Cindy's Journey Through the Writing Essentials Program
Cindy, a virtual assistant with a thriving practice, wanted to
improve her writing skills in order to take her business to the
next level. She felt her writing skills were in her way and
holding her back. A smart woman as well as a savvy business owner,
Cindy decided she would not let her writing skills keep her
from building her business to the level she wanted. She enrolled
in the Writing Essentials Program in January, 2008, and as you'll
read below, her journey was amazing.
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A 24 week writing class. Wow! That seems like a very long
time for someone who is not comfortable with writing. Hmmm,
perhaps that alone should be enough of a reason to sign up
for the class. I want to become a stronger writer and be more
comfortable with the entire writing process. I also want to
find my voice. Not my business voice, I know where that voice
is, and how to use it, but my conversational writing voice.
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Pre-class |
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I am feeling very anxious right now about all of the homework
I have to do for this writing class. I know I can do this,
and as a result of this class I will be a stronger and more
confident writer. This is something I have been missing for
a very long time, the confidence to write.
I am so glad Dawn has created this class and it melds grammar
with writing. It forces one to understand why they write the
way they do. After all, how can you do one without the other?
I have a new appreciation for the process of writing.
I can already see a difference in not only my writing, but
my writing for business and the way that I look at things.
This class has already helped me with some collateral pieces
my client is putting together. I feel more comfortable and
confident in making suggestions in the writing process. I
already feel like I'm becoming a better, stronger writer after
just three classes. I can't wait to see how I feel in another
three or four classes. I can feel myself stretching new writing
muscles! To my surprise, I have found when I really get into
what I'm writing I actually enjoy it, and it is much easier
to write more than just the basics. I feel I'm becoming a
more well-rounded writer and reader. I don't look at reading,
and authors, the same way that I did before this class.
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First six weeks of class |
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Wow! Where has the time gone? We just finished Class 7, and
I feel everything Dawn has been teaching is finally coming
together for me as a writer. I still struggle with the 'show,
don't tell' piece of writing, but I am working on that through
my one-on-one coaching with Dawn. What a great enhancement
the one-on-one coaching is as a part of this class. It gives
me the opportunity to work on something that is personal to
me, and doesn't interfere with class.
Here is how I would sum up the changes I have seen in my
writing over the past three months: I would say I feel now
I can actually sit down and write something that has more
than one paragraph to it. Experimenting with some of the different
writing styles has also been fun. It has helped me to try
and find something that works for me. I am looking forward
to the last quarter of the class to see just how far I've
stretched my writing muscle.
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Midway |
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| Sad. I am sad the course is over. I am happy I
am done with homework! I will miss the weekly interaction and
discussion of writing. I am much more confident about my writing.
I actually look forward to it, and for me that speaks volumes.
I start my Master's classes in six weeks, and I am very thankful
I had this course prior to beginning my Master's. I learned
so much in this class. The very first thing I did prior to writing
this section was to go back and clean up my initial writing!
That is how far I've come in twenty weeks. I was able to go
back and proof my previous entries and make them stronger. I
would not have been able to do that prior to this class with
the same level of confidence. All-in-all, I am pleased with
my progress, and I look forward to my Master's classes so I
can utilize what I've learned. |
Course completion |
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