ONE - now available

Here it is. . . after months of planning. . . weeks of posting submissions. . . and days of putting this together. . . we now have the first issue of Soft Whispers! Read it. Comment on it. And please, PRETTY PLEASE, send me any suggestions you may have to make it better at softwhisperssubmissions@gmail.com Soft Whispers - 1

A Line at a Time #11 - The Results

Through the eyes, the life waits - the time changes, the love becomes real Behind these walls, vision engulfs me, desire entices me Sealed within decay's monochromatic prism, life's colored fistula eternally refracted beyond his grasp. Illusion or destiny - both beckon from the greyness within Imprisoned by the past only to be freed by the beauty Light emerges, peeling the years away Timid steps from dark decay reach the bright

THE CONTRIBUTORS: Through the eyes, the life waits - the time changes, the love becomes real (www.twitter.com/wisneski) Behind these walls, vision engulfs me, desire entices me (http://michelledevans.blogspot.com) Sealed within decay's monochromatic prism, life's colored fistula eternally refracted beyond his grasp. (www.twitter.com/21stCscribe) Illusion or destiny - both beckon from the greyness within (cari main) Imprisoned by the past only to be freed by the beauty (www.twitter.com/cswriter59) Light emerges, peeling the years away (www.twitter.com/deannaschrayer) Timid steps from dark decay reach the bright (www.twitter.com/marisabirns)

Snowy Morning

Love (Heart)

by BD Husidon

There’s a chunk of my heart left in your hand – but you don’t see it. You probably lost it. Is the forbidden kind of love so bad? To try? The best kind of love is the forever kind. Can forever be silent? Can love be watched? Can I get my chuck of heart back? Can I have a piece of yours?

White

Colourblind

by Nishi It's just a smokescreen It's just a haze Sand and mist over my eyes Your eyes Illusions and mirages Since forever You have seen me You have walked with me Heard me Listened to my footfalls Carried my tears around in the pockets of your heart Broken memoirs and torn pictures Of my soul in a book In your arms And I you I struggled and bared my soul I bled into my tears My weaknesses are battle grounds for you to trample on I ran needles through my veins I prostituted my joys I gave you my eyes so you see colors like me I gave away my soul and stayed within this shell So you could hold on to me And you still don't know me like I do You still don't know me How do I forgive myself? How do I not walk away?

Father

by V.J. Maddox Listen closely - Father. Your ears must be bleeding... At the shear intensity, Of all the things I'm pleading. Look at me! I'm over here... And yes, I've grown up fast. What do you remember, Father? When you look back at our past? Teaching me to play piano? And tucking me in bed? More vivid are the beer bottles, And all the harsh words said. Can you really be that ignorant? ...It really must be bliss. To shake off responsibilities, And not care what you'll miss. Every holiday - Every birthday... Who will walk me down the aisle? Father, if you think it's you, ...Then I pity your denial. One last thing for you, my father. I hope it kills you to have learned, Never again will I call you "Daddy" That kind of love... you haven't earned.

Meet V.J. Maddox

I'm 26 years old and happily divorced.

I am an avid hobby collector, among those are writing and photography.

I am currently living in Florida on a farm with my horse. Sometimes I think without my Appaloosa, Ace - I would have been dragged off by men in white coats years ago!

I wholeheartedly agree that, "No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle." - Winston Churchill.

Want to see creativity at its best?

I posted a picture yesterday and left the comments open for thoughts, ideas, or poetry. Maria Kelly and Cindy Schuerr took me up on my offer and each wrote beautiful poetry based on the picture.

This is the EXACT purpose I wanted to start Soft Whispers - to share writing, poetry, and art AND get everyone involved. So a big thank you to everyone so far that has visited the site and an even bigger thank you to Maria and Cindy! And please, anyone out there in the world, please feel free to share your thoughts, ideas, and poetry. . . it may just get published here! :)

Exposed by Cynthia Schuerr

Forever by Maria Kelly

Exposed

by

Cynthia Schuerr

A secret is meant

To be shared by two

So how long must we wait

To make it true

I would give a lifetime

To share with the world

My feelings for you

But who's to know

If our secretIs hidden away

If we cannot tell

Of our love

Then what can it mean

To either of us

Forever

by

Maria Kelly

I promised forever.

Though your love slipped from my finger as

quietly as you slipped from the world.

Still, forever I will wear it;

closer now to my heart than ever.

It is engraved there.

It whispers there.

Forever.

The Ring in the Window

The Reminder

by

Jim Wisneski

Headstones balanced against a fresh sunset. The dark curves - upside down smiles - stare back. They’re calling. Stems ride from the dead ground. A faded picture - curls and sways - with no breeze. Can you hear ghosts whispering? Or the soul of the living. . . They huddle to the black gates. The bicycle on the ground. One wheel still spinning - click, click, click. Can you smell the cold air? Its fingers reach inside. Lighted steps hobble. Create an underground thunder. The roar of life - the celebration. With the round reminders. . . They’re waiting

I wait

by Jim Wisneski

I wait for you.

I wait for time.

for place.

for life.

The cold walls huge me.

They hold me.

The rusted handle burns my skin.

It leaves an orange stain on my hand.

and heart.

The chipped stone smiles at me.

But I never smile back.

The aged eaten boards can't stop us -

can they?

Please come.

I leave it unlocked,

open,

-like my soul- just push

I wait for you.

Meet Maria Kelly!

Hello! My name is Maria Kelly. I am a 44 year-old writer of speculative fiction. I live in Pinellas Park, Florida, with a tyrannical calico cat named Missy, who goes by the nickname BratCat. Occasionally, she removes the manacles from my hands so I can write. I am currently in the process of publishing a serial fantasy on my blog for children ages 10 and up called “The Reluctant Prince.” I mainly write adult fiction, however. I read about “Soft Whispers” in the weekly e-newsletter from Duotrope’s Digest. I visited your website and found myself very interested in what you are doing there. Sincerely; Maria Kelly mkelly703@gmail.com http://identifiedflyinglenticulars.blogspot.com/

painting the sky

by Maria Kelly

today the sky is too blue and too bright for me it is far too blue and far too bright to reflect my despair and pain i’d like to reach up and seize hold of it by its corners and drag it down to earth where i would splatter it all over with shades of rainy gray and melancholy black and dirty brown then throw it back up so you would see it and know what you’ve done to me

Meet Nishi!

Nishida C. is a poet, writer, thinker and recluse. She loves anything to do with art, literature and science, especially astronomy. She is interested in writing science fiction and fantasy, especially for children, and hopes to see a few well-worn novels written by her on a library shelf one day. Her short story "The Moonfairy, the Angel and the Puca" is part of the anthology "12 Days of Christmas" published by Jim Wisneski. She is currently writing her first novel, a fantasy fairytale and is also working on a set of short literary fiction pieces. You can follow her on twitter at @CafeNirvana. http://twitter.com/CafeNirvana

Autumn

by Nishi You would wait Wouldn't you? As I swing down the tree boughs Rowing across the river to you The leaves melt into dewdrops Slithering and whispering A tale of hope Not lost As they come alive Year after year Even when they fall Triumph or loss This emptiness is not what I am It is something more I am something more You would wait, wouldn't you? I am gone you know But not so far away, that I cannot hear You Or see you I may not believe always Your ways are true But I shall follow By lanes or crossroads Running into you And then drift away You would wait Do I need to ask? Your faith has always Beaten me I wash up on shores away From your heartbeat My back turned to you I lay staring at the sun Thirsting for a freedom that evades me You would still wait, wouldn't you? © Nishida. C. 2010. Some Rights Reserved. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution – Noncommercial - No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Peace

by Angie Capozello

It started with a whisper of wings And the sound of trumpets

The birds fled as the first mortars fired They’re ‘softening us up’ before the charge

Voices raised in song filled the heavens Then fell silent before the hiss of drawn swords

If you hear the shriek of the shells, you’re okay It’s when it goes quiet that you worry

The sky trembled as the angels fought Brother against brother, the first holy war

Then the thundering starts, and the earth shakes As the bombardment falls like an unholy rain

It lasted forever, for a moment, an eyeblink An eternity, but it wasn’t over

The War to End All Wars wasn’t the end It just sowed the seeds for the future

There were still souls to win, Hearts and minds to sway

War rose again, like a ghastly Phoenix From the ashes scattered across a million graves

Heaven and Hell, all to win And everything to lose

Again and again, war returns With the question on the lips of humanity

Even in heaven a war was fought

How can man find peace if God could not?

What the heck is "Pic 1 k"?????

I once read that one of my idols, Jim Morrison, used to conduct self interviews. I read some of them and it seems interesting. I’m going to do the same here but not to figure out my life’s purpose or to have a record of what it’s like to trip on LSD or something, but rather to explain the entire back story to Soft Whispers and the new programs. Those who have followed Soft Whispers since it started almost a year ago have seen some wild changes. Those who have followed me or know me know that I think fast, act fast, and always go big. With that said, I realize that sometimes my ideas always don’t convey out the way I want them to because I’m already working on the next project. Is it a flaw? Sure. Am I working on it? Sure. So let’s get down to business. When you jump over to the submissions page, you see a whole list of fun stuff. . . but my oh my, where to start? Well, first, the list is crazy because I want this publication to be different. I want it to be fun, exciting, and maybe a little challenging for those who submit to it. I personally believe the best creativity is the one you don’t expect to happen and my best example with that is Friday Flash. . . the phemon that occurs every Friday. Write a flash story and post it, Tweet it, and read ‘em all. It’s creativity at its best and stirs everything up. . . I couldn’t imagine my life without it. AND I have had some of my Friday Flash stories published which is an even better feeling! Let’s look at the program called Pic 1 k: What is it? The simple way to explain it: A picture is posted on the 1st of the month. You write a story 1,000 words or less about the picture and submit it by the 20th of the month. Where did the idea come from? It came from the old saying “A picture is worth a thousand words”. . . my challenge? PROVE IT! You look at a picture and think of the story behind it. How cool is that? Not to mention the fact that different people will see different things and write about different things. How many stories will you publish each month? The top four stories will be published on the blog. The top two will be published in the issue. AND the top story will receive an interview with the author. It may not be much, but come on, it’s something! :) How should someone submit? Send the story to softwhisperssubmissions@gmail.com with Pic 1 k in the subject line. PLEASE throw in a SHORT bio and we will respond as quick as we can. So why should someone bother with this? Because I said so! J But in reality, it’s just a fun little program to participate in and is another chance to get something out there – to get something seen – to get something published. . . and it’s just a little more practice for your writing. Final thoughts? Check out the picture for this month’s Pic 1 k and see what happens. If you get an idea, run with it. If not, check back next month. Ultimately I would like to have my inbox swimming with stories. . . and then I’ll probably add more published ones to the site and the publication because I hate to send something away. Oh, and finally, if you have a question about this or anything that we’re doing on Soft Whispers. . . email us at softwhisperssubmissions@gmail.com!

Like a bubble

by Michelle Dennis Evans Like a bubble Popping with laughter Like a rainbow In your doorway Happiness Trickles and shines Joy Flickers and glows Peace Enters and resonates Love Overshadows Our life

A Line at a Time - #11

Through the eyes, the life waits - the time changes, the love becomes real

SUBMISSIONS CLOSE AT 11:59PM EST JANUARY 29, 2010

#alaat 10

RULES:

ALAAT - A Line at a Time. This is easy AND fun. Every other Monday on the Soft Whispers blog, there will be a picture posted. Your job is to think of one line about that picture and send it to Jim. This program has been running for a couple months now and has been really fun! To privately contact Jim, you can email him at Jim@JimWisneski.com, DM on Twitter at Wisneski, contact him via Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/), or send him a text message at 610-573-3720. When you send your line, also include your name, web site, Twitter name, etc. This is important so you can get credit for your line when it’s published!

A Line at a Time #10 - THE RESULTS!

Yes, the rules were changed slightly and it worked. First, the #alaat will once every two weeks. Second, the two poems will be included in the monthly issue of Soft Whispers. And three, you can just post your line on Twitter - make sure you put @wisneski before your line AND #alaat after your line. Other than that. . . ENJOY!

The lost sky of winter - calm, patient as silhouettes dance away But I am still, beneath my coat of fog and misty veil Hiding, shivering, deep amongst the shadows We breathe in the season, while awaiting the warm color of the sun The sky is held up by frozen trees She leaves us in winter; her glorious soul fades into the mist There's not enough warmth in the world Ghostly as in silhouettes

THE CONTRIBUTORS:

The lost sky of winter - calm, patient as silhouettes dance away (wisneski) But I am still, beneath my coat of fog and misty veil (ccmain@shaw.ca) Hiding, shivering, deep amongst the shadows (www.michelledevans.blogspot.com) We breathe in the season, while awaiting the warm color of the sun (www.theheartofwriting.blogspot.com) The sky is held up by frozen trees (carrieclevenger) She leaves us in winter; her glorious soul fades into the mist (newsfound) There's not enough warmth in the world (LaCaffeinata) Ghostly as in silhouettes (FutureNostalgic)

Quiet Thoughts

by Jim Wisneski an answer with no question a happy endingwithout a beginning a worry without a care imagine the possibilities if all possibilities were possible - all chances become a chance to chance what is had - all had comes from a have to have not lose what is had. to answer a happy ending with no worry

The Moon and the Morning

Thanks to Cynthia Schuerr!

Yesterday I posted a picture and Cytnhia Schuerr took time to write this beautiful poem about it. . . enjoy!

To me, it means FAITH!

There is water beyond the sand.

The rocks beyond the water.

The lighthouse beyond the rocks.

The ocean beyond the lighthouse.

The cloudy sky beyond the ocean.

Therefore, we must have faith that there is something beyond that cloudy sky.

It can mean anything. . .

What does this picture mean to you? Feel free to post comments!

Meet Duane Locke!

Duane Locke lives hermetically by ancient oak, an underground stream, and an osprey’s nest in rural Lakeland, Florida. He has as of January 2010, 6,512 different poems published in print magazines, American Poetry Review, Nation ,etc. and e zines, Counter Example Poetics, Pen Himalaya (Nepal) And 21 books of poems. His three latest books, 2009, are Yang Chu’s Poems (376 pp.) Crossing Chaos, Canada( order from publisher or Amazon); Voices from a Grave (40 pp.) erbacce, England (order from erbacce), and Soliloquies from a High Wall Hidden Cemetery (37 pp.) Differentia Press, California (Free download, www.differentiapress.com) . His first book published is 2010 is 53 paged A Marble Nude Pualine Borghese with a Marble Apple in her Marble Hand, Scars press, http://scars.tv. Has interviews in Counter Example Poetics, Eviscerator Heaven, Pen Himalaya, Ann Arbor Review, and Bitter Oleander. For more information click “Duane Locke” on Google Search, over 500,000 entries. Is in Who’s Who in America (Marquis). He is also a painter and photographer. An account of his painting is in Gary Monroe’s Extraordinary Interpretations ( U of FL press). His sur-photos are scattered throughout the internet, and he has done many book covers. Has a Ph. D, specializing in English Metaphysical Poetry (Donne to Marvel). His interest are philosophy (PostModern, Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Martin Heidegger), Insects, butterflies, birds, Opera, Mahler, and Viennese music.

WHEN FOUR YEARS OLD (27)

by Duane Locke Once when I observing a A dragonfly With a red segmented body And crimson flashes arising From his net-webbed silver wings Nibbling on something While his wire-thin legs gripped A brown stiff weed stem That leaned at an acute angle Towards the earth’s browned weeds. I thought of the transparency of my language When I spoke to myself About the dragonfly or anything else, And the non-transparency of my language When I spoke to others About the dragonfly Or spoke about anything else. I was slowly learning that discourse, Communication With another, the other, Was only a contingent possibility. As I grew older, I became more and more alone.

Broken Bodies

by Michelle Dennis Evans

Screaming tires Chugging engine Smell of oil Fumes engulf Flowing blood Broken bodies Hope shattered Death obvious Eternity near Faith overshadows

NEW ANTHOLOGY OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS!

The title (as of now): DEADLY LOVE, BE MINE The concept is all Laura Eno’s fault! With a simple question on Twitter, this idea was born and now moving forward. . . Laura asked me if I thought about doing a Valentine’s Day concept like the 12 Days of Christmas one that will be in paperback very soon (www.12days2009.wordpress.com). So, with that said and in mind. . . here we bring you the “Deadly Love, Be Mine” flash fiction / poetry anthology. It’s going to be like a box of chocolates minus the chocolate and lots of horror! GUIDELINES: 1 story OR poem per person. No exceptions. Stories MUST be 1,000 words or less. I repeat: 1,000 WORDS OR LESS. The reason is that this will be published ONLY on the blog. (It may end up in print eventually but I’m not promising a thing because of the cost of putting something in print! If I cover my costs for the 12 Days book and have extra, then we’ll talk about printing this!) The theme is Valentine’s Day horror. . . it doesn’t have to be on Valentine’s Day or about it, but we want love and horror, love and death, love and monsters, love and zombies (cue Jodi MacArthur!), love and. . . whatever the hell scares me!!! :) Submissions are open the second you read this and close on February 10, 2010 BUT please, PRETTY PLEASE with sugar and cherries on top submit your story as soon as you can so we can start posting them! I’m not sure how I’m going to post them – how many per day, etc. because I don’t know how many I’m getting! I’m leaving that part of this project open to you writers. . . just submit, submit, submit! If you have a story that has been published elsewhere, tell me. Make sure you have the rights to have it published somewhere else. If you have a story on your blog, tell me. When you submit, attach – I repeat – ATTACH the story or poem in a Word document using 12 point Times New Roman font (a hard lesson I learned from the 12 Days antho – people like weird fonts!). In the body of the email, put a short bio about yourself, your sites, your work, whatever! Send the story or poem to softwhisperssubmissions@gmail.com with VDAY in the subject line. What that said. . . if you have a question, DM me on Twitter @wisneski or email me. Oh, and the winners of this little project. . . yes, there will be winners. . . get a box of chocolates! The top two stories and top poem authors will get a box of chocolates sent to them! Happy Valentine’s Day. . . so get writing. . .

(and a HUGE thanks to Jenna at Fortunate Creations for creating the logo/coverart for this project already!)

Spinning

by V.J. Maddox The room has just gone spinning, But I’m just sitting still…. I try to find a new way out – But this battle, is all uphill. I can lie, I can pretend, And say that I don’t care. The fact that no one notices Only adds to my despair. And why am I so hooked on you? You’re a drug that I can’t kick… Its already been three months now, The withdrawal is making me sick. So I spin, and fall endlessly, Into a void that no one can see. You can save me, but you won’t. What a pathetic guarantee…

Clock

by Jim Wisneski The second hand ticks the music so loud The minute hand tries. . . oh, it tries The hour hand asleep Gear grooves grind with grit Wires cross – an electric rainbow delight A calm cuckoo can’t control -“wake up” – it cries Chipped numbers -lines await their turn A platform to preachLittle doors to breach the whole world is out there. . . it’s waiting. . . for you.

Aching Heart

by Michelle Dennis Evans Gushing, running Feelings blunt Lurching luring Wet with anxiety Dripping from rain Flipped out over everything Hushed by sanity Denied by love Aching heart Wrenched out Given away Washed down stream

Meet Michelle Dennis Evans!

Michelle writes to inspire, take people on a journey and escape their world she is married to an incredibly hot man, with four delightful children.

Michelle won NaNoWriMo in 2009, is published in the 12 Days of Christmas by Jim Wisneski and enjoys sharing her faith, family, fiction and homeschooling journey at www.michelledevans.blogspot.com and @michelledevans on twitter.

Meet Angie Capozello!

Angie Capozello is an aspiring writer and poet, with far too many hobbies (gardening, blacksmithing, archery...) She has been working as a web design and marketing professional for 15 years. You can find her serial Flash Fiction stories, and articles on the business of writing, at http://techtigger.wordpress.com. You can also follow her on twitter at @techtigger.

Unbroken

by Angie Capozello Stars wheel overhead Like a flock of birds, Then scatter with the dawn. Yet each night they return To skydance in the darkness, Knowing time will win out And leave them as dust. Like the stars, I will stand, Unbroken, To stare down eternity Knowing that I will blink first.

Hide

by Jim Wisneski

Precious touch like a drizzle of rain running down my arm. A kicked wind more like a breeze they say. There’s greatness in destruction just adjust you granted eyes. Lead to the gallows! Watch the spirit fly away! A flock moves south they are silent. . . The large moves so solemn So impossible to know. They reach up – all reach up. They sing away Be safe they say Where the mountains rise is where the sun the black the wind hides.

Hey there world!

I know this isn't super extravagant Soft Whispers you may have thought it would be. . . but it’s what we have right now! I am working on a web site but as for now, it’s taking more time than I hoped and frankly, I don’t want to waste anymore time waiting for you great writers (and artists) to submit your work. It’s the start of a new year and this is the year 2k10 which is the year of FUN! For those who didn’t read my post on Wiz World about my thoughts on 2009 and 2010, check it out here: Wiz World I have the submissions post up and the welcome post up so take some time and look around for a minute or two and let me know what you think. The history of Soft Whispers: it started as a cool name and then grew into a publication. I wanted to provide an outlet for writers. I also wanted it to be published monthly and in print. The project never took off the way I hoped for various reasons but mostly revolving around money. Its costs too much to print and it started to take too much time away from my writing which is where I cut the cord. What’s the difference now? First, we have very limited fiction – a program that has 100 word count and one that had 1,000 word count. Mostly because as an ezine, I prefer to read short stories. I tried the longer stories with the original concept and they were too much to work with electronically. Second, I want this to be about the writing. So there’s no money involved. No costs to submit, no costs to see the issues, but also no payments for contributors. I’m looking to share poetry, art, super short fiction, and creativity. Anyone who has participated in A Line at a Time so far knows what I’m talking about. Third, there’s going to be tons of action here. My goal is something new everyday. Maybe not right off the bat, but in time. New poetry, new pictures, new, new, new. And then of course, the monthly issue which as I said will be free. There is also going to be a chance for contributors to win interviews on the blog to promote their own projects and sites. Finally, it’s going to be fun! The original concept was killer on me. I hated working with it. I hated checking my email and trying to check issues and costs. . . and I hated getting nasty emails from authors that I didn’t answer in the first five seconds of submitting or if I decided not to use their 10,000 word story that was so incoherent by the time I got to the end of it, I had no idea what happened! I know, you’re asking – how is it going to be any different with the hate mail? I’m sure I’ll get hate mail. . . but I hope not. BUT – I’ve found my comfort zone as far as what I can reply to and when and I’ve clearly posted it in the submissions page! Okay then, with that said. . . the first issue of the NEW Soft Whispers will be available February 5, 2010! So, get thinking, get writing, and get submitting!

Pic 1 k

This is our first Pic 1 k

Here are the rules:

Remember the old saying “A picture is worth a thousand words?” Our challenge to you: PROVE IT! On the first of each month, there will be a picture posted. Your job is to write a flash story – 1,000 words or less – based on that picture and send it in. The top four stories will be published on the blog. The top two will be published in the issue and the grand prize winner will receive an interview on the blog. Submissions will run from the 1st of the month to the 15th. Winners will be announced by the 20th and the 1st of the following month there will be a new Pic 1 k and a new issue of Soft Whispers. There are no guidelines other than it has to be 1,000 words or less. . . and 1,000 means 1,000. If your story (not including the title, name, and bio) is 1,001, it will be deleted. Send submissions to softwhisperssubmissions@gmail.com . Story MUST be attached – nothing in the body of the email except your introduction, where you found Soft Whispers, and a short bio. Please also put Pic 1 k in the subject line or else it won’t be filtered and we won’t get it! ATTENTION ARTISTS! If you have a picture that you would like to use for the Pic 1 k program, please follow the above instructions and attach your art as a .jpg file! If we use your art for the Pic 1 k, you will receive a interview on the blog.

Please note that for this month, we are extending the deadline to 25th!

A Line at a Time #10

Okay, I have #alaat 10 posted on Writers n' Writers so I'm going to link it up just this one time and then from Janaury 18th on it will be here! PS - the rules for #alaat at with the post so if you haven't participated, make sure you read them! A Line at a Time #10

Want a fun, non paying job?

I’m looking for regulars to write poetry for the blog. My goal is to get about ten dedicated people who can write at least one poem every two weeks. I want to have something posted on this blog everyday – something new. I am also willing to have people contribute art and short, 100 word stories to be posted on the blog too. (Yes, I’d still consider the work for the monthly issue!) The keyword here is dedicated. Does that mean you have to sign a contract in blood or anything? Of course not. But what I’m asking for honesty. If you jot down some verses on a daily basis or once a week and they are just lying around, why not share them? That’s all I’m looking to do. I have lots of poetry that I’d love to share with the world and I know there are others like me who have some pages sitting around collecting dust. As I said, a poem every two weeks works for me but by all means, the more the better. And the poetry could be anything. It could be a single line. It could be fifty lines. Hell, it could be a single word – if accompanied by a picture that captures the art of it. Anyway, if you feel you can at least contribute something – anything – at least once every two weeks, please email me personally at Jim@JimWisneski.com and let me know what you are interested in submitting. I’ll get back to you as soon as possible and hopefully we can get the ball rolling! Thanks – Jim

Submissions!

NEW submissions (updated 8/13/2010): Soft Whispers is looking for poetry, short stories, pictures, and art. There really isn’t much we won’t take a look at, so try us! We are looking for people who have enough material to do what we’re going to call “feature weeks”. These will done bi-weekly and the person will have five days and five pieces of work published. Could be just poetry OR mix it up a little… some poetry, some art, etc. AND we aren’t stopping there. We WANT to see collaborations. It would be really neat to see two people have a feature – maybe one poet and one artist? Maybe two poets writing about the same material? Please send all inquiries about feature weeks to SoftWhispersStuff@gmail.com with FEATURE in the subject line. Now, before we had accepted general poetry… but no longer. We want feature weeks. So, if you have a poem to submit, why not dig up (or write) four more and then submit? As you can see, these submissions are a bit shorter than the book they were before! Now, before anyone cringes or yells… YES, A Line at a Time & Pic 1 k will still be valid writing programs on Soft Whispers… but they too are coming with changes. Before, it was a pain with all the little rules and constantly changing the pictures, etc. that it drove people away from the programs and made it very hard on us to keep track of it. So we are throwing the rule book out the window and starting from scratch…
Pic 1 k – We’re keeping the name but changing everything about it. There will be a picture posted on the first of the month. It will stay put for two full months. Your job is to write WHATEVER YOU WANT about the picture. Write a story. Write a poem. Write a one liner… whatever. There are no word limitations and you can submit as much as you want. What we’re going to do is gather all the entries and the ones we accept, we will post on the off weeks that aren’t being used as feature weeks. (See how nice everything comes together!) Email your stories/poems to SoftWhispersStuff@gmail.com with PIC 1 K in the subject line.
A Line at a Time – A minor change here. The picture for ALAAT will be posted on the first of each month. Your job is to write one line about it and email it to us privately. Then we will gather the lines together and it will make a poem that we will post. Email you one lines to SoftWhispersStuff@gmail.com with A LINE AT A TIME in the subject line.
FOR ALL SUBMISSIONS: Include all the information you want shared. Name, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Your site… a short bio. Whatever. We want to make sure if your material is published, people will be able to find you!
GUESS WHAT? That’s it. It’s as simple as that. If anyone has any questions, email Jim at SoftWhispersStuff@gmail.com and put JIM in the subject line.

Welcome to the NEW Soft Whispers!

The purpose of Soft Whispers is the provide poetry, art, and a few stories. It’s to be a community with other writers out there and provide support and outlets. Yes, the site looks different. Yes, there are new submissions, new contests, a new blog, and more people, but trust us, that’s a great thing!

What are we looking for? That’s easy – we want heart.

As our blog and site and publication get up and running, we are going to provide something new everyday with a “Best of” monthly publication that will be FREE to the world to view. Our writers are dedicated poets – some are artists, some are fiction writers, some are published authors, poets, and artists. The great news is that we are ALWAYS looking for new poets and artists to step up and submit, so don’t be afraid to do so!

Artists – we have not forgotten about you! There are too many good pictures out there that aren’t being shared. . . so we are doing something about it! Do you draw? Do you sketch? Do you paint? Do you photos that are worthy of being shared? Yes to any of these, PLEASE submit! So what’s changed????

The new stuff:

Poetry. Lots of it. We are hoping to post at least four to five poems a week for your to enjoy. In our busy world, we know it’s hard to stop and read and breath sometimes BUT take five minutes a day and enjoy a good poem and it can do great!

Art. Yes, art. We want it all – drawings, painting, sketches, photography. . . we want it! There are two contests being held in conjunction with this section of the magazine. First, there is a new program called “Pic 1 K” – remember how people say a picture is worth a thousand words? Prove it! For our fiction writers, we are going to post a picture on the 1st of the month and submissions will close on the 20th of the month.

Fiction. The only fiction will be for the new program called “Pic 1 K”. This will be a monthly contest where a picture is posted on the 1st of the month on our blog. Your job is to write a story about the picture in 1,000 words or less. Two winners will be published in the Soft Whispers issue and one grand prize winner will be interviewed on the blog along with their story.

ALAAT. A Line at a Time. A fun program where we post a picture on Monday and submissions close on Friday. Your job is to write one line and send it to Jim privately. The poems will be posted on the Soft Whispers blog and then published in the issue. Check out the past ALAAT here: A Line at a Time (#alaat)

Visit our submissions page for more details. . . and let the fun begin!