Pinar Tarhan, Author at Addicted to Writing

What Readers Can Do To Get Better Content

Posted on December 2, 2017 Written by Pinar Tarhan

John F. Kennedy famously said, “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” So in this post, I’m going to get you to ask what you can do for your favorite bloggers and writers.

Does it sound weird? Counter-intuitive?

Just hear me out for a second.

How many of you open the newsletters you subscribe to?

How many of you unsubscribe when several issues in a row haven’t engaged you?

How many of you answer the questions on surveys that your favorite bloggers and writers send your way?

How many of you reply when those bloggers ask you a specific question?

Many of those surveys come with a potential or actual prize. But it doesn’t really matter if you are offered one. It doesn’t matter if you win something – the actual rewards will come after you answer the questions.

The survey is intended to benefit the blogger for sure: If the blogger provides what you want, they get more shares, clicks, and reads. They sell more products. They gain more followers and fans. But you are not really reading the blog for that blogger’s sake, are you?

You’re reading it because you enjoy it. You learn from it. You study it. So the more the blogger meets your needs, the better it is for you.

So if you are wondering what bloggers can do for you, don’t neglect to reply their questions. It’s for your benefit.

Until next time, happy writing!

Best Courses for Freelance Writers: Earn More Writing by Holly Johnson

Posted on November 23, 2017 Written by Pinar Tarhan

I’m a big fan of investing in yourself when it comes to your writing career, so whenever a course filled with valuable information and advice that I don’t see often, coming from successful writers who have succeeded brilliantly in a relatively short amount of time, I jump at it.

Partly, it is for me. I love learning new tips and remembering great evergreen advice I know but lack in practice.

Partly, it is for you. I love sharing awesome resources with you.

Now, this post will include affiliate links. It means if you purchase the courses through my links, it won’t cost you extra, but I’ll earn a little something. If you don’t buy, you will still have learned about an amazing blogger who shares awesome free content on her website.

And yes, I own and completed this course. I keep going back to it for reference on a regular basis, even though I’ve been doing this for a while. Sometimes, you need the extra inspiration and motivation.

The course also comes with its own Facebook group. I can say that the members of the group are lovely, helpful and inspiring.

Now that we got that out of the way, the review:

Earn More Writing

Earn More Writing was created by Holly Johnson, a six-figure writer specializing in personal finance and travel. She co-runs the blog Club Thrifty with her husband, where they give smart, fun and applicable advice on living better for less.

I own the standard package that comes with 8 modules and a bonus section.

The modules are video courses with a written summary, and they each have a worksheet you can print out to study and record your progress.

The modules include:

How to Establish Your Blog and Brand
How to Build Your Portfolio and Pitch Clients
Defending Your Work Day
How to Transition from Broke to Rich Writing
Finding and Keeping Your Dream Clients
Actually Getting Paid
Get More Work by Making Editors Happy
Taking Your Income into the Stratosphere

The bonus section includes several guides and a bonus video on ghostwriting for CEOs. The guides include an actual successful pitch letter Holly sent herself, essential resources for freelancers, what editors really want, anatomy of a perfect blog post – and my personal favorite: list of businesses with blogs.

The course, while fun, is a lot of work. However, despite however long you have been doing this, I recommend not skipping even a second of the videos. You can always improve on your brand as a writer.

This course is for all writers of non-fiction who want to make more money and build or maintain a writing career on their own trips. That’s why the course includes modules on branding, time management and relationships with your editors.

About Holly Johnson

You can learn more about Holly through the blog ClubThrifty. Her bylines include The Simple Dollar, Forbes and CNN.

If you have any questions about the course, hit me up in the comments. If I can’t answer it, I’ll ask Holly and get back to you.

You can buy the course here.

Interview with Author Carmen Radtke on Her Novel “The Case of the Missing Bride”

Posted on November 16, 2017 Written by Pinar Tarhan

October went in a bit of a blur. I took a translation project that I grossly underestimated in terms of both time and money, which in turn “reactivated” the nerve entrapment in my wrists.

But worry not, I’m back, and I’ve interviewed a great writer for my return post, Carmen Radtke. My good friend Radtke’s page-turning and addictive mystery The Case of the Missing Bride was released on September 5, 2017, and has been giving readers a new favorite author ever since.

So without further ado, here’s Carmen with my most pressing questions. Enjoy!

How and when did you start writing?

I’ve always written, since I discovered that I could use a pen and paper to make up poems (when you’re seven, any rhyme will do) and stories (the hamster and the stolen diamonds could’ve become a classic had I but known about the concept of a second draft).

Is it any wonder I became a newspaper journalist, sticking to facts and deadlines so tight I rarely got to explore the concept of a second draft?

Most reporters want to write a novel one day, lavishing time on crafting one immaculate sentence after another. Me too. Which is why, with impeccable timing, my first novel was partly written under my desk, while I typed away like a woman obsessed between earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Can you tell us a bit about your book?

The Case of the Missing Bride is set in 1862 and tells the story of a group of young, impoverished Australian women, travelling half-way across the world, to marry prosperous Canadian miners. When one of the brides is missing after a stormy night, it’s thought of as an accident, but one girl knows better and embarks on a secret mission to find a killer.

These women really existed – I found a short paragraph online, during an idle research into “imported brides.” They set out in high hopes from Melbourne, but when they reached San Francisco for a stopover, they vanished without a trace. I can’t imagine a world where this would have ended well for them. Maybe that is why I couldn’t let it go. In my novel, at least I can save most of them, and give them some of the happiness the real life did not hold in store for them.

What genres do you prefer to read and write? Who are some of your favorite authors?

As a reader, I’m polygamous, voracious and insatiable. I love historical fiction, mysteries, grittier crime, comedy, thriller, some fantasy and science-fiction … After moving half-way around the world twice, I still have the complete works of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Rex Stout, Ngaio Marsh, plus Janet Evanovich, Dick Francis, Terry Pratchett, Tony Hillerman, Elizabeth Peters … On second thought, in about two-thirds of the books on my shelves, there usually is a crime of some kind involved.

Strangely enough, my next novel also features crime of some kind. A Matter of Love and Death (Bombshell Books) will be released on 29 November, under the pen-name Caron Albright. It’s historical again, set in Australia in 1931, during the Great Depression and comes complete with a plucky heroine, a dashing nightclub-owner, artists and crooks.

What are you working on now?

I’m currently working on a screenplay – a contemporary Romantic Comedy makes a change from the crimes of the past and the heartbreak of current events. If I get stuck or bored, I – like most writers – have a file, loosely labelled ideas.

Where can we follow and read you online?

You can follow me on Twitter: @carmenradtke1, connect on Facebook (Carmen Radtke) or visit my website https://scribbler25.wixsite.com/mysite.

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How to Get Back to Writing After a Mandatory Break By Realizing Your Resolutions (No Matter The Time of the Year)

Posted on October 9, 2017 Written by Pinar Tarhan

Writer at play.

Man, that was a long title. Sorry about that. I can explain. I was away from the blog for a while, and I have a lot to say. Most importantly, by slowly committing to my daily, weekly, monthly and yearly resolutions, I have finally ticked off some significant items of my calendar and to-do list. I’m by no means done, but I’m content with what I’m achieving each day. Given that my to-do list is gigantic and mostly work-related, this means something.

First, on that mandatory break: I don’t hold back about my health issues on this blog. I even wrote a love letter to freelancers with health problems. Of course, I love you all, but those of us with poor health tend to need the extra motivation.

This time it was my gastritis acting up. I had gotten a bit too focused on trying not to get a cold (by taking fish oil pills) and keeping my blood sugar in check (via medication), that my stomach had its biannual (or more frequent) meltdown by making me feel nauseous for days in a row. After a strict and mandatory diet of mostly toasted bread, white cheese and baked potatoes (and *almost no coffee!), I slowly got better. And this time, I really want to take better care of myself.

I generally take good care of myself, with the exception of chocolate, extra dairy, and the lack of exercise. Seriously. I rarely drink. I don’t smoke or consume soda or sugary drinks. Any dessert that isn’t chocolate-based is a waste of space for me. I don’t even eat that much. Any extra pound (yes, there are many) is due to sitting too much (because hello, writer!), and the chocolate overdose.

So after the nausea went away, I’m still on a residual diet. I watch how many raw vegetables I eat. I try not to overdo coffee (my overdo is 3 mugs per day, tops!), and I eat much, much less chocolate. I also try to walk at least 5000 steps a day.

Now, this might seem laughably few to those who are much more active, but even 5000 is better than 0. I go to the park near my house, get a lot of fresh air and play with adorable kitties. I cut most junk and processed foods a while ago.

I also go to bed a little earlier and get up a little earlier. Oh, and I try to reduce the screen time. (Shut up, Yoda! Trying is better than not doing anything at all!)

This conscious effort to move more and eat better has already shown its benefits. I’m pitching to production companies regularly. My to-do list has never seen this much erasing action. I’m happy.

What does this have to do with resolutions? Because it goes directly to those resolutions that we make with the best of intentions but never get to. Because life. Do these sound familiar?

Eat more healthily.
Drink more water.
Get more done!
Pitch more!
Write more!
Move more.
Lose 10 pounds.
See your friends more.

…..

The list goes on and on, but many of us share them. I used to think I was an all-or-nothing person. But it turns out taking smaller steps is better for me.

Because while 10,000 steps a day might be ideal, 5000 still beats the helluva shit out of 1000. Because while I might not want to or need to cut dairy, I can watch it. I can eat two dark pieces of chocolate instead of two bars.

I’m not saying I am, or my life is, perfect. It’s not even close. But people, it turns out, Yoda is wrong. Try there is.

Keep writing and living!

(*I had Turkish coffee when I was nauseous. It is a tried and working medication, though you still shouldn’t drink more than two cups a day. Not great for the heart. It tends to be strong.)