More Than 600 People Read This Magazine Every Day

Posted on August 26, 2012 by pittsburghflashfictiongazette

 

Woman As Art

Only around 5,000 people read the Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette during the month of January 2012.  Over 16,000 people have read the magazine so far this month.  That averages out to about 625 people every day for the month of August 2012 and there are still a few days left to go.

Hello, my brother and sister bloggers, readers, writers and my Flash Fiction Fanatics.

The numbers don’t lie.  The Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette is here to inform and entertain you.  And if you happen to be a writer, it is here to publish and pay you, too.

I know that this publication is not for everyone; but I will continue to try to put out an online magazine of creative ideas, serious writing and brazen sexuality.  But don’t just take my word about the content you will find here.  Explore the site.  Start with the front page.

And then make your decision.  Should you go or should you stay.

This is the Old Soldier reporting from Pittsburgh.

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Haiku: A Late Winter

Posted on February 8, 2012 by pittsburghflashfictiongazette

Snow flakes slide sideways

The apartment is quiet

Soon karaoke

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The Old Soldier has assumed his favorite position for jotting this down in his small pocket notebook: stretched out on the sofa with two fat pillows under his weary head.

The day’s work is just about done: breathing and stretching exercises, breakfast dishes put away, this is my third post for the day and I have a load of clothes in the laundry room downstairs.

Beyond my windows a light snow falls.  The bare branches of the trees are powdered with white snow.  I look forward to karaoke tonight at Del’s Bar and Italian Restaurant in Bloomfield (Little Italy).

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Yes, the Old Soldier is in a mood of reflection.  It is the 8th of February and the PFF Gazette is averaging better than 225 hits every day.  Getting more than 6,000 hits for February is a real possibility.

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Remember, I am always eager to showcase flash fiction writing talent.  I publish mainstream, literary and erotic fiction.  The Submissions tab is at the top of the page.

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Read.  Study.  Write.

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The Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette is a news magazine about writing and female sexuality.

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Keeping It Fresh: No Such Thing by John Mayer

Posted on February 8, 2012 by pittsburghflashfictiongazette

The Old Soldier has been on duty since 6:OO AM.  How’s everyone doing?  The city is getting a light dusting of snow and the high will only be around 34 degrees.  There is karaoke tonight at Del’s and the Old Soldier is building up his courage to try a totally new song: No Such Thing by John Mayer.

Now I know from the get go that I am not going to do well singing this song.  I don’t know the words and have never done it before in public.  But we’re talking karaoke here my friends.

If you do as much karaoke as I do you find out that there are two kinds of karaoke singers.  The ones who sing the same three or four songs year after year and the ones who try different songs.

I prefer to be in the second group.

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English: John Mayer at the Mile High Music Fes...

Image via Wikipedia

And since this is a blog, trying something different on your blog is a good thing, too.  A good blog has to have a focus; but every once in a while you want to give your readers something unexpected.

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The reason the Old Soldier is such a fan of karaoke is because he is a frustrated lead singer.  I took my experience as a lead singer and made a story out of it.

The story is from the archives and is included in the article “Writing About Rock ‘N’ Roll”.  The article will have a limited run on the Front Page starting today.  Be sure to check it out.

*****

Read.  Study.  Write.

*****

The Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette is a news magazine about writing and sexuality.

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Student Loans Are Driving The Middle Class Into Poverty

Posted on February 7, 2012 by pittsburghflashfictiongazette

I made two payments to Sallie Mae this month.  The payments are not applied to the principle or the interest.  The payments are just to “service” the loan.  The Old Soldier is not alone.

The two payments bring me up to date.  I have had to take out every deferment that I’m allowed.  And I will continue to take every deferment that I can.  But that’s just my personal information.

The big picture is that a college education is becoming too expensive for anyone but (you got it) the 1% to afford.  If you are not wealthy and you want an education you have to not only get good grades in order to get grants but you must also borrow so much money that the chances of you getting a job that will allow you to live and pay back your student loans are slim and none.

What is wrong with that picture?

Occupy Wall Street

Image via Wikipedia

The American dream is fast becoming the American nightmare for millions of American citizens.

This is another reason why I seriously doubt that the Occupy Wall Street movement and all of its off-shoots around the county (and the world for that matter) is going to simply fade away.

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Read.  Study.  Write.

*****

The Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette is a news magazine about writing and sexuality.

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Writing: Here’s A Sure Way To Boost Your Creativity

Posted on February 6, 2012 by pittsburghflashfictiongazette

Inspiration is often like sprouts in a vegetable garden: first you have to plant the seeds.

Starting with the month of February, the Old Soldier tries to put up at lease two posts on this blog every day.  And so far so good.

Of course, I’m retired which means I have an entire day to come up with ideas worth blogging about.  Even so, I still carry a small pocket notebook with me every place I go.  I jot down tidbits of ideas, titles, questions and fragments of thoughts that provide an endless stream that helps me to write those two posts every day.

Sometimes I can even write three posts in one day like today.

English: Vegetable garden at Colonial Williamsburg

Image via Wikipedia

In other words, a writer has to plant the seeds of his or her own inspiration.  Because if you simply wait for inspiration, you may find that when it comes to ideas to write about your harvest may be slim pickings, indeed.

Now I’m old school.  An electronic device, like a cellphone or an iPad, is just as good as a notebook.

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Read.  Study.  Write.

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The Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette is a news magazine about writing and sexuality.

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The Submissions tab for short stories is at the top of the page.

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