Monday 29 October 2012

Next Steps


Top Ten Things I Never Thought I would say

1.     Hey mom and dad…I’m going to be on the Today show.
2.     I’m sorry; I can’t speak to you until I am done filming with The Today Show/Katie Couric/Jeff Probst.
3.     When will my driver be here?
4.     Girls please stop fighting and please be quiet! BBC London is Skyping. Geesh!
5.     What time am I suppose to be in hair and make-up?
6.     Jeff Probst’s dimples are extremely distracting.
7.     Oh look, I made the India Times.
8.     I just have take a quick conference call with the tv/movie guy calling….can you please take the kids swimming?
9.     My blog just passed 600,000 hits.
10. I’m sorry all requests will have to go through my agent.

That’s right…I now have an agent.  Unreal. Just unreal.That sounds so weird to me.

When I was in L.A I was fortunate enough to be called by a well known fabulous agent/partner from a large firm who asked to represent me!! ME!!! Many of you have asked me to or suggested I write a book. Well…looks like that is going to happen. A well-known TV/Movie producer also approached me and time will tell where that will go after my book. 

My book…hee hee!

FYI…not everyone in Hollywood are money hungry sharks. All of the people I met have been nothing but open, honest and kind while not taking advantage of my clear lack of knowledge about this industry.  I can’t speak if that applies to Mini Mr. T and Mr. Batman dude, but I couldn’t be more excited to work with Amy Schiffman and the Intellectual Property Group. No need for jokes here about my ‘intellect’

While I was in L.A there was a National Writers & Screen Writers Conference taking place in the hotel we were staying at. The irony of this is not lost on me. People go to school and work a lifetime for this career…and here I was in the lobby having it handed to me on a silver platter. As I looked around at all the established and aspiring Authors, I felt humbled. I also felt a wee bit giggly…is this actually happening?? Yeah it is!!!

To say I feel blessed would be an understatement.
To say I feel scared would be an understatement.

I am a pretty confident gal in most arenas in my life.  To deal with this new feeling of self-doubt has brought much learning about myself. I keep flipping between ‘pee my pants excitement’ (which isn’t hard for me as you know) to ‘what the hell am I doing?’ However, to wake up at almost *ahem* forty years old and discover I have a talent for writing that I didn’t know existed, has been a wonderful gift. I need to follow this path and see where it takes me.

A very wise mentor of mine, and someone dear to my heart recently sent me a copy of my favorite poem:

The Road Not Taken
 Robert Frost (1874–1963)

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;
        


Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,
        


And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.
        


I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.
        



So I AM going to take the road less traveled and hope you will join me on the journey.

The 15 minutes has lead to a very exciting new chapter…(see what I did there? lol)
I now find myself in a world with a foreign language of book proposals, editors, offers, deals, publishers and marketing. I also have to do laundry.  Right now I am feeling pretty confident about my laundry. Well, that and my wine drinking abilities.

While I have some professional guidance and ideas floating around in my head...I want your input. After reading my writings and my style, what would you like to read from me?

Xoxo
J

Tonight as you smile with me...please also keep the East Coast of the USA and Canada on your heart and in your prayers.





35 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. one word...coat tails.
      xoxo
      J

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    2. All the way to stardom baby....wonder who they will get to play me, the supportive, inspiring, quietly superior older sister? Angelina perhaps? Maybe Penelope Cruz? The resemblance is really uncanny ;)

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  2. I recently learnt about you... I read your blog and was literally laughing out loud. Congrats on that book of yours!! Greetings from México.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much!! I;m glad you were laughing..its whats its all about:)
      J

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  3. I will keep readin' whatever you put out there Momma! Love your little mommy wisdom at the end of my day. Awesome work you 5, you deserve all the happiness and success in the world Miss J!~Q

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  4. Write about passionate parenting....taking bedroom doors (I also have done this), storming down a school hallway to get to your kid, wondering about how to make your girls smart enough to avoid the lurking boys, being stupid as a teen makes you a better mom...sorta, kicking kids out of the car and making them walk because you meant it when you said "no fighting IN the car", sleepless nights at all ages. Keep it coming.

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    Replies
    1. It's scary how much our minds think alike:)
      J

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  5. Woot woot! You go girl! Now onto more important things...about those dimples...chocolate or vanilla?!? :)
    Proud of you Jecca!

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    Replies
    1. Little of both...one flavour in each I think:)
      J

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  6. So proud of you! And so excited!!! We can say that we in the Dane Yard knew you before you were rich and famous! Well, at least famous! Don't run off & forget about us! LOL!

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    1. I will never forget the my dane peeps!! You all got me through Thor's first year!!
      J

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  7. Well babe, you were hilarious in high school, and you are hilarious now and a fine writer - i can't wait to read your book. I will have to think about what I'd like to read from you -perhaps over some wine- and get back to you!!!

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    1. Thanks my dear!! I always thought I was funny...but it's nice to know people are laughing with me not at me:)
      J

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  8. I really think you should stick with parenting. They say you should write about things you know well, and is there a more anecdote-full issue than that? You have a talent to be sarcastic, ironic, tender and educational... Exploit that! In a way maybe you can extend your outside job skills to us who apparentenly don´t need them, but would appreciate good, entertaining advice. Do´s and Dont´s of parenting, detaching yourself from your children, first nights out... there´s plenty! I love to read you, keep up the good work girl!

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    1. You have great ideas...and yes this is my plan!! Thanks or the compliments...it means a lot!
      J

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  9. Hello I am from CNN Turkey. We wish to host you on our show via google hangout chat:) if you are also interested here is my e mail address : jbiderdogan@gmail.com we are now broadcastin from our london studios thats why I am offering you a google hangout :) Hope to hear from you:)

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  10. Yaaaaay! A book! It will be great :-) Annie: I could not have said it better myself. But please Jessica, do not stop bloging ;-)

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  11. What she said - keep blogging.... as for the book... all i know is that we will be reading it in bookclub and will have to have the author host! Proud of you girl!

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    1. I'll host as long as you all give it great reviews and bring wine!!
      J

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  12. Jess, this is nuts! I am so proud of you... I always knew that you were equally as funny sober. Perhaps if you aren't too busy, we'll see you next week when we play Quinn's team. (ps, we suck) do I need to book through your agent to arrange the coffee and baileys?
    xoxox Tara

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    Replies
    1. Yes we will be soccer moms together next week....
      Have your people call my people....kidding, just call me:)
      J

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  13. I am living vicariously through you Jessica and it's such fun.
    I will raise my glass of red your way as I watch your adventures and pretend they are mine.Go gettum !!!! I am proud of you
    Cheers
    Ally

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    Replies
    1. I love this!! And I happily share them with you!!
      J

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  14. Good luck, Jessica.

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    1. Hook (I hope I can call you that, I feel like we should be on first name basis after all your comments),
      Thank you for the kind wishes...finally:) lol
      I appreciate them and truly trust you mean them. I wish the same for you.
      Jess

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    2. Let's get one thing straight: I've never wished any ill will upon you or yours, Jessica.
      I'm genuinely excited for you; this is a new beginning and an entirely new direction for your family and life in general. I hope everything works out and you enjoy the fruits of your labor.

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  15. Wow. You are incredibly grounded. As a fellow Calgarian with an agent (and a parenting/humor book coming out in May), I know a lot about book proposals. Good luck and enjoy the process.

    Leanne Shirtliffe (a.k.a. Ironic Mom)

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    1. Just saw your website/blog and I can't wait to read your book! Any..and I mean ANY advice is more than welcome. I told Elena this as well..and I really mean it!
      J

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  16. Jessica!! Totally amazing!!
    I always looked up to you, from the first day we met... and now more than ever. You ROCK!!!

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  17. I almost never turn on the tv during the day, but while waiting for my 15 yr old to awaken from her slumber I happened to turn on the dimple distracting Jeff Probst show. I've never seen it, didn't even know he had a show other than Survivor, so I decided to take a look. It was your show! I was so intrigued by your Strike I could not stop watching! I googled you and read your blog from beginning to end! You are my hero. What you have done and are yet soon to accomplish is truly amazing! I'm so happy for you, I've joined your blog and will read WHATEVER you plan to write

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  18. I will read anything you write. As a mom with young girls who aren't where your girls are yet, I love your tough love approach to parenting. I want real life advice to raise empowered, independent girls. I want to have humor and abundant love in our family and I want to mother my children, but not smother. So excited for your next steps and I love the girls you have raised.

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    ReplyDelete