Jessica Ferguson

Author, Writing Coach, Speaker

Success Is A Prayer Away

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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?

 

A Writing Debate

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The fact of the matter is …debates are not fun. Not for everyone! What if you had to verbally convince an editor, agent or publisher to buy your novel. I’m not talking about a ten-minute pitch. Picture this:

You’re at a writers’ conference. Instead of signing up for the Early Bird Seminar, you’re participating in a Writer’s Debate: You will stand at a podium with another writer and verbally try to convince editors and agents to take a chance on you and your manuscript.

Here’s how it plays out:

You have no notes and no teleprompter. You know your novel and characters–you’ve lived with them for a year so why would you need a cheat sheet? You’ve memorized a killer hook and a concise synopsis that soundsgreat. This time, because you’re speaking, you’ll be judged on how you dress, how well you converse, your body language–everything visual. Could you do this? Would you want to do it?

Here’s what you should cover in the first round:
The title of your book and why you chose it. Give your one sentence hook, not a tagline. A sentence that creates interest in your manuscript. Recite your brief overview of your book–similar to the blurb on the back cover. Remember, pay attention to the way your speak, your tone of voice should be vibrant. Everything you say should make the editor/agent/publisher want to read your manuscript.
NOW IT’S TIME TO HEAR YOUR COMPETITION. SHE GIVES HIS OR HER SPIEL IN THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME.  
Back to you for more detail: Speak about your characters this time, their internal and external conflicts, and how they overcome and grow. List some plot points. Tell the editor/agent/publisher briefly your beginning, middle and ending, and how you want the reader to feel once s/he has finished reading your book. How many words is your book and how many chapters. Is the manuscript complete–no more revising and editing? Have you written or thought about book club questions and if so, how many have you created?  You’ll also share information about what qualifies you to write this book. Where you’ve been published, Magazines, other books? What are your sales figures if you’re a published author? Have you won any awards or have special degrees or certifications in creative writing? If you have nothing, no credits, etc, then tell us why. How long did it take you to write the book? How many books do you think you can write in a year? Are you a plotter or pantser? What kind of support group do you have? You should answer all these questions in your spiel. 
NOW YOUR COMPETITION SPEAKS AGAIN, MAKING HIMSELF SOUND VERY PROLIFIC AND KNOWLEDGEABLE. And this time he can point out weaknesses in your verbal proposal.

Your turn again:
Speak about your platform and how you are able to reach your target audience. Tell what you’ve already done, what contacts you have and what plans you have to market your book. Explain your social media presence and connections. Remember to speak with confidence. If you say you plan to be on Oprah, get ready for a heehaw unless you can prove that her people have contacted you.
Here comes the tricky part — comparable books: you’ll want to tell about several novels that you see as similar to yours in some way. It’s your goal to develop a big-picture understanding of your book. This will show that you’ve done your research because you’ll recite the title, author, release year, and a couple of sentences about each book and how your book is similar and why/how it would appeal to the same audience.

YOUR COMPETITION DOES THE SAME. WHEN S/HE IS FINISHED, IT’S TIME FOR EACH EDITOR/AGENT/PUBLISHER TO CHALLENGE THE TWO OF YOU. THEY MIGHT SAY AND DO THE FOLLOWING: 
They will ask each of you questions about each character’s motivation, jab holes in your plots. Once they’ve finished using you as a punching bag, they’ll ask questions about your market. Questions you should have thought of and have the answers to–like, who you see as the audience for the book? What will make someone buy your book? How you read your audience? Do you have any special relationships to the market?  What your audience does in its spare time, what books and periodicals they read, favorite TV programs, and how and why you feel you understand your audience?  They’ll ask personal questions about your writing and your home life, your support groups, professional affiliations, and how you give back to the writing community. They’ll ask what you see as your biggest challenge when it comes to writing.

When they finish their third degree, you will have a few moments for a last ditch effort to convince the powers-that-be to offer you the publishing contract instead of the other person.

Your competition has the same.

After such an event, no doubt you will duck into the hotel bar for a stiff drink, or to your room. Right before you pass out, you’ll vow never to participate in such a brutal, demoralizing event again. Ever. But of course, you will because you’ll do whatever it takes to sell your book.

I don’t blame you. I’m already practicing for the day selling a book comes to a writing debate.

IWSG: Get Rid of the Clutter

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If you read my previous post, you know that my AOL email was hacked. The only word that comes to mind is devastating, but only because I’ve had my AOL email address for ten or twelve years. jessy31writer was who I was. It was my identity. When I went to writers’ conferences, attendees may not know my name but all I had to say was, “I’m jessy31writer” and they’d say, “Oh, yeah.”

Devastating! Sort of reminds me of when I learned we were moving to Oklahoma. I could hardly stand the thought of being so far away from our kids, I couldn’t stand the thought of lifting and moving furniture, traveling in two vehicles across a couple of states, searching for a place to live, waiting for the cable guy. If you’ve moved much, you know the drill. Using a new email address felt the same way.

Oklahoma–in spite of the wind, the drought, tornadoes, new TV stations, gangs, drive-by shootings, unfamiliar grocery stores and brands of food–has been great for my writing. I only know one person here, two if you count my husband, so all I have to do is cook, wash clothes and write.

I’m trying to treat the AOL hacking the same way. I’m trying to make it work for me. My new virtual mailbox is pretty bare. (Now that I think about it, our physical mailbox is bare too, but that’s another story.) Those 60 yahoo groups I belong to have been trimmed. So have the e-newsletters. For a few days, I fell into that what’s the point state of mind and unsubbed. I wasn’t reading them anyway… just collecting them.

Now that I’ve crawled out of that what’s the point state of mind, I can see that clutter, whether it’s on your computer, in your email or physically around you, destroys creativity. Clutter weighs you down. Clutter becomes a habit. We (or I) accept it, live with it, without realizing how destructive it can be.

Without the clutter of my Home Sweet Home in Louisiana (we left all furniture behind), I’m writing more. Maybe without the clutter of my AOL email, I’ll submit more.

Take a look at your writing life. If you aren’t writing and submitting, you might need new surroundings. I’m not suggesting you move away, but try leaving home for a few hours each day to write in a new place: the library, a cafe, bookstore or coffee shop. If you think you’ll do too much people watching, then don’t comb your hair or wear make-up. Believe me, you won’t look at anyone for fear they’ll look back at you.

I used to think I couldn’t write anywhere but in my own home. That’s a lie we tell ourselves to hang on to our creature comforts. Take it from me, you can write anywhere.

ANYWHERE!

Are you writing? If not, why not? Frustration? Clutter? Have you fallen into that what’s the point frame of mind? That’s normal but don’t hang out there too long. There’s a reason you’re there; find it. Get rid of it. And write.

J is for Jewelry-Making

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Sometimes I get so discouraged with my writing that I threaten to quit and make jewelry. One birthday, my husband and daughter gave me a lot of jewelry-making supplies. I got all kinds of chains, ribbons, twine and turquoise–my favorite–and a plastic container with little compartments to keep it all neatly inside. I even visited a jewelry making  group. That’s the closest I’ve come to actually making good my threat.
I love jewelry fixings of all kinds. 

I’m not a shopper. No matter what I’m looking for, I end up at the jewelry counter of the store, perusing the jewelry. This is known as escape. Yes, I recognize it.

Even though I love the idea of creating one-of-a-kind bracelets, necklaces and earrings, and have several books showing me how, step by step, I don’t have the patience.  I wouldn’t be any better at making jewelry than I am at sewing.  Put a needle and thread in my hands and I’m disastrous! The idea of jewelry making is my escape.

What’s your escape when writing gets tough?

G is for Genealogy

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Genealogy:   A record or table of the descent of a person, family, or group from an ancestor or ancestors; a family tree
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I’m hooked on genealogy and have been for a number of years. I put it away for a long time but last year, after watching Who Do You Think You Are? on Friday nights, I dug out my disorganized notes and records, joined ancestry.com and started searching.

Genealogy is addictive. I struggle between writing fiction and wanting to devote all my time to writing my family history–at least, a few personal family stories like  the one below.
Me and Grandma
I was closer to Grandma than her other grandkids. Maybe because we lived right across the pasture and I saw her every day. When I was little, I stayed with Grandma while Mama worked. I watched her wring the necks of chickens, slam them to the ground and laugh while they flopped to death. There was something a little scary, yet fascinating about watching my old Grandma, long grey hair knotted at the base of her neck, killing chickens.
When I got older, I’d still hang out with Grandma. I thought she could teach me something school books, and my own mom, couldn’t.
Being at Grandma’s house always felt right.

But this story isn’t 100% true. I wasn’t any closer to Grandma than the other grandkids; I did live across the pasture. And I did stay with her when I was little while my mom worked but once I started calling my panties ‘drawers’ and the front porch a ‘gallery’, Mom put me in a kindergarten. I did watch Grandma (I really called her Mamaw) wring the necks of chickens, and she did twist her long hair in a knot. She laughed too. Yes, she fascinated me, so is the story a lie?

I wonder what keeps people from ‘elaborating’ their family history, stories about their ancestors? 

John Henry Roach is 18 years old. Mattie Mae Smith is 16 years old. Too handsome and beautiful to be wringing the necks of chickens.