I Write Like . . . Really?

Here's a quick way to discover which author your writing resembles. It's entertaining and somewhat enlighting, although I'm not sure how accurate the results are.

I Write Like is a site you can enter, copy and paste an excerpt of your writing into a text box, and find out which famous writer you write like. The site claims to use a statastical analysis tool to analyze word choices and writing style and compare it to famous writers to see which one your writing resembles.

Sounds interesting, right? So the other day I pasted an excerpt from a short story I've recently written. I was hoping to learn I write like Flannery O'Connor or Katherine Ann Porter, two of my favorite short story writers. I was surprised to find out my writing resembles . . . David Foster Wallace. Really?

His name is familiar, but I've never read any of his work. So, I did a search. The link above is one of many that talks about his writings, his life, and his death. Such a sad waste of talent lost too soon.

Back to the I Write Like site. Visiting the site is quick and easy, but its results are not without critics.

In today's New York Times, David Itzkoff writes about "Getting the Not-Quite-Right Stuff from I Write Like." In his article he relates how he tested the site with three well-known literary passages. The results are quite amusing.

If you're the curious type and don't take these statistical analysis tools too seriously, tool on over to I Write Like and give it a go. It's free and fun, and after you get your results, you can mention that your writing style is like (insert famous author's name) in you bragging "writes."

And if you're a brave soul, you can post your results here so we'll all know who you write like.

Voice Matters with Cathy C. Hall

Thanks to everyone who left comments the past few days on my post about "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee.

One of Lee's biggest fans is Cathy C. Hall, a Southern humor writer with a great voice of her own. Let me clarify. I've never heard Cathy sing--although I've read on her blog that she sings in her church choir--but I'm a regular reader of Cathy C's Hall of Fame and have read articles, poems, and stories she has written in other media. Cathy's writer's voice has an uplifting touch of humor with an undercurrent of wisdom.

In the Fiction Writer's Toolkit feature in the July/August 2010 issue of WOW! Women on Writing, Cathy uses both humor and wisdom to craft her excellent article, "Voice: Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are." In her article, Cathy suggests one way to learn about voice is to read, read, read. She praises the voice of Scout in Harper Lee's timeless favorite, "To Kill a Mockingbird."

For her article, Cathy interviewed several writers and quotes them about their favorite writers'/characters' voices. One of the quoted writers--ahem, that would be me--mentions the unique and memorable voice of India Opal Buloni in "Because of Winn-Dixie" by Kate DiCamillo as being a favorite. Don't you just LOVE the first sentence of that book?

But wait, there's more! In her article, Cathy also suggests ways to help you, as a writer, find your own-- sometimes elusive but always unique--writer's voice. So, hop on over and read Cathy's article in the July/August WOW! to learn more.

God Bless Harper Lee

If you ask people to name their favorite books, odds are "To Kill Mockingbird" by Harper Lee is on most lists. Many of my writing friends claim it as one of their favorites. It's one of my favorites, too. Harper Lee's ground-breaking book, the only one she's ever published, became an instant best seller and a classic which has sold millions of copies, and it continues to make bestseller lists.

Fifty years ago today, on July 11, 1960, Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" was published. The following year she was awarded a Pulitizer Prize for fiction.

I read "To Kill a Mockingbird" in high school during the mid-1960s, a turbulent time for civil rights in America. I remember being impressed by the bravery of Scout and the wisdom of her father Atticus Finch.

Flash forward to the 1980s. My husband Walt and I and our two children Julie and Erik were living in Germany when Julie read "To Kill a Mockingbird" while she was in high school. For Julie, living overseas and being a teenager was a time of big hair, shopping, boys, and make-up, but it also was a time when we bonded through a book we both had read and liked.

A few years ago a thirty-something neighbor was out walking her new yellow lab puppy. When I asked her what the pup's name was, she answered, "Scout."

"From 'To Kill a Mockingbird'?" I asked.

A wide grin stretched across her face. "You're the first person who's made the connection," she said.

Our conversation switched from dogs to books.

This past year my granddaughter Cari read "To Kill a Mockingbird" while a high school freshman. At night while she worked on her English homework, we discussed the book. It brought back memories of when her mom, my late daughter Julie, and I talked about Scout, Boo Radley, and Atticus Finch.

Last week for my husband's birthday, Walt, Cari, Michael, and I all rode out to our place in Osage County. As we drove down winding country roads past farms and fields and cows and horses. Eleven-year-old Michael spotted a huge oak tree out in the middle of a field. He asked why it was there. Walt speculated that some farmers didn't trust banks and buried money and valuables around trees, but they wanted to be able to keep it in their sight.

Cari chimed in. "That tree reminds me of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and Boo Radley."

Much has changed over the past 50 years.

The book's cover has an updated look, but for me it will always be a book of special memories of times that connected me with with friends, neighbors, and especially loved ones.

So, Happy Anniversary to "To Kill a Mockingbird," and for creating such a wonderful story and such cherished memories, thanks and God bless Harper Lee!

Cup of Comfort Call for Submissions

A writing friend recently told me the market for inspirational anthologies isn't as strong as it has been in the past. Speculation is there are too many competing anthologies and not a large enough readership. With the popularity of the Twilight series and similar books, it could be lots of folks are reading about vampires or werewolves instead. Vampires and werewolves aside, I found this call for submissions for a Cup of Comfort for Christian Women with a deadline of August 15.

I've been fortunate with the Cup of Comfort market. Three of my true-life stories have appeared in their anthologies. "Julie's Gift" is in Cup of Comfort for Women; "Santa Wore Cowboy Boots" is in Cup of Comfort for Christmas; and "Welcome Home" is in Cup of Comfort for Military Families. Beyond the publication credit and payment, each of these stories is special to me because they are about loved ones.

A few of the writer benefits have changed since my first CoC publication. Payment for the Christian Women anthology is $50, which is half of what I received for my previous publications with Adams Media, the publisher. The publisher also used to pay for interviews and book signings, but after my last signing I was told they no longer pay for those.

Even with the reduced payment, a Cup of Comfort publication is an impressive one for writers to have on their resumes, even more so if it's for a story that is a special one that a writer wants to see in print. So, if this anthology is something that interests you, here's a link to the guidelines.

Oh, and good luck!

Humorous Headlines from Women's Day Magazine

I could use a laugh today. How about you?

Writing is not an easy job, and working on deadline can cause writers to make mistakes on copy or accidentally create something funny, like these ten hilarious newspaper headlines on the Women's Day Magazine website.

My favorites are: "Missippi's literacy program shows improvement," "Students cook and serve grandparents," and "Get 50% off or half price, whichever is less."

Here are my questions:

Which of the ten are your favorites?

Do you have any headlines to share that have made you laugh out loud?

Have you ever accidentally written anything with a humorous double meaning?

A Perfect Day - And A Beach Bag of Books

Yesterday was a perfect day. For Walt's birthday we spent the day at our country place in Osage County. The kiddos and I rode four-wheelers and picked blackberries. Cari and I watered the flowers at the gravesite. Walt and Michael cut grass on the riding mowers, and Harley chased us all around before hopping in the pond. The kiddos didn't argue or fight--they helped each other--and Walt and me. Even the tics and mosquitos left us alone. We didn't make it down to the river--maybe next time. We ate a picnic lunch then had birthday cake after we got home.

Here's another way to enjoy a perfect day, courtesy of Bookreporter. Between now and Sep 3, Bookreporter is featuring another Beach Bag of Books giveaway. For this go-around they are giving away five bags filled with: a beach towel, a water bottle, flip flops, a badminton game, several other beach-related items, and four paperback books. The book titles for this giveaway are: The Breaking of Eggs, Light Boxes, Sima's Undergarments for Women, and The Slap. Here are the contest guidelines and entry form. This four-book giveaway ends on July 9. After that, another group of books will be featured.

Good luck, and happy summer!

Lessons from My Critique Group

The talent and wisdom of my critique group members amazes and humbles me. Our group meets every Tuesday at a local coffee shop/wine bar to read and critique one another's works.

Either Lou Turner (CEO/Editor of High Hill Press) or I "run" the group by calling on readers and trying to get things moving, although the group runs mostly on auto-pilot. Sometimes things get messy; sometimes people get testy, but we all respect one another, and mostly we all learn.

Occasionally, like last Tuesday, we are treated to a song by Nick Nixon, a local country-western legend and an amazing singer/songwriter who is working on his memoir.

Generally I don't read; I offer comments, suggestions, and encouragement, but lately I've been trying to bring something to read once or twice a month. Last Tuesday I brought a flash fiction piece I thought was ready to be mailed off to a contest--and would, no doubt, be a winner. How wrong I was!

Here's what I learned (or re-learned) this week:

* Even though I've polished, reviewed, rewritten, and revised my manuscript, comments from my group always make it better.

* Respect. I try to treat all members of the group with respect, even when our writing style or sensibilities are vastly different.

* Everyone in the group brings something to the table. A few of our members grew up on farms, so if my setting is on a farm, I get advice from built-in experts. Nick explained the difference between "Haw, Haw." and "Come up," commands for a horse. One member is an expert (and uber-fast) copy editor. Alice always manages to find double words, misplaced modifiers, and spelling mistakes. She also will run off copies for you if your printer is on the fritz if your e-mail your ms to her in advance. Lou has a lot of contacts in the publishing industry, including editors, agents, and bestselling writers. When Lou talks about structure, plot, or what she thinks makes a piece marketable, I value her advice. All other members have their own special areas of expertise, which are too long to mention here.

* Listen. Sometimes it's a comment from a writer who doesn't always say a lot that is spot-on. The quiet ones are usually deep thinkers whose advice on character motivation, theme, or literary merit offer fresh perspectives.

*Read the marked-up copies. Not all suggestions from the group are spoken, so I make sure to read all comments written on the copies.

* Check your ego at the door. This has been a long-standing saying at our critique group. Sometimes I need a reminder because no matter how good I think my writing is, an insightful suggestion can help.

* Use what works and discard what does not. I've learned to be selective in which suggestions I incorporate into my final manuscript.

* Stay true to my vision and vioce. Many comments are valid, but if they change my voice or vision for the piece, while I'm grateful for their suggestions, I stay true to my voice.

* Always say "Thank you." Although I try to remember to do this after each critique, it doesn't hurt to say it more often.

I'm sure there's more I learned this week, but that's all I can think of for now.

Yesterday I mailed off my critique-checked flash fiction piece. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Even if it doesn't win, I know it's a much improved story.

Oh, and Happy July! Can you believe the year is already half-way over? Time to revisit my writing goals and check out my progress.