The A3 Review has launched a short story and flash fiction Critique Service. Stories up to 5,000 words will receive detailed feedback and guidance from The A3 Review‘s editor, Shaun Levin, and guest editor, KM Elkes.

Find out more about the Critique Service and the Editors here.

This month’s A3 Review contest is the last chance to qualify for inclusion in Issue 5.The theme is TRACKS. Some things to think about for inspiration: Write about tracks listened to and tracks run on. Your favourite track, the song or tune that sends you back, the track you’ve played on a loop or cannot bear to hear. Use your favourite music track as inspiration (listen to it as you write). Write about the karaoke tracks you’d choose, the tracks that make you want to dance or cry. What do you listen to when working out or running (on a track!). Write from the musician’s point of view about cutting a track. Write or draw or photograph other types of tracks: ones you follow through woods or across fields; picking up the track of someone or something. Think train tracks, bike tracks, tracking someone online; the inside and outside tracks, being on the right track – or even the wrong track! Don’t backtrack. Make tracks. Explore the fast track, the wrong side of the tracks, or the one-track mind. Are you keeping track? Then enter the contest here.

We welcome short fiction, graphic stories, memoir, photographs, illustrations or any combination of the above. The only restriction is a word-limit of 150 and images should fit well into an A6 panel. The deadline is 27 August 2016.

Guest editor and award-winning author KM Elkes will choose two winners from the contest to go into Issue #5, to be published next month (September). All winning entries will receive Writing Maps and contributor copies, while three overall winners receive cash prizes (1st = £150; 2nd = £75; 3rd = £50).

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