Michelle Von Quilich

Michelle von Quilich - San Diego Native

San Diego is considered one of top places to live in the country. One of the main reasons this city ranks at the top for places to reside is the amazing weather. It’s usually a comfortable 70 degrees whether it's winter, summer or spring. Other parts of the country can reach closer to 90 or even creep up in the 100's during the mid-summer months or dip into the 30's in the winter. In San Diego you can count on ditching your winter clothes for good, unless you like to wear them year round which some people do! :)

Looking to hear some great live music? Check out the Gas Lamp Quarter in downtown. It's a favorite among the locals and never disappoints.  People really like the fact that they can walk around and hear great music. Plus, there are some other great smaller local places around San Diego too.

For a fun daytime outing, try Belmont Park, which is located in Mission Beach. It features everything from amusement park rides to beachfront restaurants. If you like the idea of surfing but don't know how, jump on the FlowRider and FlowBarrel wave machines. I've heard that they are great ways for novice, intermediate and even advanced surfers to practice their skills.  When it comes time to get a bite to eat, grab lunch or dinner at one of several restaurants close by.

Michelle von Quilich grew up in the San Diego area. She likes the fact that the city is so diverse and there are many things to do. She is a writer who loves to share her thoughts and experiences through her words on several sites.

Michelle von Quilich - Providing Great Customer Service

We all know what good service is when we receive it. Unfortunately, we know more often how bad service feels. A customer service representative doesn't have to do much to provide adequate customer service. Leaders and managers are usually in charge of overseeing their representatives, but there are sometimes things lacking within the management. Here are some of the basic ingredients that need to be in place:

First impressions are everything when it comes to taking a customer’s request. A customer service agent knows what type of call it is going to be within the first minute and so does the customer by hearing the agent’s greeting. He or she starts deciding whether they have reached someone who is going to be helpful or not. That is why it's important for a customer service rep. to have a pleasant and non-combative attitude from the beginning. Attitude sets the tone for the conversation.

The next step is to listen carefully to what the customer is saying. A representative/agent can then build rapport with any customer by listening and meeting their preferences. A skilled agent can tell very quickly what the appropriate tone and style is best to use with each customer. Some people like light conversation while others do not.

Michelle von Quilich is an experienced customer service representative who likes helping customers. She listens carefully to each caller and makes sure to give them the best possible solution for their situation. If that's not possible, she makes sure to follow the call through to the next step.

Michelle von Quilich: Learning Other Languages

Learning another language is not just nice but also a necessity in the world we live in currently. The United States is so diverse and brings people of all nationalities and backgrounds in one country. In Europe, many students study more than one language early on in school. By the time they graduate high school, most students can speak two or three languages. If you are not one of those individuals who studied another language while in school, don't fret. There are plenty of courses that adults can take to learn another language. Here's a breakdown of some of the most popular courses:

Rated at number one is the Michel Thomas Method which offers French, German, Italian, Spanish, and eight other languages which are taught in a revolutionary way. Students just listen and learn. There are no notes or exercises within this language course. People who have used the Michel Thomas Method language courses, swear that they made great progress and can speak real sentences within weeks. Another top-ranked language course comes from Pimsleur, one of the world’s leading methods of learning a new language. Dr. Paul Pimsleur’s course also uses a strictly audio method and offers up to 30 languages. This is one of the bestselling methods to learn a language in the United States.

The Rosetta Stone language software program provides language instruction in over 30 different languages.  It's used by 5 million people worldwide including Fortune 500 companies, NASA, the US State Department and more than 10,000 schools. This system uses an immersion method which teaches students to speak a language using word and picture association.

Michelle von Quilich is a writer and realized early on the importance of learning another language both for work and in everyday life.

Michelle Von Quilich - Writing Clubs and Associations

There are many clubs and associations available to those who have a passion for writing. Whether you’re making a living at writing or just a novice, joining a writers club can help broaden your horizons. One such club, The California Writers Club, allows individuals at all levels to join their historical organization.

California Writers Club is one of the oldest writer’s organizations in continuous operation in the nation. They have members who are poets, journalists, technical writers, essayists, and fiction writers, as well as booksellers and editors. People who are in related fields join together to grow as artists and educate themselves further in the craft of writing and the process of getting their work published.

In the early years of the twentieth century, Jack London and his literary friends gathered at the home of poet Joaquin Miller for picnics and conversation. At the same time, poet Ina Coolbrith was leading the Alameda Press Club, which held meetings at the Shattuck Hotel in Berkeley. These two groups slowly merged in 1909 to become the California Writers Club. Today, California Writers Club has more than 1800 members and 21 branches throughout the state.

Michelle Von Quilich is a skilled writer who tries to stay involved in the artistic community by joining different groups. She has found that belonging to a writing group really helps her to diversify her talent and grow as a writer. Many times other writers have things they can share with those less experienced or just starting out. Michelle von Quilich likes to share her passion for her craft with those that are like-minded.

Life as an Indie Author - Success in Repetition

All authors have set routines that guide how they work. For most writers, the most important goal every day is to pound out the words and craft their stories. For indie authors, crafting their stories and sticking to their daily goals is more important due to the fact that they don’t have a team of publicists, agents, and publishers on their side. Indie authors often have little but their stories and their name to generate a readership for their work. Working every day on your writing can be difficult, but if you can create a routine for yourself to adhere to every day, you can create writing that is thrilling and satisfying.

Establishing a daily routine also helps you develop your skills faster. The more you write, the easier the words will flow out of you. Many writers struggle with writer’s block from time to time, but the best cure for this is to stick to your regular routine. You will have good days and bad days, but as long as you keep writing, you’ll continue to develop your skill as a writer. Julia Cameron, the author of The Artist's Way encourages writing three pages every day of anything you want. This is good way to heal any writer's block. The more time you spend writing every day, the better writer you’ll become.

Michelle von Quilich is an indie author from San Diego. She has focused mostly on poetry during her young literary career. She works by day as a customer service representative, and by night she enjoys spending time with small writing groups.

Indie Publishing - Write for Yourself, Publish for the World

When you’re in the process of writing your novel, you shouldn't worry too much about writing to appeal to a certain audience. Only by writing as if no one will read it can you take the most risks, allow your characters to grow, and produce your best work. The second you start making changes that you think readers will like, your work will suffer. As a writer, you have a unique voice that wants to be heard! This is your greatest asset—don’t take it for granted by trying to cater to an audience that you think will like your work. As the past has shown, they will find you and it may come as a surprise to you when you find who your true audience is.

When you’re done with your book, it’s time to publish it and get it in front of as many readers as possible. In this stage, you want to promote your book as if billions of people will read it. By thinking about publishing this way, you will force yourself to pour effort into editing, formatting, and marketing strategies that will allow you to create the perfect product. For indie authors, publishing is half of their job. Treating your story as if the whole world will read it will motivate you to make sure it’s the best and most exciting book you can write.

Michelle von Quilich is an indie author who has worked with many different writing groups and has contributed to a collection of essays called Reflections on Being an Indie Author, available on Amazon Kindle.

Writing a Compelling Story - A Little Drama

Writing short and long stories takes time and patience as you develop your characters and action. Compelling characters usually come out of some difficult struggle. Readers don’t want to hear about your character’s great life in which everything works out, well maybe only at the end of the story! We all like a nice ending, right? Action and drama draw readers in and finding out how your characters act under pressure, with everything hanging in the balance, is what can make a compelling story. While you’re crafting your narrative and fleshing out your characters, make your characters suffer a little to create a compelling story line.

Fiction teachers preach to their students to “kill your darlings,” - put your characters in impossible situations and see how they can wriggle free or deal with their hardships. This makes for compelling fiction. Only by reading about how the characters react when all the chips are down can readers truly know your characters. Whether they are dealing with internal or external problems, they have to have obstacles to overcome in order to reach their goals. Also, don't forget to use your “why". Why is it important for your reader to care about your character's problem? Is there a back story and is that back story/history also compelling?

Michelle von Quilich is a poet and author from San Diego. When she isn’t at her job as a customer service representative, she is either writing or enjoying time out in nature. She enjoys attending writing groups.

Independent Publishing - What Not to Do

Independent publishing has never been easier. Print-on-demand and eBooks have become very popular with readers and with authors who want to tell their stories. However, with so many new titles hitting Kindles every day, independent authors can have difficulties making their work stand out. While getting your book in front of the right readers can be challenging, there are many “right” ways to go about it. There are also many traps and misconceptions that authors fall into far too often. When publishing your own book, here’s what not to do:

• Design your own covers. Unless you’re a professional graphic designer, it's unlikely that you'll be able to design a better cover than someone who does this for a living. It’s much less expensive to design your own cover, but it won’t draw as much attention, and your book may languish on digital shelves.
• Publish your first draft. Good writing takes time to craft. No matter how well your cover is designed and your book promoted, no one wants to read unpolished, poorly edited writing
• Quit your day job before you have an audience. Developing enough readers to make your book profitable takes time, and many indie authors never make enough to rely on their books for a sustainable income.

Michelle von Quilich is a writer from San Diego. She works as a customer service representative and works on her writing as well. She plans to continue her literary journey for as long as it takes to get her poems and other writings in front of as many readers as possible.