W R I T E R ’ S C L U B

Writer’s Beat
July 1, 2006 - Monthly Newsletter - www.writersbeat.com
A monthly newsletter for writer’s Issue 3, July - 2006

Showcase Publication
of the Month
JHarrison’s special
showcase of the month.
Interview with Hot
Psychology.
Page 2
Ian’s Review Writer’s Beat Workshop Monthly Writing Con- Monthly Board Games
Various updates and Our new addition to the test Competition
things to shout out. staff and community, Aprilrain explains how Aprilrain lays out some
Page 3 riverwriter and one can participate in information about these
workshops. the monthly writing competitions.
Page 4 contest. Page 4
Page 4

“Looking for that perfect detail to fill in your description? Need inspiring in-

A place for formation? Check out the Daily Fun Facts thread in the Reference Room to dis-
cover that priceless piece of trivia to make your story complete.” - Icarus

writer’s...
Writer’s Beat aims to be the place for all writer’s to be a part of in unity. WB is the ideal
writing community.
Lately we have gone through a ton of changes and continuing to do so. All
these changes are happening in a positive manner. The Staff are Writer’s Beat
doesn’t take likely to anything negative, so we are always striving to bring
changes that will affect everyone in a positive way. If there is a change that you
notice and do not like, please be sure to contact the staff and let us know, we’ll
be sure to take a survey and evaluate it to find a better solution.
Writer’s Beat is actively looking for staff members. What we are not looking for
at the moment is moderators of any kind. We have EXCELLENT ones at the
moment and they take care of everything I could ever think of. I’d love any
unique talent on the staff though, so if you think you could bring something to
the table that helps us in a different way than moderation, please contact us via
PM (DFIscher) or use the contact form here.
http://www.writersbeat.com/sendmessage.php
If you’d like to see a random message here by you, please go ahead and submit one by
contacting the staff.

Zoints

Zoints is a growing system in itself. If you are not familiar with it please see our
blog(http://blog.writersbeat.com) and or the Zoints website. The purpose for
implementing Zoints in a writing community is to give everyone a dynamic
community and become better connected to each member. Not only that, but
such a system brings in interest driven traffic, which benefits everybody.

ReviewCave.com

Reviewcave.com is a new addition to our “family” - Officially an affiliate, tech-

nically a sister site. It is owned by Writer’s Beat now. We’re looking for some
staff on that site, and some regulars to post some reviews of various things.
There really is no limit on what you can review. If it has something to talk
about, just do it. As a plus, there is actually a special going on. If you are inter-
ested, check out this promotion.

http://www.writersbeat.com/great-offer-earn-quick-points-t4247.html

Random Tidbits

Writer’s Beat, Simple Overview 1

 W R I T E R ’ S B E A T

write, though someday I hope to do it from the tropical confines of the great
state of Hawaii. I’ve visited the state eight times and I can’t imagine a better
place to let ones thoughts flow to the page.

Jay (WB): What is the most bizarre submission that you received?
Jim (HP): I think the most bizarre submission we’ve received was a well-
written piece called, “Sponge Bob Gay Pants?” It was by a former editor who
truly had a talent for writing and in this article, basically told the world that
sometimes a cartoon is just a cartoon. We’ve also received a submission that
tried very hard to push the buttons of the conflict in Ireland between the
Catholics and Protestants. We didn’t accept it because though we don’t shy
from controversy, the last thing we wanted was a call from the Queen of
England telling us to keep our noses to ourselves.

Hot Psychology - July 2006 Show-
case Publication of The Month
This month’s show publication is Hot Psychology. Hot Psychology was introduced to
Writer’s Beat by our member ~lacy~. She is the Our Culture department editor, and
has been a Writer’s Beat member since mid-April. She had posted a thread that had
an essay contest by Hot Psychology on the topic, “What it means to be human.”
Hot Psychology has given Writer’s Beat a free advertising spot that normally
would cost $80.00 per month. The publication has also allowed me to become
a staff writer for the Our Culture department. Recently, they have offered me
the positions of Sales & Marketing Director and Web Master to me, and I
have accepted. It is one of the only magazines that I read from cover to cover.
I have had the opportunity to interview the chief editor, Jim Idema:
Jay Harrison (Writer’s Beat): When was the first of Hot Psychology pub-
lished?
Jim Idema (Hot Psychology): First issue of Hot Psychology Magazine was
published January of 2005. We’ve gone through a lot of changes in the 19
months we’ve been around, but I really like what we’ve become and where
we’re going.
Jay (WB): What else can you tell us about Hot Psychology Magazine?
Jim (HP): We don’t take sides on issues. In fact, we are happy to publish
opinions on both sides of an issue. I happen to personally believe that seeing
things from one side of the fence tends to unfairly segregate the other side. If
someone is interested in voicing an opinion, we’d be happy to publish it, but
we think the other side should be heard from as well. We encourage begin-
ning writers as well as writers of all experience levels to write for us. Yes, all
articles go through editing by the appropriate section editors, but our editors
are experienced writers and editors and as such, take the time to coach their
writers, polishing up what can truly be a exquisite pearl of an article. I see
great things for this magazine and given the talents of those who participate
in our little family, it’s no surprise that others are starting to see it as well.
I would like to thank Jim for taking the time to do the interview. Congratula-
tions to Hot Psychology Magazine for being Writer’s Beat publication show-
case of the month. They are currently looking for a News Editor and writers
in all departments.

Jay (Writer’s Beat): What are the different departments of the magazine?
Jim (Hot Psychology): The different departments are: Our Culture (a discus-
sion of the varying cultural issues we are all privy to), The Sports Fan (dedi-
cated to all things sports), Close Encounters (adult themes), My News, My
Views (articles and opinions on the news of the day), Feature Presentation
(features on practically anything you can imagine), Ask Dr. Charmaine (Dr.
Charmaine Saunders answers questions sent in by readers from around the
world), To Your Health (a section that focuses on health issues) and Tech
Notes (technology and how it affects us).

Jay (WB): What makes Hot Psychology unique?

Jim (HP): The different departments are: Our Culture (a discussion of the
varying cultural issues we are all privy to), The Sports Fan (dedicated to all
things sports), Close Encounters (adult themes), My News, My Views (arti-
cles and opinions on the news of the day), Feature Presentation (features on
practically anything you can imagine), Ask Dr. Charmaine (Dr. Charmaine
Saunders answers questions sent in by readers from around the world), To
Your Health (a section that focuses on health issues) and Tech Notes (tech-
nology and how it affects us).

Jay (WB): What is your writing and editing experience?

Jim (HP): I’ve been a freelance writer for over ten years, publishing in a vari-
ety of periodicals. In the works I have a novel which is nearly complete, a
screenplay, and the opening pages for two other novels. I can’t imagine my
life without the ability to express by way of the written word. I’ve also been
an entrepreneur, an IT guy, a factory rat and a Navy man. These days I just

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writersbeat.com
 W R I T
Reviewcave.com Sponsored Re-
view
By Ian
Boysetsfire - Equal Vision-Feb. 2006
Tracklisting:
1. Walk Astray
2. Requiem
3. Final Communiqué
4. The Misery Index
5. (10) And Counting
6. Falling Out Theme
7. Empire
8. So Long...And Thanks For The Crutches
9. With Cold Eyes
10. Deja Coup
11. Social Register Fanclub
12. Nostaligic For Guillotines
13. A Far Cry
It’s rather ironic that of all bands, Boysetsfire isn’t very well known. Lately it
has become popular of many bands to take a political stance and because of
it they gain in popularity (a la Green Day). But while many of those bands
have been together for a while and only recently started protesting the gov-
ernment Boysetsfire have been since they started out. They did have a chance
however to be propelled to great heights when they had been signed to a
major label, but it flopped and when they were writing for this new record
they were dropped. Thankfully, they were picked up by Equal Vision and
then finished up their latest record, “The Misery Index: notes from the
plaque years”. What is on here is emotionally and politically charged music
that is very post-hardcore influenced, but also easy to get into.
“Walk Away” eloquently opens up the almost hour-long album. A lone
acoustic guitar and the voice of singer Josh open things up. He croons about
how he doesn’t, “want to sing about freedom anymore, I want to see it, I
want to feel. I want to know that it still sits behind the lies we’ve been told,
beyond the wars that keep our families from home”. Obviously this album is
political, but it’s done in a very intelligent way and doesn’t ever try to say
anything ridiculous. After a little over a minute of the soft acoustics every-
thing speeds up into the older, hardcore side of Boysetsfire. The political
element of the song continues though. “Our dreams are their worst night-
mares, these songs a call to arms. We can dance on the graves that held us,
we can change the course of time”. This is what is so great about Boysetsfire;
they manage to be both inspirational and rebellious, but never get snot-nosed
about it. The catchiness of the song is also a big factor too. While, for the
most part, it is heavy, there are also some parts sung which gives the song a
bit more of a refined taste to it. Which is how a lot of the record is.
“Requiem” (a requiem is a funeral hymn, or chant) is the lead single off of
“The Misery Index: notes from the plaque years” and it really is rather fitting,
but not just because it’s one of the more catchier tunes from the album. As
the chorus suggests, this is Boysetsfire saying that they are not dead and
gone, but are here to stay and not leaving without a fight. “This is not our
requiem, we’re wasting time as victims. Why spend our lives on bended
knee, choosing not to be free?” This is one song that should be downloaded,
or heard by those unfamiliar with Boysetsfire and not particularly into
straight up (post) hardcore. It’s a song that works greatly as both a represen-
tation of the record and a song that should gain the band a larger following.
Reviewcave.com - Reviews from a to z.
E R ’ S B E A T
While a lot of songs are catchy and open to a larger audience, there are a
couple songs that many older fans of Boysetsfire who prefer their heavier
material will enjoy. “Final Communiqué” is a short, two-minute song that
never loses its pace. A rolling bass line and leering drum bit open the song
before full on screaming roars on in. With lines such as, “You’ll never see us
coming, striking from the shadows. Headfirst, fist raised to the sky. Pull the
trigger released in anger. We’ll bite off the fingers that feed us your ****,” its
plainly obvious Boysetsfire is staying by their political side. Then there is “So
Long…And Thanks For The Crutches”. In a way the title could be a way of
saying to the politicians in power, “Pack up your ****, you’ve doped us up
long enough”. That’s how I like to think of it at least. Anyway, the song starts
off in a weird way that wouldn’t suggest it’d be the mosher it really is. It
starts out very jazzy with an upright bass and what seems to be a synthe-
sized piano. After twenty-seconds though what is heard next is easily the
hardest part of the whole album. The whole song is rather heavy and re-
mains so during the chorus where the synthesized piano makes a second
appearance. Not surprisingly, the lyrics to the song are meant to be motivat-
ing and encouraging. “Just enough freedom to forget you’re a slave, just
enough anger to make sure we get paid” could refer to what Green Day’s
song, “American Idiot”, did in talking about the media numbing the masses.
“Empire” is one song that everyone should hear. It wouldn’t be surprising at
all if this turned into a single, it certainly is catchy enough. Boysetsfire takes
a perspective of the people running the affairs of the world. “I speak, you
throw parades. Ignore the sense of rage welling inside. Pay no mind to what
we do cause we’ll sell it all to you in modern luxuries. And we’ve made quite
sure you believe you’re free.” It really hits home with this part. “Just believe,
believe you’re free, cause you’re on your own. It doesn’t matter just be sure
that this is our empire this is war. Forgotten heroes, chessboard roles to make
you think you’re something more, but you’re on your own…”
What is going to be talked about next is one of my personal favorites, “Fal-
ling Out Theme”. It’s not particularly a standout, but they way it is sung and
the lyrics seem attractive to me. At first it seems to be much like, “So Long…
And Thanks For The Crutches” and “Final Communiqué”, but that is not the
case at all. It does start out heavy with some nice, fast paced riffs, but soon
goes into almost inaudible crooning (the booklet calls it random bitching,
haha) accompanied by a cello. It takes a while to get to the actual song, but
it’s well worth the wait. Josh’s singing is absolutely impeccable and when he
sings, “Love and weapons kill much the same way. With shaking hands we
start again”, a feeling of raw energy encompasses me. The rolling drums are
most noticeable during this part as well, and the jumping guitar riffs too. To
add a little variety to this already superb album, there is a nice little ballad
titled, “(10) And Counting”. It’s very soft and includes the use of an acoustic
guitar at the start. The lyrics seem to call back to the days possibly of when
they were facing tough times. The song also seems to say in a way that even
though some may hate the band they will be the ones standing when every-
thing falls apart. It’s a lot more emotional than some songs, but it doesn’t feel
out of place at all.
What Boysetsfire have created is nothing short of spectacular. They’ve taken
older elements of (post) hardcore music, twisted it into something meaning-
ful, and made it widely appealing to a broad audience. Politically standing,
Boysetsfire hasn’t lost their edge that they started out with from the begin-
ning. The music may be a bit softer compared to early demos and EP’s, but
they still manage to assault the senses every once in a while. Even though
some songs may stand out among some others, this album really must be
listened to completely in order to fully grasp how great this album is. It
wouldn’t be a surprise at all for bands five to ten years from now to cite this
exact record as a major influence in their life. It sure has influenced mine.
5/5
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WB’S Monthly Writing Contest

Beginning this month, WB is hosting a writing contest that you may enter
through the fiction, non-fiction, or poetry forum of the boards. All entries
should not exceed 1000 words, and each must incorporate the common
theme of “freedom.” Entries that go over the word count (and that includes
the title) will be penalized. Check the appropriate forums for the thread that
announces the contest and post your entry to that thread. Winners will be
chosen for each of the three categories. You may submit an entry in all three
categories, if you wish. The decision of the judges (currently WB staff mem-
bers) is final.

Entries must be posted between July 1st and the end of the day (11:59 p.m.,
US Pacific Time) on July 16th. Winners will be announced on August 1st and
Creating a village in a Writer’s will be “published” in the August newsletter. If the honor of being a WB

Beat Workshop contest winner isn’t enough, don’t worry. We have other prizes in mind, but
you’ll just have to enter to find out what they are.
Please check out the Writer’s Workshop forum for more information and workshops
themselves. - By riverstone Good luck! - aprilrain

This is an easy way to prevent writer’s block. Take any situation or environ-
ment and describe the people present including their histories and their
communities. Eventually, you will find someone who interests you enough to
write about. A classic village is the one that develops around a car accident:
Six vehicles are involved in an accident. Your job is to answer the who, when,
where and why’s of the people in the vehicles.
Where does the accident happen? Why does it happen? Who is in each car?
Draw a map of the accident from the air. What borders the area of the acci-
dent? Who witnessed the accident?
Here is the beginning of an accident village to get you started:
WB’s Monthly Board Games Competition
Think you are king or queen of the Board Games? Well, prove it by entering
the monthly Board Games Competition! You will find the word game ques-
tions in a sticky thread of the Board Games forum on July 1st. DO NOT post
your answers anywhere on the forum. Send them by PM to aprilrain anytime
before the end of the day (11:59 p.m., Pacific Time) on July 25th. The winner
and the correct answers will be posted on August 1st in both the forum and
the August newsletter. Aside from bragging rights, other prizes will be given.
Good luck! - aprilrain

The vehicles are returning from the beach.

A bird watcher sees the accident.
The first car stops suddenly for an animal in the road.
One of the vehicles has a family with kids.
One vehicle carries musicians.
One vehicle has at least one lawyer in it.
There is a body in one of the trunks or boots.
At least one person involved or watching is clinically insane.
Some people have tickets to the same event on a later date.
At least one person is a crook.
At least one person is armed.
Some people stayed in a bed & breakfast at the beach.
Some know each other in other environments.
One person may be contemplating suicide.
One person has a terminal illness.
More than one race and more than one culture are represented.

That’s how it works. In the WritersBeat Workshops, I’ll be adding villages for
you to explore. There will be cruise ships, trains, an island, a cottage, and so
on. There may be villages that represent multiple generations of a family or
several hundred years of history on one small piece of land. The potential
villages are as endless as our imaginations.

Please use the WritersBeat Workshops thread to let me know what work-
shops you want and I will do my best to create them.

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