Hello everyone,
General:
I see myself as someone who is just holding the reins until David’s back.
Members:
As you will all know, we have one new member for this season – Celia – and although I have already formally welcomed her to Alpha, this being the opening of the season, we can welcome her informally! You all have her email address, and we will look forward to her participation – and I hope we will have as successful a season as the last one.
Challenges:
Allocating the members against dates seems to have caused no protests, although there is always a possibility that domestic circumstances can create a difficulty. Should that happen, please let me know as soon as possible.
Rosemary is setting the first challenge, and it should arrive at about the same time as this circular.
Website:
Sally has been updating the site, and there are still some mugshots and bios needed. Have a look at www.alphawriters.net and see whether you can add your bits: send them to Sally.
Other Mail:
I have just received the following email. With some Alpha members actively engaged in novel writing, is there anything amongst these that might interest you? I haven’t yet looked at the website.
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NEW: www.WritingRaw.com is proud to announce September’s 7-Question Interview with the following authors:
David Drake: New York Times bestselling author
James Fuerst: Debut author
Robert Hicks: New York Times bestselling author
Steve Hodel: New York Times bestselling Nonfiction author
J. A. Jance: New York Times bestselling author
Faye Kellerman: New York Times bestselling mystery author
John Lescroart: New York Times bestselling author
Ivy Pochoda: Debut novelist
Marcus Sakey: Award-winning author crime/mystery
Stephen White: Best-selling author of mystery/thrillers
Tad Williams: Best-selling author of fantasy and science fiction
With well over 50 past interviews with established, award-winning and bestselling authors on www.WritingRaw.com .We also have NEW 7-Question Interviews with the following literary agents and publishing houses:
Ann Collette: Helen Rees Literary Agency
Denise Dumars: Ashley Grayson Literary Agency
Anne Hawkins: John Hawkins & Associates, Inc.
Laura Langlie: Laura Langlie Agency
Laurie McLean: Larsen Pomada Literary Agents
Lance Olsen: Fiction Collective Two (FC2)
Only on www.WritingRaw.com:
A valuable and informative interview with Deb Taber of Apex Publishing
or, download the free educational book, The Career Novelist, by Donald Maass of the Donald Maass Literary Agency.
We also support other sites who help writers: With writing being such a solitary business, www.WritingRaw.com believes in reaching out to other sites, writing groups, forums, and organizations. Contact us on how you can put a FREE banner or link on our site!
www.WritingRaw.com is a FREE literary ezine. Our goal at www.WritingRaw.com is simple - to serve the literary community with the opportunity to have their work online and out in the world, to start creating a name for yourself. With the disappearance of many literary magazines, www.WritingRaw.com is providing the blank pages for writers to fill. To view someone's writing, just click on the link and a pdf version of the piece will open in your browser. Read it, comment on it and, most important, ENJOY IT.
Thank you for your time and support.
Weeb
WritingRaw.com
Follow the link to read the pdf version of Shame: A Novelette, by R. E. Heinrich: http://writingraw.com/shame%20Novelette.pdf
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Discussion Point:
I entered the Writing Magazine competition due August 15th, which had to feature a crime. I was writing a story about a miserable fellow who saw a well-attended funeral as an opportunity for a little light-finger work. It wasn’t a particularly good story, but I saw an opportunity to choose the funeral as that of Harry Patch*. His funeral was in Wells Cathedral, and I know Wells, so I could describe the environment accurately. The pickpocket got his just deserts in a way which I dared suggest that Harry would have approved. In short, I played the Harry Patch angle to bolster the story (and perhaps to sway the judges?). Is that ethical?? Your opinions please!
*for overseas readers, Harry Patch was the last soldier who had served in WW1 trenches to die at the age of 113 at the end of July, and he was a kind of symbol of that war, well-known throughout the UK.
That’s all or the first Alpha meeting of this season. I hope it’s going to be a great season, and I really enjoy reading all the comments from you all.
Best wishes all
- Olaf
