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Review of Wayne E. Pollard’s I’m Not Out of Work! I’m a Writer!!

Posted on August 12, 2011 Written by Pinar Tarhan

crazy writer, from Bo's Café Life — This strip reminds me of someone....Wait...I know! It reminds me of me. That's it! I'm so writing my book tomorrow....(I mean I need a book to try to get a deal....) Courtesy of boscafelife.wordpress.com

I’m a writer. When I tell people that, I get one of these two responses “Wow! It’s so cool!” or “Hmm. Can you make a living out of that?”

And as much as I want to say “Oh, totally!”, I am not there yet. My income comes from a combination of freelance tutoring, teaching, blogging and writing. While I love doing all these things together, I want to be able to say “That book deal changed my life (=aka my finances)!” or “Eat your heart Carrie Bradshaw, I write about relationships for a living, and I have got more than a closet full of expensive shoes to show for it!”

But as I said, I am not there yet. The tasks of a freelance writer never ends (just like a blogger’s never ends, but that’s a different post). I still have to finish that book that I was inspired to write in 2004. I still have tons of publications to study and pitch to. I still have a lot of new markets to discover, study and yes, pitch to. Then I have to keep writing my book, keep up the blogs, follow-up with the queries and deal with rejection, or worse – no answers from editors.

So I need other freelancers to understand me, who have been or are still are where I am. I want to laugh with them, maybe get depressed temporarily and then move on with them. And while networking with others help, I don’t have a freelance writer friend who l can talk to whenever I feel like it.

And since none of my friends are willing to jump the 9 to 5 wagon to join me, I found the perfect substitute. Wayne E. Pollard’s “I’m Not Out of Work!, I’m a Writer” is a collection of Pollard’s Bo’s Café Life strips where he simply and hilariously depicts the life of a freelancer, complete with other freelancer friends and their meetings in coffee shops.

writers, rejection Bo's Café Life — You can find many more painfully and hiariously true writing cartoons on boscafelife.wordpress.com

Bo and all his friends are appropriately represented by drawings of coffee cups. As a freelance writer who does most (and best) of her work in cafés, and who is also (shockingly!) writing this review with a cup of coffee nearby, the collection couldn’t have been more spot on.

I first stumbled upon Bo’s Café Life when I was trying to find funny, writing-related cartoons for this blog. I loved the cartoons so much that I e-mailed him to ask if I could use them on my blog, linking to his blog. He kindly said yes, and even sent me the copy of the book, which I finished in about 20 minutes and went back to read it again. Yes, it is funny and very relevant.

It is so easy to identify with his coffee-cup characters. The multiple rejections, never summoning up the courage to send/finish some of your stuff, consoling yourself with the rejection numbers of currently famous authors, almost living in cafés…

There are so many books on motivation and productivity out there. And while I enjoy reading the good ones, sometimes I need a fast boost in the spirits and I don’t have time to read (or the strength to carry) all the necessary motivational stuff with me. And thankfully, I just have them all in one tiny book now.

It’s recommended for all writers. Except maybe not for the likes of John Grisham. I mean the dude is my favorite crime writer, but he doesn’t need it anymore. I’m sure he did need it when he was trying to get A Time to Kill published and got rejected over and over again….Ah…remember the times when John Grisham was unknown and Hollywood didn’t turn one of his books into a movie every couple of years?

Wayne E. Pollard is a published author, who shares his wisdom on Bo’s Café Life and Wayne E. Pollard’s No B.S. Blog for Writers.

“I’m Not Out of Work!, I’m a Writer!!” will be hitting the shelves at the end of September. If you can’t wait, and are up for a challenge, you can join Bo’s Café Life Fiction Contest. Details are here. But be quick. The deadline is August 31!

Productivity for Writers: Tips to Increase Your Productivity During Hot Weather

Posted on August 10, 2011 Written by Pinar Tarhan

Writer Productivity in the Summer. Or not:)

August already arrived and yet it is still typically very hot. Oh, I’m not complaining. I always take my summer wardrobe & weather over looking like an Eskimo and a bleak winter.

However extreme heat reduces productivity and the will to work. It might also cause you to stock on iced-drinks and face the wind/air-conditioner, and ultimately making you catch a cold, like the one I’m trying to fight off right now.

Fortunately, applying a few simple tips to your daily life can help you make the best of the summer, while managing to get all your work done.

1) Air- conditioners. Not every house has one, but it is unthinkable for any respectable coffee shop not to use them. If you don’t have air-conditioning in your living quarters, you can always go to the next Starbucks or a similar concept coffee shop where you can work.

You just need to make sure that directly under the conditioners as this will most probably cause you to get sick. Also make sure you bring a sweater with you just in case. After all, outdoors might be hot enough to walk around in your swimsuit, indoors might feel like the North Pole.

2) Fans. Fans are more affordable and a lot less complicated than air-conditioners. However, most of the time, they tend to be less effective. But then again, a fan is the next best thing when there is no wind outside and you feel like the heat is suffocating you. Just make sure you get the cool indirectly as fans can also easily make you sick. I should know, I’m a few hours from taking my prescribed antibiotics.

3) Beaches and pools. If you live near a sea or an ocean, take advantage. Not only swimming will help you get fit, it will also keep you cool and fresh.

And even if you don’t live near a sea, there are usually affordable pools around. Although some people don’t enjoy the pool experience, it is a nice way to energize yourself. For instance my university gym offers a reasonably-priced membership so I go swimming almost everyday. I can work for much longer and much more productively after I swim.

You just need to make sure you don’t get in the sun without protection.

4) Showers. It is all very well to save water and protect the environment, but you can’t restrain yourself from taking regular showers as this will help you cope with the heat, especially if you live in a city where the daily average temperature easily hits 40 degrees Celsius.

You can be careful about not wasting much water, but you can’t survive without getting under the water at all.

5) Cold drinks and lots of water. Drinking lots of liquids is always crucial, especially during hot weather when you lose a lot of water through sweating. Try to make sure you consume healthy drinks, though- such as water and freshly squeezed juices. As simple as this may sound, many people often neglect this or just try to fulfill their liquid needs through fuzzy drinks, which is not the healthiest option.

Try to apply these daily and you will find it easier to work in the summer.

How to Use Our Email Accounts Productively to Avoid Procrastination

How to Turn Procrastination into Productivity: 7 Fun Tips for Writers

9 Productive Things Writers Can Do When They Have a Cold

How Far Should A Writer Go for a Story?: Ethics, Story Ideas and The Movie Beautiful Boy

Posted on August 7, 2011 Written by Pinar Tarhan

Austin Nichols and Maria Bello in Beautiful Boy — Movie still from Beautiful Boy - Austin Nichols (the writer) and Maria Bello (the mother of the shooter). Before she knew what he was up to....Image via aceshowbiz.com

Whether you are inspired by real events or love taking advantage of your imagination, coming up with a great story is hard. Especially if you are writing a book.

And having come up with a great idea, you are most likely going to do some research. But how far would you go for that research and story?

Yesterday, I watched a very compelling movie called Beautiful Boy, a story about how a married couple deals after their son killed many people at his school and then killed himself. And while it is not a crucial part of the story, the event that intrigued me the most involves a writer:

In the movie, the mother of the shooter is a spell-checker, and her current writer client runs into her after the tragic event and acts like a very understanding friend. And then we find out that he was writing a book about the events, and that his shoulder to cry on was a way to just get his story right.

And the interesting thing is, while I didn’t approve of his behavior, this writer character managed not to come off as a total jerk. Maybe he wanted to profit from the tragedy, and that is wrong. But on the other hand, he said that he wanted to shed light on the event – he wanted to show that anyone could be capable of such rage. And for a moment, I wanted the mother to call him back and let him write…

OK, obviously that didn’t happen. But when she found out his real motive, she didn’t try to beat him. She didn’t shout. She just told him to go. Sure, he should have come clean way before…but what were the odds that she would let him into the house, had she known?

So let’s say that you found this incredible story that you feel compelled to write. You need to research, and maybe you need to talk to people who probably wouldn’t talk to you if you said you were a writer. What would you do? How far would you go?

What Non-Fiction Topics Don’t You Like Writing About?

Posted on July 28, 2011 Written by Pinar Tarhan

Writing Topics — Writing experts keep discussing whether a writer should be a specialized writer or a general writer. No need to worry. None of us can be that general anyway:)

There are so many writing markets out there, but it is hard to find the ones that are just up our alley. The thing is, even if you enjoy writing about a variety of topics (I know I do), there just seems to be plenty of publications that want queries in areas that exclude a lot of writers.

Obviously a writer can’t and won’t write about everything. But it can be frustrating to realize that there is a huge number of outlets you won’t be able to pitch to.

I’m Not Pitching to Publications On:

• Parenting/Family

I am not a parent, and I am not thinking about becoming one in the near future. I don’t have a degree /certificate in anything regarding parenting or children. And guess what? I don’t know any experts in these areas either. Which is a shame, because there are many high-paying publications that are parent/family-oriented.

• Brides/Wedding

I might be tempted to submit an article to a brides/weddings magazine if I get married and want to share the experience. But right now, I am just not interested. Plus, I really do have nothing to say…

• Fashion

As much as I love shopping for clothes, shoes and accessories, I just don’t like or follow fashion. I am against the idea of someone else telling me what is cool and what is hot. It is my style, my wardrobe and my body. So frankly, only my opinion counts (to me).

And being a bit of a shopaholic, I am more interested in quality, and quantity, than brands. So paying $100 for a T-shirt seems outrageous. So I guess being a huge fan of Sex and The City, doesn’t qualify me for fashion writing…

• Technology/Gadgets/Computers

While I might be considered somewhat of a geek when it comes to movie and rock trivia, I am just a clueless soul when it comes to computers and gadgets.

I like my laptop and other home office equipments, as well as my cell phone and mp3 player. And that is pretty much it.

• Technical Music Stuff

I might know my favorite bands by heart, but as to which musical instrument is better than which and why…Have no idea.

• Boy/Girl Scouts or Cheerleaders

Never been one.

• Ultra-techy WordPress Stuff

I’m a self-taught WordPress user and I know a lot about blogging on this platform. However, I’m a stranger to coding or web-design. So if a publication covers more of these, I’m out of my depth. But this is totally OK, because there still tons of stuff I can write about blogging and WordPress that don’t require me to be extra tech-savvy.

• Cooking

I rarely feel like performing my abilities in the kitchen. And when I do, it is usually to make uncomplicated desserts and vegetables, whose recipes are typically born from my imagination. Unless there are cooking magazines for people who hate to cook 95% of the time, I am not meant to write about this.

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So far these are the most popular subjects I can’t/don’t write about. What don’t you write about? And do you feel like your writing income would have increased, had it not been for those topics?