A Piece of My Mind: Repeat Performances
     Bennet Pomerantz

Someone, who reads this column (He said “All the time”), saw me at a workshop and said, “I don’t want to be rude, but you tend to repeat yourself in the advice you give in your columns.”

I looked him in the eye and said, “You know , I do!” He looked stunned as I continued. “I could stop repeating myself, if I was asked different questions. I always get people asking me the same questions. You know the ones . . . Like ‘Where do you get your ideas from?’ or ‘I work a 40-hour week, where can I find time to write?' Moreover there are always new writers reading my column all the time for the first time.”

He looked at me, “I meant no offence.”

“And there was none taken! However, a question for you . . . Would you want to be pointed to an older column link, to a reprint of a column or would you rather I repeat myself in a newer column?”

He laughed, as he understood, “I get where you are coming from” Not missing a beat he jokingly spoke, “Where you get your ideas from?”

Not missing a beat I said, “Cleveland” laughing in turn. “You breathe the air and you get great ideas .” (Note that was not my quote, I stole it from author Harlan Ellison. So those from Ohio, don’t be mad at me!)

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Someone who attended another writer’s workshop I was involved in, sent me an e-mail a few days after the workshop. Sorry to say I do not remember her name, but I do remember her question. It seems a simple and also complex query. Her question was, ”Where do I start on the ground level as a writer?”

I was not stumped for an answer. However, it gave me the pause to think.

If you are seeking a career, gain articles and tear sheets for your portfolio in different places. Everything from writing a column for a Church (or PTA) newsletter to being a stringer to a local paper. Also gain references and contacts while you are doing this free or semi-free work. Always remember to get your name out there.

Also you can blog (or write reviews ) on a website or two (Facebook, Movie Diva, Amazon, MySpace, etc. are great examples). If you can do it, try writing twice a week or if you have time, do it daily. The more you do, the more you are getting your name out there. Don’t worry about ranking and perks, showcase who you are by your words and you will go far.

Always ask others for opinions, but do not expect people to like you (or what you say). They may not agree with you either. Just keep doing your thing is the best advice I can give you. Don’t worry if there is no money in it at first.

Talking about blogs, government worker Julie Powell blogged about cooking her way through Julia Child's classic cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a year’s time. She gained a loyal following on her blog. Her web pages were made into a biography Julie & Julia. In June this year, Amy Adams will play Powell and Meryl Streep will play Julia Child in the film version of this biography. So dreams do come true!

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I have just celebrated my fiftieth year of life, sometimes you feel old. Especially when a young writer wrote to me and asked, “How do you keep it together and fresh?”

I said, “Assume a writing career is like an acting career. Do not get cast in a type of writing. Do not get yourself pigeon-holed in one genre or format. Be diverse in your writing and all you do with your writing.

Two great examples of writers who are very diverse . . . Horror Master Stephen King has written columns about entertainment for "Entertainment Weekly", a few non-fiction books, a biography on horror and a season of a Baseball team . . . as well as short stories, novellas and novels. Mystery novelist Max Allen Collins has written mysteries (Quarry, Nolan, Nate Heller, etc.), wrote biographies, Movie and TV tie-ins (Maverick, Criminal Minds, C.S.I., Waterworld), comic books (Mad Dog and Ms. Tree are my favorites), graphic novels (he wrote the Road to Perdition), did a few years writing the Dick Tracy comic strip, was a film maker with films like Mommy, and just finished writing Mickey Spillaine’s last Mike Hammer novel, The Goliath Bone.

So just keep writing and keep evolving in your writing.

Until next time, keep your feet on the ground and reach for the stars.

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About the Writer:

Bennet Pomerantz is a media review columnist in 175 newspapers with his weekly column AUDIOWORLD. His fiction and reviews have appeared in the pages of Affaire De Coeur, Gateways, Mystery Scene, Power Star, The Hot Corner, Washington Entertainment Magazine, and many others. He is also known for his review appearances on the MCN Forum. View his web site at Audioworld.