Jessica Ferguson

Author, Writing Coach, Speaker

Insecure Writers’s Support Group: Refresh Yourself

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I love the Insecure Writers Support Group. You might want to join and take part. It is the brainchild of  Alex J. Cavanaugh, and I can honestly say, I wish I’d created it! What a wonderful brainchild!  The purpose of IWSG is to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of feeling foolish or weak.

Nothing encourages me more than writing (creating) something short, a piece I can begin and finish in a day or two—or a new market to submit to. Sometimes we need a break from our routine, from our long, on-going projects, don’t we? Often creating something different refreshes us.  When I want to do something different, I look at the Chicken Soup for the Soul site first. They always have call-outs.

If you’re feeling in a slump, discouraged, just down and out, try something new. Create a greeting card just for fun. What would you say to someone getting a divorce, a new college graduate, a new dad? Usually, what we would really say, we can’t find in a greeting card, right? (There’s probably good reason for that!)

I love writing short. I usually over-write, then start cutting to the specified word count. Cutting for me is so much easier than embellishing. I take a hard look at each sentence, each paragraph, then remove words that don’t work, add nothing. Cutting always cheers me a little. It’s like carefully peeling an apple, or carving a fish out of soap. It’s so wonderfully methodical. It forces me to think.

There are so many ways to encourage ourselves, refresh our dreams—our point of view. Keeping submissions circulating is only one way, and writing shorts allows us to keep our work out there on a continuous basis. Poems, flash fiction, book reviews, recipes, greeting cards, personal essays — There’s absolutely no reason to ever give up our writing when there are so many avenues for us to take to publish.

A friend sent me a wonderful quote yesterday, one I need to post over my desk so I can look up and read it when I’m NOT feeling like a writer:

No man is born into the world whose work is not born with him. James Russell Lowell

Think about it, then get busy creating something short to get  “in the mail.”  Start with Chicken Soup. Remember, you have to go to their website to submit.
How do you refresh yourself when you’re down and out, feeling blah? Share!

Devotional Stories for Wives
One of the biggest roles that a woman can take on in her lifetime is to become a wife. It takes commitment and dedication to remain loving as the years go by, especially when children and the busyness of daily life can sometimes be overwhelming. If you have a brief true story (up to 500 words) that shows how your faith in God has shaped your journey as a wife, please share it along with an applicable Bible verse and a 2-3 sentence prayer. You will receive $100 for each published devotion ($100 due to the shorter word count than our regular books). The deadline date for submissions is February 28, 2013.

Holiday Stories
We are collecting stories for our newest holiday book. Everyone has special memories and stories to tell about Christmas, Chanukah and Kwanzaa – from inspirational and joyous, to heartwarming and humorous. We want to hear about your holiday memories and traditions. NOTE: Please make sure that the stories you are submitting to this book are NEW holiday stories that our editors have not read before. If you have submitted stories to our Christmas books in the past, we have your stories in our database. Also, please make sure your stories are “Santa safe” as we want to keep the magic alive for the young ones. The deadline date for story submissions is February 28, 2013.

Lemons to Lemonade
“When life hands you lemons… make lemonade!” And don’t only make lemonade but squeeze every last drop of juice from that sour lemon to make the sweetest lemonade possible. We are looking for stories that show how you made the best of a difficult situation and how you turned what seemed like a negative into something positive. Did a change in your attitude help? Did a friend give you the boost you needed to get you past what seemed like a dead end? Tell us your success story and how you made it happen. The deadline date for story and poem submissions is February 28, 2013.

Messages from Heaven
We have heard many terrific stories about your own after-death communication experiences since our first Messages from Heaven book came out. It was a national bestseller so we have decided to make another edition, with the theme “Love Never Dies.” If you have a story about receiving a sign or communicating with a loved one after his or her death, we would love to consider it. The deadline date for story and poem submissions is March 31, 2013.

Multitasking Mom’s Survival Guide
Moms are the busiest people in the world! They juggle kids, husbands, jobs, housework, paid work, volunteer work, parents, pets, etc. How do they do it? Sometimes they are successful and get everything done. Sometimes… disasters happen! Busy moms – here is your chance to pass along your words of wisdom, your lessons learned, your funny or embarrassing moments. Pretend you’re talking to a friend and share your wonderful stories with other busy moms. The deadline for story and poem submissions is June 30, 2013.

The Dating Game!
We’re publishing a book on dating! First dates, blind dates, group dates… we want to hear about all of them. Meeting the family, embarrassing moments, break-ups and make-ups… we want all of your war stories. Did you meet your perfect match online? Did you have an office romance or start a relationship with someone who was just a friend? How about first dates after divorce, reconnecting with a person from your past, or even simply finding your happily-ever-after where you least expected it? Tell us everything from love at first sight to dating disasters. For this book, we prefer contemporary stories. They will be favored over stories about events that happened decades ago. We are accepting stories from men and women 18 years and older. The deadline date for story and poem submissions is July 15, 2013

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.

 

IWSG: A Save That Didn’t Save

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Today is Insecure Writers Support Group Day, the brain child of Alex J Cavanaugh where a whole lot of writers post about their insecurities (or encouragement), once a month, and get support from fellow participants.
 
Ever been kicked in the gut? Not really, physically kicked, of course, but sure hurts like a physical kick. Ever worked all day for nothing?
Yesterday was my write at the library day. I had planned to do the edits suggested by my TWRP editor. I arrived at nine with lunch in hand, planning to spend the day and make headway, if not complete the process.
Simply put, I was making slow, tedious progress, giving a lot of brain power to my revisions and feeling pretty good about them. It’s my custom to save every few minutes, just a habit I’ve developed over the years. Unfortunately, my so-called saves didn’t do their job. I have nothing of my edits. Not one well-thought-out, improved word. I’m so ticked. But worse, I feel defeated and I hate feeling that way.
A few weeks ago, I had computer problems. It’s possible there’s still a glitch. How do I find it?
Have any of you experienced a save that didn’t save? What causes it? Why? How can I avoid it?


Encouraged by Midnight In Peking

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This is my first post for the Insecure Writers Support Group and I’d like to tell you about a book I just finished reading–a very depressing book. It took me three days to read, and it certainly wasn’t something I’d normally pick up. I’ll blame that on hubby. He’d read several reviews and bought it with his B&N gift card. Midnight in Peking by Paul French totally captured his attention and eventually, mine.   

I kept asking hubby why he thought the book was so good.  “It’s about an unsolved case,” he said. He knows I like books and movies about cold cases. This tale sounded right up my alley.
When I started reading the book, it yanked me in immediately but every now and then I’d look up and ask, “Now why were you so taken by this book?”
“It describes an era,” he said. “It’s the story of Peking.”   That made more sense. Hubby is into history-not maniacal murder.
Midnight in Peking is the story of the unsolved murder of 19 year old Pamela Werner, the daughter of a former British consul to China. The murder was horrific. I don’t dare describe it here or you’ll quit reading this post. Stay with me; I have a point.
Paul French is an expert on China and wow, he plopped us right down in the middle of Peking, 1937. We lived, breathed and tasted the setting. He went into fine detail.  
Midnight in Peking reads like a novel. The pacing is great. The corruption has readers on edge. The facts are well-documented, fascinating and heartbreaking.
Honestly, we don’t know who to root for in this book. There seemed to be no goodness. There are no bright spots. Even the young girl’s dad seemed questionable. I wasn’t sure about him. I had to put my reading aside now and then to catch my breath and look out the window, think of my own daughter and say a prayer for her safety. Midnight in Peking reminded me of the horrors all around us–yes, even today, in our own country.
By the time I reached the end of the story, I realized there were a couple of heroes after all: The father turned out to be a good guy. When all else failed, he dedicated his life to finding out who killed his daughter. And without a doubt, the author is a hero, because he shared their lost story with the world.
And there’s the encouragement today: words have power and writers are heroes. No matter what we write–fiction or nonfiction–we have the power to make someone laugh, cry, think, experience something new, see something in a different way, or actually feel something. We can’t ever take that privilege, that opportunity, lightly. We should pore over every word in our stories, make certain it’s the right word, the best word to evoke what we want our readers to experience. We can be–we are–heroes.

At Booktopia Blog, Paul French answers 10 Terrifying Questions: He offers this advice to new writers:
Never, ever, under any circumstances put pen to paper and start to write about anything that doesn’t completely obsess and fascinate you. Without a complete absorption in the subject you’re guaranteed that, at best, it’ll turn into a dreary and frustrating slog and, at worst, it’ll drive you mad and put you off writing anything else ever again.
What a responsibility we have! What a challenge! What a gift!

This and That about Blogging and Publishing

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Confession time: I miss the A to Z Challenge! I’m already thinking/dreaming/planning for April 2013. Blogging every day with hundreds and hundreds of other bloggers inspired me. I was a “member” of a very special club. And I was committed! Now my posts are sporadic and lacking … lacking what? Purpose, I think.

I’ve decided to join the Insecure Writers Support Group. You can read about it HERE. They’re a great bunch of bloggers and writers and many of them participated in the A to Z Challenge. So on the first Wednesday of each month, I’ll post about insecurities, fears, doubts and we’ll look at solving some of our problems. The scary part is that if I miss two months in a row, they kick me out of their club. Yikes! We’ll see what happens.

On another note, I don’t know if any of you follow Nathan Bransford’s blog. He is the author of Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapow (Dial, May 2011), Jacob Wonderbar for President of the Universe (Dial, April 2012) and Jacob Wonderbar and the Interstellar Time Warp (Dial, March 2013). He was formerly a literary agent with Curtis Brown Ltd. and is now the social media manager at CNET. He lives in San Francisco.

I find I read him more now that he isn’t agenting. Wonder why? Anyway, he’s got an interesting take on Traditional vs Self-Publishing and I like it. Take a look and tell me what you think.  HERE it is.