WGI: Wading in the water.

I'm thrilled to see such a positive and immediate response to this year's Watery Grave Invitational. Nine out of ten of those who received the automatic or personal invitations have already accepted. And as of this writing, fourteen writers have tossed their hats into the ring to vie for the remaining ten invitations. Quality? There is some serious quality already in play this year. But don't let me sell you. These writers' work sells itself with no help from me.

Here are the folks with automatic or personal invitations who've already accepted the challenge. I count several award winners/finalists among this group.

Nigel Bird
Joe Hartlaub
Chad Eagleton
Liam Jose
Ian Ayris
David Cranmer
Jane Hammons
Todd Mason
Paul D. Brazill

And here is what I think is already a most impressive list of writers, each of whom has demonstrated the necessary chops to rake in all the chips this year:

• COUNTDOWN by John Kenyon (Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers)
• BREAK UP TO MAKE UP by Rosemarie Keenan (Lady, make a note of this)
• WHAT THE DOG SAW by Eric Beetner(At the Bijou)
• THE PICKLE by Chris La Tray(Beat to a Pulp)
• CHARLES IN CHARGE by Sean Patrick Reardon(Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers)
• WE'RE ALL GUYS HERE by Thomas Pluck (Pluck You, Too!)
• I DON'T FUCKIN' CARE ABOUT NOTHING by Jimmy Callaway(Kung Fu Factory)
• IN GOD'S OWN TIME by Sandra Seamans(A Twist of Noir)
• PENANCE by Veronica Marie Lewis-Shaw(Veronica the Pajama Thief)
• ALL THOSE WINDOWS, ALL THOSE DOORS by Pamila Payne(Bella Vista)
• PRISONER'S DILEMMA by Sigmund Werndorf(Thuglit)
• BIT PLAYERS by Patricia Abbott(Spinetingler (and the grand prize winner in their PAY THE BITCH BACK contest))
• LET THE BOY SHOW YOU by Brian S. Roe(Title Fights)
• IT TAKES YEARS OF TRAINING by Fiona Johnson(McDroll...The Journey to a Perfect Life)

All of the above links, plus others that will (I hope) be added during the week, will be available throughout the entire competition in the right-most sidebar, under the heading "WGI APPLICANTS - 2011."

I am so excited to see the level of competition we are going to have. You writers, you all ROCK!