Jessica Ferguson

Author, Writing Coach, Speaker

IWSG: Success: Where is it and How do I get There?

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Happy September!
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day.

The awesome co-hosts for the September 1 posting of the IWSG are Rebecca Douglass, T. Powell Coltrin @Journaling Woman, Natalie Aguirre, Karen Lynn, and C. Lee McKenzie!

September 1 question – How do you define success as a writer? Is it holding your book in your hand? Having a short story published? Making a certain amount of income from your writing?

——-

Sorry gang, I’m a little under the weather today, but I didn’t want to miss IWSG day. So here I am for just a second:

To my way of thinking, we all have our own definition of success. My success might not be yours. I like what Pele, the Brazilian pro football player had to say about success:

“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.”   

I think that sums it up. Come up with a game plan for your writing life then get busy. Work toward those goals and dreams. Success will find you when you least expect it. 🙂

IWSG Day: Favorite Craft Books

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The days and months are flying. It’s August already–another IWSG day. The purpose of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group is to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Our awesome co-hosts are PK Hrezo, Cathrina Constantine, PJ Colando, Kim Lajevardi, and Sandra Cox!

August 4 question always option is:  What is your favorite writing craft book? Think of a book that every time you read it you learn something or you are inspired to write or try the new technique. And why?

I think you’ll agree there are so many good craft books and we can learn from all of them. But let me ask how you read a craft book? From beginning to end? Spot read? Scan a paragraph here and there. Read just what you need? I have to admit I’m pretty guilty. Years ago I read a book called Writing Pop Fiction. The title alone tells you how long ago that was. 🙂 The author suggested the new writer (me) take 12 (or whatever) sheets of paper, each signifying a chapter and jot down a few things that might happen in each chapter. That pretty much helped me write my first two books and I find myself still reverting to that method when I’m having problems. But most times, I create a basic Beginning, Middle and End of my story or book. I think I learned that from Syd Field’s Screenwriting book.

When I read a craft book, I do so with a highlighter. Even if I read on my kindle, I highlight in various colors. I like to be able to revisit without reading the entire book.

One of my favorite how-to books is by Walter Mosley. I LOVE this book. I’ll quote here from my old blog: 

I love this instruction from This Year You Write Your Novel by Walter Mosley.

waltermosley.jpg

Poets know that poems are songs, but few of us realize that novels are too. If there is no music to your novel, no sound, then the book will be at best incomplete. You must have a rhythm to your characters, a unique cadence to the way each one speaks, an identifiable cacophony to the world(s) they inhabit, and a beat to the story that, when varied, gives the read an almost unconscious sign of events about to unfurl.

No one will tell you how to score your novel, so that means you have to discover the music for yourself.

This little book is about 128 pages; it was wonderful from beginning to end.  When I finished This Year You Write Your Novel, I felt rejuvenated, excited about writing and anxious to get back to my own books and stories.

Another book that I find wonderful for novelists and screenwriters is The Screenwriters Bible by David Trotter.

I liked it so much I bought my writing son-in-law a copy. As you can see, I’m heavy on the highlighter here. 

Books on the craft of writing are a must, but we need to actually read good books. We can learn so much from our favorite authors. I don’t know about you, but when I read a good story with characters I like, or that fascinate me, I feel encouraged to sit down and write.

Do you read with a highlighter in your hand?  How do you study a novel?

 

 

IWSG: What Would Make You Quit Writing?

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Today, Wednesday, is Insecure Writers Support Group day.

Our Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.

The awesome co-hosts for the July 7 posting of the IWSG are Pat Garcia, Victoria Marie Lees,and Louise – Fundy Blue!

Each month we have an optional question. This month it is: What would make you quit writing?

What would make me quit writing? Last month I would have said absolutely nothing. Discouragement hasn’t done it in forty plus years; and there has certainly been plenty of discouragement. With the popularity and acceptance of Indie publishing, rejection can’t crush me the way it once did.

If those two things can’t stop me, nothing can. At least, that’s what I thought. This week I know better.

I recently signed up for a webinar called The Pleasure of the Personal Essay, offered by Jane Freidman. Our instructor was Dinty W. Moore, one of my favorites. I have his excellent book, Crafting The Personal Essay.

Hearing Dinty speak about the essay stimulated my imagination, and encouraged me. I’ve always figured the essay is short and formal—not a relaxed observation with questions and answers, ponderings and research. I never realized an essay could be book-length. Have you ever heard of a book-length essay? The White Album by Joan Didion? Heavy by Roxane Gay? How did I miss the book-length essay? Is it something I’ve forgotten?

The seventy-five minutes of Dinty W. Moore’s voice was akin to pouring fuel on smoldering coals. My mind raced with all kinds of possibilities for writing essays about things that have touched me, scared me, confused me. Actions and observations that I’m still pondering from long ago and far away.

A couple of weeks ago, I went to see my 97 year old mother who has round the clock sitters. Mom was a spit-fire in her day. A country girl from Arkansas, bright red hair and freckles, she was the oldest of ten kids. Her dad was an ordained, self-proclaimed Baptist minister. And Grandpa was totally illiterate. He couldn’t read. He couldn’t write. Often we couldn’t even understand the word he was trying to say.

Mom always said he was too mean to learn, but later, she amended that to too lazy. I suspect today we’d label him with a learning disability.

But my auditory processing Grandpa learned the Bible by making his eight daughters read to him. And from listening to an odd assortment of preachers on the radio. (His two youngest children—sons—became preachers too, though to their credit, they were educated.)

Mom was the first to leave home. After a failed marriage to her best friend’s brother, she hopped a bus and headed to Texas where she became a nurse. And while there is a much interesting story between leaving Arkansas and meeting Dad, I’ll save it for a later date.

Each time I go home to Texas from Louisiana, I wonder what I’ll encounter. Will she sleep during our entire visit? Will she know me? Will she bring up embarrassing childhood events as if they happened to someone else? She loves to tell stories about switching my little brother’s legs; she can’t quite remember popping me when I stuck my face out and backtalked her.

For seven years, I was an only child. My little brother came along when I was a first grader. Today, our mom fuzzily recognizes us.

This recent visit, she called me by name then wept, covering her face with her manicured hands. Thankfully, her sitters spoil her. She always wanted beautiful nails—she has them now.

When she looked up at me, she asked: “You’re my daughter? I’m a mother?” I couldn’t help wonder why that would surprise her.

My brother warned that she’d done the same with him. Over and over again, the ritual played out. She would cry, look at us with tears streaming down her face.

“Mom, why are you sad about that?” Even as I said the words, I wondered if I really wanted to hear her answer.

“You don’t understand,” she said in a small voice that wasn’t hers. (Mom had never owned a small voice.) “I’m different from most people. I cry when I’m happy.”

Her logic was impressive. It was the small, pitiful voice that was so disconcerting.

I’m just as disturbed by the disconnect in her mind. How can one forget children of sixty and seventy years? The intimate things shared and learned together. The fights and disagreements? How can one forget much loved shopping trips?

Oh, how I dreaded those shopping trips, just as much as I loved the new clothes. Mom touched and examined every garment, every price tag, and then went back to the beginning and touched, examined them all again, wondering, visualizing, making her decision about the wisest investment. The quality. During my growing up years, she owned two starched nurse’s uniforms, bright white, not a stain anywhere, and two dresses for church. My closet was full.

How could she forget those unique bell bottoms she bought for me, or those black leather pants? I had matching shoes for my skirts and dresses. Pointed toes. T-straps. She was a shoe lover; and I was the recipient of her love for shoes. No matter the size, if they were on sale, they were mine. My toes scrunched into six and a half narrows and I stuffed cotton and Kleenex into the eights.

When I remember the life we shared, the laughter, the tears, the anger, the disagreements, the hostility, the sacrifice … I wonder where it is in her mind? What corner of her deteriorating brain protects those memories, because she is … was … a hoarder, of sorts. She has to be saving memories somewhere, doesn’t she?

She saved tiny chunks of Dial soap in bags—just in case. Not sandwich bags, but large plastic grocery bags filled full. Just in case we became a world without Dial.

Where are her memories? Maybe we aren’t in her mind anymore, but stuffed deep down in her heart. With her love for nursing. I always thought Mom loved nursing so much more than she loved us. But in hindsight …

The second day I saw my mother, she still knew my name, but when I told her I was her daughter, she laughed. An unrecognizable giggle, not the belly laugh I grew up with. My mother never giggled in her life—at least, not during my lifetime.

“Why are you laughing, Mom?” I asked.

“Because I’m so proud of you.”

Proud of me?

She doesn’t remember the hateful words, the times I disappointed her. She doesn’t recall her continuous sacrifice that couldn’t possibly have been fun. Sacrifice was something she did without thinking, for her family. Her second nature.

“I’m so proud of my children.”

Just like in the old days, through tears and laughter, we love each other.

For four days, we entertained each other with foreign dialogue that neither of us understood, and I came away knowing more about myself, my own life. Asking myself hard questions that may or may not have decent answers. I know one thing for certain: When asked what can make me quit writing, the answer will be … will always be …

I’ll write forever, until my children sit beside me and I look at them in dismay and ask: “You’re my children and … I’m a writer?”

 

Telling Stories Over and Over and Over Again!

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How many times can you write the same story? The same story, but different. The same story, but different authors.

I know we often encourage each other by saying we can give the same idea or plot to ten others and we’ll come away with ten completely different stories. That’s true. I believe it.

I’ve said before that while writing The Groom Wore Blue Suede Shoes, three Elvis books were published before mine was even finished. That’s always discouraging and a little frightening. Are ideas just floating around in the air, waiting for someone to grab ’em. Well, as weird as it sounds, I do sort of believe that. I know all good things in our lives come from God, and that we can do nothing on our own. That includes getting good ideas. I certainly didn’t come up with those great ideas–the ones those bestselling writers grabbed and ran with.  

Recently I’ve seen two of my ideas come to pass, written by others. They were enough like my idea that if I write mine now, I’ll feel like a copy cat.

I know there aren’t any “new” ideas; everything’s been done/written already. I’m trying to break myself of the habit of “mulling things around in my head” forever and a day. I’m a slow thinker, but a pretty fast writer. Does that make sense. 🙂

I’ve written a little more than 100 pages of my inspirational romance. A couple weeks ago, I picked up one of the Love Inspired books in Walmart and guess what, the theme was almost exactly the same as mine. Except the author offered a cute twist. 🙂 So it was different, but the same.

After I fought away the doubt, despair, and agony I took a look through my realistic lens.  By the time I finish my book, query the editor, wait for a reply, actually sell it, go through revisions, all the necessary steps involved, more than a year will have passed. I’m sure even more stories like mine will have been published.

The point is, when this happens we can’t get discouraged. We need to just finish our books! We can try for a traditional publisher or we can indie publish. After all, we’re in the land of opportunity, aren’t we? (Unless books, reading, writing, and publishing are cancelled. Yikes!)

Have you seen some of your ideas come to fruition by other writers? Did you keep writing or did you get so discouraged you gave up? Hopefully, you kept writing!

 

IWSG Day: Shelving Your Work

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Welcome to June, and another IWSG meeting. We appreciate Alex J. Cavanaugh and his gang who make certain IWSG runs smoothly. IWSG posts the first Wednesday of each month. Find the entire list of participants here. 

Our purpose is to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.

The awesome co-hosts for this June 2 posting of the IWSG are J Lenni Dorner, Sarah Foster,Natalie Aguirre, Lee Lowery, and Rachna Chhabria!

Our optional question this month is:

For how long do you shelve your first draft, before reading it and re-drafting? Is this dependent on your writing experience and the number of stories/books under your belt? 

I sometimes shelve my work for years but I don’t think that is actually shelving. That’s probably closer to procrastination or losing interest. But to answer the question, for me every story is different. I guess my answer depends on how excited I feel about the story, how rough a draft it is, and if I’ve written it for a publisher, a magazine or a contest. Maybe it’s even a gut feeling thing.

As mentioned in a previous post, I have a series of four novellas that I wrote several years ago in quick succession. I haven’t looked at them since. I even made a Pinterest page for each one. I’m sure if and when I get back to them I’ll be appalled at the convoluted mess, or excited for the challenge. I’m hoping for the latter.

When it comes to revision, sometimes I’ll revise as I go, and then I’ll put the story aside for a few weeks.

I call myself an intuitive writer. Some of my books and stories spill out of me while others require an outline. Don’t ask me why. I think each story sort of has a life of its own and “tells” me how it wants to be treated. That sounds weird, doesn’t it, but I’ll bet some of you know what I mean.

I come from a journalism background so I’ve taught myself to write pretty fast. There usually isn’t a lot of “shelf” time when you write for newspapers or biweekly magazines. That’s helped my fiction writing, but it usually means more revision. Writing fast is great for just getting the story down.

For the past several days, I’ve been playing around with plottr. I think I talked about it in my previous blogpost. I’m really enjoying “constructing” my newest book and plottr is helping me pull together the middle where I often flounder.

If any if you have a manuscript that took off on so many rabbit trails that you lost your way, I encourage you to give plottr a try. I’ll bet you can get that novel back on track using their 30 day free version. And then, you’ll want to buy!

Now, a bit of good news I want to share: I entered a “hook” contest that Books and Such Literary Management sponsored in celebration of their 25th anniversary. The hook had to be 25 words or less. Today I learned I’m one of 25 semifinalist out of 317 submissions. I won a $10 Starbucks gift card and I’m invited to send a proposal based on my hook to them by June 15th.

How fun is that?

I’m curious: do you submit to contests? If so, what kind?

How Do You Write?

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I truly envy those of you who can sit down and plot your entire book scene by scene or chapter by chapter, including each character’s GMC. I can’t. Or maybe I should say I don’t plot to that extent. I use a very vague 3-act structure. And pile lots of random notes into my iPhone.

I start thinking about the story when an idea or a character with a goal or a problem pop into my mind. I vaguely map out the little I know —and hope it’s enough to keep me excited. I’ll be able to tell soon enough … when I start writing. The actual writing is where I get to know my characters and my story. Would you call me a pantser?

I’m a fast typist. If I have a soft comfortable chair to sit in, I can write all day. I just think story and let my fingers fly. The problem, of course, is that there’s a heck of a lot of revision.

Once I wrote four novellas in the course of a few days. That was several years back and I often think about those short books, and how I might make them longer. The characters are still real to me. Their stories still excite me, but they’re so rough I’d probably be overwhelmed if I re-read them. I wonder how long revision would take. I used to love rewriting my novels. Now, not so much.

Every writer has their own writing/plotting/revision methods. Plotting is probably second nature to many of you. I’m good with beginnings and endings–meaning they come fairly easy. It’s the middle that stops me cold and hangs me up.

I’m investigating plottr. It seems like an interesting program—and very visual. I’ve never fully understood or caught on to Scrivener so maybe Plottr will work for me. There’s an interesting YouTube interview with bestselling author Deb Kastner, and she shares her plotting a romance template. There are many good instructional videos showing valuable info regarding plottr. You may have already watched them.

Have you used Plottr? What’s your experience with it? Share how you write. I’m curious and interested.

Let Me Recommend

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I’m determined to keep up the once-a-week blogging. It’s tricky getting back into it when one has been away so long. I don’t feel I’m saying much that’s beneficial to anyone. Maybe today:

Just out of curiosity, who reads blogs these days, and why? For inspiration? For research? I’d really like to know so I have questions for you at the end of this post.

My favorite blogs are writing related but when it comes to being a faithful reader, I’m not. I’ll scan to see if they’re writing about something that interests me. I ALWAYS read a post that has to do with markets and submissions. And plotting or outlining. (Crazy, isn’t it? I should really understand plotting and outlining by now.)

Hands down, my favorite blogger is bestselling author Tina Radcliffe

Her latest post Deadline Dementia speaks to me, and I’m sure it will make an impression on you too. Don’t we all work better, faster and more seriously if we have a deadline?

If you visit Tina’s site, please click on her For Writers Series and feast on all the informative articles she writes for us. I never hesitate to learn something I can actually apply.

The only downside I’ve found to Tina’s blog is that there’s no subscribe feature (if you find one, let me know). When I forget to pop in, my reading piles up or I miss valuable info.

Also, you might want to subscribe to her writing newsletter Inside Edition, that features links to articles, markets, contests and much more. If you don’t benefit from Inside Edition you can always unsubscribe. Give it a try. It’s the only newsletter I actually get impatient for!

Questions for you:

Just out of curiosity, do any of you follow blogs that are not writing related? What and why?

Do you know if there are any non-writers who read your blog?

Do you produce a newsletter? Why? Promoting your books only, or do you have personal tidbits?

How many newsletters do you subscribe to? Do you open them and actually read them?

Go Write!

To sum it up, I’m targeting Love Inspired with my latest manuscript. I’ve read (more than once!) and studied Tina Radcliffe’s Desconstructing a Romance Novel and several of my favorite LI writers. So far, I have 88 pages. Fingers crossed and many prayers that I can get through the middle!

And you? What are you working on this week?

Let’s Get to Writing!

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Hello, my writer friends! What are you guys doing out there in writing land? This past week I’ve roughly outlined a series of NF books. Oh, please, don’t be impressed. I’m always doing that … I just never sit down and write the books. (slapping forehead).

I received a very powerful email from author (mentor to Christian writers) Shelley Hitz talking about the power of a book series (NF book series.) I’ve read it several times and each read-thru I get a little more pumped with ideas. So what did I do?

I sat down and wrote a short story. (slapping my forehead again!) Maybe some day I’ll seriously hit the nonfiction trail but when your first love is fiction …

This short story has been my first writing endeavor in more than a year. (In all fairness to me, I did edit my novel. The pandemic and the state of our country really messes with my head!) After hubby read through my story, asked his questions, made his suggestions, I sent it off to Woman’s World Magazine. Ten fingers and ten toes are crossed, and prayers are going up. I’ve sold them two stories during the past couple of years, but it seems every attempt is like starting from scratch, relearning how to pull a short romance together, at least for me. 700 words is tricky!

I really need some publishing encouragement. How about you?

For those of you who write mysteries, take a look at these two markets. You might have a story that fits. Please note: these are secular publications.

#1. Mystery Weekly Magazine  

and

#2. Untreed Reads, a publishing house that was founded in 2008. Read the guidelines carefully.

(I Just) Died In Your Arms: Crime Fiction Inspired By One-Hit Wonders

Also, have you heard of the contest that Books and Such Literary Management is hosting in celebration of their 25 year anniversary?  The deadline is May 15th but if you hurry …. Here’s the link:

I sent them my hook, and if I happen to be one of the finalists, I have my proposal all finished and ready to send.

Let me know what you’re writing … see you next week!

Jess

IWSG Day – It’s May!

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Hello IWSG readers and writers! It has been awhile since I’ve posted (not sure I remember how) so I need to remind any new readers out there (and myself) that Insecure Writer’s Support Group is for any and ALL insecure writers. Yes, that would be me! We’re here to support each other and that’s been desperately needed during the past year or so. Agree?

The awesome co-hosts for the May 5 posting of the IWSG are Erika Beebe, PJ Colando, Tonja Drecker, Sadira Stone, and Cathrina Constantine!

This month’s optional question is one I had to think about: Has any of your readers ever responded to your writing in a way that you didn’t expect? If so, did it surprise you?

I can answer with one word: No. And maybe that’s why I’m an insecure writer. I can’t recall anyone responding to my books–fiction or nonfiction–in a positive or negative way. Oh, wait! One lady I play bean bag baseball with has come to mind. She complimented one of my stories in Woman’s World Magazine and told me how much she loved it. She said it in such a dreamy voice, I believed her. 🙂 She even read it twice. Mmmm, I feel a little better now. Encouraged! Maybe I should try to write more short romances. It has been an entire year.

Just out of curiosity, how much have you written during this pandemic? I’ve been totally blank and blocked. I feel I’m just now getting back to normal, but not quite there yet.

I just wanted to pop in today to participate in IWSG day and promise you this new leaf I’m turning: to blog each week on something writing-related. Hope you’ll sign up or tune in so we can encourage each other. Good writing, and I’ll see you again next week!

Six Month Review

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Hello my friends—assuming I have any friends left. This is my first post of 2020, and I’m still not certain I have anything to say. I’m going to assess what I’ve accomplished so far this year. I’m afraid more thought than action.

I sold another story to Woman’s World. Wait… was that this year or last? It came out this year.  I’ve lost all track of time. It was such a fun little story. I titled it Daughters and Dogs but they changed it to The Promise of Puppy Love and they changed the ending. (My ending worked better.) Since we were in the middle of Coronavirus, I could only find a few copies of it in one particular grocery store. I didn’t want to run all over town exposing myself to COVID just to purchase extras. That issue went quietly into the abyss, and since the story came out, I haven’t submitted any more WW romances. I just haven’t been able to write much except …

April was Camp NaNoWrMo and I wrote a nonfiction book. Yep, that surprised me too! I’ve been wanting to pull together a “writer memoir” for a long time, sort of walking beginning writers along my publishing path and sharing info that I think is important whether the rest of the world does or not. You know, we all have our experiences and our opinions, and I really have a bunch. I even talk about mean writers/mean critiquers in my book. Believe me, if you aren’t prepared for a mean writer, it can shut you down–especially if it’s someone you admired. I still have to do a lot of rearranging and major revisions; we all know how I am when it comes to rewriting. I seldom get to it so there’s one more manuscript stuck in my “unpublished” drawer. Funny how motivating a contract is–makes all the difference when it comes to revision.

And here’s another conundrum:  I’ve been working on a short story (off and on) for two or three years. I think I’ve mentioned it before. It came to me with a complete beginning, middle and ending as I was driving through East Texas. I wrote and rewrote to the best of my ability, then sent it to a Beta Reader for her thoughts. (A woman I did not know so she had no reason to flatter me.) The comments she made really helped flesh out the plot as well as the characters. I entered it in the very first Bill Crider Prize for Short Fiction contest this past year. Back in September I received a notice stating:

“Your story was among those in the second round of judging. Unfortunately, it was not among the finalists.”

So there you go—not a winner, not a finalist, but I made it to the second round of judging. Okay, I’ll take it! I put my manuscript aside for a while so that when I finally went back to it I might determine WHY the story didn’t make it to the finals. And remarkably, I spotted a couple of places where I did NOT do my research. Really stupid mistakes on my part.

Now, I’ve rewritten again. This time my story is geared toward the Great American Fiction Contest sponsored by The Saturday Evening Post. I’ve been waiting, and waiting for just the right story to enter, and I was certain More Than a Legend was the one … until a couple of weeks ago when the Texas Ranger statue in Texas was removed.

More Than a Legend is about a Texas Ranger who passes away and after his death his “so called” best friend learns of an “indiscretion.” The moment the Texas Ranger statue in Dallas toppled to the ground, I knew I shouldn’t submit my story. I can’t contribute to the insanity of demeaning another law enforcement officer. More Than A Legend may never find a home. Obviously, not this year. It just feels wrong. And it may be awhile before I feel like writing about any bad cops.

But if you’d like to enter this great contest sponsored by The Saturday Evening Post, here’s the link. Deadline is July 1st so hurry!

Now, tell me what you’ve accomplished during the past six months. I hope you’ve been writing like crazy!