Letters to Jessica

Hi Jessica, I just finished reading your book, The Matter of Grace, and I wanted to write you a note to say how much I enjoyed it. I actually picked up both this book and Her Daughters Eyes. I couldn't decide which to read first, so I took both of them. I admire your writing style and your ability to bring the characters to life so well. I live in the Bay Area and I was delighted to read about it in your book. I've written as a hobby for a long time and hope to submit a story for publication one day. Well, I hope you have a great day. Thank you, Mary Bartlett * * * * * * * * * * Hi, Mary. Thank you so much for your email. I really appreciate you reading my books--and I'm glad the Bay Area mentions worked for you. Since I've lived here all my life, it makes sense for me to write about it! Do check out DVC for creative writing classes. We have some great teachers, and since you are local, you should be able to find a class that will work. We also teach creative writing online, so that might also be an option. That way, you can work toward your goal of getting published. Best of luck to you with your writing, and thanks again for your kind words. All best, Jessica

Dear Jessica, Hi, my name is Jen and I am 19 years old. For years now I have been writing poetry and stories. A couple of my poems have been published on www.poetry.com. I have a dream of publishing a book someday, yet I have no clue where to start. Do you have any suggestions? How did you get started? Do you have to get an Agent or Editor? That’s what my friends told me. And is it costly to publish a book? After reading “A Daughter’s Eyes”, which, by the way was a magnificent book, I found your web site and decided to write you in hopes that you would be able to answer my questions. Thank you so much in advance. ~Jen * * * * * * * * * * Hi, Jennifer. These are the questions I am often asked, and if I were smart, I'd write this all down officially on my web site. It's what we all (all of us writers) want to know. The first thing I would have to say is that while I think trying to get published in journals and magazines teaches us quite a bit, the idea of a poetry book especially is something that you come to after having published many, many poems. Most poets have published the poems in their books elsewhere before they collect them in a book. So, in order to get published, you need to keep writing (which you seem to be doing), take classes at colleges or at workshops, and keep sending stuff out. The process teaches us so much. That's how I learned, really. Then, when your work is really at a great stage of perfection (as perfect as we can get it), is when you think seriously about publication. With poetry, you very rarely have an agent. Many times, people win publication through contests. Do you get Poets and Writers Magazine? The Writer's Chronicle? You should. With fiction, you go through the agent--I found mine in a book. And then the agent sells the work to an editor. A publishing company (unless it is a vanity press) pays all the expenses to publish and pays you. That's the good news. I would also recommend you find a writing group. I have been sitting at my computer all day because I went to my group this morning, and they gave me many, many suggestions for my fourth novel. Having a great audience of readers is important. That's about all I usually tell people. Good luck with your writing. Keep going. It takes time, but if you want it, you can do it. Jessica

Dear Jessica, The Matter of Grace was definitely a page-turner. Just as their children were learning to swim, so were they. Each woman was at a different place in her pursuit to stay afloat. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and plan to pick up your first novel at Borders today! When checking the Borders website for any new Elizabeth Berg books, I saw your name referenced as a similar writer. Can't wait to get your next book! ~Wilma * * * * * * * * * * Hi, Wilma. Thanks for the comments. I really like your analogy of how the children and the moms were both learning how to swim at the same time. You're right. And I'm honored to be put next to Elizabeth Berg. I love her work. A great compliment. Let me know how you feel about Her Daughter's Eyes. It's very different. Thanks again for writing. Jessica

Jessica, I have just joined a lady's bookclub. We meet once a month and each member takes a turn of choosing the book and hosting the meeting. I picked up your book because I felt that it was a book that we could all relate to in some way. Mainly the friendships between women and the daily schedules that we all have to meet. I am enjoying the story very much but find that I do struggle with one thing. I find that these women seem to be educated and in their 30's. I do understand that some people never out grow their bad behavior of using bad language. I am finding myself thinking that these women should have done so by now. I am surprised at the "F" word being used so much. I do wonder why it is necessary at all. I would like to think that these women are more mature and trying too set a better example for women in your book. I feel that "making love" or "having sex" could have been used in order to get around using this word. I do not like to hear or read this language. ! I know that I cannot dictate what the authors or movie producers decide to say, but this did lay heavy on my heart. I just don't hear this much language used in the real world among mothers that seem to display maturity and a good amount of education. I would like your comments as to why you felt that it was necessary for this language to be there. I am hosting my meeting on May 6. I would like to be able to explain why you felt this necessary, so we can discuss this at our meeting. I am not trying to dictate how you write, but I do wonder if it was "true to life" for these women. You had made everything else seem like it could be someone that we could identify with or one of the days that anyone could wake up to. Thank you for reading this and I hope to hear from you. I am one that likes to ask questions if I can learn something from another person. I felt that you as the Author could give me the most appropriate answer as to why you gave these women this bad habit, or even put it in the book at all. Sincerely, Virginia Bergstrom * * * * * * * * * * Dear Virginia-- This is the most interesting letter I've received, and I've received some doozies. My first answer to you would be that swearing is not seen by the universal world as "bad behavior." Maybe to all it is not something one has to outgrow. It could be seen as a natural expression of emotions, the word containing the feeling that one wants to express. I'm sure you would be horrified, but I once wrote an entire academic paper on the F*** word (for you, I will resist typing it out). It is a noun, a verb, an adjective, an adverb, an exclamation, a command, etc. It also has many uses in terms of dialogue. The paper was very well received. Also, when we read, we have to get into the world the author is providing for us. We may not like that world, but it's the world we are in. We can't pick or choose that world if we really want to be readers. For instance, I am reading Louise Erdrich's book The Master Butcher's Singing Club. I am in the world of a butcher's shop. I don't really like it there. I don't want to know about how to make sausages and carve up a hog or a cow and what to do with spines and such, but it's the world of the book and I have to take it IF I want to read the novel. I do want to read the novel, and I have to know how the butcher shop is central to it. I personally don't want to read books that constantly reinforce my own life. I want to experience others' views. The mothers I know and the women I know do speak using swear words. Most of the swearing, as you might notice, does not occur around the children, but with each other. They are expressing their feelings. As a reader, you can't expect the novel to speak for you or AS you. Or, as Toni Morrison once wrote, "I couldn't find books I wanted to read, so I wrote some." In that way, she could have the book speak for her. I think that's something I'd like you to convey to your book group if you bring up this topic. I appreciate your writing and reading my novel. Your question was slightly off-putting, but you wrote eloquently enough that I let go of that. Jessica Inclan

Dear Jessica, I so thoroughly enjoyed our book club selection THE MATTER OF GRACE which we will discuss May 6. We are a group of women who work in the grocery industry and/or whose husbands are in the grocery industry. I warmed to all of the characters in this book because it seems I have known at least a portion of the characteristics and personalities of the women through my own friendships and relatives. One question: Are we to understand that Grace's brother was a sexual victim of their father? ~Elaine * * * * * * * * * * Hi, Elaine-- Your group isn't in Florida, is it? I've had another email from a woman whose book club will be discussing The Matter of Grace on the same day! I did so much research on all of this--anorexia, abuse, family systems--that as I was trying to piece together why Grace was the way she was, I came to the understanding that she'd been abused. That is was this abuse that lead her into the spiral she was in. And then as all problems in a family are family problems, I started to look at how the chain began. And yes, she "sees" what happened in her family, though no one else seems to. Because Grace lies so much and is so deluded, I want the answer to that question to be open in a way, though I do think she feels it is true. In a strange way, I think Grace was lying to me, too, as I was writing her story. She was so difficult to get a firm grasp on, as she is so used to manipulating and lying and hiding. Thanks for your question, and I hope that you have a great group. If you are all in groceries, I know that you will have wonderful snacks! Jessica

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