News writing is certainly one of Janyce's strengths. Writing clear, concise, factual copy on deadline is second nature. The practice and pattern of news gathering and news writing inform other areas of Janyce's broad base of writing expertise. Fact-checking, grammar, timing, flow, context, and word choice all lend themselves to strong creative writing and its sub-genres. Janyce has a keen sense of identifying a story or message and crafting the words to convey their meaning.
Janyce enjoys few things more than a good book and a beach. Throw in a journal, a good pen, good wine, and good friends and Janyce's heart will sing. She takes inspiration from the outdoors and enjoys hiking, running, and water activities. Janyce adores her family, loves dogs, and follows a pesce-vegan, plant-based lifestyle. Some of Janyce's writing inspirations are Zora Neale Hurston, Octavia Butler, Colson Whitehead, James Baldwin, George Saunders, and bell hooks. Janyce also enjoys traveling and exploring other cultures.
Janyce earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from Queens University of Charlotte. She entered the program on the heels of graduating summa cum laude from Queens. Her study in creative writing marks the official change of career focus for Janyce, who is finishing her first novel and researching for a second book. She studied writing of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and stage and screen, with a concentration in fiction and nonfiction.
Janyce served as the education reporter for a local television station. During this time, she garnered dozens of valuable contacts, followed the evolution of one of the country's fastest-growing public school systems, and brought forth key issues to inform her viewers. Following this stint, Janyce served as the school district's public information officer and media relations coordinator. In this role, Janyce wrote articles, crafted and published an internal newsletter, pitched stories of import to local and national media outlets, developed a district-wide protocol for crisis management, and served as a liaison for the school board and its relationship with the media. Janyce also represented the superintendent, schools, departments, and personnel by providing statements, interviews, and video opportunities.
Janyce has had articles published in local lifestyle magazines and publications regarding weddings, parenting, k-12 education, and more. Janyce drew on personal experiences, interviews, and research to craft these articles and write them to be informative, interesting, and engaging.
In more than 25 years as a journalist, Janyce has completed and delivered thousands of voice-over scripts, produced hundreds of tv news packages, and written countless teases, promos, and news releases. Janyce is adept at hitting read rate and word count while maintaining the integrity of the story. She is equipped with expert news judgment and can demystify and deconstruct a news story to build a concise, straightforward piece palatable for all readers and viewers.
Janyce realizes that a news or press release is often the first piece of information or advertisement that garners media or public attention. Whether it's an upcoming event, announcement, or crisis management, a well-crafted release can set the tone and help drive the story in the best way possible. Janyce always tries to apply a personal history or story to the event to make it relatable and draw empathy from potential audiences.
As a public information and media relations officer, Janyce has crafted newsletters for various organizations including school systems, schools, churches, charitable organizations, and more. She approaches this task in a similar fashion as news gathering, charting what members, employees, shareholders, and stakeholders want and need to know. Janyce is able to examine data, surveys, organization or corporate media and produce a digestible, informative, and engaging newsletter or company correspondence.