Jessica Ferguson

Author, Writing Coach, Speaker

Insecure Writers Support Day: Favorite Quotes

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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 September 4 posting of the IWSG are Beth Camp, Jean Davis, Yvonne Ventresca, and PJ Colando!

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post.

September 4 question – Since it’s back to school time, let’s talk English class. What’s a writing rule you learned in school that messed you up as a writer?

The question is always optional and today I choose not to answer it, not because I don’t like it. I just can’t think of anything to say about teachers. I’m not sure any teacher messed me up as a writer. There was one in college, a hateful journalism teacher that didn’t like my writing at all. He told me I was on an ego trip. Go figure. I was in his class to learn, even though I’d already worked as a contributing editor for an in-flight magazine. We should never quit learning, right? I do think of him periodically and wonder why he didn’t like me. Lookie here, I answered the question after all. 

My intention was to post a few of my favorite quotes. Who doesn’t like quotes? Don’t they make you think? Do you have a favorite quote that speaks to you? Share it!

“Your legacy is every life you’ve ever touched .”   Maya Angelou  

The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”—Thomas Edison

There is something delicious about writing the first words of a story. You never know quite where they’ll take you.” -Beatrix Potter

 If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” – Toni Morrison

Half my life is an act of revision.” – John Irving

And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”  – Sylvia Plath

 

Isn’t IWSG the greatest?!

I wish you all good writing!

JRF

IWSG Day: Faux Books?

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It’s Insecure Writers Support Group day–the first Wednesday of every month. We’re here for you if you’re doubting or struggling.

IWSG was formed by Ninja Captain Alex Cavanaugh. Members post about their doubts and fears, discuss struggles and triumphs, and offer words of encouragement to others who are struggling.

Twitter handle: @TheIWSG

Hashtag: #IWSG

The awesome co-hosts for the August 7 posting of the IWSG are Feather Stone, Kim Lajevardi,Diedre Knight, C. Lee McKenzie, and Sarah – The Faux Fountain Pen!

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story.

The question is always optional.

August 7 question – Do you use AI in your writing and if so how? Do you use it for  your posts? Incorporate it into your stories? Use it for research? Audio?

My response will address using AI for writing long fiction only. I can’t speak to the research, creating social media content or audio.

I investigated AI after taking a free course from Joseph Michael. He made plotting with AI seem interesting. I plugged in a simple one sentence blurb and asked chatGPT to outline a romance. According to JM the first draft probably won’t be acceptable. You need to ask ChatGPT for several more drafts and keep at it until you find something you like. Actually, I found ChatGPT fun to play with. It does stimulate one’s imagination. And some of those drafts didn’t sound too bad to me—after all, we’re going to put our own spin on the characters, the conflict and the entire story… aren’t we?

So here’s the thing: as writers, we want the respect of our peers as much as we want readers to love our work. (Lord knows I deal with “imposter syndrome” enough. I sure don’t need AI to reinforce that.) Why would we risk being called a fake, a cheater, a liar? Where’s the joy in writing, creating the book of our heart—over and over and over again—if we don’t do the actual creating?

I’ll pass on using AI. There are enough fakes in our world.

Thanks for visiting me, and good writing!

jrf

Insecure Writers Support Group: February 2024

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Hello Readers, hope you’re ready for February. It’s here whether we’re ready or not. On February 12th I will have been married 42 years. That’s so weird to me. I still can’t imagine being married that long even though I did it! I did it!. J

I can hardly believe we raced through 31 days of January. I had planned to finish a 55,000 word book but by the time I finally sat down at my laptop, January was over. ?‍♀️ Life is flying by.

Before I say another word, I want to remind each of you that at some point during the past several years, you signed up to follow my blog. When you sign up to follow it, you get a notification or a link or perhaps even the complete post in your email. If at any time you want to unsubscribe, feel free to do so. I get a lot of clutter in my email too, so I’ll understand. But really, I don’t want to be known as clutter. I want you to like me! And read me. I really do but it’s your call, my friend.

What I’ve read so far in 2024:

I just completed Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble. It’s about a widowed antique dealer and family secrets. I do like a tease about family secrets. That kind of blurb will get me every time.

I enjoyed Colleen’s storytelling skills and have been looking at some of her other books that are on my shelves. I tend to purchase authors I know I will eventually read. They may perch in my book case for years before I ever get around to reading them. Is that odd?

I also finished Jessica R. Patch’s  Love Inspired Suspense— Crime Scene Conspiracy. The first in a series. Her heroines don’t pull any punches, and her heroes are (sigh) HEROES! Her books always have threats at every turn. Her trade books, A Cry in the Dark and Her Darkest Secret might give you nightmares. At the very least, they’ll keep you sitting up all night reading and looking at the crack in your draperies or blinds.  I’m waiting for the 3rd book in this Strange Crimes Unit series—Garden Girls. Check her out.

I’m excited to be doing a zoom class with this author in the near future. Follow her on Facebook and get to know her. If anyone has a handle on marketing her books, it’s Jessica R. Patch. She’s scary and fun.

And now it’s IWSG Day! Yay!

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 February 7 posting of the IWSG are Janet Alcorn, SE White,Victoria Marie Lees, and Cathrina Constantine!

Let’s take a look at the Optional question:

February 7 question: What turns you off when visiting an author’s website/blog? Lack of information? A drone of negativity? Little mention of author’s books? Constant mention of books?

I hate it when pop-ups won’t let me search a website before I decide to follow or sign up for the newsletter. That’s my number one pet peeve when it comes to authors (and craft sites). A recent discussion in one of my writers’ groups told me I’m not the only one who hates pop-ups. I don’t blame authors for a constant mention of their books: their real estate so they can mention all they want, but they should make certain there’s something there for everyone. A few articles that might interest their readers, maybe. I always enjoy reading how an author plots their book, where they got their idea, how they outline or some funny experience they’ve had at book signings or whatever. I have to admit, I’m never going to read an interview with a fictional character or a letter to me from a fictional character. Just not my thing. After all, they’re fictional characters! A little negativity doesn’t bother me either. We’re writers. There’s a heck of a lot of negativity in our writing and publishing world. Go for it. I’ll probably agree with you.

I always read and enjoy author bios and how an author came to get published. Where did you find the courage to self-pub or how did you finagle a traditional publisher to grab you. Authors have a lot of good stories at their fingertips if they’ll just think about them. I look forward to reading yours!

What I’m writing now:

I’ve been working on a sweet romance and I have about 30,000 words. Unfortunately, I’ve been sick for the past several weeks and haven’t accomplished much of anything. Fingers crossed I can finish it in February. I need one good day at the library–actually, the library in Mustang, Oklahoma would do it for me.

Thanks for popping by my place. Leave a comment and tell me what you’re doing. My next post I hope to drop some links sending you to some of my very favorite websites and podcasts. Hope you’ll come back!

Good Writing, my friends!

Jessica

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?”

 

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.

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!

IWSG DAY: Questions, Questions, Questions

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Today is so exciting because it’s Insecure Writers Support Group day. IWSG was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh  for the purpose of encouraging other writers—or anyone who’d like to learn the craft. Writers can ask questions and express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. We’re a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds. We invite you to follow other IWSG members here or by using the twitter hashtag #IWSG. You can also go to our Facebook page and Instagram. We’re awesome!

Co-hosts for the January 2 posting of the IWSG are Patricia Lynne, Lisa Buie-Collard, Kim Lajevardi, and Fundy Blue!

 Our January 2nd question is What are your favorite and least favorite questions people ask you about your writing?

The question I dislike the most but hear often is are you still writing? That’s a sure sign they haven’t Googled me, looked me up on Amazon and they certainly aren’t reading me. Yeah, yeah, I know I’m putting all the work on them. The way I see it (and like it) is if they do what they’re supposed to do (track me down) then I won’t have to do what I should be doing (promote myself and my books!) I really have a rough time promoting myself.

Questions I’d like to hear are:

Hey, I was thinking about you the other day and Googled your name. You’re really out there, girl! How did I miss all the excitement in your life? Now that would make me laugh out loud! I might even strut a little.

Or this question:

I can’t get your first book out of my mind. It was such a fun novel, I really loved all the Elvis trivia. Have you thought about writing a sequel?

Yes, a prequel and a sequel, but no, my Elvis days are over.

Answering questions about our work is part of the job–regardless of whether they’re good questions or bad questions. Promotion, advertising, doing interviews and blog hops is expected. Every contract I’ve signed has included a paragraph about promoting the project.

Having interviewed authors for Southern Writers Magazine for almost seven years, I noticed how some authors have a knack (a personality) for answering questions and others come across dull as dirt. Maybe the dull ones are trying to come across as serious professionals. Then again, maybe they just have no personality or humor about them. Answering questions seems like an easy task but as an interviewer, I believe there’s an art to it. We all need to learn how to answer questions in a way that encourages the reader to find us interesting and want to know us better. We should put personality in our answers.

In 2019, I hope to write, sell and answer a lot of questions. How about you?

Let’s Camp NaNoWrMo Together!

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Hey gang! Just popping in to let you all know I’m still alive. So far, my summer has been busy. I’ve revised my novella that’ll be a part of The Bucket List Dare Collection. I have to go through two more critiques/revisions before it’s truly ready but release date is in October.

I’ve finished my short story in the Legacy Letters project with some of my Oklahoma friends. It will release in September.

For both of these I have to come up with short blurbs or one-liners. Always challenging for me.

mother dayIn July, I’m going to a quilt show with my daughter who has developed an interest in quilting. Here’s a pic of the lap quilt she’s making for me. The backing is script. I can’t wait to get my hands on it. 🙂

On July 1st I’m going to camp. Yep, going to the same camp I attended last year with a group of mystery writers-Camp NaNoWrMo. I decided to go alone thisCamp year but looking around this huge cabin in the woods today… I got spooked! It’s way too big for one person. I don’t think I can stay there by myself.

Anyone interested in joining me? All you have to do is go to the camp site and create a profile, then send me your user name so I can invite you in. We’ll write and encourage each other. Share some secrets and eat S’mores! (I wish!)

If you aren’t familiar with Camp NaNoWrMo. It’s like the November NaNoWrMo but during July you can write anything. Just set your goal for the month (a project or a daily word count or editing) and do your thing. Unless I change my mind before July 1st, I’ll be tackling a nonfiction project.

Anyone game? Let me hear from you! I’d love for you to join me. Hope you’re having a great summer.

A to Z Reflections

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A-to-Z Reflection [2016]I missed the deadline for the A to Z Reflections but I’ll reflect anyway.

For me, the A to Z Challenge this year was better than ever. More challenging in some ways. More fun in others. I blogged about my passions: writing, coaching, and inspiring others.

I didn’t plan—I never do. And I still wrote each post the night before—sometimes as late as 10:00 pm. I’m a slow thinker, fairly uncertain until I actually start writing, so each April I purposely work under pressure, trying to teach myself to think and write fast, the way old time reporters did back in the day. One of my favorite movies is Teacher’s Pet with Clark Gable and Doris Day. Check it out. And remember Lou Grant?

I did one thing different this year. I shared on FB and Twitter. Mine and other people’s posts. Amazing how that adds another level of excitement to the challenge. And adds FB friends and followers.

In addition to daily blogging the challenge I was also writing a 20,000 word novella that will come out in a collection with three other writers, and coaching a writer who was trying to finish her novel. I’d love for you to read her story: Why It Took Seven Years To Write This Novel. I’m thrilled to say she accomplished her goal. Not only did she finish her book, but she submitted to Amazon’s Kindle Scout program and was accepted. For the past three days she’s danced around in Hot and Trendy and for an hour or two was #1. That alone tells you I had an exceptional client to coach: very capable, talented, and focused. Her writing is excellent.

My adrenalin surged during the month of April. Those three activities—writing, coaching and blogging—kept me organized and focused. I think that’s what we need to remember; we have to remember. The key to success is focus. Everyone who completes the A to Z Challenge each year knows and understands all about focus. We have to keep our eyes on our goal.

Now that A to Z has ended, I’ll concentrate on spreading the word about my client’s book. I can’t help but feel her success is mine too. 🙂 I invite you to read the the wrong first few chapters of  The Wrong by Heather K. Duff . If you enjoy it, consider nominating her for the Kindle Scout contract. You’ll get her novel free if she wins. If she doesn’t, it will have been a wonderful learning experience just to watch how things play out, one you might want to try yourself. Heather hopes to post about her experience too, so consider signing up to follow her blog.

All of you who popped in to read my posts during A to Z and left comments made me feel valued. I loved talking writing with you and reading your own posts too. I appreciate every comment and the dialogue we shared. I wish we could get together for coffee and chat in person. There’s nothing I like better than a three-hour coffee. Maybe someday. 🙂

In the meantime, what do you have planned for the summer? Where will your focus be? On a novel, novella or a book of poetry? Or maybe you’re taking the summer off to play with your kids?  Whatever your plans, be safe and have fun. Enjoy your focus.

K is for Keys

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KIf you’re just finding me among the hundreds and hundreds of A to Z bloggers, I’m thrilled. I’m sharing about writing, coaching and inspiring others.

I’m tempted to blog about Kritiques, but I guess I should keep it real. 🙂 Today I’ll give you keys to writing and publishing; my tips that will benefit you for as long as you’re a writer.

Read. Don’t read just anything—read the best of the best. I could give you a list of books, but my opinion of “the best” might differ from yours. Just remember, the saying garbage in-garbage-out is true.

Write. Every day. Some people argue that writing daily isn’t necessary. I believe the more you write, the better writer you become. And yes, I believe in forcing yourself to write. We force ourselves to wash dishes and clothes and toilets (or am I the only one?) so why wouldn’t we force ourselves to do something we truly love?

Write long. Tell your story then cut it short. You’ll be surprised how many unnecessary words you’ve used. Make every word count.

Write short. I believe writing fillers, letters to the editor, very short pieces teach us to write tight. I’ve heard writers say they can’t create anything in a 100 words. Like my mama always said, “Can’t never could do a thing!” If you can’t create in 100 words how will you ever write your book blurbs?

Submit. Find a couple of markets to conquer: Chicken Soup for the Soul, The Sun, Women’s World. There are many opportunities within those three markets.

Join a local writers’ group. If there’s not one in your town, start one. You might belong to thirty online groups, and that’s great, but there’s nothing like gabbing with other writers at your favorite coffee shop.

Call yourself a writer. Tell people you meet for the first time that you’re a writer. Yes, it’s hard because they always ask what you’ve published and you may not have published anything. That doesn’t matter. Tell them you’re working on short stories, a novel, a screenplay and hope to submit soon. The more you say you’re a writer—out loud—the more you’ll believe it.

Recognize opportunities. When you talk about writing and call yourself a writer, opportunities will come your way–from local magazines and newspapers, the Chamber of Commerce, or from church or club newsletters. Don’t ever pass up an opportunity that falls in your lap.

Learn. How-to books, trade magazines, online classes and writing blogs are at your fingertips. Take advantage of them. You may become a New York Best Selling author, but that doesn’t mean you know everything. You never will. Never. Educate yourself about markets, the business of writing, agents and publishers, traditional and indie publishing. Don’t depend on anyone to do your research for you. Your career is your responsibility.

Don’t ever, ever quit learning.