The Slam is all about feedback. Slammers write, and other Slammers -- come one, come all! -- rush in to offer critiques. Some critiques are gushing, some are scathing, but all offer constructive advice for improvement. It takes feedback, lots of it, for any writer to move forward and perfect the craft. But there's one member of The Slam who hasn't been getting a lot of feedback lately. That's right, dear Slammers, you guessed it: your very own Slam Master.

Every month, I post a Slam Master's Rant: an editorial designed to entertain, enlighten, and elucidate particular joys or conundrums of writing. But I need help from you, dear Slammers, to make the Slam Master's Rant even better. I want to know what topics you want to read about, and what purposes you think the Slam Master's Rant should serve.  Do you read the Rant every month? Only sometimes? What can I do to make this part of the site more interesting and more relevant?  I have lots of ideas, and I will be collecting advice to decide how best to integrate these ideas into future Rants on the site. Here are a few things I would love to hear about:

-- Over the past few months, most of my Rants have given shout-outs to particular Slammables, using your own work to address larger issues of writing. Does this provide a useful link to the month's Slammables, and get you excited about reading the latest offerings? Or would you prefer I take a wider view, bringing in more excerpts from outside writers to provide insight on the writing process?

-- Last month, I profiled Karen Kincy, a Slammer who recently published her first novel. Did you enjoy hearing from a Slammer who has taken the next step in her writing career? Would you like to read more interviews with fellow Slammers, or more profiles of young debut novelists?

-- As those of you who read my March and April Rants know, I have written a few editorials by Slammer request. Do you have ideas for other topics you would like me to cover, or questions you would like me to answer?

-- Do you like the Slam Master's Rant to have a regular style from month to month, or would you like to mix it up a little -- more poetry ("To the Limerick"), more whimsy ("Most Popular Poetic Topic Awards"), more interviews and special features? Is it too long? Too short?  Too irreverent? Too gosh-darned tedious?

It's all up to you, Slammers! Email me at theslam@caruspub.com to tell me what you think -- there's no comment too brief or too involved, no critique too harsh or too glowing. I will answer every email I receive, and I will do my best to incorporate your suggestions into future Rants. I've seen your critiquing powers at work on The Slam, and I know there's a whole army of thoughtful, articulate, enthusiastic Slammers out there right now, just waiting to put their thoughts into action. Who better to go to for advice? After all, dear Slammers, The Slam belongs to you. Help us make it the best that it can be!

Cheers,

Ann Pedtke
Slam Master