Inspiration and Motivation Archives - Page 4 of 12

The 2018 Goals Post: Here’s to a Productive and All-Around Kick-Ass Year

Posted on December 31, 2017 Written by Pinar Tarhan

I just read a very funny, yet slightly depressing but totally relatable tweet: One guy said he was entering 2018 with 2012 problems. I’m hoping you guys aren’t carrying some unrealized resolutions from way back when, but I know I got a bit lazy in certain departments in the last couple of years. The fitness department.

Of course, it isn’t just laziness. There were health issues, which led to a more severe lack of movement, which caused more health issues. That decreased my productivity, and that is never good for the mood, income or the creative spirit.

It might be slightly naive to be this optimistic about any new year but a good mood does wonders for the health, so it can’t hurt. Especially if it is backed up by action.

So let’s get to it:

– Pitching: Until you have enough well-paying clients that treat you well, ten pitches a day is a good idea. They don’t always have to be cold pitches. You can pitch your favorite magazines and blogs as well. But even if you write both non-fictin and fiction, whatever pays, keep that pitch at 10. Thank you, Gina Horkey for the number.

– Fitness: My favorite thing to is to dance my way to my favorite songs, which incorporates whatever I like into fast rock numbers. Motley Crue, AC/DC, Guns’N’Roses. Yes, I’ll try to walk 10,000 steps a day. But if I can’t, my trusted rock frontmen will inspire my moves.

I’m also buying a watch that counts my steps because it is annoying to have to look at my phone all the time.

– Health: Hopefully, this will mean less junk, more salad and less screen time. I’ll try to listen to radio more, read paperbacks and well…that is pretty much it. I already don’t smoke. And I don’t drink much. I also don’t drink fizzy stuff or juice, so there is only so much I can do here…

– Writing: I have two works in progress that have been works in progress for years. No more. Those screenplays will be written, even if I have to endure the typically shitty first draft. Thou shall not wait for inspiration, but instead, rewrite and brainstorm the hell out of it.

– Meet more people. This one is tricky because I’m a writer who works from home or a coffee shop. There aren’t any decent co-working spaces where I live, so traveling to one of those to be more social isn’t worth it.

To give you more context, I live in Istanbul. The city is huge, and you can only imagine the traffic if you live in Los Angeles or New York or something. Also, changing continents is only fun when the weather is decent, and you are willing to lose time waiting for stuff. Not ideal for a well-planned, productive day. And definitely not for a work emergency.

I have many friends, but it is hard enough to meet them, let alone to try and meet their friends. I belong to several meetup groups, which are my best bet. I made some pretty cool friends that way. I just end up canceling on many of those because due to inconvenient locations, mad weather and health issues. Fingers crossed for a more social year.

If you are an introvert, I have to talk up the networking benefits as well as inspiration of this goal. More people mean more story ideas. Living in our heads is awesome but even the most prolific authors occasionally need the outside stimuli.

– Clean up and organize: This includes my working space, wardrobe and the inbox. I hit mass delete once and it was awesome. Look, whatever info I was saving, if I didn’t get to in a week or month, it clearly didn’t matter that much. Even if it did, I can always find a more updated version online. Obviously, tread lightly with your work email, but going from a thousand to zero is bliss. So whatever you don’t need, get rid of. Also, unsubscribe is a magical button.

Throwing away clothes and stuff is harder. Many carry sentimental value and/or represent goals. What if I lose weight and wear that again? What if I put on weight and need something comfortable and looks good?

I will tell you what. You are allowed to keep a few very good items that look new. So if your weight happens to fluctuate, you don’t have to go shopping that minute. But the rest? Come on. You can do this. If you have kept something for 30 years because your beloved Aunt Rita gave it to you, keep it. But if you bought it 6 years ago and haven’t remembered to wear it, that has to go.

This is not coming from a high horse. I’m writing this post for myself as much as I’m writing it for you. More clothes cramp the space. They also cause dust and make it harder to clean. And I hate cleaning even when it is easy.

You can always shop more when you get more money and space.

Alright. These are all for now. Wait for an end-of January post to see how I handled all these. What about you? What are your goals?

The Rewrite starring Hugh Grant and Marisa Tomei: Why It’s A Must-Watch Movie For Writers

Posted on December 20, 2017 Written by Pinar Tarhan

*This post contains affiliate links.

Marc Lawrence’s The Rewrite (2014) is absolutely delightful. Of course, your chances of enjoying it are higher if you like Hugh Grant and/or Marisa Tomei, romantic comedies that aren’t like every other romantic comedy and movies about writers. Not to mention, the cast includes J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney. J.K. Simmons’ loving but tough/sentimental (you need to see it) character provides a hilarious contrast to his Oscar-winning, ruthless role in Whiplash.

I’m a fan of the genre, director/writer (Mark Lawrence) and the cast. And as a screenwriter (aspiring, but still), I do have a weakness for movies featuring screenwriters and their world.

Isn’t it also great the 50-something protagonist is only 4 years older than the love interest?

So why do I recommend the movie to (screen)writers in particular? Let’s start with the plot:

The Rewrite Plot Summary

Oscar-winning screenwriter Keith Michaels (Hugh Grant) is far from his glory days. He hasn’t been able to sell something in ages and is forced to take a screenwriting teaching gig in a cloudy, small town to pay the bills.

Moreover, he seems totally wrong for the job: He doesn’t believe great writing can be taught, starts a relationship with a young student (not Marisa Tomei) before his first day and pisses off the head of the ethics committee Mary Weldon (Allison Janney). Not to mention, he doesn’t even read the scripts of the students.

But thanks to the threats of Weldon and help of his new-comer student Holly (Marisa Tomei), Keith starts teaching and turns out to be pretty good.

You can guess that his involvement with the younger student will cause trouble, and he will fall in love with Tomei’s character.

But it’s the fun and honest journey of a desperate, formerly successful screenwriter getting his groove back, helping out a talented student and getting to love again that intrigues us.

The dialogue is truly funny. One of my favorite lines:

Dr. Lerner (J.K.Simmons): I have a wife and four daughters. I have no opinion.

Why Writers Need to See The Rewrite

– It sums up feast-famine, glory-failure, and acceptance-rejection cycles pretty well.
– It shows that we won’t have a gorgeous house by the pool with movie deals at all stages of our career, and why it is okay.
– It shows that helping other writers is not just good karma, but it will inspire and motivate us.
– It shows that not all good jobs look alike.
– And last but not least, despite our tendency to shut down and be on our own, we need our kind of people to make all those cycles, and life in general be more bearable.

*
I honestly don’t care if you like Hugh Grant or not. If you are a writer, and especially a screenwriter, you should give this movie a shot.

Have fun, and don’t forget to comment to talk about your favorite movies with writer characters.

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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.)

5 Tips on How To Watch Movies According To Your Writing Needs

Posted on August 5, 2017 Written by Pinar Tarhan

A writer has to read a lot. For fun, inspiration, motivation, and to get better at their craft. It also helps with market research.

And a screenwriter doesn’t just have to read a lot; they have to watch a lot too.

But with only 24 hours a day, so many other tasks, possibly a day job and of course your writing, you can’t watch everything.

So how do you choose?

Easy. You prioritize.

What prompted this post was that I’ve over 500 movies on my watchlist on IMDB. If you eliminate the guilty pleasures, there are still over 400 movies to analyze.

And I’m someone who has watched a lot of movies. I’m still so behind, it is crazy.

So let me help you choose what to watch (again).

Genre. I try to watch in similar genres to what I’m writing. It helps to see what was made and how it was made. But it also helps flex your creative muscles when you watch stuff outside of your comfort and taste zone. So mix it up whenever you can.

Box office and budget. Box office result matters, as well as how much the movie cost. Which budget range gets more movies? Low, medium or high? Which budget range tends to make the best profits?

Commercial success is a huge plus. After all, rarely anyone writes hoping not to be watched by a lot of people. But the budget is very important when you are deciding based on box office. I give priority to a 50mil dollar movie that made over 200, rather than a 200-million that made a billion.

Because:

A) I don’t write movies that will cost that much to make. You could put Tom Cruise in it (I know, I wish), and it still wouldn’t cost that much to make. Well, apart from what you’d have to pay him. 🙂

B) Quality movies that were shot with relatively small budgets give me hope, and it teaches me a lot.

You can use boxofficemojo.com to check budget and box office information.

Cast. There are a lot of actors whose works I enjoy, and all of these actors are people I’d love to work with. So I want to know what kind of scripts they are attracted to.

Try IMDB for the cast info.

Critical acclaim and/or audience reactions. Some movies become cult hits years after they are released. Festival wins/awards and other critical acclaim intrigue me. Why did this one particular movie become so popular, successful, and/or loved?

I wasn’t going to watch Dunkirk since it is not a genre I’m particularly interested in. But the audience reactions are so mixed, now I’m tempted. And one can always learn from director Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight Trilogy, Interstellar, Memento), so there’s that.

Relaxation and entertainment. And many of our best work comes when we are not stressed out. So forget everything above, and choose according to whatever you feel like. You can always change the disc or walk out of the movie theatre if you are unhappy. And even that shows on what/how not to write.

If you need suggestions, feel free to comment with what you are looking for, and I’ll get you started in the right direction.

Obviously, not all movies will have all of the qualities you’re looking for. But your time is limited, so you should try to kill as many birds as possible with one stone.

Now, this reminds me…what should I watch tonight? (Comment your suggestions please!)