Cristina Istrati's Blog, page 2
October 31, 2023
What is copywriting?
This question pops quite often in my conversations with people and clients.
There are people who still don’t know about copywriting and not because they didn’t have interest to find out but because they have so much on their to do list as a business owners that wondering what copywriting is without doubt the last thing they could do.
And it`s alright.
We don’t have to know it all and can’t know it all, as a matter a fact.
And if there`s one thing certain is that as entrepreneurs the most dysfunctional thing we can do is to wear 100 hats in our attempt to build a thriving business. In my view, this is the surest way to burned out, stress, overwhelm and lack of motivation.
So, since copywriting is what I do, I wanted to write this post to help you have clarity on what is copywriting, what is its power and how it can help you.
As such, what is copywriting?
Simply put, copywriting is a conversation between you and your dream clients.
Think of that moment when you meet someone for the first time over coffee. What the first thing ( and most natural, too!) that takes place between you two?
You start talking one with another, right?
You get to know each other by sharing things about your personality, your values, ideas, beliefs, what you stand for, what you like/don’t like, and also mentioning about what fires you up, what you do for a living/what`s your business and how you help people.
After all this chatting, it`s likely you`ll think and feel:
“Wow, what a wonderful person! I like her a lot! How she thinks, her energy, attitude, how she carries herself & sees the world, her mindset, the kind of work she does in the world, it`s amazing!”
And you feel you`re both on the same page; you feel you can talk about anything with this person, you can relate to her life experiences and before you know it, you get to know, like and trust her – and this is where the gold is at!
If you`d be her dream client, you`ll most definitely want to check out her website and work with her or buy her products/services eventually.
It`s the same with copywriting.
It creates that first connection between you, the business owner, and your audience & dream clients.
The more your content reflects who you are & your truths, the easier it will be for your audience to connect with you emotionally and become your clients.
It`s not about (it never is) about manipulation or trying to convince people in a sleazy way to buy from you.
This is not what authentic and powerful copywriting is.
Authentic, impactful and powerful copywriting is about having in your content the right words that speak to your audience about the things that matter to them, things they care about and the outcomes they want to achieve.
When your content shows people how you can help them, they come to you naturally and they are always ready to invest in working with you.
This is the power of copywriting written from the heart, meant to bring closer a business and its clients.
Have any questions about this? Let me know in the comments below. Im happy to answer to you.
Here`s to your business growth,
Cristina
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September 26, 2023
Writing with an Italian view in front of me.
Italy feels like a dance with life.
This was the first impression that dawned on me when I got here.
I came to Italy by car with my cousins and I got to see quite a fair share of this country, having entered from the northern part, the Padova region, to be more precise. And drove down all the way to the Naples area, to Salerno city where my cousins live.
I loved seeing the modern highways; loved seeing the rich fields on which olive trees grow and the hills covered by the green emerald-like grass. The large plantations of grapes caught my attention but didn’t come as a surprise as we all know how much Italian people love wine, isn’t it?
Tomatoes, lemon, orange trees and of course the well-known & delicious Italian cheese are the symbol of this country.
I must say, Italian people love to eat! And they love their coffee, too!
Something they call ‘Colazione’ (meaning breakfast) made of a croissant and coffee is what they’ll have first thing in the morning. Nothing moves until they have their colazione. It’s quite funny but a pleasure, nevertheless, to discover what makes Italian people, well, Italian.
And coffee is without doubt one of these things as they have it all the time. Every moment is a good moment to have a coffee, be it morning, noon or evening time. They love their coffee, that much is clear.
Next comes food. Pizza is the queen that runs the show. All sorts, all sizes, all flavors and ingredients – anytime, anywhere. Pizza, pasta and seafood are definitely Italian trademarks. And it’s all on good reason for Italian people really know how to cook. Once you have a taste of the delicious Italian food you’ll never forget it – I can assure you of this.
When approaching Naples, I also had the chance to pass by Mount Vesuvius, which is most famous for the 79 AD eruption that destroyed the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
From what my cousins have told me, the city of Pompeii is much like a big museum and it can be visited.
I also had the joy of going with my cousins to the Amalfi coast and discovering this charming city called Maiori.
And the people… As with all Latin people, Italians too are warm, open, friendly, chatty, and vibrant! I’ve experienced it myself and I can totally confirm it: While having my daily walk, the locals would greet me with no care at all that I was a stranger and someone whom they saw for the first time.
They couldn’t care less and just smiled and greeted me cheerfully. Quite a way to be welcomed, right?
For my next visit in Italy I plan to visit Rome since it`s only around 3 hours by car from Salerno. Also, Toscany even though it`s a bit further but no worries.
I’m sure it will be worth it! I’m definitely happy to have visited Italy. Before I forget, if you come here, make sure you go to Regia di Caserta.
The Palace of Caserta is a former royal residence constructed by the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies as their main residence. What a one of a kind beauty is there! I still have it fresh on my mind! One doesn’t get to see something like that every day and it`s one of the reasons why Im all the more happy and grateful for having seen it.Beautiful is Italy and beautiful is this world.I, for one, can’t have enough of visiting & discovering it, one country and city at a time. And each time I'm in a new place, I'm reminded of the power that God has and how blessed we are to have received the gift of life and experience it here on Earth.As always, thank you, God.Blessings & speak to you next time,Cristina xoxo
June 13, 2023
When you choose yourself and your gifts, anybody else`s opinion about you doesn’t matter anymore at all.
Art is about sharing. Being an artist is about sharing your soul and heart through your work, be it writing, singing, dancing, painting, sculpting, etc.
For many many times, this doesn’t come about easily because there is always the fear of being judged, and I’ve experienced it too, especially when I first started out as a writer. Back then, at that early stage of mine in 2007, I wasn’t very confident in my writing skills, and I’d doubt myself even more whenever I read negative reviews about my books. But one thing was certain for me and I had it crystal clear before my eyes:
I loved to write.
That`s all I had in my pocket. That love for creating stories, for writing, for discovering page after page what lies within me by following the thread of the story that I was writing.
When I decided that from that point onward my focus will be purely on the pleasure of writing – that`s when the game changed for me because I had appointed myself as the authority and stopped seeking the validation I wanted from other people.
In truth, I only wanted that validation to prove to myself that indeed MY writing is valuable and so I definitely should keep writing.
I’m so grateful I had the awareness to see the trap of my ego and don’t allow myself to fall into it.
I decided then that writing is my God-given mission in this world.
I decided that it`s my biggest love and passion and the reason why I’m here.
And most importantly, I decided that indeed my writing MATTERS and I started thinking and behaving accordingly.
No more was I a slave to limiting beliefs.
Or to lack of self-belief.
Or victimhood thinking that my writing must be weak or something must be wrong with it since people don’t like it.
None of that.
Looking back now, it surprises me how was it even possible for me to think that way about myself but that`s just life, it takes you through these stages meant for you to grow and grow and remember who you are:
A divine, beautiful, perfect child of God that deserves the best.
I’m so proud of myself for having chosen me then and for having stepped into my power that gave me access to the new energy, which is still present today:
If you like how I write, that’s fine. If you don’t, that`s fine too.
I didn’t come into this world to please everybody.
I came into this world to write, to share the richness of my heart and mind through writing and storytelling, and whoever resonates with it is more than welcome to step into my world and writing universe.
They say one`s duty is to be of service to others. Absolutely true.
Just make sure that before anything else, you choose yourself, you acknowledge the powerful and exquisite being that you are and also, you make it a done deal that without you, this world would miss out on something truly unique, enriching and spectacular. This is the truth.
Will you (finally) accept this truth?
Cristina xoxo
January 23, 2023
The vision I have for myself as a writer and novelist.
For an artist, the most beautiful and satisfying thing is to create art.
I’ve always loved writing and it will be like this for all my days here on this planet.
I love to write stories, to create worlds for my readers to escape to and characters that people can relate to, learn from, and evolve with.
This is one of the biggest blessings as a writer:
To be able to create art not only for its beauty of it but also for the contribution, progress, evolution and transformation that art can give to people.
This is truly one of the most beautiful things.
The other day I was pondering on these ideas while journaling. Every now and then, I’d take a sip from my tea and give these thoughts all my attention.
It is important, of course, to write and give birth to every story that knocks on your door. If it came to you then it only means that you are the only one who can bring that story into the world.
But then I had this thought:
Is it enough to just be active as a writer and write as much as possible or is it that having a vision that would serve as a background for all your ideas/thoughts/concepts and writing style is just as important?
At this point, I down my fountain pen and looked up at the window, seeing the blue sky through the glass. The earlier thought that I just had moved something inside of me and I couldn’t take my mind off it. It wanted an answer. It wanted me to give it that answer.
I looked at the room I was in. The walls, their color, the window, the furniture, the plants, my writing table, the books on my shelf…
Shortly after, I had this thought crossing my mind:
“How would all these things fit here if it weren’t for the room to hold it all together and give them a proper image?”
This thought managed to make me feel as if I’d been shown the biggest revelation that a human being can ever expect to have in their lifetime. I looked again at all the things around me and it hit me hard when thinking:
“The room is the context for all that’s in it. If it weren’t for the walls to frame it all into a picture, nothing would make sense.” Imagine seeing in the open air a chair, a table, a shelf, and a few plants. it would get your attention and you’d be wondering who put all those things there and what’s their purpose, right? I mean, what else to think?
And so, the same analogy applies to a writer’s career and writing activity. They might write and write and write but in my view, all this would be made in a reckless fashion as it would be similar to the “First serve first served” saying. You get the idea you write the novel, you publish it. You get the second idea, you turn it into a novel, and you publish it.
And on and on like this pretty much like a machine.
And for me, this approach doesn’t work at all nor am I recommending it.
Why? Because it lacks substance, weight, and commitment and it is not sustainable. I think that feeling burnout sooner or later is likely to happen too.
How come? Because a vision isn’t present. A vision to hold it all together for you, as a writer, even on the days when you aren’t writing or don’t feel like writing.
What’s more, when a vision is what’s missing you don’t have something to connect with, to give your energy to and let yourself be rejuvenated, refreshed, inspired, and uplifted by that vision. As I concluded all this that day, I put down a few words to allow to come forth the vision that is inside of me and that inspires me. And a vision isnt something you need to create from scratch as it is something you’ve come into this world with, it’s your God-given gift and you brought it with you.
Your only work is to allow this vision to step forward and come to be, and you do this with your writing.
As such, what vision do I have for myself as a writer/novelist/artist?
My vision is to:
Impact millions of people with/through my books and stories
Uplift, heal, entertain, inspire, motivate, and transform people’s lives
Remind people of the divinity within and the infinite potential that lies in them
Leave behind a legacy created by my books
Build an empire with my stories, novels and my activity & work as a writer
Live in people’s hearts forever and ever through my stories and the contribution I brought to this world
Have a global community of loyal readers who resonate with my writing style, my stories and my novels
Write the best stories and novels that I’m capable of writing and have people always return to these novels, and have them read and talk about my novels long after I will have left this world
Write (at least) a novel that will become timeless, a true classic that will be read by people again and again, talked about and studied in schools. (Crime & Punishment, Anna Karenina, ex)
This is my vision that I have and the context for myself as a writer is GREATNESS. Everything that I do as an author will spring from Greatness (ideas, thoughts, concepts, plots, characters, writing style, topics, themes etc)
I’m eager to see where all this will take me because I know that since it is in my heart then it only means it`s there for a reason and I’m curious to see how this journey will unfold.
I hope this post and sharing brought you deep insights, breakthroughs, aha moments, and inspiration, so that you may use this in your own writing too.
If you already did this exercise, share with me below what your vision and context are as a writer. I’m curious. 
Thank you.
Till next time,
Cristina
November 25, 2022
A literary event in Iasi.
I’ve been wanting for a long time to attend this event (it happens yearly) and now it finally happened. :))
I traveled to the city of Iasi (situated in the eastern part of Romania) and while there, I also took the time to visit and discover the city. Iasi is an old city with a rich historical heritage and importance as it was also the capital of Romania between 1564-1859.
It is a very cultural city with rich architecture and old buildings, like historical monuments, palaces, universities and homes that belonged to one of the greatest Romanian writers & poets such as Mihai Eminescu and Ion Creanga.
I enjoyed a lot my time there and Im looking forward to my next visit as this city speaks to me a lot through its beauty, history and culture, and it also has that bohemian air that I simply love!
Till next time,
Cristina
August 24, 2022
New release: Noble Temptation
This day is special!
The first volume (out of 3) of my Noble Temptation series is out now, on Amazon, yay! 
If you love historical romance novels, then you`ll love this story which takes place in the 19th century, in Austria. The book is available now on Amazon, both Kindle and paperback format.
And the story starts like this…
Austria, 1856.
Elisabeth Waidhofen is a beautiful young woman from the village of Vösendorf, Austria. Her free spirit and sharp mind can’t handle anymore the limitations of the rural environment so she ventures to the capital of the country, Vienna.
The Ball of the Tea is a festival held every year at Schönbrunn Palace. As a leading tea manufacturer, Count Andreas von Hochwaltmont is there, proudly presenting his new tea flavors.
When attending it, Elisabeth has no idea that she is about to be thrown into the sweet realm of love. She fears giving in, but Andreas`s green eyes and charm won`t leave her at peace so easily.
On the other hand, Andreas is himself intrigued by this fascinating young woman. He is well aware of the “respectful” ladies from the Viennese aristocracy but what is it with Elisabeth that he can’t take his eyes off her?
It started as a play for him. Another woman? Yes, why not?
After all, she is beautiful and so damn elegant!
For this, Andreas is ready to play the game!
However, soon he will discover that Elisabeth is more than that. Her warm and noble soul makes him fall in love with her, but there is an obstacle between them. What is this obstacle?
What secret is keeping Horst Volker, the mayor of Vösendorf, a secret that involves Elisabeth’s father?
And Karl von Becker, Andreas`s worst enemy, what dirty charade will he play on his sister, Christine…?
Also, check out the book trailer!
Share with me in the comments below your feedback/thoughts about this new release, and if you like the novel, feel free to tell your friends about it or join my group of readers on Fb! 
Thank you!
Happy reading!
Cristina
April 27, 2022
When you worry that your story isn’t perfect…
This is only the fear of failure in disguise. A story doesn’t have to be perfect. It only needs to be written and then during the editing process you can add/remove as you see fit, and this is all.
But let go of this idea that it needs to be perfect because it will only keep you stuck and you’ll never write (or finish your novel in case you’re working on one now). Just let the story pour out of you.
Believe me, that’s the perfection you’re looking for because that is perfection for your inner writer:
To simply write and it is your inner writer’s biggest joy and happiness and satisfaction.
For your soul as a writer, perfection means to live that joy and experience of writing; for it, perfection means to get it written, to dive into this creative ocean that the story represents and evolve while writing this story.
This is perfection for your soul and heart and it’s the only kind of perfection you should ever seek and want. 
How does all this resonate with you? What are you taking with you from this post?
Let me know in the comments below, thank you!
I hope your writing goes well and until next time, I’m wishing you happy writing!
Much love,
Cristina
P.S. Are you dreaming about writing your novel but you don’t know how to start? Or maybe you are already well ahead with your story but you hit a dead end and feel stuck, not knowing how to move further? Characters acting crazy, confusing you? Do you have a hard time with dialogue building?
For all this or for anything else you may be dealing right now linked to writing your novel, I’m inviting you to book a free 30 min Novel Clarity session with me.
We`ll will identify what the blocks are so that, once they are removed, you can’t wait to return to your writing table because you know that your writing is flowing naturally like a river, yay!
April 19, 2022
If nobody will read your novel there is only one reason for this: You haven’t written that novel yet. 🙂✍️💞
I hear many emerging writers saying that nobody will read their novels and this is actually a big obstacle for them as it demotivates them from writing. 
I don’t know what makes them think or believe this but one thing I do know:
Your thoughts create your reality and experience, and so, if you firmly believe this idea then it won’t be long until you will actually live it & experience it.
As such, why create something you don’t want and WHY NOT create something you do want?
Why be against yourself with such negative thoughts and attitude?
Wouldn’t it be much more useful to focus on imagining and envisioning and focusing on the reality you want for yourself as a writer?
You’ll probably tell me that it’s silly because nobody knows you and so it’s easy to conclude that nobody will read your novels.
And I say to you: No.
You have the power of your imagination by your side. 
If nobody will read your novel then there is only one big reason for this:
You haven’t written that novel yet.
That’s why nobody is buying it & nobody’s reading it. 
I’ll speak to you next time!
Until then, happy writing!
Cristina
P.S. Struggling with your novel right now? Did you hit a dead end and feel stuck, not knowing how to move further? Characters acting crazy, confusing you? Do you have a hard time with dialogue building?
For all this or for anything else you may be dealing right now linked to writing your novel, I’m inviting you to book a free 30 min Novel Clarity session with me.
Together will see where the problem is and what`s blocking you from writing full out your novel so that, once the blocks are removed, you can’t wait to return to your writing table because you know that your writing is flowing naturally like a river, yay!
April 12, 2022
When you doubt yourself & your story, you`re doing yourself a big disservice. 😕😣
Every story is unique with its unique destiny and audience and so are things with a writer too.
As such, it’s pointless and counterproductive to compare yourself with other writers or to compare your books with other books because what this does is trigger the limiting belief that you are not good enough and that you will never make it as a writer because you don’t have what it takes and other lies and nonsense like that.
You must always choose those mental stories that are empowering you!
So please stop sabotaging yourself this way, because what you constantly focus on, the stories you`re telling yourself as a writer determines the success you have/will have as a writer.
Just focus on your story, focus on yourself, this is your duty as a writer!
Then, once published and promoted it will draw to it those people aligned to it, those people who need it in their life path right now! 
I hope this post today is exactly what you need right now. 
Speak next time.
Happy writing!
Cristina
March 30, 2022
How to create vivid, real characters so they become unforgettable for your readers.
Building characters is something I love to speak about because I see them as being different versions of me and therefore since they are constantly showing me things that I don’t even know about myself, I enjoy a lot exploring this topic. 
Another reason is that in my view characters are the driving force of a solid novel and they need to be given the proper kind of attention, interest, effort, time and effort.
So, let’s get into it!
What makes good characters stand out? What makes the solid, what makes them weak?
We“` will start with the first question, and we will go to Kurt Vonnegut for it who so wisely said:
“Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.”
In other words, step 1 is:
Make your character want something. And have them make decisions and choices. (No matter how big or small)
Make them desire something so badly that they won’t rest until they’ll achieve that particular thing.
Why is this important?
Because it makes them stand out – firstly.
Secondly, it makes the reader relate to them.
And thirdly, this creates a synergy, it makes the novel go-round as one desire of the characters leads to the next desire and the next desire and so on until the novel reaches its natural ending. Makes sense?
If the character wouldn’t want something – there wouldn’t be a story, to begin with.
Important questions to ask about your characters:
• What do they want?
• How will they achieve that?
• What are the obstacles on their path?
• What are they going to do to overcome that obstacle?
So always give the characters what they want while clearly expressing what they want.
What makes the solid, what makes them weak?
When it comes to characters building, you want to think of your characters as if they’d be normal human beings like me and you.
What makes people solid/strong?
Obviously, their intelligence, their attitude, abilities, talents, good looks, material situation, charming personality, iron will and so on.
What makes people weak?
Their insecurities, lack of confidence, their sabotage mechanism, unresolved childhood drama, not achieving what they want/their goals, a victim mentality and so on. We can apply this to our characters too and it’s actually what simplifies (a lot!) the process of building the kind of characters that our novel needs.
On short:
What makes a solid character?
Presenting them exactly as they are, with good and bad while emphasizing what they want. (to do, be, have, attain)
What makes a weak character?
Not presenting to the reader the character`s inner world.
What do they think/how do they think, what do they feel, what do they want to achieve, what are their goals, not portraying their backstory.
In my view and experience as a novelist, all of these create the shortcut to having a lifeless character, pretty much like a wall nobody can discover, relate to or get behind. Not saying anything or not enough about this character so that your audience can get to know them is a sure way to create a character that gets easily overlooked and put into shadow by the other well-constructed characters in your novel.
And we need a balance here. It is alright to have a weak character (let`s say they are somebody with low mental power) provided this is their role/place in the novel, this is the role you’ve given them – perfectly alright as long as this is their role. And if a character like this is put into shadow by the other ones in the story – this is also fine and absolutely acceptable.
BUT
If your (weak) character is overlooked and put into shadow by the other stronger characters because you, as the writer, didn’t give them a proper backstory or all the necessary details so that they have what they need to be a complete character – then this is not ok anymore and the writer is the one guilty/responsible for this.
Always listen to your characters while creating them or while unfolding them during the story. They always know what to tell you so that they will appear in your story exactly how they are meant to show up, nothing more or less, but exactly how they need to be presented to the world just like the story the characters always know the path. 
I hope this is of value to you today and helps you have the aha moment or breakthrough you need so that you can now create characters that remain in your reader`s mind for as long as possible. 
Speak to you next time!
Happy writing!
Cristina
