Pinar Tarhan, Author at Addicted to Writing

How Mads Mikkelsen and Gerard Butler Can Motivate Writers Like Hell: The Ultimate Gerard Butler and Mads Mikkelsen Guide to Freelance Success

Posted on October 31, 2012 Written by Pinar Tarhan

What can two popular actors possibly have to do with us writers, our careers and motivation levels? First let’s take a look at who and where they are:

Mads Mikkelsen played the James Bond villain in Casino Royale, won Best Actor at Cannes this year, and he’ll also be starring as Hannibal Lecter. Yep, the very one played by Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs. Oh, and did I mention he’s Danish?

Gerard Butler is probably the one you are more familiar with. After all he’s that actor who shouted “This is Sparta” before kicking a cocky Persian right into the bottom of an endless well in the movie 300. He’s known for his dedication to his parts (that Spartan body was really his!), diversity (the guy played the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera), and ability to tackle accents. Why else directors would cast him as American or Irish instead of hiring equally or more popular American or Irish actors?

But whether you like them or their movies isn’t the point. The point is what they accomplished, how they accomplished it and what you can learn from it.

Writers are prone to depression, lack of motivation, bouts of self-doubt, fear of ruts and writer blocks. They also worry about their age, nationality, talent, the competition, rejection, income…and that’s why I like to look at Mikkelsen and Butler when I experience any of those.

1 ) Nationality:

Mads Mikkelsen is from Denmark. Gerard Butler is Scottish. None of them grew up in L.A. Now, if they can make it to Hollywood, you should definitely not be discouraged about your nationality when it comes to your writing.

While your location or citizenship can prevent you from submitting to some magazines (for instance some Canadian publications only work with Canadian writers, or some contests require you to be a legal resident of the country the publication is based in), there are tons of other contests and markets that don’t really care about where you are from. They just want good work.

2) Age:

Butler was 25 when he decided to really pursue acting, instead of just wanting it. He was 28 in his first onscreen appearance.

Mikkelsen studied acting, but his first onscreen appearance was in 1996, in a short film. He was 31.

Granted, late 20s and early 30s can seem very young, or young enough, depending on how old you are (or how you look at things), but remember that they didn’t start a writing career-they started an acting career, from other countries and competed against people who had been building industry connections since they were pre-teens, whose family members were in the business and so on.

Your queries and manuscripts don’t give a damn about your age. Neither do your editors.

Even if you are trying to write for a magazine whose target audience is way older or younger than you are, it is still all about getting the tone of the publication, understanding what the editors need and coming up with an attractive idea.

Your age doesn’t matter. Not that this is an excuse to delay your career efforts for decades. Make your move now-just don’t obsess over your birth date.

3) Industry connections

Like I mentioned above, Butler and Mikkelsen weren’t born into Hollywood families. I’m not saying the good actors who knew the right people don’t deserve to be where they are. But let’s face it: all things equal, the guy who knows people will be one step ahead of you. He doesn’t even need to be getting favors-he’ll know how things work, he’ll know who to talk to. More studios will know his name. And there is a big chance he has started before you. More experience, better CV and all that.

Imagine you started your writing career without knowing much, if anything, about writing queries, markets, genres, networking….Most of us did. We had to familiarize with ourselves with the process, jargon and fight against people who thought we were dreamers…

The point is that it can be done, whether you initially know someone or not. But once you get started, you have to start building that network of yours. Gerard’s first connection came from a theater backstage gig he got after deciding not to be a lawyer.

4) Background

Not all dancers win Best Actor at Cannes, nor do they get to play Bond villains. And I’m not sure there are many Danish dancers, if any, that got worldwide critical acclaim for their acting, leading and supporting roles in many different countries (not just Denmark, or the States.)

Butler has a law degree from Glasgow University. He just hated his job the moment he started working as an intern.

This is not to say their careers didn’t benefit from those backgrounds. Mikkelsen always has a certain amount of grace he carries around him, and he is not camera shy when it comes to interviews.

Butler always seems like he is chatting with his best friends and having the time of his life during interviews. And the fact that he knew a bit about persuasion and body language didn’t exactly work against him. And hey, knowing what contracts are about can’t have hurt either. Oh, and one of the reasons he was chosen to play the phantom in The Phantom of the Opera was that he had a rock’n’roll voice? Complements of singing in a rock band.

Whatever your day job is/was, there is always something you can use about it to come up with ideas, build relationships, form an audience, etc. You may want to check out Carol Tice’s “How My Crappy Day Jobs Made Me a High-Earning Freelancer” post on Freelance Switch for tips.

Of course your day job doesn’t have to be crappy to help you. John Grisham is a lawyer, in addition to being one of the most famous bestselling authors, who comes up with brilliant legal thrillers and dramas. Needless to say, he doesn’t ever have to worry about using the correct words, seeming off with his descriptions or doing that much research. He also created his first book, second bestseller, A Time to Kill, based on a real life court case he witnessed. A bestseller that went on to become a movie starring A-List actors.

Not that my success is anywhere near his, but I did get published on Carol Tice’s Make a Living Writing with my article “One Freelance Writer’s Surprising Strategy for a Revved-Up Career”,detailing how my part-time job (one that I still have) helped my writing career in so many ways. Just thought this example might be a tad more relatable than John’s.

5) Persistence, dedication, hard work

If there is any other job that comes with the risk of rejection at least as much as writing, it has to be acting. It’s audition after audition, trying to persuade the director and/or the casting people or the starring actor that you are the best person for the job. It is not easy to pick up your courage and motivation after hearing no, but you do it anyway because the award awaiting for you will make you so much happier than the rejection made you miserable.

Butler’s director in the movie One More Kiss Vadim Jean was quoted to say that he never knew anyone that worked so hard to make his career happen.

That’s the attitude that got him where he is today: sought-after, successful and easy to work with. You are easy and fun to work with if you really want to be where you are, and put in the work where you are. And editors, as well as other clients, love easy and fun to work with.

P.S. John Grisham could only get A Time to Kill published after he finished and found a publisher for The Firm. A Time to Kill wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t put himself out there again and fight back with another manuscript.

6) Going from fighting for gigs to gigs being offered to you

Gerard Butler played Attila The Hun in the mini-series Attila in 2001. The producers originally wanted someone more famous. And maybe someone with less of a Scottish accent. But they couldn’t find someone they liked better than Butler, and he showed them he could change his accent. 2001 was way before 300, The Phantom of The Opera or P.S. I love You. Before nobody really knew who he was.

People joke that any Danish director casts Mikkelsen whenever they want to secure box office success or awards or both.

More familiar names are not always the best choice. More established writers may not always provide the better ideas.

Or you can improve your blog, establish yourself in the areas you are writing about and have them come to you with offers. Look at Bamidele Onibalusi (of YoungPrePro)’s post to see how he does it.

7) Room for self-improvement, fun and other important things in your life

Mads Mikkelsen speaks Swedish because he lived in Sweden for a while and they couldn’t understand his Danish so he learned Swedish. He speaks German because a German director wanted him as the German lead. He speaks French and Russian because he played Igor Stravinsky in the French film Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky. He is obviously fluent in English, having had roles in American movies and constantly giving interviews. And his favorite method for learning languages? Watching movies.

He is also married and raising 2 kids with his wife.

You were saying you couldn’t find the time for…what?

So you are working hard. It doesn’t mean you can’t take time for hobbies, learning, family and friends. Living a full life will make you happier, more full of ideas and more equipped.

8) Proving talents in more areas than one.

Mikkelsen has done drama, romantic drama, period movie, comedy, action, adventure and fantasy, horror, romantic comedy…

Butler has done musical, action, adventure, thriller, horror, drama, romance, romantic comedy, fantasy…

You don’t have to choose between business writing and article writing. Between fiction and non-fiction. You don’t have to pick topic to write about. Go out there, show your best work and keep trying until you get the gigs that make you happy. I don’t know about you, but variety makes me happy.

9) International success

Well, you all have a pretty good idea what these two actors accomplished so far. Why not set your sights on writing for the most established magazines worldwide, writing a best-selling book or being sought-after by well-paying clients worldwide?

You know what it takes. You know it is all about how much (and well) you work, improve and motivate yourself. And you know it doesn’t mean you are not going to have time for other things. In fact, it is all about benefiting from all areas of your life, even things that initially seem like obstacles or motivation-busters so you need to live a life outside of your office too.

So go ahead. Work. Live. Have fun. Make it happen. Gerard Butler and Mads Mikkelsen made it happen, and they are only few examples in a very, very long list. Why shouldn’t you?

And don’t worry, I’m a big fan of practicing what I preach. I’m taking my own advice as I keep pitching to publications, running various blogs, having a busy social life and working on my fiction.

Paul Arden’s Whatever You Think, Think The Opposite -The Bedside Book for Creativity, Motivation and Life Management

Posted on October 23, 2012 Written by Pinar Tarhan

“You can’t afford the house of your dreams. That’s why it is the house of your dreams. You either find a way of getting it (you’ll find the means) or be satisfied with dissatisfaction.”

Paul Arden, from Whatever You Think, Think The Opposite

How are you with motivation? How good are you at challenging and encouraging yourself? Most importantly, how good are you at taking advice? I’m usually terrible at taking advice, for instance.

I stand my ground and I don’t really pay attention to anyone whose advice doesn’t fit in with the way I think. And I don’t think that this is necessarily a bad thing. Because you can only be serious about really listening to someone who you respect- someone who practices what he preaches and preaches what he practices.

And who wouldn’t want a mentor whose advice can help your creative juices flowing in every aspect of life, while telling stories about people who are where they are because they dared to be different?

And when I say different, I’m talking about the people who went their own ways and followed their dreams.

And looking for a mentor like that I finally found mine last year: A wonderfully smart, quirky successful (and unfortunately deceased) man in advertising: Paul Arden.

Paul Arden-Whatever You Think, Think The Opposite — Paul Arden image via goodreads.com.

While I was studying advertising at university, I came across some great names like David Ogilvy and Bill Bernbach. And while I was impressed by what they have achieved, I quite hadn’t found the right person whose teachings would go beyond the world of copywriting or advertising in general.

Paul had worked as a creative director for the famous Saatchi and Saatchi advertising agency but I fell in love with his ideas when I stumbled upon a book of his: Whatever You Think, Think The Opposite. Just my kind of book, because I do have a way of thinking differently than almost anyone I know in most areas. And this book was basically telling me to keep it up. It rocks to hear you are on the right track from a very successful man.

I got addicted to Paul’s style and bought his other books: “It Is Not How Good You Are, It Is How Good You Want To Be” and “God Explained in a Taxi Ride”. I would buy whatever else he wrote, but unfortunately Paul Arden passed away in 2008…

Now, on to the book:

Whatever You Think, Think The Opposite tells the fun yet notable success stories of people and firms who challenged the norms and by applying the opposite.

Examples include: photographers, Olympic athletes, bookstores, Kodak, Paul Arden himself, fashion designers, rockers and many more.

This is a book that you can eat up in a couple of hours. It has big fonts, paragraphs that are not too wordy, funny and/or interesting pictures and attention-grabbing page design, usually by being simple. Yep, Paul Arden knew a lot about readability too.

But soon after you finish it, you will want to come back again and again to remind yourself it is a good thing to challenge and even change status quo by being innovative, different, opposite. I love every page and every word of it.

Have you read it yet?

(I did use affiliate links in the post.)

Paying to Guest Post vs. Getting Paid for Your Guest Posts

Posted on October 13, 2012 Written by Pinar Tarhan

Guest-Posting_opt — Image via seo-hacker.com

Yep, you’ve read it right. We aren’t talking about paying guest posters, but getting payment from guest posters so that they will have a chance to be published. And it’s not like these blogs are just selling spots to anyone who wants to have their articles published- they want the same quality, original and targeted posts that other respectable blogs (that either pay by bylines and exposure or the ones that do pay actual money in addition to that) do. And while these blogs that require you to pay do offer the bylines and exposure, they have the added requirement of payment exchange for a quality guest post from you.

I first came across this on We Blog Better’s guest posting guidelines. Now, in all fairness, the editor gives you two options:

1) You can apply to be a regular contributor (though the contributor will be paid by exposure only),

2) Or you can deposit $40 with your guest post, and if it is not accepted, you will get a refund. If it is published, you’re not getting the refund.

She also explains her reason for these options: crappy, time-consuming submissions. And while her new set of guidelines seem to be an effective way of eliminating the careless and generic articles, it might put off bloggers/writers who actually pay attention to their pitches and writing.

Granted, this successful blog doesn’t exactly need all the guest post writers out there, but I don’t think many good writers would tempted to deposit or apply for a regular position (which probably doesn’t pay either.)

It just might be easier for them to apply to other popular blogs that they don’t have such guidelines. They might have to wait longer for a response, but that comes with the pitching territory.

But there is another blog that doesn’t offer a refund, at least not on their guidelines.

Million Clues says “Cost per Guest Post is $50,” meaning they do want to be paid $50 – no wonder a lot of the other guest-post guidelines are yelling “get featured for free.” This “benefit” listed on their guest post guidelines had seemed redundant to me until I came across this one.

Yes, you will only need to pay after your post is accepted. But honestly, if Problogger or Copyblogger doesn’t request money, I don’t think anyone else should. And then there established blogs for writers/bloggers who actually pay for the guest posts their publishing – such as Make a Living Writing, The Renegade Writer and Rock Solid Finance, among others.

Imagine what would writers’ lives be like if suddenly established magazines started charging money to read submissions? Ouch. It gives me the shivers to think about it.

You might say one is blogging and the other is writing, but come on. If a blogger is truly researching the publication, sweating over her query, outline and the article, I’d say that she is a writer. Why should she also pay in addition to her efforts, especially if she is content with byline and exposure for her efforts?

There might be more blogs charging for a guest post (opportunity), but I have stumbled upon these two so far.

So what do you think?

– Are you a fan of guest posting as a marketing strategy, whether it is for your blogging/writing career and/or your business?

– Do you think blog owners should pay guest bloggers?

– Do you think it is a good idea to ask money from the posters?

Writer Character from 27 Dresses – Getting Involved with Your Source

Posted on October 10, 2012 Written by Pinar Tarhan

27 Dresses movie poster — Image via blog.psprint.com

27 Dresses is a fun romantic comedy from 2008, starring Katherine Heigl, James Marsden and Edward Burns.

27 Dresses isn’t just a good example for having a writer character, but it is also successful on its own right as a film. Having made $160,000,000 at the box office with its $30,000,000 budget, it is an encouraging example for writers who want to sell their romantic comedy scripts. Since its dialogue is pretty witty and more original than most romcoms, taking a look at the screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna’s other work is a good idea.

She has written or co-written We Bought a Zoo (starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson), Morning Glory (starring Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton), Laws of Attraction (with Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore) adapted script of Devil Wears Prada (starring Meryl Streep.)

And while all of these movies weren’t hits, she has been able to sell her work since the late 90s, and it is hard not to be impressed when you look at who has said yes to her stories.

Now that you know a bit more about the writer behind the writer (played by James Marsden), let’s look at the movie- though you might want to stick to my movie review if want a less detailed (and not-spoiled) summary where I focus on the whole movie-and not just Kevin.

Still with me? Great.

The Writer Character : James Marsden

James-Marsden-27-Dresses — Marsden as Kevin/Malcolm Doyle, taking the picture of Heigl’s 27 bridesmaid dresses. Image via zuguide.com

Kevin Doyle (James Marsden) covers weddings (under the name of Malcolm Doyle) for the commitments section of the New York Journal and dying to get out of it. Unfortunately he is quite good at it, and his editor doesn’t want to assign him something else. And while he can make women swoon with his romantic words, he is really a cynic who doesn’t believe in any of it.

Jane (Katherine Heigl) is a big fan. A true romantic, she collects his articles and hopes that one day she will also be a bride at a dream wedding. And if there is anyone who can handle planning a wedding, it is her. She has been a bridesmaid 27 times, helping the brides do everything from dress selection to cake tasting. She doesn’t mind helping them, but she’d be much happier if the man of her dreams, her boss George (Edward Burns), just fell for her. But not only George is unaware of her affections, he sees her as a good friend and an assistant.

It’s during a wedding craze (and by craze, I mean two weddings in one night!) that she meets Kevin. He is instantly entertained by her efforts, and when he gets to ride the cab with her, he realizes that she is a rare species. Sure, she loves her weddings like most women- but she has met been to 27 weddings as a bridesmaid, and has switched back and forth between two weddings and two dresses in one night.

So he doesn’t return the planner she forgot on the cab until after he pitches his story idea to the editor and gets the promise of finally leaving commitments if he can pull it off. And when he returns the planner, he has made sure Jane will call him.

But for all Jane knows, Kevin is a cute albeit extremely cynical guy trying to get a date- and she is too busy trying to get over the fact that her boss falls for her sister Tess, almost as soon as he meets her. Then they decide to get married, and Kevin gets to cover the wedding.

Now poor Jane has to plan the wedding, and to face the fact that her favorite columnist is no romantic. He’s just some other guy who thinks marriage is slavery and wedding industry is out to get everyone. But Kevin charms his way back into Jane’s company since it is for “Tess and George”.

But while collecting the material for the paper, Kevin develops a crush on Jane-who has turned out to be a lot more fun and interesting than he initially thought. Jane is also starting to think he is not all bad, especially when she notices that his cynicism might be about to fact that he was once left by his wife for another guy.

But of course we have 2 conflicts for Kevin: he has to change his story before his editor can run an article that doesn’t make Jane look that great, and he has to make Jane realize that she does deserve better than just the fantasies of a guy she can’t have.

And just when Kevin might have gotten what he wanted – Jane romantically interested in him, he has unfortunately gotten the other thing he wanted: his story on the front page, his possible ticket out of the section. Of course things go horribly awry when Jane sees it. Then there is also the spoiled Tess, supportive George, Jane’s frustration with Tess and anger towards Kevin…

Yes, I know you know who will get the girl and why, but it is a worthy ride as the dialogue is a lot of fun, and the casting is just right- especially James Marsden who doesn’t annoy anyone apart from Jane-and we all know how her mind is going to change.

Ethics, Professionalism and Courtesy

But the movie’s delightfulness aside, it does bring up questions about professionalism and ethics, doesn’t it? If I were Jane, and met a very cute guy who seemed to want to hang around with me, I wouldn’t suspect that it was for a story. Even though he told her he was a writer, she didn’t know what he wrote.

And even after she knew, she thought he was just getting info for Tess’ wedding – and stayed longer for the company, though I might have been suspicious about all the pictures he took. But then again, he never wrote an article on a perpetual bridesmaids’ misfortune before so why would he start?

If I found out what Jane found out, I’d be pissed too. And if I were Kevin…well, I don’t know. I would like to think I deserve my high horse and wouldn’t write things I didn’t want to. And even if I did end up with an only chance to get to a better column, I’d like to think that I wouldn’t use anyone for it- crush or no crush.

But being stuck doing something you despise can get to your head, and if I were dumped by my spouse for a friend of mine, and forced to produce wedding article after wedding article – after going to the weddings, of course, I would probably be at least tempted. (As romantic as I am, I do agree that most weddings have the food and music to torture people. There can be no other explanation!)

Were you ever in a similar situation as Kevin? Were you tempted not to reveal your true intentions to your source/inspiration?

I know we are the writers, but what would you if you were Jane? (and she did slap him, didn’t return any calls and didn’t seem to forgive him fully after his heartfelt speech.)

PS. You can read about the writer who wrote the movie, Aline Brosh McKenna, here.

PPS. This post contains affiliate links.

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