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January – First Three Weeks: Resolutions Success Breakdown, and Self-Publishing News

Posted on January 22, 2018 Written by Pinar Tarhan

2017’s last post was aptly about resolutions. I’m here to hold myself (and you) accountable for resolutions. You can refresh your memory here: The 2018 Goals Post: Here’s to a Productive and All-Around Kick-Ass Year.

The post basically talked about goals in the areas of health and fitness, networking and socializing, organizing, and writing.

Health and fitness: I bought myself a cheap smartwatch, but I’m using it as a fitness tracker- I got it because it is hard to track your steps with a phone all the time, and seeing the number motivates me to walk more.

Still trying to figure out how certain functions work.

I’m aware the total number might be more than about 1000 than my actual number since it is on my wrist, and I move my hands a lot more than my feet. But I try to take it off if I’m sitting and writing a lot, and I consider how inactive/active I have been when noting the final number. Still, I’m happy to say it serves its purpose. I’m moving more. Can’t disappoint the watch, can you? Also, it is pink and really fun to look at.

Writing: I didn’t write any pages for the works in progress I talked about in my previous post. However I decided to self-publish my novel Making A Difference (M.A.D.). It is a small step for humanity, but a gigantic one for this writer. I’ve had the concept for so long. The only way to get closure on this story was to share it with the world. I’ll share the details on when it will be published, so keep an eye out. I’ll say this: I can promise a fun time for romantic comedy lovers.

Not the actual cover. Currently working with a designer to capture the tone and atmosphere of the story better. 🙂 This is me, learning and experimenting with design.

Networking and socializing: I’m afraid I’m failing in this department this month. I haven’t met anyone new except for online, but 3 weeks wasn’t enough time to get all my work done. I’m hoping to be more productive on this front from February and onward.

How are you faring compared to your resolutions? Share away in the comments.

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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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!)

How to Get Back to Work After Vacation (Even If You Are Exhausted)

Posted on July 19, 2017 Written by Pinar Tarhan

Pinar Tarhan, writer — Me at one of my favorite places: by the pool. July, 2017.

Hi, everyone! I’m back from a week of beach vacation at an all-inclusive resort in Kemer, Antalya, and I’m positively exhausted. Knackered. Shattered. And the rest of the thesaurus.

Unfortunately, I’m one of those people who needs another vacation to offset the effects of the previous vacation. I had a lot of fun being very active, and now my body is paying the price. So this second “vacation” is basically sleeping off the effects of the first one.

But being a freelance writer means when I don’t work, I don’t make any money, so I have to get back to work ASAP. And it was even more so this time because I had a deadline for the second day of my return.

I’m also planning mini getaways before the summer ends, as well as a couple of days abroad. And fingers crossed, a second beach vacation because I need all the Vitamin D and happiness I can get as someone with a weak immune system, and as a writer who sometimes gets so lost in her stories that she forgets things like the outside world, healthy-eating, and exercise.

But this post is coming to you right after I’ve submitted my piece a day before the deadline and feeling slightly better. So I wanted to share my tips with fellow freelancers who freak about their vacations because of the mountain of work that awaits them afterward.

11 Tips for How to Get Back to Work After Vacation (Even If You are Exhausted):

1) Sleep well and long.

Here’s the thing. I’m not rich. I can afford vacations at five-star resorts through a carefully calculated budget, and watching out for discounts.

So when something you love – aka beach holidays- happens once or twice a year, you make the most of it. This usually comes in the form of overdoing things like swimming, dancing, eating, drinking; and underdoing things like sleeping.

After a week of fun and an exhausting return trip, you need your sleep. So do it. Even if it means it is 5 pm by the time you properly wake up. Your body and mind will thank you for it.

2) Eat healthily, even if you have to commit a few “sins” until you get the energy to concoct something nutritious.

In my case, I ate chocolate before I could move my butt to heat and eat vegetables.

3) Have a nice and long shower, or bath.

You’ll feel refreshed and energized.

4) Take a painkiller with minimal side effects if you are in physical pain.

If everything hurts badly and it hasn’t waned a bit even after the sleep, bath and meal, you might need a painkiller. Of course, this is between you, your common sense and doctor. But if you pushed your body like you never do in a year, taking something might be in order. (But please don’t do anything your doctor doesn’t approve of. I’m not a doctor.)

5) Drink coffee! (Or tea, if that’s your thing.)

After I do all four, I still need my good friend and preferred medicine, coffee. (This time I also watched the two Jim Jefferies Show episodes I missed for relaxation and laughs before getting to work.)

The following tips require you do them before your trip so that the five tips above will be more effective.

6) Stock your fridge (and freezer) with food and beverages that won’t go bad.

So that you won’t have to run to the shops when you’d rather not leave your house. Or your bed.

7) Try not to get a deadline for the first couple of days you are back.

Sometimes it is inevitable, but it is wise to give yourself a breather. In my case, I had already written and edited the essay that was due. I re-read it for flow, overlooked language mistakes, and connectivity. It wasn’t that much work as I had done the heavy lifting earlier.

8) To continue from tip 7, if you must have a deadline soon after your return, do the work before you leave.

So that when you come back, you just have to do minor edits and hit send.

9) Don’t leave your house a mess.

I find it impossible to not to leave the house at least a bit messy while packing. But this time, I managed to leave a relatively tidy place behind, as well as a desk ready to be worked at. I am now more relaxed and motivated to get to work.

10) And try to pick projects that not only pay well, but you care about and enjoy.

Whether it is your internal harsh critic or the editor you are working with, (and it is generally both), a piece can often take longer than you thought it

would. It wouldn’t do anyone any good if you resent yourself, the piece or the topic. So pick something you are passionate about whenever you can.

Writing the essay was scary and emotional, but ultimately, I love the subject. People need to read it, and I want it to be its best version.

It’s hard producing your best work if you are cursing the moment you decided to take on this work.

11) Enjoy the hell out of your vacation!

A great vacation makes you ecstatic and fills your head with awesome story ideas. So arrange for your work to be done before your vacation starts. Have a solid plan on what you will do afterward, but don’t worry about it as you relax with your favorite cocktail.

Do you have any other suggestions on how to get back to work after an exhausting vacation? Please share in the comments.