Jessica Ferguson

Author, Writing Coach, Speaker

N is for Negative

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Note: The A to Z Challenge is really a challenge for me this year and I’m behind reading your posts and leaving comments. I have a lot on my plate but that’s no excuse. I’m sure you all do too. I hope to catch up in the next day or two. For readers not participating in the A to Z Challenge and don’t understand it, you can learn more here and explore everything from A to Z. There are 1,758 bloggers participating in the A to Z Challenge. You may want to try it next year.

Today, I’m taking a look at being negative.
My dad was a quiet, shy, pessimistic/negative person. Look at his picture at the right–you can tell by the way he’s sitting that he’s shy and uncomfortable being the center of attention.
I’ve been accused of being more negative than positive. I used to be more shy than I am now, and of course, since I love blogging, I must thrive on attention. Right?
As for the negative trait? I’m not sure I totally agree but we often see ourselves the way we want to be—not the way we really are.
I admit I’m guilty of looking at what could happen if I did such ‘n such. I not only look at today but I look at tomorrow, the next day and a week from now. Unfortunately that affects my actions when I want to send my work to publishers or agents. I over-analyze and try to visualize the outcome: If I submit ABC story to 123 Magazine, I might be making a mistake. Would 456 Magazine be better? We’re supposed to choose the best publisher, but I usually stall and send to no one. Is second-guessing akin to being negative? Yeah, somewhat.  Especially when we let imagined consequences keep us from doing anything.

Negative means: bad: unhappy, discouraging, angry, or otherwise detracting from a happy situation; pessimistic: or tending to have a pessimistic outlook.

 Mmmm, is that really me? I’ve been told I’m a great encourager to others. I sure hope I’m not a drain on anyone’s goals and dreams.

Honestly, I don’t think I’m negative, but if I am … I got it from my dad. And he inherited from his mom who … well, that’s as far as my personal experience goes when it comes to pinpointing.

I’m posting a few quotes from Brainy Quote about negativity. They really speak to me. I’m terrible about letting others influence me. If you read my work or hear my pitch and raise an eyebrow in my direction, you’re watering my doubt and insecurity. It grows. Are you the same? I hope not. It’s a miserable way to be.
GREAT QUOTES:

If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome.~Michael Jordan

Dwelling on the negative simply contributes to its power. ~Shirley MacLaine

Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results. ~Willie Nelson

 Which one speaks to you? Do you battle negativity? How? Looking back at family members, do you think your negativity was inherited or something you learned from a parent? Talk to me… and don’t be negative!

F is for Family

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F is for Family, of course.

I thought I’d leave you with some quotes that have to do with family.  They were taken from the Brainy Quote site. If you aren’t familiar with Brainy Quote, check it out here.  

People are pretty forgiving when it comes to other people’s families. The only family that ever horrifies you is your own. ~Doug Coupland

 Share something about your family. And have a great weekend!

A is for Ancestor

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This is the first day of the A to Z Challenge. I want to thank Arlee Bird, the founder. What an amazing, fun group and activity he has created. I feel super-special to be able to participate again this year. If you don’t know Lee, visit him at Tossing it Out and say hello. He’s as special as his A to Z Challenge.

I’ve chosen Ancestor as my A-word.

 

Many of you know I’ve been dealing with some family issues since my mother broke her hip. She’s moved into a nursing home (for lack of a better word) and I’ve been clearing out her home. Sometimes I just sit and look at pictures I didn’t know she had and read notes and letters to her from family, and people I don’t know. Every note sings her praises. I believe those notes because Mom was a nurse. A perfectionist. Someone who went far beyond the call of duty. Being a caregiver is who she was/is deep down in her heart and soul.

Not me. I’m not like that at all. I don’t think my grandmother (mom’s mom–the one on the right) was either. And that makes me wonder about my ancestors. What exactly do we get from our ancestors? I wonder what traits, talents, mannerisms of the people you see here (my maternal grandparents and gr-grandparents), are so inherent in me that, no way can I disown them.

Is there a writer somewhere in my lineage that I haven’t found yet? I’m searching. I would love to find a connection to an author—s/he doesn’t even have to be famous!

Where do you think our talent comes from? Ancestors, God, or do we create it through our passion for … writing, art … jewelry design? A combination of the three? Do you think our environment plays a part too? Our birth order?

I appreciate the complexity of genetics but oh, how I wish it were simpler.

Take a look at these interesting quotes. I love them, don’t you? Especially the first two!

 
It is indeed a desirable thing to be well descended but the glory belongs to our ancestors. ~Plutarch

No man can cause more grief than that one clinging blindly to the vices of his ancestors.
~William Faulkner
Every man is a quotation from all his ancestors. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Your thoughts? I absolutely love comments!

Upcoming Projects for Me and You

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Starting Monday, I’ll be participating in the annual A to Z Challenge. As you might know, that means I’ll be posting every day during the month of April, starting with A and going through the alphabet. I did it last year, and posted off the top of my head. I was living (and posting) in the Ignorance is Bliss state of mind. I had fun and I’ve been looking forward to this year. I had hoped to blog a book, had a germ of an idea, but never got around to organizing my thoughts or posts. Yes, procrastination is still my middle name. So, come Monday, I’ll be winging it daily and hoping to acquire a few new followers and making a little bit of sense.

In the meantime … here’s a couple of markets for you:


Fairly Wicked Tales is a new anthology being published by Angelic Knight Press. Give them your favorite Grimm Brother’s Fairy Tale with a serious twist. They want to see the well known heroes and heroines become the bad guys. What if Snow White wasn’t as pure as the new driven snow? What if Cinderella was a raging bitch and her poor stepmother did her best? What if Little Red Riding Hood was something far worse than the Big Bad Wolf? 

Submissions are still being accepted because they haven’t received what they’re looking for. Deadline is April 30th. That means the proposed publishing date has been extended too — to late June or early July. Word length is from 3000 to 8000 words. Please read the submission guidelines to properly format your subs before sending. Send all subs to angelicknightpress (at) gmail (dot) com 

For more detail, you might want to go to their home page.









Have to tell you, my favorite TV show is
Once Upon A Time. Spoiler alert: Last weekend, Regina reached into the chest of Snow White and yanked out her heart. Snow had done something bad to Regina and we all know, Snow is perfect. Well, not any more. As we looked at her heart, we could see a dark speck growing. Snow is now in trouble … from the inside out. I can’t quit thinking about these fairytale characters and how brilliant the writers are. I love Pinocchio but The Mad Hatter was fantastic too. Of course, my very favorite is Rumpelstiltskin. He’s absolutely WONDERFUL!  If you haven’t seen it, you can purchase the first season (yes, I have it!) Or watch it online.


Now …  Another Market:

Manifesto:UF is a new and exciting anthology project they are working on. Tim Marquitz is the editor of Fading Light: An Anthology of the Monstrous, which Angelic Knight Press published last September.  Full submission guidelines for the anthology can be found on Tim’s website: http://tmarquitz.com/blog/?p=1131. All submissions should be sent to him at ufmanifesto (at) gmail (dot) com.
Hope everyone will come back to read me during the month of April.

Must Do – Want To Do in 2013

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Happy New Year! Today is the first day of 2013. I told a friend at church that my hair is still blowing because of how fast 2012 flew by.  

I accomplished a few things that have kept me motivated and feeling like a real writer: interviewed authors Christa Allan, Terri Blackstock, Robin Carroll for Southern Writers Magazine. Even had the cover story with my interview with thriller writer Steven James; wrote a Christmas short story as part of an anthology, wrote a novella, sold and signed a contract with The Wild Rose Press for the novella. And, most fun and lucrative of all—I spoke at the Bayou Writers’Conference.

I have to add that we moved to Oklahoma in March. That plays a large part in my accomplishments. I think getting out of my ordinary world, being plopped down in an area where I had no friends, forced me to write. I joined OKRWA, and I do have one Louisiana pal who lives in Norman and meets me at a library every other Tuesday for a day of writing. We encourage each other by listening to our pounding keys.

Those few achievements happened in quick succession and I wish I could have kept up the momentum, but I couldn’t—or didn’t. The holidays hit. My mother fell and broke her hip and is in rehab. Her mood has fluctuated tremendously, as has mine. One moment I think she might bounce back and at other times I wonder if she even wants to bounce back. My thoughts are continuously yanked from writing.

I don’t like the phrase New Year’s Resolutions so instead of making them, I think I’ll just have a Want To  Do List and a Must Do List.

I MUST finish the first revision of my novella. My editor pointed out a few places where the characters need more motivation, explanation, etc before she actually does line edits. I’ve completed it but need to do another pass or two, reading carefully. Editor wasn’t 100% happy with the title and I wasn’t either. Peace of Heart fit the story but it sounded more inspirational than romantic suspense. After brainstorming with my daughter and her reading friends, we’ve chosen The Last Daughter. I love it! The new title has been approved by the editor.

I MUST finish the paperwork for marketing for TWRP and get a handle on promotion. I’ve never been so overwhelmed in all my life. I was under the misconception that I knew all about promoting myself and my work. How difficult can it be? Well, believe me, I don’t have a clue. There’s a lot to learn and much to do.  I’ll be expected to blog with the Scrimshaw Doll authors. My turn comes up Wednesday. I’m a little nervous about ‘mandatory’ blogging even though it will be all about my story and my characters.

I’m sure there are other things I MUST do but let’s get on to the Wants—more fun.  And certainly easier to WANT something than actually DO it. Right?

I WANT to start my nonfiction book. I keep making notes but I can’t get a handle on how I want to do it. I should probably just start writing instead of having fun with all the research.

I WANT to continue writing for Southern Writers Magazine in 2013.

I WANT to attend two conferences:  the OWFI in late May(to meet Jane Friedman). Check out this interesting post. And the Killer Nashville in August if I have a new romantic mystery to market.

I WANT to finish editing my published book, The Groom Wore Blue Suede Shoes. I got discouraged because it seemed outdated to me, but other authors have backlists that were published waaaaay before Groom was, and they’re not updating their books. What do you think of putting a disclaimer in the front letting the reader know it was published by Silhouette Romance in 1996. Is that done?  And then I have to actually learn how to publish it. Sometimes my brain hurts!

I WANT to make another couple of passes through my novel, A Bad Guy Forever. I think there are still scenes that need fleshing out.  It doesn’t feel quite right yet. Then I want to submit it to a traditional publisher, if I can find one that doesn’t require an agent. I’m not sure I want another agent. And if I got one, would they submit to small presses and epubs? I can do that myself.  Publishing has become tricky. Sometimes I like the new direction; sometimes I think everything is all screwed up.

I WANT to write another novella. Maybe two.

I WANT to participate in the A to Z Challenge again this year. And continue to blog once a month for the Insecure Writers Support Group. Both of these groups are ‘heart-groups.’ I love them!

I WANT to get more active about reading other blogs and visiting/posting to my yahoo groups. I’m a member of several wonderful writing loops and they don’t know I exist–or have forgotten. Should I visit them twice a week, every day or what?  The Wild Rose Press author’s loop is overwhelming! I can’t believe how much other writers accomplish. How do they do it? I move at a snail’s pace.

I WANT to revise Reinventing Rita. I’ve retitled it and can’t remember the new title. Guess that means it doesn’t work, huh?

I WANT to write some more romantic short stories for various epublishers and anthologies.

I WANT a career plan.  This week I’ll locate my new 2013 calendar (where did I put it?) and assign firm deadlines to some of these tasks. There are specific things I want to accomplish while here in Oklahoma and we’ll be moving out in June. I have six months to . . .
I WANT to accomplish much more in 2013!
And I want you to, too!
Share your 2013 dreams.

 

Back to Real Life

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The A to Z Challenge has ended. It was fun. I learned a lot, read some great blogs,  and I wrote every day. Now let’s get back to our regularly scheduled program: I’m taking part in a challenge issued by my OKRWA group. Everyone participating must have a completed novel by July 4th. 2012. I’m working on a novella–approximately 25,000 words. Can I do it? Sure I can!

Today I’m meeting a friend at the library and we’re going to write, write, write. 

More later.

X is for Grandpa

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I love genealogy and the NBC Friday night show called Who Do You Think You Are. Tonight actor Rob Lowe discovers an ancestor who battled against George Washington during the American Revolution.

I joined Ancestry.com last year after watching the season.

That’s where I first saw draft cards, registration and enlistment papers belonging to some of my ancestors–and what their signatures looked like. Sometimes the signature is an X.

When I first saw that X signifying a relative’s name, I felt incredibly sad to know that he couldn’t read the Bible or the newspaper, that he couldn’t write his name.  If I couldn’t read, I’d feel helpless, at the mercy of others.
My grandfather couldn’t read. I remember mom saying he was too mean to learn how. She was the oldest of 10 kids; the first born usually gets all the discipline. I don’t know that I ever witnessed any helplessness in Grandpa but he sure was at the mercy of others when it came to reading. He made his kids read the Bible to him, scripture after scripture, over and over again, and he listened to preachers on the radio. He was born in 1900 and when he was five years old, his father was murdered.

I have two cousins (twins) who can barely read. Their mom was pregnant with them when their father had emergency surgery and died. Who knows what they experienced inside the womb when she was told her husband was dead?  She never re-married. Being close to these two guys, I see how being unable to read or read well has affected their lives. They don’t use X for their signatures, but they struggle.

I wonder if growing up without dads played some part in my cousins and my grandfather’s ability to learn. I know their lives would have been different–so much better.

X marks the signature of many people–even today. I find that sad.

V is for Vegetarian

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Yep, that’s me! My husband and I became vegetarians about a year ago. (Daughter was first.) You would have thought we were slapping our friends and family in the face. I’ve never seen such outrage or heard sarcastic remarks. My goodness, you’d think they all raised beef and their farms were threatened.

Really, there are many kinds of vegetarians and hundreds of very good reasons to be one.  (I’ll keep my own reasons to myself.)There are an estimated 7.3 million people who follow a vegetarian-based diet and 1.5 million more say they follow vegetarian-inclined diets. Believe me when I say, they don’t all live in California.

I do eat some dairy products and fish. I’ve completely given up beef and chicken.  If you entertain thoughts of becoming a vegetarian, check out this wonderful book. It’s the best cookbook I’ve found for vegetarians and it’s called The Vegetarian Bible. There’s not one bad recipe in this book–they’re ALL delish!

Here’s my own variation of one of the recipes. I think you’ll love it even if you’re a meat eater.

Taco Rice and Beans
2 TBS olive oil
1 cup water
1 packet taco seasoning mix
2 cans black beans, drained and washed
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup thick & chunky salsa (your favorite brand is fine)

Heat the oil over medium heat then add seasoning mix and water. Cook and stir until combined and slightly thickened. Stir in beans, rice and salsa. Cook 5 minutes longer or until heated through.

For a great meal fold Taco Rice & Beans into a soft flour tortilla. Add shredded 4-cheese Mexican blend, black olives, jalapeno olives, and sliced avocado. Serves 4 to 6.

Note: The first time our daughter treated us to this meal, I was so overcome with delight, I was absolutely speechless! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to email me.

U is for Unconvincing, Unfinished, Uninspired and Unique

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Sometimes my WIPS (works in progress) come across UNCONVINCINGto contest judges and/or editors. I take that to mean they aren’t buying into the plot, the conflict, that the entire story is flimsy or implausible or just downright lame. Most of the time I tell myself, that’s just their opinion but I have to admit their comments affect me–probably way too much.  I end upwith an UNFINISHED partial manuscript because I’ve become UNINSPIRED.  My writing is suddenly bland, dull and uncreative to me.  I doubt myself because of something they’ve said. Just like you, I’m sure, I long to write a novel that’s UNIQUE. Yeah, I know, there’s nothing unique in this world, but there are books that are distinctive, exceptional in their own way, extraordinary compared to a lot of other books.  

Flipping through my Flip Dictionary, a book for when you know what you want to say but can’t think of the word, I’ve listed words that we can use instead of Unconvincing, Unfinished, Uninspired and Unique. I’ve used some of them above.

Unconvincing: flimsy, implausible, lame, questionable, suspect, unbelievable, weak.
Unfinished: crude, immature, imperfect, incomplete, raw, rough, rude, sketchy, unassembled, undeveloped, undone, unfulfilled, unpainted, unpolished, unstained.
Uninspired: bland, boring, dull, lack-luster, stodgy, uncreative, unimpressed, uninteresting, unmoved, unoriginal.
Unique: Alone, distinctive, exceptional, extraordinary, incomparable, individual,

                                                                     ********

How do you revise if you have a storyline that comes across UNCONVINCING?
How many UNFINISHED manuscripts do you have on your hard drive or in a desk drawer?
What do you do when you feel UNINSPIRED?

Have you read a book with a really UNIQUE plotline lately? Share!

R is for RWA

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I’m a member of Romance Writers of America and until I have a good reason to quit, I always will be. It’s a great organization for writers and has much to offer.

It all began when thirty-seven writers met in 1980 to support each other and grow their writing in romance fiction. Those 37 writers became Romance Writers of America® (RWA). In The Woodlands, Texas, a suburb in NW Houston, June 1981, they held their first writers conference that focused  specifically on romance. That first conference was total chaos and exceeded their expectations. I know because I was there.

I was living in Houston at the time and a couple of friends drove in from Longview, Texas to attend the conference with me. I can’t remember if we had pre-registered or if that was even an option but I do know the small community had never seen the likes of a conference like that one. It was a madhouse.  And there was a room shortage at the hotel. A  friend and  I shared a room with one of the Harlequin editors. I remember a twin bed in a dark space–for all I know I could have been sleeping in a closet. Rooms weren’t that important; we stayed up late and got up early. The head man from Harlequin blustered through early the next morning.  I was standing in my slip, brushing my teeth. I  heard a muffled ‘pardon me’ but I don’t think he even saw me in his excitement. This kind of conference, so many romance writers in one place, was as different and exciting for them as it was for all of us wannabes.

Janet Dailey flew in for the conference. She looked fantastic, all decked out in denim, with beautiful turquoise jewelry. I stood in line for her to autograph books. She said, “Jessica–you’ve definitely got the name to write romance.”  Today, Jessicas are a dime a dozen.

This event was so huge, newspapers and TV stations from everywhere sent photographers and reporters.  They filmed, snapped pictures, interviewed and flirted and hit on young romance writers. Looking back, it seems like a circus. I can’t remember any of the sessions I attended–just chaos. Of course, the media made all kinds of cracks about romance and romance writers. Sometimes they still do but it doesn’t matter so much anymore because RWA and romance writing are here to stay.

The expected attendance for that first conference was 150 people but it turned into over 600 attendees. Over 65 romance manuscripts were sold during the event. Mine was not one of them–but a few months later, I did get an agent.

In 1991 RWA joined the fight for literacy by hosting the first “Readers for Life” Literacy Autographing as  the kick-off event of the 1990 Annual Conference in San Francisco. The 2011 Literacy Autographing held at the New York Marriott Marquis in New York City raised over $60,000. Each year the autographing event raises thousands of dollars which are donated to ProLiteracy Worldwide. Since 1991 RWA efforts have raised over $700,000. 

To this day, RWA hosts a conference each summer in a different U.S. city. There are more than 100 workshops, publisher spotlights, chats with best-selling authors, appointments with editors and agent, awards ceremonies and so much more. RWA conferences are big, big deals and well organized–not as chaotic as their very first one. Future conferences are scheduled for the following cities:

2012 – Anaheim, California
2013 – Atlanta, Georgia
2014 – San Antonio, Texas
2015 – New York City, New York
2016 – San Diego, California

I love Romance Writers of America. I’ve learned a lot from their conferences and their classes. I belong to the following RWA Chapters:

Faith, Hope and Love, Inc., the Inspirational special interest chapter of Romance Writers of America®. Sometimes known as FHL, this chapter provides support, education, and encouragement to published and unpublished writers of fiction written from a Christian worldview

The Kiss of Death Chapter of Romance Writers of America is committed to promoting and supporting mystery/suspense fiction with romantic elements by providing and supporting education, and committed volunteers who champion good writing and marketing of mystery/suspense works.

Outreach International (OIRW) is an on-line chapter of Romance Writers of America®. We are a non-profit organization dedicated to reaching out to all authors, regardless of where they live. Our goal is to reach across the boundaries of all countries and unite them, making Outreach an international unified writing community.

Scriptscene RWA offers support, encouragement, and information to our members who want to write a screenplay, use screenwriting techniques for their novels and storylines or adapt their romance novel into a script.

OKRWA – the Outlaws in Oklahoma City. I’ll finally attend my first meeting Saturday. Wish me luck!

Go HERE to learn about RWA Chapters in your state.