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Happy New Year and Where I Have Been

Posted on January 1, 2016 Written by Pinar Tarhan

Happy New Year!

Sorry about not having posted a while, but the last couple of months have been hectic. I’m planning to move abroad, but as someone who needs the proper permits for that, the research process has been overwhelming. The how and where aren’t certain yet, but I’m up for the challenge and adventure. I’ll update you the minute I know more.

2015 was full of ups and downs, and mainly the downs came in the shape of devastating news from all over the world. However, there were also hopeful moments as people supported each other and didn’t give up, so that’s amazing.

My own 2015 was pretty busy. I’m not going to lie, there was some wasted time on social media, procrastination on video games, minor health problems and some feeling down about not having a life exciting enough. But there was also a lot of excitement, new projects, completed works, major decisions (see paragraph one), inspirations and more teaching classes so I could concentrate one my favorite writing gigs, which you will also soon be updated about.

My 31st of December was the right blend of working, messing about and spending time with family. There was also some rolling in the snow and snowball fights. I finished the night true to its nature by writing a set of resolutions I have every intention to keep.

One resolution I intend on keeping is never forgetting “it’s never too late.” Now, don’t dismiss it as generic and too deep for its own good. I mean it especially for daily tasks. Those days when you oversleep, start work (or whatever you need to be doing) very late and end up disappointed. It’s okay if you haven’t started working on your novel until 8 pm. The fact is that you started is what matters. The day isn’t over until midnight. And for night owls, maybe not even then.

I was having a late day today. I seemed far away from yesterday’s productivity until I realized it was only the first day of the new year, and it was only 2 pm. Plenty of time to do whatever needs to be done.

So I’m writing this post to say HAPPY NEW YEAR. May this year make you happy in every way you wish, including seeing more resolutions accomplished than ever.

Talk to you soon!

Literary Agent/Manager Needed for 1 Novel, 1 Feature Film Script and 1 Pilot

Posted on November 20, 2015 Written by Pinar Tarhan

I write, therefore I am. :D — I write, therefore I am. 😀

Nope, I haven’t gone stark raving mad.

I haven’t lost it during the process of trying to getting my fiction published.

I’m just reacting to (and kind of celebrating) two interesting pieces of writing:

This The Billfold post: Calling All Literary Agents, Via Your Blog where Meaghan O’Connell wrote about Miles Klee, a writer who posted about his agent needs on his Tumblr.

Writer and writing coach Angela Booth mentions in one of her free e-books (I think it was called Blogging for Dollars) where a client of hers mentioned she was looking for an agent. Lo and behold, the agent found her through the description of her work online.

(I also reached out to Miles Klee to find out if he found the new agent he was looking for via his TUMBLR blog. I’ll update if I get an answer.)

Established writer and coach Marilyn Horowitz also encourages you talk about your writing and keeping a presence online.

So why not?
There are no guarantees. In fact, it probably won’t work. I. And yet, here I roll:

1 novel, 1 one-hour TV drama pilot, 1 feature drama

– They are low(er) budget, mainstream yet different enough. And they are similar in genre(s), even though the weight of romance, comedy and drama differs.

So I won’t be pissing off any producer or agent by saying I have one period drama, one CGI-heavy sci-fi and one gory horror. (Although I don’t promise never to write these, except from the gory horror.)

– I’ve a niche. I’ve specialized. I’ve been doing this for a while.

– None of the (manu)scripts are their first (or fourth, for that matter) drafts.

And they will each get their individual posts, detailing each project without spoiling anything. I have query letters and synopses for that (you know, those thing where you actually have to give away the ending and twists and all.)

– Oh, and the best of all, their medium can be easily converted into another.

My novel would work as a script, and my scripts could be turned into a novel.

So there you go, agents and producers.

And again, as Marilyn Horowitz points out in her book Sell Your Screenplay in 30 Days Using New Media (aff. link), I’m my own agent until I get one, so here I am. Letting the world know. I have stories I can’t wait to share.

In case you are in the market for contemporary romantic dramas with a sense of humor. The TV pilot placed as a semi-finalist in 2014’s Creative Writing Awards.

What do you guys have? Share away in the comments, including links to your blogs and Twitter accounts. And do read each other, follow up on the people whose work/comment you enjoyed.

That’s how communities are built upon.

And if you like what I create for you, please share the post on Twitter and wherever else you hang out on!

Where else to find me:

Stage 32

Twitter: @zoeyclark

I’m also a member of Ashley Scott Meyers’ SYS Select. (not an affiliate link.)

Trying Different Things: How to Be a Morning Person (for a Day)

Posted on November 18, 2015 Written by Pinar Tarhan

(This post was written yesterday and posted today. There was only so much productivity I could handle.:))

Today I tried being a morning person.

It’s a big deal for me as I can barely function before 10 AM (although if I’ve slept well and you take me to a coffee shop I love, I can start writing/working at 10AM).

But this morning I had to take a meeting whose scheduling didn’t depend just on me, so I had to wake up at 7 looking and feeling like a zombie. Of course instead of brains, I was craving for coffee.

After a glass of black tea, 2 mugs of coffee, a tall Starbucks green tea, I’m getting closer to more Walking Dead than Liv Moore at 4.20 PM. But up to now, I’ve:

attended a very useful meeting
studied some awesome copywriting tips by Ramit Sethi
checked out SYS’s forum on screenwriting and studied topics that appealed to me
answered some questions on Quora. (Read Imran Esmail’s post on Boost Blog Traffic why Quora is an essential platform for writers and how to get the most from it)
started writing this post
shared helpful stuff on Twitter that wasn’t written by me
followed some filmmakers I admired on twitter
finally got around to use Instagram
kept studying the e-book how to sell your screenplay in 30 days (note: most probably, it will take more than 30 days, but that’s not why it’s an awesome book.)
improved my Blogger skills (and by Blogger, I mean Google’s platform; I’m mainly a WordPress person.)
walked a total of 4 kms (…. miles, calculated thanks to my WalkLogger app)
practiced Norwegian for 15 minutes
brainstormed
socialized with a friend

While I’m ready to go to bed at 10 PM, all in all this was a very productive day.

However, I don’t think I’d be very happy if I had to do this every day. So tomorrow, I’ll get up at a more reasonable hour tomorrow and get the same amount or more done.

Wish me luck.

Are you a morning person? What changes are you trying to implement in your life?

A Free Productivity Guide for Writing Addicts

Posted on November 7, 2015 Written by Pinar Tarhan

I’m putting together a productivity guide and giving it to my subscribers and followers for free.

It won’t always be free, so please comment below if you want to get it without paying anything! 🙂

The guide will include improved versions my best productivity posts as well as new tips I haven’t shared yet.

Who is it good for?

Basically any busy writer who gets sidetracked by their life, the pleasant and the sour. And yes, I know that not all out days can be equally productive. There’ll be off days. But we can even use those to our advantage.

So comment, and you’ll have your guide as soon as I’m done. If you are already a subscriber, you’ll get it as my thank you. (You can still comment, and I’ll love you for it, though.)