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.

Call for Submissions from ApronStrings

Being an Irish-American, I have a fondness for all things Irish, and the trip my sisters Kathleen, Bridget, and I made to Ireland in 1995 is one of my favorite memories. My writing friend Dianna Graveman knows about my fondness for Ireland, and she sends me call outs with an Irish slant.

Last year she sent me a call out for an Irish Inspirations anthology from Blue Mountain Arts. I submitted an essay "Coming Home," which was accepted for publication and is included in the anthology.

Anyway, Dianna e-mailed the other day with a call-out, which she also posted about on her Write in the Midwest blog. The magazine, in Wicklow, Ireland, is ApronStrings: Essential Reading for all Mothers. The editors are looking for stories from "mothers of all ages in all stages." The primary focus of their magazine is on personal essays, but they accept feature articles and some short stories. Irish and International writers are invited to submit. Payment varies, depending on length.

For complete details, including payment information, visit the writers' guidelines page of their website.

Go n-éirí an t-ádh leat! (that's Good Luck! in Irish Gaelic)