Jessica Ferguson

Author, Writing Coach, Speaker

O is for Opposition

By Leave a Comment

OPPOSITION – To be in contention or conflict with: oppose the enemy force. To be resistant to: opposes new ideas.

Seems like I’m always racing against time–rushing to and past most deadlines. I have no problem with deadlines set by magazine editors. Those are a cinch, and that’s business. What about those other deadlines, the ones I set for myself–the ones that actually mean something to me? Those are the ones I miss because of my Opposition: the person that seems to oppose my success, the person I’m in competition with … the person that holds the key to my dreams. That would be ME. I’m the opposition.

I can focus like nobody’s business, but too many times, I don’t. I get side-tracked by a paragraph in a how-to book or a chapter in a popular novel, or a great talk show on TV showing me how to spot a liar or a con man. I tell myself it’s research and kill an hour watching, then another and then another.

I have heated disagreements with myself. They usually go like this:

Me: I need to attack chapter 14 today. I can edit, add some sensory detail and move on into chapter 15.

Opposition: There was a great article on sensory detail in The Writer last month. You need to read it. You’re extremely weak when it comes to using the senses.

Me: You’re right. Let’s see … where is that magazine? There it is.

Opposition: What a great short story contest. The theme is fun. You could revamp your short story on dancing turtles to fit this theme perfectly. You should give it a try.
Me: You’re right. That would be fun. Now where is that short story …?

And so it goes. The opposition brings me in contact with things that distract me from my real dreams and goals. Or fills me with discouragement.

Opposition: Sally Jo sold her novel about the woman who was murdered by her great grandson’s daughter. You have a book just like that. You probably could have sold it–if you’d taken the time to finish it. You really don’t have what it takes to finish a novel; you need to try beading. Of course, you probably wouldn’t be too good at that either. You don’t know half as much as you think you do… what makes you think you have talent, anyway?

And so it goes with my old pal, Opposition. I just can’t shake her. Share some opposition in your own life–is it procrastination, jealousy, insecurity and doubt? Are you your own worst enemy? Be careful what you tell me. If you have no opposition in your life, then MY old pal will use YOU to get to ME. That’s a promise!

M is for Markets

By Leave a Comment

Markets for your writing are everywhere. You just have to search for them. Make certain you always follow the magazine’s submission guidelines. If you’re entering a contest, follow their rules to perfection. Here are a few markets you might be interesting in.

Pockets magazine teaches 6- to 12-year-olds about God’s love and presence in life. Pockets accepts freelance submissions of stories, puzzles and games, activities, recipes, and poems.
Send to: Lynn W. Gilliam, Editor; Pockets; 1908
Grand Avenue; P.O. Box 340004; Nashville, TN 37203-0004. No email submissions but go HERE for more details.

Alive Now is a devotional magazine that nurtures the spiritual lives of individuals
hungry for God. For themes and deadlines, go HERE.

For writer’s guidelines and theme lists for Homeschooling Today Magazine, go to  http://www.homeschoolingtoday.com/write-for-us/.
FlashFiction Online – They are open for submissions and usually open year round. They publish stories from 500 to 1,000 words in length. They are publishing audio versions of their stories, approximately one year after they appeared as text online.

FirstLine Literary Journal:  Every story starts the same. The first line: Rachel’s first trip to England didn’t go as planned. Deadline 5/1/2012. Be sure to look at the upcoming first lines.

Delta Sky Magazine is looking for expertly executed stories about travel, lifestyle and business. Features range from 600-2,000 words. Departments include very small 100-word pieces to longer 500-word columns.
Go HERE for guidelines and where to send submissions.

Entangled Publishing is adding historical romance to its lineup of offerings. The new imprint is called Scandalous. These 60,000 to 70,000 word romances may be set any time between 1900 and 1950, in almost any setting. The stories are bold, sexy, and heartfelt, and can be funny, action-packed, mysterious, or dramatic. They should feature a classic romantic trope and an Alpha male hero. Stories should be historically accurate and may contain light paranormal elements, though paranormal elements are not required. Stories should be sexy and sensual, but they’re not looking for erotica. Find out all the details here.
Children’s Writer, a monthly email newsletter, is sponsoring a Middle Grade Mystery Contest. Write a mystery short story that appeals to 9 to 12 year-olds — no longer than 900 words. First prize is $500 and publication in the newsletter, second prize is $250 and third, fourth and fifth graders will each receive $100. Subscribers to Children’s Writer may enter for free: all others pay $15. The deadline to enter is April 30. Get all the details here.

Harlequin Heartwarming is a line that started as a reprint program of older titles. Editors are now accepting original manuscripts for this imprint, which focuses on warm, romantic stories with no sex and no religion. The guidelines characterize these as “Stories readers can feel comfortable sharing with their daughters and granddaughters.” The books are 70,000 to 75,000 words, are contemporary, with emotional conflicts, and focus on home and family. You do not need an agent to submit to Harlequin Heartwarming. Find the guidelines HERE. 

L is for Letters (hand-written!)

By Leave a Comment

When is the last time you received a letter from a friend? A long, handwritten letter with lots of fun, juicy news. I used to write letters all the time and had quite a relationship with my mailbox.

I’ve also written a letter of resignation when I quit a job and a letter of recommendation for a boss. There are also welcome letters, letters of appreciation, letters of apology , collection letters, letters of invitation, marketing letters, letters of rejection (all writers know about those), letters of inquiry, and poison pen letters.

When I’m beginning a new manuscript and need to write a synopsis or outline for my own benefit, I’ll write it in letter form, as if I’m telling my story to a friend. It might go like this:

Dear Lynn, I’m working on a story about Laura Majors, a women who is agoraphobic. She got that way because she witnessed her best friend being attacked outside her apartment in the parking lot. Laura grabbed a plant stand and ran outside to beat the guy off her friend. Now she won’t leave her apartment and her heart pounds every time she peeks out her window. When the newspaper reports another attack, Laura always wonders if it’s the same guy.
Yes, I’m working on this story.
Sometimes I’ll write letters from a character’s point of view telling me things I don’t know about him or her. You might be surprised the things that come from your characters in letter form.

I love getting letters and didn’t realize how much I miss writing them until I met Lynn O. by visiting her blog. Now, Lynn and I handwrite letters to each other. She’s a born letter-writer! Explore her blog here: 

Do you write letters? Want to write me one?

 

K is for Kindle

By Leave a Comment

I’m not a Kindle lover. I own one because I won it in a contest. And yes, I rush to Amazon when friends tell me they have a new book available or I see a FREE book that sounds promising. The few books I’ve read and finished on my Kindle (okay, four or five at the most) have kept my interest and have been well written. And I have to admit, I seem to read faster using the Kindle than if I’m holding my beloved print books. But, I’m kicking and screaming. I hate change. I’d rather own a print book–no matter how long it takes me to read it and no matter how much it weighs. I like having real page-turning paper in my hot little hands. I like seeing bookmarks and flyers hanging raggedly out of my books. I like taking a pen or pencil or marker and making notes in the margin,  underlining beautiful passages or quotes. I’d rather spend the money for what’s often referred to as a real book, than a couple of bucks for a book I can’t prop up on my shelf and admire.  I like flipping back and forth and viewing the cover any time I want. I like knowing exactly what page I’m on and exactly how many pages I have left–with no effort.  Silly? Probably–because change is coming. Rather, it’s here.

It breaks my heart to spend ten or twenty bucks for books I can’t stack on my bedside table. I refuse to do it.  It has to be a mighty special friend/author/story for me to spend more than $5.00 in the ebook world. Does that sound mean? Maybe so, and here’s more meanness from me. There was a time I didn’t place much value on book reviews–after all, we have our own personal taste when it comes to reading material.  I’m sad to say now I do.  If reviewers complain about typos, ramblings, bad grammar, plot holes, I pass on purchasing.  If we’re going to put our books out there ourselves, we have a responsibility to do it right.  And you can take that to the bank!

Do you own a Kindle or another book reading device? How do you feel about finding typos and poorly constructed sentences in your books? Do you want the author to put forth some effort to learn his/her craft? Does it really matter? Am I just being mean? Let me hear from you.

I is for Interview

By Leave a Comment

When I wrote for Beaumont newspapers, the Chamber of Commerce and insert magazines, I interviewed all kinds of people about their professions, their hobbies, and their hopes and dreams. Everyone from students to business owners. My favorite interview was  with a Toastmasters organization. There were a lot of things I wanted to know about the club because I’ve always been curious about them. Because I had a genuine interest in it, I felt I did a better job with the interview and the article.

Today, I’m a staff writer for Southern Writers Magazine.  I interview writers. Scheduled articles are with Louisiana author Vicki Allen, Arkansas author Robin Carrol, Mississippi author Terri Blackstock and Texas author Wendy Lanier. I enjoy interviewing all kinds of writers–more than any other subject I’ve written about–and find I learn something from each interview.  
If you’re interested, you can subscribe to Southern Writers Magazine HERE.  We also have a short story contest you can enter. Check it out because there are some great prizes!

What do you most want to know about writers? Share a question that I might incorporate in future interviews.

H is for Hackman

By Leave a Comment

I’m a huge Gene Hackman fan.  One of my favorite movies is the 1986 sports film, Hoosiers.  I wonder if this was the closest Hackman came to playing a romantic hero. I liked his interaction with Barbara Hershey. She sure didn’t make it easy for him.

Hackman won Acadmey Awards for The French Connection and Unforgiven. To my way of thinking, he should have won more. He’s an excellent actor. That chuckle of his is both creepy and sexy. I would have loved for him to play the romantic hero–even if he is a little scary. Okay, a lot scary. I also love the film Class Action, a story about a lawsuit concerning injuries caused by a defective automobile; The Chamber, based on a John Grisham novel and Runaway Jury. The guy has made some outstanding movies.

But did you know Gene Hackman is a novelist?
He wrote three books with undersea archaeologist Daniel Lenihan: Wake of the Perdido Star (1999), Justice for None (2004), and Escape from Andersonville (2008). In 2011, his novel  Payback at Morning Peak (2011) hit the shelves and got some good reviews. If your interested, check Amazon.

Who’s your favorite actor/author? And why?

E Words: Energy and Elaborate

By Leave a Comment

ENERGY
The strength and vitality required for sustained physical or mental activity. A feeling of possessing such strength and vitality. Dynamic quality energy: the capacity of acting or being active & intellectual energy: a usually positive spiritual force energy flowing through all people

ELABORATE
Involving many carefully arranged parts or details; detailed and complicated in design and planning. . Planned or executed with painstaking attention to numerous parts or details. Intricate and rich in detail.
——-

Energy and Elaborate–two wonderful words: I love it when I get an idea for a short story or novel and feel the energy of it flowing on the paper. When I feel the energy, then I believe my reader does too. Not every idea I come up with reaches that point and I have to elaborate until I get on the right path. Sometimes I never capture what I’m aiming for and lose all enthusiasm for the piece.

Do you think there’s a trick to creating energy in your writing? Like me, do you elaborate, flesh it out, layer it until you connect with that strength, vitality, voice you’re striving for? Sometimes I take a look at my verbs, cut the passive and add active verbs to make my piece come alive.
Would you like to share your writing secrets with us?

C for Charles

By Leave a Comment

I couldn’t get past C for Charles. I tossed other words around in my head, but didn’t feel comfortable with them. So today, C stands for Charles Gramlich. 

Charles Gramlich grew up on a farm in Arkansas but moved to the New Orleans area in 1986 to teach psychology at a local university. He’s published several novels, a couple of nonfiction books, two collections of short stories, a memoir and a chapbook of vampire haiku–among other things.  He writes in different genres.  A year or so back, I interviewed him for my Louisiana Saturday Night column. (click & scroll down to read.)

I became acquainted with Charles by reading comments on blogs. When I read his blog, I became a fan and ordered his book Write with Fire, Thoughts on the Craft of Writing.  I laughed my way through his ebook, Days of Beer: A Memoir of a Beer Drinkin’ Man. 

Charles and I have never met but have a couple of mutual friends. He has a dedicated following and if you spend time on his blog, you’ll learn why. Because of his generous nature and his blog-reading dedication, I always feel encouraged. I think he’s very worthy of being my C-word.

BRAINSTORM

By Leave a Comment

BRAINSTORM: a spontaneous group discussion to produce ideas and ways of solving problems. Produce an idea or way of solving a problem by holding a spontaneous group discussion: a brainstorming session.

A sudden bright idea: a harebrained idea.

I have a character that won’t leave my thoughts–but no idea, setting, story or plot to go with her. I need help!
I’ve heard tales of entire writing groups involved in brainstorming sessions. The author will toss out info or questions allowing members to make suggestions or give solutions and ideas. This might go back and forth the entire meeting, or they may time their sessions allowing other members to take advantage of the process. The session is recorded for the author’s benefit.

When you’re brainstorming a new idea, do you enlist the help of others? Give me one brainstorming tip I can use alone.