are interested in submitting material they would be pleased to read and judge its suitability for their requirements.

There are no costs involved to the writer but the following is essential if work is to be considered by them.

Submission by email only to phollander6@gmail.com

1. Use Word.doc format only.
2. Maximum 25 pages
3. Name & Address, email address, Title, Genre should appear on the front page.
4. The story should finish with the words - End of story
5. Please allow 12 weeks for submissions to be read.
6. No communication will be entered in to unless there is potential in the story but they will offer advice where they feel it is needed.
7. Communication will be to the email shown on Page 1 of your submission.

Patricl Hollander
Hollander Literary Agency
email: phollander6@gmail.com

Escape from Alcatraz...



or was it Parkhurst?







Hadn't you better give it back Barry??????






Wednesday 11 May 2011

The New Writer (TNW)

for instant news on TWITTER @thenewwritermag and FACEBOOK - details below.

Prose and Poetry Prizes 2011from The New Writer magazineClosing date 30 NovemberEstablished in 1997, one of the major annual international competitions for short stories, microfiction, single poems, poetry collections, essays and articles; offers cash prizes as well as publication for the prize-winning writers in The Collection, special edition of The New Writer magazine.

Back copies of recent issues of The Collection are available at the TNW website as well as single copies of the latest issue (current copy) TNW 106 - see below:http://www.thenewwriter.com/subscribe.htm F

urther information on the annual Prose & Poetry Prizes including guidelines and entry fees at: http://www.thenewwriter.com/prizes.htm Writers can enter online at our secure credit card server at: http://www.thenewwriter.com/entryform.htmOr, the entry form can also be downloaded from that page on the website and sent in the post with your entry.

The winners of the 2010 Prose & Poetry Prizes are listed on this webpage:http://www.thenewwriter.com/prizewinners.htm

The New Writer magazine No.106 (Spring 2011) out now. 68 packed pages of fact, fiction, poetry including ...
Make it Short and Snappy - SALLY JENKINS on Flash Fiction
Creating Reality in Your Characters - by US novelist RHONDA M LAWSON
Great short fiction from SHARON ZINK and CATHERINE SMITH (ex-guest poetry editor at TNW)
Falling in Love with Your Novel ... again! - NICOLA DALY looks at the old MS in the bottom drawer.
Poetry Editor ABEGAIL MORLEY goes Blogging and introduces new poems from among others:
EMMA LOVELL, SHARON BLACK, PAUL MONAGHAN, COLETTE SENSIER, MELISSA LEE-HOUGHTON
TNW's new slot - MicroFiction from JACKIE HINDEN, MATTHEW WALKER and more
Travel Writing tips from prolific freelance writer ROY STEVENSON
LORRAINE JENKIN reveals how she captured an editor's imagination with Chapter Headings.
SIMON WHALEY's Circle Clinic series continues, while MELISSA LAWRENCE takes a different view of Writers' Groups.
SALLY QUILFORD manouevres her hero and heroine towards "the first of a million kisses".
PLUS Stop Press, Competitions, Views, Reviews & Market News.

TNW is published quarterly. Subscribers receive 6 issues over a one and a half year period. Reduced rates for 3-year subscriptions. Monthly eNews bulletin also included in the subscription package.http://www.thenewwriter.com/subscribe.htm

TNW - over 100 issues * over 1,000 contributors * full listing at:http://www.thenewwriter.com/RollOfHonour.htm

The New website: www.thenewwriter.com
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/6eh8q8p
Twitter: www.twitter.com/thenewwritermag

Wednesday 4 May 2011

MEETING REPORT FOR 3rd MAY 2011

Apologies: Trish, Jane, Jack, Barry.

Present: Cathy, Tony, Dick (chair), Liliane, Martin, Les, Beryl, Sandy, Sally, Ray, Stephen and Dave.

With Barry taking a well-deserved break on the Isle of Wight (he said!) it was down to Dick to take the chair and keep the Scribblers in check.

The meeting was once again well attended and provided yet another most interesting and diverse evening of stories on the allotted subject matter “Money” which was suggested at the last meeting by our own treasurer! It was pleasing to see that everyone had brought their contributions along with them...

The evening’s stories were:

Martin: Coat of Many Colours
Les: Cash in Hand
Beryl: An East End Child
Stephen: The Treasurer’s Confession
Sally: Wealthy Yet
Cathy: The Lucky Winner
Sandy: The Collection
Ray: Dead End
Liliane: To Make Your Dreams Come True, You Need Money
Dick: One Good Turn
Tony: Chapter 19 – The Tower of Isambard
Dave: Finders Keepers.

Some terrific tales which kept our attention throughout. Well done Scribes!

Thanks go to Liliane who collected the library key so that we could enjoy the warmth of the library surroundings.

A reminder that draw tickets, costing £1 each will be on sale at our next meeting. The tickets are in aid of the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices with a first prize of £1,500, 2nd prize of a 32” TV and surround sound system and a third prize of a Balloon flight for 2 along with a couple of other prizes. No guarantees about winning – but who knows? At least the proceeds from the draw will go to an excellent cause.

Our next meeting will feature The Bill Budner Trophy and will be held on Tuesday 17h May at 7.30pm in the Room at the Top, Felixstowe Library.

It will be another very special meeting for attending members only. The prestigious Bill Budner Trophy will be awarded for the twelfth time to the winner and held for four months until the next competition is staged.This is an open themed competition with a maximum of 1,000 words on any subject you like! Your entry should be typed but must not contain your name or any clue to your identity. On arrival please place your work face down on the table provided. A little later all attendees will be asked to select a story, have a few minutes to acquaint themselves with the content before being asked to read it out. Everyone present will be able to choose their top three choices and selected members will count the marks and declare the winner. The cup will then be awarded and be engraved by Scott at Mr Cobbler

Full competition rules are published on this weblog.

Let’s hope for a healthy attendance and another eclectic evening of competition.

Until then,

Keep Scribbling!

Monday 2 May 2011

May 2 issue of WritingRaw.com online

Start your week off right.

Writing Raw is a FREE weekly literary magazine dedicated to new and emerging writers. Our goal at Writing Raw is simple - to serve the literary community with the opportunity to have their work online and out in the world. In this world of disappearing literary magazines, Writing Raw is providing the blank pages for writers to fill. New in this issue:

FICTION:
A Perfect Fifty-Fifty Split by David Meuel
Crossing the Bar by Ken Sieben
Driving To Work Early In The Morning by Kristine Y Snow
Ginger Rogers Once Played Tennis in North Vancouver by John Joyce
Noises Behind His Eyes by Tyler W. Stinson
Silent Wings by Alice Baburek
The Heartache by Tammy Ann Burley
The Peak of the Day by John Joyce
The Wastes of Sleep by Andrew Vastag
Valentine's Day by Brian Hartman, Kenneth Weene, and Salvatore Buttaci

SERIAL:
Anywhere But There: Chapter 4 by Marcella Simmons
Destiny Diverted: Chapter 1 by Don Clifford
Panes of Blue: Segment 2 by Jason P. Henry
really BAD Shakespeare: Season 2, Episodes 3 and 4

POETRY:
Bad Day at Bikram Yoga? by Tonn Pastore
Blaze Of Light by Kristine Y Snow
Bosnia by Christopher Nagle
Cosmist Worm by James Dye
Little White Cat Paws by Michael Lee Johnson
Making Soup by Carolee Bertisch
Saturnalia by David Clarke
Sleepover In A Strange Place by Rosa Saba
Sometimes I'm Scared by Unique Carper
The Ghost by James Dye
Twenty-Eight Days by Rose E. Grier

ASSORTED:
Emergency Alert by Gary Beck
Gaijin Skin: Chapter 3 (Final Novel Excerpt 6) by Allen Davies
Silence with the Storm, 9: A Life's History by Rattan Mann
Window Onto A Windowless World by Tony Culver

INTERVIEWS:
Jael McHenry
Brenna Yovanoff

ART:
Patricia Nelson

REVIEWS:
Allbooks Review
Between the Sheets: The Memory Palace by Mira Bartok
FLASH REVIEW by Ditch - Walden by Henry David Thoreau
Rib Reads


Now, some announcements:

· NEW Column - Panes of Blue by Jason P. Henry. What better way to introduce this creative column... allowing the author to introduce it for us:

An Introduction to Panes of Blue
by Jason P. Henry

Not long ago I came across an older woman who, though I had encountered her on a few occasions, knew nothing of me. She spoke three words that completely silenced me... 'you're a writer'. I was flattered, however, I had never been published so I was dying to know what brought her to this conclusion.
'I watch you observe everything... people, conversations. You take it all in and I see your wheels turning... you are a writer.' she said.
Though the writer part remains to be seen, the rest of her words were true. I have always been a watcher. I have index cards filled with ideas that have been born of things I experience in everyday life; People, thoughts, conversations and much more.
If you are at all like me, you have spent hours online reading the how-to and advice pages in abundance. You have probably encountered this phrase time and again... 'writers write'. While this is true, I feel there is a less encountered phrase that holds as much bearing... 'writer's live'.
I see people who walk with their heads down and, for all intents and purposes, with their eyes and ears closed. If asked, they likely could not describe the back of their own hand let alone a sunrise or a thunderstorm. Writers are a different breed, they watch, learn... absorb. We take everyday, random things and develop plots, scenes and characters. We allow ourselves to become those characters in order to puppeteer their actions, commandeer their thoughts and guide them through our stories. Inspiration comes in many forms and writers search for it eagerly, more importantly, they allow themselves to be susceptible to it... they live.
In this column, I hope to use that theory and my own observations to bring you the story of Blue... a man with a 'front row seat' for his eye on the world. Allow me to show you how things I've seen, excuse me, how things Blue has seen can turn from simple into, well, look through the Panes Of Blue and see for yourself... .

(Remember... write and live... everyday.)

© 2011 by Jason P. Henry

· Calling for all artists – If you would like your artwork showcased on WritingRaw.com – please send 5 pictures, along with a short bio (hot links and other information accepted) to Weeb at weeb@writingraw.com

· Click HERE to visit our NEW WritingRaw Conferences Page: Listing upcoming conferences and workshops from all over the world. If you would like to have your conference or workshop listed, please contact Weeb at weeb@writingraw.com

· NEW books in the bookstore - Use the Writing Raw Book Store to promote your novel or poetry collection: If you have a novel or collection that you would like to place in our store, we would be more than happy to do so – for FREE. Just send us a copy of the cover of the book (jpeg, bmp, etc. – please don’t send pdf), a brief synopsis, and a link as to where the material can be purchased.

· really BAD Shakespeare starts with repeats this week - starting with Season 1. Two expanded episodes will appear in each issue for 12 weeks... building to the start of Season 3.

WritingRaw also supports other sites that help writers: http://www.writingraw.com/ believes in reaching out to other sites, writing groups, forums, and organizations. Contact us on how you can place a FREE banner, announcement or link on our site! Or, perhaps you would like to partner in some way with WritingRaw (column, monthly essay, writing tips, etc.). We are open to ideas…

Or, use the Writing Raw Book Store to promote your novel or poetry collection: If you have a novel or collection that you would like to place in our store, we would be more than happy to do so – for FREE. Just send us a copy of the cover of the book (jpeg, bmp, etc. – please don’t send pdf), a brief synopsis, and a link as to where the material can be purchased.

We are also looking for people to write weekly columns, such as – book and publishing news, exercise and tips, or… well, we are always open to suggestions to help make the site one of the most informative and innovative out there. Let us know if you would like to help in this aspect. All columns will have your byline, your bio information (with hot links to your site), and you will retain all copyright.

The archive has been somewhat purged (after 2 years of material, we needed to clean up some) but, if your material was on WritingRaw.com before the purge and is no longer listed in the archive, we will be more than happy to place it back. Just contact me at weeb@writingraw.com and let me know.

So, what are you waiting for? Stop in and discover a new and emerging voice today.

Thank you.

Weeb
WritingRaw.com

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Sunday 1 May 2011

Our next meeting

Whilst Barry is sunning himself somewhere on the Isle of Wight (who said Parkhurst?) I thought I had better send out a little note about our next meeting. It's this TUESDAY 3rd May in the usual Room at The Top, Felixstowe Library. Start time is at 7.30 with our Dick in the chair for the evening. Don't forget to bring your 'MONEY' along with you - that's the homework assignment as if you needed reminding! Up to 1,000 words on MONEY.....

Keep Scribbling!

See you Tuesday,

Dave.