We’ve had a recent influx of members lately.

The best thing about Desi Writers Lounge, is the quality we demand from our members and the utmost confidence we place in them to achieve it. Compliments really are a writer’s enemy as is unfounded criticism, but helpful critique…yes, that’s useful and I would like to think we provide just that, aside from sharing a healthy camaraderie with one another. It doesn’t take too long for a new member to join the circle of friends and writers that Desi Writers Lounge is made of. It’s just nice to know we’ve accomplished that.

Another good thing about the Lounge (we’re feeling particularly immodest today!) is the fact that we don’t encourage censorship considering the variety of material and subjects our writers write on and are accepted into publication. True freedom of expression, and that’s a tremendous accomplishment on our part. Look at Chowk; they never published “Snow Angels”, which is on the lighter side of the spectrum as far as “out there” stories go. Considered a test on our part to gauge their reaction, the result makes us feel prouder of what we’ve accomplished as a collective.

There might be a lesser number of members, but we’re damned if the posters aren’t extremely talented or at least, haven’t been brought out of their shells and begun to reach their truest potential. That’s what you get when you’re a Desi Writer, I guess. Everything else comes hand in hand.

Here’s to a brilliant surge of creativity in 2009!

Just wanted to take this opportunity to wish all our readers and members a happy new year! Hope you hold true to whatever resolutions (if any) you make on the cusp of 2009.

– TPTB

From what started as a casual discussion of impending milestones for our members approaching 1,000 posts and a suited name for them (we settled on the “Millenials”, courtesy of one of our only members who’s reached the coveted spot, JC), and an elaborate comicbook type plot perpetuated by the aforementioned member, the idea has taken root and is now blooming into a full fledged comic strip idea, to be featured on our website once the characters have been sketched out.

For now, there are just two three four in the Millenial gang – Justice Jalal, the Mpress, Sahylar and Darth Noor (a shoutout to Star Wars fans everywhere!) – however, they will soon be joined by Imaginary and clarice – the purple princess. Our members have been alarmingly good sports about this, and have accepted their “millenial” names as their forum personas.

So while the Millenials mayn’t be making their first official appearance until after the E-Zine debuts in mid-late Jan, 2009 they will be seen sometime after that.

What do you guys think about the idea? Interested, curious or turned off entirely at the idea of literary superheroes battling it out with the worst enemies of writers everywhere? Comment away!

Edited: To include S and DN, our latest Millenial(s).

Due to the combined workload of the e-zine editing and coordinating the first transcontinental, Internet meeting, any subsequent readings held in either Islamabad or Karachi have been pushed back to somewhere in 2009.

As always, if you’re interested, send in the material to readings@desiwriterslounge.net and it will be featured on a first come, first serve basis.

That’s it.

– TPTB

Planning is moving forward for the first international meet of Desi Writers Lounge, pushing back boundaries of distance and geographic location and spanning continents, this is by far one of the most elaborate meetings ever. Getting everyone to the location is a Herculean task in of itself, everything else will (hopefully) fall into place.

Meanwhile, polls have started going up for the next e-zine issue, planned for July, 2009 with polls ending on April 15, 2009. January and July seem to be our publication points. It goes without saying that the editing process has been streamlined to incorporate the varying times and availabilities of our editors and their accompanying wards.

Publication is slated for mid January of the new year.

As for the much touted transcontinental meet, it comes to be December 25 on man’s greatest invention: cyberspace.

We’ll let you know how that goes!

– TPTB

Here’s the thing: editing began close to 9 days ago for three of our editors, while two are pushing back their dates until they become fully available to their wards. So whereas some of our shortlisted candidates may have heard from their editors, there are some among that list and new candidates that have yet to be contacted because their editors are a little busy.

Obi should get in touch with his wards by Tuesday, and Shehla aka “Clarice” will be available from Dec 1 onwards. Editing concludes January 16, 2009 so you guys won’t be lagging behind too far.

Meanwhile, work is continuing on streamlining all pieces that are being edited. It’s going to be sad to see any of the material go down the drain, which might also happen if the editors don’t hear back from their respective wards soon and so aren’t satisfied with the final outcome. Be warned of their wrath!

They hold the future in their hands…

– TPTB

Heads up, peeps! The pieces for inclusion in the e-zine have been shortlisted and the members will be contacted shortly both in terms of what they can expect from the process, and to the fact that this musn’t in any way raise their hopes. Much along the lines of the last issue, no piece is finalized until after the edit. If, for any reason, the piece is found lacking either by its editor or the Chief Ed or both, it will be struck from the issue no explanations. We ask our members and all involved to respect this decision.

As we’ve discussed; each piece needs a massive edit to make it into the ‘zine, and nothing’s safe. Work hard with your editors, and they’ll work hard with you; it’s a give and take relationship so make it work. Writers who cross poetry/prose boundaries will be working with different editors, so chances are if you’re a poet who doubles as a prose writer or vice versa, you’ll be working with two or possibly three different editors at one time. We expect you to make it work.

Editing will begin either Saturday evening or Sunday morning spanning for two months and ending in mid-January; publication is still slated for January ’09.

G’luck, g’luck!

– TPTB

Editing has yet to begin, but that’s mainly because we’ve put a new policy in place for e-zine selection. It took us 3.5 hours last Sunday to go through only two sections (The Abstract Thinker and The Poet), even though we left no room for idle chit chat. Because of the large quantity of material we had to deal with in this 6 month term, we’ve realized that maybe a meeting is not the best of ideas to get the job done. Enter Google Docs. Our resident “editor in chief” has put up an excel document that trajectorizes who voted for what, who’s responsible for what and in general, where they’re at in the editing business. It’s a transition from the way we worked to the way we will be working from this issue onward. It’ll be helpful to know where the individual editors stand on their individual pieces so when the executive call comes around, the chief ed knows what to do.

Meanwhile, please know that because your pieces have made it past Round 1: Selection and into Round 2: Editing, this does not necessarily equate that they’ll make it into the e-zine itself. If the pieces are found to be lacking in any way, or the editor feels the end result was not satisfactory, they will be stricken from the issue. There are some that have already been sidelined, and are subject to a substantial edit to be given e-zine accreditation. Please know that this is all subject to quality only, and it’s not personal.

Having said that, once everything is finalized and we’re ready to launch Phase 2: E-Mentoring, the respective authors will be introduced to their editors and the editing will begin.

Publication of Volume 4 is slated for January, 2009.

Our Karachi chapter has arranged for a proper reading this time around, where you’ll need to bring something to read although it isn’t necessary. Expect many participants to bring something, however. But hey, no pressure! Details are below:

What: Desi Writers Lounge Karachi Reading (officially, it’s the first reading)
Where: Cafe Avenue on Zamzama
When: October 20, 2008 @ 6 pm (Updated)
RSVP: If you’re a ‘Lounge member, head over to the Coordinations, Coordinations board and leave your mark. if you’re not a member, email in to readings@desiwriterslounge.net and we’ll address your queries.

That’s all for today, folks! Hope the Karachiites will see it fit to mosey over to the rendezvous point and engage in some fruitful intellectual banter. We’ve been told our readings are anything but boring!

Update: The meeting date has been bumped forward due to unforeseen circumstances for non attendance by some regular members.

Due to the wealth of material the editors need to read through, I’ve pushed the date of our meeting forward by close to a month, which of course means the editing process will begin a month later and end a month later.

Though we’ll try for a December 31 publication date, Volume 4 might see the light of day some time in the first week of 09. We’re committed to quality, and there’s a lot of material to wade through.

As you can see, we don’t take this task lightly.