LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING

Have your ever heard of something or heard others talking about it?

Have you ever thought, “Gee, that sounds perfect for me?

This happened to me recently. I took an online course on copywriting, because I wanted to enhance my writing skills.

I own Virtual Colleague, LLC, a virtual assistant business. It’s difficult to get the word out about my business, because I don’t have a huge budget for advertising, so I figured, I would become a full-time copywriter. I took the course and learned a lot from it. I accomplished my goal of becoming a better writer. I’ve learned how to write enticing copy and how to present it on a page.

The problem arose, when I had to pick a niche.

 I love variety, so I didn’t want to be pigeonholed into one category, but I had to and the course explained why. I’m what you call a “Jill of all trades, mistress of none”. I know a lot about a lot of things, but I’m not an expert on any of them.

After much soul-searching, I decided my niche would be Christian fiction. After all, I’ve been a practicing Christian all my life and thought that this would be a natural progression in my writing. I followed the course instructions on how to find opportunities. I made an honest effort. I had two separate lists – one with individual names and the other with business names.

Living in Rhode Island translates into not a lot of opportunity for work, but I diligently applied the principles stated in the course. After I finished the course, I sent out over 100 emails offering my copywriting services to these individuals and businesses. I followed the course instructions to the letter. I was full of energy and optimism.

I got only 10 responses back from that list.

 Eight of those responses wanted me to donate my time and talents to their churches or groups. The other two responses wanted me to work for them on a trial basis. If they liked my work, then they would hire me, but they never specified how long that would take or what the salary would be, but they did indicate all the work they wanted me to do.

As you can imagine, I was extremely disappointed.

This is not how the course presented career success. The results caused me to step back and look at my choice of working as a copywriter or remaining with my virtual assistant business.

As a Christian, I prayed. I thought it was my calling to do Christian copywriting and help people get closer to God. Apparently, this is not meant to be. After much prayer and soul-searching, I’ve decided to stick with my virtual assistant business, Virtual Colleague, LLC, but also offer general copywriting to my clients. In that way, I will be able to maintain my client base by performing writing projects with general administrative tasks AND be able to offer my clients my copywriting skills.

I believe this is a win-win situation for me and my business. Time will tell for sure, so now I have to revamp my virtual assistant website, www.VirtualColleagueLLC.com and redesign my personal website www.JoAnnPlante.com. I was going to use my personal website for my copywriting website, but now, I will just make it a personal website, so people can get to know me.

Life is full of choices and challenges. You have to be willing to try something and if it doesn’t work out: you have to be willing to try something else.

My Christian fiction novel “Everyone Evelon” is available at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and Createspace.com.

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2015 YEAR IN REVIEW FOR MY AUTHOR WORK

2015 – CHRISTIAN FICTION

 In 2015, this blog was used for promoting my Christian fiction novel “Everyone Evelon” and I used it as an author website. I am proud to be a Christian. I started writing Christian fiction, because I didn’t like the selection of reading material available. There are so many trashy novels or novels that don’t promote a good, healthy lifestyle, so I decided to do something about it. I wrote my first novel.

I work as a virtual assistant part-time. I own my own business, Virtual Colleague, LLC, but clients are difficult to find. Every year my business grows, but I wanted to do something to promote Christian values.

My three strong points are researching, writing, and creating. I have a sense of humor and this usually shows through in my work. Although I am a professional, I try to keep everything easy, simple, and as perfect as possible. I like a clear, simple message.

I decided to do some copywriting for a friend and I realized that I love to do it. It came easily to me and my friend loved the work I did. This got me thinking. I did some research and then decided to take a course in copywriting. Although I’m good at it, I can always get better. I am nearly finished with this course and I have learned so much from it. I knew more about copywriting than I realized.

The time came to pick a niche and I was stumped. I wanted to write about everything, but specialization was covered in one of the chapters. After careful thought and asking some friends and family, I chose a niche. That niche is Christian copywriting. I thought long and hard about this. Why did I start writing in the first place? It was to promote Christian morals and values, so choosing Christian copywriting would be a logical next step. I will be promoting the same morals and values as my faith. Instead of creating fictitious characters, I will be promoting Christian products and/or services.

This seems pretty easy, but how do I get started? I followed the course instructions and made a list of potential clients. Because I’m so new to this copywriting career, I want to be my best. I  decided to take the Christian copywriting course that they offer.

I’m taking time off around the holidays and in January, so I can work a little more on my virtual assistant business, but I will take the Christian copywriting course in February. I want to be successful – not making tons of money, but I want to be remembered for promoting good, decent products and services.

I believe we have severe problems in the world, because we’ve forgot who created us and why we were put on earth. It’s not about the money or material things. It’s about using our God-given talents and skills to help others and live a good, peaceful life. I’m only one person, but if I can entice someone to buy a Christian product, it is one step to choosing a better lifestyle. Whether it’s music, books, statues, or anything else, I want to be part of the movement to bring Christianity back to this country.

Check out my website.

 

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DOING WHAT YOU LOVE TO DO IS NOT WORK

When people find out that I’m a writer and blogger, they think that I work so hard to get results. The fact is writing comes very easily to me. The difficult part is finding topics.

When I work as a virtual assistant, I specialize in writing projects, so I enjoy the challenge of not only writing about a topic, but also doing the research needed. It’s rare that I don’t have to do some kind of research and I always learn something new.

Writing is for me a way of communication, but also a way to relax and release stress. Writing is my way of telling others what’s on my mind or what I feel strongly about. Even if I don’t use actual names, places, or events, I can still get my points across. As I write, I usually type, but sometimes I use handwriting, the rhythmic strum of my fingers on the keys or the back and forth motion of my hand, make me relax and let my mind flow with thoughts and words.

I’m told so many times, that to be a writer, I have to write every day. I usually do write every day. I send out a weekly diary to my friends, who live far away. I write for my two blogs and then there is the virtual assistant business. My point is that writing is not work for me. It is a hobby or interest that keeps me busy for hours. I don’t know why I enjoy writing so much. No one in my family likes to write. In fact, they usually ask me to write their letters, thank you notes, or complaint letters.  They think I’m so smart and they know I get results when I write.

I’ve always wanted to write a novel and I did. In  2014, I wrote and published my first novel, “Everyone Evelon”. I don’t have a literary agent, so the marketing and publicity for the novel is difficult to do, but I think the novel has a great storyline and the characters are unique and interesting. I would like to write another novel, but right now, I’m busy with my job as a virtual assistant.

I try to work in concentrations of 4 hours, but sometimes it’s less. Sitting all day and not getting up to move around can ruin anyone’s health, so I have a timer and limit my sitting time. When I do get up, I do some stretching or at least, some walking around, just to get the circulation going. Although my mind is active when I write, my body is not, so balance between mind and body is essential. I don’t always feel like taking a break, but I have to and it’s a good mental exercise. It trains my brain to remember what I was thinking about before I took my break.

I feel bad for people, who don’t like to write. It’s a great way to earn a living, because for me it’s not working, it’s writing!

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CHANGING MY BRAND

Although I am an author, I am also a virtual assistant specializing in writing projects. My business, Virtual Colleague, LLC, is how I support myself. I have the draft for my second novel completed, but I feel the novel needs more in terms of plot or climax.

I receive many emails throughout the day encouraging me to buy certain books, enroll in specific online courses, or sample something they KNOW I want to try. After a while, I delete most of these emails, but one popped up the other day and caught my attention. It was about becoming a copywriter. I do some copywriting, but I want to take my skill to the next level. That’s where the money is.

I decided to sign up for this free copywriter webinar. What did I have to lose? Nothing! The webinar lasted for over an hour and it contained all of the things they would cover, if I signed up for the program. Although I have a pretty good idea of copywriting, there’s no harm in brushing up on my skills or learning new ones, so I signed up for the course.

I got a 30% discount and I can go at my own pace. I’m not ready to start the course, but I felt that the timing was right to get the discount and commit myself to learning something new. I’ve been a bit lax all summer and it’s time to get back on track and boost my business.

I like this course, because they offer assistance at every assignment and critique 2 of my writing assignments, so I know how I’m doing and what I need to work on. Working as a virtual assistant can be isolating at times, but collaborating online for a course is the incentive I need to get back to working and making money.

This course is supposed to take 10 weeks, but I want to do it at the pace that I feel is necessary for me to grasp all the concepts and practice what they teach. The time element is not important; it’s what I learn and use that is the most important thing to me.  The course also claims to help writers to write better novels, because being a copywriter makes them truly analyze their writings and will help them to focus on the plot and characters in a closer way.

The economy has been in bad shape for a while, so I need to do all I can to boost my income and client list.  This does not mean that my clients will suffer or I will no longer want to service them. Instead, I will make a gradual transition from virtual assistant professional writer to virtual copywriter.

I already have the website and blogs, so I’m in good shape. I just have to set up a schedule for course work, remove distractions, and commit myself to working toward my goal. I know I can do this and it will propel me into a more stable financial income as well as help me to acquire a new brand of client.

So over the next few weeks, I will be changing my website and LinkedIn profile in addition to studying, writing, and learning how to expand on the talents I already have.

 

Have you tried to change your brand? How did YOU do it?

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CHANGING SEASONS/CHANGING LIFESTYLES

Do the changing seasons have an effect on you? For some of us, it does. This is one of the ways that writers can transform their characters to create a new scene, scenario, or behavior pattern. Personally, summer is a lazy time for me. I still work, but not as hard and certainly not as long. I take frequent breaks due to the heat and the humidity. I don’t fare well in heat, so autumn and winter are my best times.

Knowing this, I used this in my novel “Everyone Evelon”.  The two main characters, Yvon and Maryse, begin to change when they move to Quebec. Yvon likes the outdoors and wants to spend time enjoying nature, but has a responsibility to his job, so he begins night courses at the local university.

Maryse is forced to learn French in a regimented classroom setting and is lonely during the day. This is the beginning of a series of events that change their lives forever. After Yvon gets a promotion and takes a job in northern Quebec, the reader sees the effects of living in a colder climate and how it affects everyday life.

For example, snow is there for several months and it a constant nuisance to shovel or plow. The daylight hours are very short, only 4 hours of daylight per day for at least 2 months. Having to keep the heat on and not having the freedom to walk or go where you want to go for several months of the year. All of these things can affect the lifestyle of characters.

In “Everyone Evelon”, I used the changing seasons to usher the reader into the mindset of my characters. The reader learns about others from the same town and how the change in seasons affected their judgments. Without giving the plot away, the reader learns how other characters reacted to the isolation and separation from other communities.

As in any good story, there is a breaking point for the characters and then things change for the better. This story has a happy ending, but only for the two main characters. The cold, isolation, and lack of sunlight play a major role in the lives of the townspeople and cause pain and suffering to many families. It is a great way to create tension, suspense, and anxiety in the story without giving the ending away. It can also be used to build up characters and let them act out, as they should.

Getting back to me, I work much faster and longer in the autumn and winter and I feel better, because my body is working harder to keep me warm. I do get sluggish in January and February, but this fall, I’m buying some snowshoes and will try my luck at learning something new and fun.

After writing “Everyone Evelon”, I realized all that could happen due to the change in the seasons, so I’m taking precautions in my own life, so I don’t experience any of the problems that the characters had.

How well do you cope with the changing of the seasons?

“Everyone Evelon” is available at: Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, and Createspace.com.

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FINDING MY VOICE IN MY WRITING

Were you ever influenced by reading someone’s writing? For example, say that you read a book, not a book by a famous author or a classic, but a book that really held your interest due to the writing style and voice. That’s something that I’m struggling with right now.

In addition to writing a blog post a week and a weekly diary for my friends, I am working on another novel. I need to find my voice. I find that my writing voice changes in some scenes and with certain characters, so I’m trying to find my true voice.

This excerpt from Grammarly “Understanding Voice and Tone in Writing” describes what voice is and how important it is to the piece you’re writing.

“…Voice is important because your writing should have as much personality as you do. You’ve read things that seem to have been written by committee, and it’s not a fun experience.

A strong voice helps you make every word count, establishes consistency across your website or body of work, and most importantly helps you grab your readers’ attention and

establish a relationship with them. You probably have a short list of writers you’ll read no matter what their subject, because you like their style so much, and other writers you

can’t stand because they sound snarky or condescending or otherwise unappealing to you. “

Right now, I’m struggling to find a voice that delivers clear, concise, important information, while sounding normal and interesting. What I mean is that I tend to write in a friendly style, as if I’m one of your friends, but this doesn’t work, when writing a business piece or a novel. I’ve been doing some writing exercises to try to find my voice. I read where the more you write, the easier it is to find your writing voice, so I’ve been writing some small pieces.

The other problem with finding my voice is that I tend to write in a wordy way. I also tend to use the same words all the time. I need to increase my vocabulary, so that I will enhance what I’m writing about. Consistency in my writings is essential and I don’t think I’ve achieved it so far.

I also think that my writing voice should change a bit with different types of writing. For example, in my weekly diary, I write about my personal life and freely give my opinion about different things. When I write my blogs, I try to sound more professional and I outline what I want to write about. The problem is that I start off fine, but I end up with a more relaxed style of writing. I still get my points across, but in a more casual way.

No writer is perfect, but I’m trying to be my best. Are you having problems, when you write?

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Back to “Grammar” School

Some decisions in life are difficult to make. I’ve just finished writing my second novel. As I go through it, I feel something is missing. It doesn’t seem to have the punch the first one had. In some places, it feels flat to me.

I’m a shy person and I don’t like to ask for help. I like to solve my problems by myself. I’m not an English major, so my English may not be as good as it should for a writer. Some people tell me I write the way I speak. I’m not sure if this is a compliment or not. Anyway, I’ve decided to enroll in a writing course through the American Christian Fiction Writers Group. I’m already a member and I think I could use a refresher course.

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One of the reasons I want to take this course is because I use the word “very” too many times in my writing. I know I could just go through my manuscript and replace that word with another one, but I think I need a refresher course to add more style and tension in my writing. The course is free, because I’m a member, so I have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

I wish I had someone to beta read my novel. They could point out the flat parts and make other suggestions, but I have no one. It’s difficult to find someone to read something that’s not published, especially if it’s Christian fiction. Somehow people seem to shy away from reading anything Christian, but will dive in to anything about romance.

There are two courses I’m considering. I’m waiting until my August vacation is over. I don’t want to start something and then fall behind or not have the time to finish it. Instead, I want to learn as much as possible about the writing world and about myself as a writer. What are my shortcomings? Do I make the same mistakes in every post or piece I write? Spelling might not be a problem, but is grammar holding me back? These are questions that will be answered, when I start those courses.

In the meantime, I‘ve started writing little funny stories or snippets of things that happen to me. I need to keep writing every day, so I can perfect my skill. I also keep a daily diary of my activities, which I share with my friends. I hope one day, when I have enough funny stories, I will create a compilation and make those stories into a book.

I’ve studied French, German, and Spanish. English is my native language. I thought that studying other languages would help me in my own, but sometimes I notice a carryover from another language into my writing. For example, in French they say “moi, je” meaning “me, I …” The French use this to emphasize the “I”. In French, there is no other way to emphasize the ‘I”, so they add the “moi” to make sure the reader knows it means “I”. Little things like that carry over into my writing and I’m hoping to correct those types of mistakes when I take the course.

I will write another blog post after I have finished the course and let you know what I learned and what I have to change. In the meantime, I can catch up on other things, especially my summer reading.

 

If you enjoy reading a story of romance, love, hope, and faith, order “Everyone Evelon”.

Available at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and Createspace.com.

How to Condense a Story of 350 Pages

 

As a writer, I pour my heart out about whatever topic I’m writing on. Writers are usually very passionate people and have views on everything. Most have the keen ability to analyze everything they see. This is what gives writers the edge to write about a topic from another point of view or to point out hidden meanings or facts.

Writers can get wordy. Many of the blogs and articles I read about writing state that the writer should just get the story down on paper or computer, then go back, and edit. Edit seems to be a nasty word in the writing field. Edit means some of the writer’s words will be deleted, scratched out, but worse, some of the points the writer is trying to make may be lost.

Everyone who writes, whether it’s a school paper or a novel, wrestles with the wordiness and editing of the project. My first novel, “Everyone Evelon”, is 350 pages in print. It’s the usual 6 X 9 size, but 350 pages can be daunting for people to read. In this age of everything instant and quick, 350 pages seems like a copy of the Bible.

Although my novel is easy to read and the story moves along at a good pace, people pick up my book and then remark about the number of pages. I have never done that. Instead, when I pick up a book, I read the blurb to see, if I will ENJOY reading it. The size or length of the book doesn’t matter to me as long as I think I want to read it.

Even after publishing my novel, I’ve read my book over twice to see, if could have cut part of it out or used less words to tell the story. I don’t think so. It is balanced, an easy read, and every character has the time it needs in the story. Everything fits by the end of the story.

I’m in the process of writing a second novel. I don’t know if the first one took a lot of energy from me, but the second novel is only 51,000. The first one was 80,000. The second story jumps around a little, but has fewer characters. I guess I’m so conscious of being too wordy that I’ve tightened my writing style and thus created a shorter novel.

I like the second story as much as the first. The two are two separate stories, so no crossover or rehashing is necessary. These are two completely different stories, but I feel the writing styles are different. I could have added more to the second novel, but I wanted to stick to the main storyline. I don’t want to detract from the story or add in information that doesn’t not move the story forward. That’s another complaint from editors. Too much information in a story that serves no purpose.

I originally wanted to publish my second novel this summer, but I’ve decided to take a writing class instead. The American Christian Fiction Writers group (I am a member) offers classes throughout the year to help writers hone their writing skills. I’ve decided to take one of these classes at the end of the summer. I will review my manuscript again before submitting it and hopefully my writing will be stronger.

I want to give my readers the best I have, so I will continue try to learn and improve my writing skills.

 Everyone Evelon is available at: Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and Createspace.com.