Category Archives: reading

editorial, reading, travel

To Japan With Love Has Arrived!

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tojapanby Catherine L. Tully

The wait is finally over. Joe and I were both recently published in the book To Japan With Love, and today I received my complimentary copies of the book in a box–all the way from Hong Kong.

It was a cool moment–I have to admit.

Being published in a travel book is a big deal in the writing world, and I am just thrilled to have two stories in this guidebook. It is my second time getting published in a book, and it is just as neat the second time. Every once in a while it is just fun to share an accomplishment with FZ readers. Thanks for being there…and keep working toward your dreams…they really can come true! (* And special thanks to Celeste Heiter for her great work editing this book–you are terrific!)

editorial, reading

Writing Advice From Kurt Vonnegut

kurt-vonnegutby Catherine L. Tully

I stumbled across this little piece online–“How To Write With Style“ by Kurt Vonnegut, and there is some really good info here. Much of it is simple, but easy to get away from in the day-to-day business of being a writer. (I’m a Vonnegut fan too–which doesn’t hurt.)

Take a minute before you get started today and refresh yourself on some of these guiding principles…

reading

Joe Eszterhas Writers On Writing

Joe Eszterhas Writers On Writing

by Joe Wallace

Transparency alert–I have NOT read this book yet. But if it’s ANYTHING at all like Eszterhas’s The Devil’s Guide To Hollywood, which was a rough-n-ready how-to for apsiring screenwriters, Joe Eszterhas Writers On Writing should be a very entertaining, inspirational read.

Eszterhas was the bad boy of Hollywood–he wrote Basic Instinct, Jade, Burn Hollywood Burn, plus the controversial (and insipid) Showgirls. He’s the stuff of legend–telling his employers where to stick it at every turn when they tried to tell him how to do his work (these were not fellow writers, mind you–sound familiar?).

In spite of his wild man status, even the most sainted among us can find some inspiration from Eszterhas for one simple reason–his ultimate philosophy is simple. YOU are the writer, NEVER give up, and don’t let people who don’t know the game tell you what the rules are. That’s the sort of tough-mindedness you need to survive in the biz whether you’re writing for Associated Content or for Stevie Spielberg.

It should be pointed out that this time, Eszterhas isn’t the one behind the pen–he’s being interviewed by Stephen Farber. This book is part of a series by the Writers Guild Foundation, so it’s a bit different in style and tone than Joe Eszterhas’s titles like Hollywood Animal and The Devil’s Guide to Hollywood.



editorial, reading, resources

E-book Review: You’ve Found Your Specialty–Now What?

book-cover1-217x300by Catherine L. Tully

Those of you who follow Freelance-Zone already know that I am a fan of Yolander Prinzel, but what you don’t know is that she is a networking and marketing genius. Frankly, her ability to market is one of her strongest qualities.

Now, I don’t normally endorse e-books. Many of them do not give writers enough concrete information. That said, I think that “You’ve Found Your Specialty–Now What?” is an investment that is worth making–especially if you are a new writer. It can be difficult to network and market yourself strategically, and many new writers spend too much time on forums and social media sites without scoring any real results for their efforts. Prinzel gives pointers that can streamline that process, and does so without being a drag to read… Continue reading E-book Review: You’ve Found Your Specialty–Now What? →

advice, featured, lifestyle, reading

An Editor’s Advice For Writers

editors advice for writersWhat could be more valuable to a writer than a book written from the editor’s perspective aimed right at those they must edit day to day? The Forest For the Trees: An Editor’s Advice For Writers is that book.

Betsy Lerner has a pedigree a mile long–Houghton-Mifflin, Ballantine, Simon & Schuster, and Doubleday, she’s worked for the best and has plenty of war stories to share. These are insider secrets and perspective you owe it to yourself to explore.

Lerner’s excellent advice includes some fun-but-right-on-the-money tips including letting your quirks and bizarre behaviors define you and inform your work. “I’ve come to look at neurotic behavior as a necessary component of a writer’s arsenal.” Lerner says. BRAVO!

She also adds “Too often the neurotic writer who still hasn’t learned to trust his own voice rushes to spill the beans…” Lerner was talking specifically here about story development and letting a piece unfold in its own time, but you get the idea that little aside can inform your work in any number of ways.

This is one book you should make the investment in. The perspective alone is worth a million.

reading

Too Lazy To Work, Too Nervous To Steal

bookAt the beginning of my freelance career I picked this book up based on the title alone. Thought it was witty enough to give the author a try. I will say that I found it a good read, and it’s a great book for the new freelance writer.

Those who are looking for more in-depth information may want to go with another book, but this is an enjoyable read for people at the start of a freelance career.