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IWSG Day: Writer in a Box

March 5, 2014 By Jessica Ferguson Leave a Comment

Today is Insecure Writers Support Group day. It was started by Alex Cavanaugh. Here’s a list of all the participants. I hope you’ll check them out because there are some interesting people out there in IWSG land.

This month I’m covered up with way too many things to post a worthwhile message for you. On Thursday, house renovation begins. Hubby and I have been boxing up everything, trying to get ready for new floors, new paint, new cabinets and more. Our wet bar is being demolished and we’re adding floor to ceiling bookshelves. Hopefully, it will be a nice little reading nook. We’re amazed at how much “stuff” we have–especially books. Because of the wall to wall, floor to floor book cases in my office, and my huge desk, that room will not be painted or get new floors so we’re stacking boxes of books from other rooms there. Here’s what my office looks like today:

While the house is being revamped, I hope to go to the library to write. My plan is to read over The Groom Wore Blue Suede Shoes, make a few changes then bring it out as an ebook. I hope I can read through it fast because there are other things I want to accomplish. I need to finish Circus Girl. The completed manuscript was requested by an editor last year, but I didn’t get it finished. I don’t know if I should contact her again or not. I’m sure she’s deemed me a slacker. What would you do? Then the next project is A Bad Guy Forever. I’m almost finished for the LAST time! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve rewritten that book. Everyone seems to be writing and publishing so fast and I just poke a long. I’m also working on two NF books. One is moving slowly–the other, almost finished.

So, that’s my plan. Hope I can stick to it.

Just in case I can’t make it to the library, I’ve left a path through all these boxes to my desk. Maybe I can plug in the earbuds, listen to something interesting and drown out the hammering. The workers will be here for seven or eight weeks–maybe longer. I need to make every day count.

Keep your fingers crossed for me and share any advice you have. Without a doubt, I need all the help I can get!

A Pen and a Phone

February 5, 2014 By Jessica Ferguson Leave a Comment

Today is IWSG day. IWSG stands for Insecure Writers Support Group and was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. You can follow other IWSG members here and on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG. We also have an active Facebook page.

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.

I’m not feeling insecure, but I’m not accomplishing much in the way of writing since we’ve moved from Oklahoma back to Louisiana. Maybe I’m feeling a little weak. I can’t really put my finger on why I’m not writing. I’ve turned in my assigned articles to Southern Writers Magazine simply because I always meet my deadlines. But when it comes to sitting down and reading through two manuscripts for final edits before submissions, I haven’t done it. I have two nonfiction books in various stages but so far, not motivated enough to finish them. Sure, when I sit down and force myself, I get excited about them all over again, but it’s the actual sitting down to work that seems to be the problem. There are so many other things that need to be done.

I’m on the 2014 Bayou Writers Group conference committee, trying to line up speakers for approval, but that’s like breathing to me. I don’t mind researching speakers and sending invites.

It’s the day to day stuff that interferes with my writing life.

We’ve been pulling wall paper off the kitchen and bathroom walls. Yeah, okay, I know, we’re the only people in the country who still have wall paper; so we’ve been told. Anyway, we’re starting the renovating process and trying to do some of the mindless, hum-drum work ourselves. Our contractor will oversee the new floors, baseboards, new showers, kitchen counter tops and appliances and paint throughout, along with a few other improvements.

Add to that … daughter is engaged. We’re planning an August wedding.

No wedding planner for us. I’m calling florists, venues, photographers, bakeries.
And, writing checks.
Yes, I have a pen and a phone and I’m using both.

Any tips on how to juggle writing, weddings and home renovations? Your thoughts are appreciated!

IWSG: New Dreams & Goals

January 8, 2014 By Jessica Ferguson Leave a Comment

Today is IWSG day. We usually post the first Wednesday of the month but the first Wednesday was New Year’s Day and we figured you’d be sleeping … or traveling.

IWSG stands for Insecure Writers Support Group and was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. You can follow other IWSG members here and on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG.

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.
2014 is the beginning of NEW. We can start from scratch with our dreams, goals and manuscripts. Hey, believe it or not, it’s a writer’s world out there. Ours for the taking. Some people think writers have never had it so good.

Don’t bring your 2013 baggage (negative thoughts, self-pity, poor-me attitude) into this year. Start fresh with a positive attitude. Finish those stories and novels, then start new ones–immediately.

The key to success is confidence in yourself, showing no fear, and knowing what you want. Traditional publishing? I heard recently that the chances of getting your digital rights back are pretty slim. Does that matter to you? Since books can sell on Amazon forever, maybe it should.

So you might add another key to success: educating yourself. Know exactly what you’re getting from traditional publishers and what a small press or self-publishing has for you. Believe me, they differ.

It’s a new year … and a new publishing world. Grab hold of both … with both hands.
And hang on!

Happy 2014. I wish you every success.

IWSG: A Blank Mind

December 4, 2013 By Jessica Ferguson Leave a Comment

Today is IWSG day–the first Wednesday of each month. IWSG stands for Insecure Writers Support Group and was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. You can follow other IWSG members here and on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG.

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.

But unfortunately, I can’t think of one thing to say to you: not one word of encouragement or guidance–no words of wisdom whatsoever. I feel like a blackboard with smears of chalky white. All my ideas and plans have been erased leaving nothing but unidentifiable smudges behind. Ever felt that way?

Obviously, I’m in a funk. Maybe you have a word or two for me.

IWSG: Reviews–Gotta Love ’em!

November 6, 2013 By Jessica Ferguson Leave a Comment

IWSG is the brainchild of our awesome Alex J. Cavanaugh. If you want to become a part of this group, check out our website. I should say, check out our beautiful, informative website. Lots to see and learn there! We’re also on Facebook now. Exciting!

Today, let’s talk about reviews … or should I say, let’s whine about reviews. Actually, I don’t want to talk or whine… I want you to explain them to me. Aren’t reviews a little like voting? Can a bad review cancel out a good one? Does each review stand alone? No doubt, they all confuse me.

I’ve really enjoyed the reviews I’ve received on my novella, The Last Daughter. I have thirty of them. I know it takes time to figure out what to say, so I appreciate everyone (yes, everyone) who took the time to write one.

It thrills me to think thirty people actually read my book … and I have friends who read it that don’t review. Ever notice how weird friends act around you before they read your book? Like … they’re scared it’s going to be crummy and they won’t know what to say to you. I understand that. I’ve felt that way too. And then there are friends who buy it, read it … don’t tell you until afterwards. I understand that too. Better to protect friendships. (I knew a guy who sent his friends detailed critiques of their published books. Ouch!)

I guess my biggest complaint about reviews is when someone writes that there are huge gaps in the story, that it didn’t make sense. That hurts. Especially when I worked hard to create/construct a story that makes sense. I want to know where those gaps are.

A couple of people stated The Last Daughter was a horrible story. For one person, that wasn’t strong enough. S/he said, “Horrible. Horrible. Horrible.” I guess three horribles makes it worse than horrible. Point taken. Stories that have to do with abuse aren’t for everyone. Yeah, it gets a little dark but you read worse in the newspaper.

Oddly, these reviews haven’t bothered me. Seriously, they haven’t, but they have confused me. Were there gaps because of a glitch in the epublishing, the formatting? Couldn’t a reader tell if that happened? Or did I seriously screw up some transitions?

One review that had me really confused was the one that said, “I really enjoyed the book which moved along at a nice pace. The one thing I never like in any novel is when the female allows a man to have the upper hand, as this one did with her ex boyfriend. She should never have allowed him back into her life.”

Ex boyfriend? What ex-boyfriend? She didn’t have one. Still, I’m glad she liked my story and thought I had good pacing. That’s important.

I did get some excellent reviews. Believe it or not, not all of them came from family and friends. Some of the “fun” ones are HERE.

30 Reviews

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

Share with me: how do you feel about reviews? Do you learn anything from them? (I’ll be paying closer attention to transitions–just in case!) Some of my friends say they never read them. Really? C’mon, never?

Blog Talk Radio anyone?

October 2, 2013 By Jessica Ferguson Leave a Comment

The past few weeks have been a whirl wind of activity. Standing face to face and eye to eye and toe to toe with promotion and social media has been a real learning experience. I’ll be the first to admit, I’m not good at it. The experts tell us to establish relationships on Facebook and Twitter. To say witty things that get attention and make people laugh. Things that make people want to respond. That’s hard. I’m okay with people I know–I can be funny. With friends, my jokes come across as just that–jokes–not rude or hateful sarcasm. How do you distinguish between sounding funny on social media and sounding mean? That has to be an art.

Yesterday I did an interview on Blog Talk Radio promoting my short story, If You Believe, which will release by Helping Hands Press tomorrow, I think. It was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done. I felt as if I was using words for the very first time. I can’t imagine how I sounded–wait! I CAN imagine! I’m a Texan who has lived in Louisiana for the past 30 years. You probably know how I sound now too. Remind me not to do radio interviews again–and tack TV onto that too. I don’t think fast enough for either. I’m not a ‘small-talk’ person. In fact, I’m incredibly shy. I think it would have been better if I’d been able to look into the face of my interviewer. A friendly face is encouraging. Right?

Anyway… that’s where I am. Learning how to promote and talk about my books and stories and … I don’t like it very much.

If you want to hear my blog talk interview, you can go to the link below. My mind went blank a time or two. I’m sure you’ll be able to tell. Thank goodness my host was good at covering my silence.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/gelatisscoop/2013/09/30/jessica-ferguson-author-of-if-you-believe

Oh.. but I love Pinterest. Check out my boards. http://www.pinterest.com/jessyferguson/boards/

Have you ever been on the radio? Any tips? Share some of your social media secrets.

I. Need. Help.

IWSG: Unwelcome Deadlines

August 7, 2013 By Jessica Ferguson Leave a Comment

Today is IWSG day-the first Wednesday of each month. IWSG stands for Insecure Writers Support Group and was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. You can follow other IWSG members here on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG.

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. Join us!

After 16 months in Oklahoma, we’re back in Louisiana. Full time. A couple of friends helped us load the truck and tie everything safely in place. Our Okie friends and church are sweet memories now. So far, I’ve received one phone call, several text messages and emails and visited on Facebook with them. They always make me smile. Hubby and I have never shared friends (as a couple), and I’ve never had many non-writing friends. I don’t know why. Oklahoma was an unusual experience. A blessing in a number of ways.

Hubby will be officially retired on Thursday. We’ll embark on a different kind of adventure. A little scary.

I used to be very organized. I used to be able to multi-task. Since being home, I’m having trouble writing or even accomplishing more than one thing at a time. Deadlines loom and I’m having to force myself to write. Forced writing isn’t good writing. I envy those writers who can whip out a story with no trouble at all and shoot it to their editor with so much confidence they never wonder if that story is good … or even readable. I’m not that way. I struggle. I feel as though I always struggle to put one word after the other. I struggle with my characters’ motivations and strengthening the conflict. I’ll ask a question I’ve asked a hundred times: how do we know, really know a story is good, if it hangs together, is logical, plausible and ready to be sent to the editor? When we’re satisfied with it, you say? What if we’re never satisfied?

I have a Sept. 1st deadline for a 9,000 word Christmas story. I’m struggling. Any advice?

Insecure Writers Support Group – A Made Up Mind

July 3, 2013 By Jessica Ferguson Leave a Comment

Today is IWSG day-the first Wednesday of each month. IWSG stands of Insecure Writers Support Group and was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. You can follow other IWSG members here on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG.

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! Join us!

So today, my question to you is:
Do you have a writing plan? A marketing plan? A plan for success? Neither do I. Every now and then I jot down goals and things I want to accomplish during a month or week but other than that … nothing.

However, I did draw up a plan several years ago and set out to accomplish some specific writing goals and guess what, it worked. I started publishing on a regular basis. That’s why I believe in The Power of the Made-Up Mind.

Back in November, I was asked to replace a conference speaker at the Bayou Writers Group conference. I had a week to prepare. I can’t do much talking or teaching on craft–not confident enough to go there–but I can talk about how to accomplish dreams and goals. I think I’ve made that a life study. I have a passion for helping people succeed or at least get on the right track. And I know–and believe with all my heart–that any of us can succeed and reach our goals (no matter what they are) if we just make up our mind to do so. We just need a plan and make up our mind to do it. We have to put forth some specific action.

This morning, I read PJ Nunn’s blog post called Business or Busyness and I want to share it with you along with a couple of her other posts: Is There a Method to Your Promotional Madness and A Publicist’s Day. PJ Nunn owns BreakThrough Promotions. She shares a lot of great tips and advice. These tips are not only workable for your promoting, but adaptable for your writing and selling. No, I’m not suggesting you get a publicist, only you can determine if you need one, but I am suggesting you read these posts, draw up a plan and implement the power of your made up mind. We can accomplish anything if we have a plan and if we work hard enough. Honestly, we can.

Do you agree? Have you put the power of a made up mind into action? Share.

IWSG for June – The Importance of a Business Card

June 5, 2013 By Jessica Ferguson Leave a Comment

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group was created by Alex Cavanaugh. The purpose of IWSG 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!

First an apology! I believe I slept through last month’s IWSG posting. Odd, considering how much I look forward to it. Maybe I had a lot on my plate. I hope you do too–have a lot on your plate, I mean. Having deadlines, ideas and staying busy with our writing is encouragement in itself, don’t you think?

I can remember when I was embarrassed to tell anyone I was a writer. I felt like such a phony with few credits and not much self-discipline when it came to a real writer’s schedule. Sometimes I still have an attack of insecurity or shyness. We all know when we say, “I’m a writer” the next question is “Oh, what do you write, any best sellers? Something I may have read?” If you can hold your number of credits in the palm of your hand, you probably shrink into yourself and mumble something unintelligible.

I always wonder when someone asks what my book is about if they really want to know. My explanations are brief—probably too brief to do my book justice! That’s why I like to blog. When I’m asked about my writing, it’s easier to hand the person my card and say, “Visit my blog and get to know me.” Or, “Visit my blog and see my new cover.” Or, “Visit my blog and read about all my writer friends!”

I can’t stress the importance of a business card. For writer’s conferences they’re a must, and don’t underestimate their value when it comes to your everyday living, shopping, hanging out at your favorite coffee shop. I have friends who always leave a card with their tip so their server can check out their books. Another friend tucks her card in with her check when she pays bills. I’ve been known to place my business card in library books or magazines at the book store—a good reason not to have your home address or phone number on them.

Do you have a business card? If not, make some—using good quality paper. I order mine from Vistaprint and utilize the backside too. Click on the pic to make it larger.

How do you use your business cards? Share some creative ways you get your name out there using them.

On another note, I’d like to help promote you—whether you have a business card or not! Check out my Be My Guest post for details. Scroll down to read L. Diane Wolfe’s post on how to write a nonfiction book. Diane was my first guest. Join her … read my guidelines carefully, and be my guest!

Success Is A Prayer Away

March 6, 2013 By Jessica Ferguson Leave a Comment

IWSG is the brainchild of our awesome Alex J. Cavanaugh. If you want to become a part of this group or read posts by other participants, you can find the list here.

If you read my previous post, you know that I’ve been out of state cleaning out my mother’s home. I’m back now, and battling … something. Not flu—maybe a horrible cold. Headache, cough, wheezing; all I want to do is sleep. I have so much to do. I’m behind in everything but all I do is cough and sleep. Since I don’t want to be booted from IWSG for missing a post, here it is:

A thought for you:

No one stumbles into success. It comes through planning, preparing, and some of us believe, the favor of God.

Hope you’re all planning, preparing for success. If you need to study and learn, do it, but don’t quit writing even if you wonder if you’re doing it right. You learn by doing. If you believe in critique groups, then join one. If you don’t know one to join, then start one yourself: a person to person group or an online group. I believe it helps if you all write the same thing but other writers disagree. I also believe you should have some members that are a little more experienced than you are in that critique group. They can pull you up, help improve your writing, and teach you, but don’t hang your hat on them. Don’t be spoon fed. Make sure you study and educate yourself too.

My two cents except for this: there’s nothing wrong with praying for your writing. God created you. He gave you any talent you have. He also gave us freedom of choice so whether you use your talent to glorify Him is something else entirely—between you and Him.

Nothing happens by accident. You aren’t going to stumble into that three-book contract. Tell me, what are you doing to achieve writing success in your life?

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