Behind The Scenes (17 May 2013)

Posted on May 17, 2013 by pittsburghflashfictiongazette
Honfleur, the painter of the old harbor.

Honfleur, the painter of the old harbor. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Yesterday was another sunny and warm spring day in Pittsburgh.

I walked to Armand’s in Little Italy to have a beer and was happy to see Tony Cacalano, the painter, sitting at the bar.  He’s a fairly well-known painter.  He’s in his 70s and whenever I see him we talk about life, painting and writing.

When I got back home I wanted to put up another post.  I’d already put up a post about writer’s block because I couldn’t come up with anything to write about; and I still couldn’t think of anything to write about.

I’d been debating with myself about changing the front page when the idea hit me: Why not showcase the work of one of your contributors?

And as soon as I asked myself that question, I knew the answer: Heather Kinnane.

There are now several of her erotic flash fiction stories and an interview on the front page.  Check them out before they rotate back to the archives.

*****

Andy Warhol grew up in South Oakland here in Pittsburgh.  The Old Soldier lives in North Oakland.

*****

The Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette is a blog of creative writing and brazen sexuality.  This blog is published near the University of Pittsburgh.

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Heather Kinnane: A Collection Of Erotic Flash Fiction

Posted on May 16, 2013 by pittsburghflashfictiongazette

300px-Wiki-fellatioThe Old Soldier cannot claim that he discovered Heather Kinnane.  Let’s just say that I offered this talented writer from Australia a showcase for her flash fiction about sex.

This online magazine covers a lot of topics.  I won’t list them right now. 

But what I will do is reaffirm the reason behind this online publication: To showcase talented writers from all over the world.

Heather Kinnane is a perfect example of this editorial commitment to excellence in erotic fiction which has a long and respected tradition in the arts.

I have two more of her stories scheduled for publication over the next four months and they are hot!

An interview and several of her erotic stories are now on the front page.  Check them out before everything rotates back into the archives.

*****

The Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette is a blog of creative writing and brazen sexuality.  This blog is published near the University of Pittsburgh.

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Is Writer’s Block For Real?

Posted on May 16, 2013 by pittsburghflashfictiongazette
The discouraged Nenene suffering from writer's...

The discouraged Nenene suffering from writer’s block continues to lament the disappearance of Yomiko (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What really is writer’s block?  Is it like being constipated?

Hello hello hello, my brother and sister readers and writers from all over the world!  Writer’s block is an occupational hazard for writers.  The good ideas stop flowing.

You’re stuck.

And the longer you’re stuck the more you press and the more you press the worse your writer’s block becomes.  The bad news is, yes writer’s block is for real.  The good news is, it won’t kill you.

Just think of writer’s block as the bridge between two good ideas.  If you can do this, then suddenly writer’s block becomes a good thing.  See what I mean?

This is the Old Soldier giving all his writing brothers and sisters a little tough love.

*****

The Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette is a blog of creative writing and brazen sexuality.  This blog is published near the University of Pittsburgh.

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Summer Preview In The City Of A Flash Fiction Writer

Posted on May 15, 2013 by pittsburghflashfictiongazette
Woma As Art

Woma As Art

The high hit the low 80s today in Pittsburgh.  And when the clouds cleared away, the Old Soldier had to leave his workstation and take a walk in the sunshine.  I picked up two books from the floor near the sofa and decided this was a good day to return them to the public library, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.

Outside, it felt like summer.  I walked down South Craig which is full of espresso bars, fast food joints, cafes and ethic restaurants.

A Greek Food Festival was set up directly across from Carnegie Museum.  Children played in the new-fenced in playground in front of the museum as parents and guardians sat on benches in the playground in the sun.

People posed in front of large, abstract art structures to have their photos taken.

PittsburghCarnegieLibrarymainbranch

PittsburghCarnegieLibrarymainbranch (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Large, white tents were set up on the grass of Schenley Plaza.  Something must have been going on.  A few people even sun bathed on the grass of the plaza.

And the buildings and lawns of the campus of the University of Pittsburgh spread out as far as the eye could see with the Cathedral of Learning towering solid and gray 44 stories over the neighborhood.

I was happy to be alive and to be a writer.

*****

The Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette is a blog of creative writing and female sexuality.  This blog is published near the University of Pittsburgh.

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No More Flash Fiction About The Vietnam War

Posted on May 14, 2013 by pittsburghflashfictiongazette
Cover of "Vietnam: A History"

Cover of Vietnam: A History

It has been several years since the Old Soldier wrote a short story about Vietnam.

Vietnam had a great deal to do with my decision to be a writer.  Writing fiction about the war was my way of dealing with what is now called Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

Well, writing and the passing years (and plenty of beer) have done their job well.  Vietnam is a fading memory.  Vietnam, A History by Stanley Karnow is still an important part of my small personal library.  I will no doubt pick it up to read again after reading it at least 30 times over the past 20 years; but the memories will not be as immediate or as painful.

And for that the Old Soldier is thankful.

*****

The Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette is a blog of creative writing and female sexuality.  This blog is published near the University of Pittsburgh.

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