Four days into my August Free Write 2026, the voices of those from who I descend are busy whispering in my ear.
My true voice is a result of people who gathered together and told stories, shared memories, revisited the past, discussed the present, gossiped and laughed and said we shouldn’t be talking about that or her or him or them, but did so anyway and as sad as the loss of these people has been, I’m certain many gone beyond are presently actively engaged in assigning guidance to those left behind, keeping an eye on their legacies living life in the down below - myself it seems chosen today, me the one with the story whispers in her ears: “Who has Sheree covered this week, she’s at the keyboard every day this August, you remember, like last August? I’ll take the first week, Georgia and June, which week do you two want, get busy whispering …”.
Welcome to my brain.
For me, a well-told story on any level centers a common place connecting readers to a shared experienced no matter where they live or where their people came from, whether they omit r’s or drawl the r’s in the word park. In Florida, grocery stores are sky-high with prices and literary possibilities. On a regular basis, I imagine an ALDI take down of grocery conglomerate Publix .Who wouldn’t read that?
***
Definitely a whispered story is crafted, perhaps with the use of literary constraints (or restraint, for that matter) not slapped down or warped peculiar with a supposed dialect or stereotypical narrative.
The voice must ring true.
Years ago, I took a weekend Bending Genres workshop led by writer Bud Smith. I thought this a good idea offering me a low profile, low stress threshold, so I jumped in and quickly stumbled. My writing floundered, fell flat and I felt over my head with my fellow writers who my brain deemed real writers.
So, I said f**k it and wrote what I wanted using my true voice. That story evolved into Whack! and found a home with BLACKCACKLE on Entropy Magazine (6/19/2020).
From time to time when I feel like my writing sucks or I feel less than, I think of and remain encouraged by the comments left by Bud for Whack!, then titled “Crimping”(December 2019).
Sheree,
Holy shit.
This story is a steamroller.
This is VOICE HEAVEN.
***
My criticism of this piece, is that I hope you have more like it, and if not, keep writing.
Bud is a born teacher and super motivator and yes everyone, I keep all my workshop notes.
Write your whispers. Use your voice. Keep writing.
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Bud Smith’s memoir WORK was rereleased July 2026 with sixty additional pages. Read more here.
Bending Genres workshops galore, read more here.
Read Whack! here.
Who doesn’t love a good grocery store story? Read Magazine Rack here, definitely a fave of mine.
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Writing familial or regional narratives can take a good while to find a publishing home.
I’ve noticed several lists of literary mags open for submissions circulating social media and thought I’d pass along a few of my own.
One hundred and eighteen Favorites are listed on my Duotrope list.
For this writing, I excluded the Temp/Closed/Inactive listings, dropping the number to fifty-nine.
From those fifty-nine, I’ve compiled a listing of literary magazines* possibly more open to regional flavor and currently accepting submissions.
For me, a good home has always been my goal to submit my work.
For me, it’s about passing the stories forward, well maybe a kernel of a true story I write way haywire.
It’s about legacy.
Thank you for reading. Onward and forward!
*These links link back to Duotrope. A search on a title should lead to the literary magazine of interest for those without a subscription.
Bottle Rocket Literary Magazine
The Fourth River SEMI-OPEN
Many Nice Donkeys Literary Magazine
The Oxford Review FLEDGLING
Keep writing, Sheree — and good luck with finding the right home for your collection. And thank you for this list!