Are you thinking of writing your first novel or have you started writing but need that bit of inspiration to help you complete your first manuscript? In this article, John Hancock, Associate Professor of Molecular Biology and Author of several academic textbooks in Molecular Biology and Cell Signalling shares his experience of writing fiction. John also shares some advice for prospective authors on taking the plunge into writing that first novel. Enjoy!
Writing is both fun and escapism. Having written quite a lot of non-fiction having the chance to write a story is refreshing. There is no right or wrong way to do fiction, by which I mean you can write about anything as long as it, hopefully, comes across as engaging and enjoyable.
You’ve taken the plunge and started working on transforming your business from an idea to reality. Things are going well, customers are taking interest, new ideas for expansion but growth comes with its own pains. How do you keep up the pace? How do you grow your business and manage the responsibilities that growth entails? In today’s article, Adeyinka Ojo, a business consultant, shares some ideas to enable you deal with time pressures on your journey to success.
Entrepreneurs are a special breed. You have a 24/7 job. If you are like me, your mind rarely shifts from your business. In the first few weeks of starting my business, I discovered that there never seemed to be enough time in a day to get everything done! Surprisingly, I also realised, from talking to other entrepreneurs that I was not alone. I recently spoke with an entrepreneur in another country and marveled at the commonalities in how we work – which is pretty much non-stop.
Knowing that your job as a small business owner requires you to wear many hats and work long hours – some of my best ideas come into my head between 2:00 – 4:00 am! – you may ask yourself ‘How can I keep up with this pace and avoid burnout?’
Here are four tips that you can use to keep yourself on track.
Interested in acting and dreaming of glamorous nights on the red carpet, a big award speech and champagne flowing parties? Getting into the movie industry or television requires careful planning, grit and a huge dose of business sense. In this two part series, Shauna Blaize, an accomplished model, budding actor, producer and writer, shares her opinions about the art of acting as well as the reality which budding actors may encounter and should prepare for.
When I say actor, I don’t mean the A list celebrities that we see on the red carpet. That is a level that many of us (let’s be honest) won’t get to see. In this business, you are lucky enough to just be a ‘working actor.’ To be a working actor it means that your income comes from acting-you don’t need to waitress, work in a fast food restaurant, basically you don’t need to do any side job(s) and/or mind-numbing work that allows you to eat while going on auditions.
I live in New York and to meet a true actor…it doesn’t happen very often. I meet tons of actors (as a matter of fact who isn’t an actor in this city?) but rarely do I meet any that actually earn their living from acting. So here we are, the “non-working” actors consistently looking for acting work while working that dead end job. Now this is the day to day that you don’t read about too often when you Google “how to be an actor.”
Most people think you take a few classes, get a manager, then a talent agent and then boom! you are on your way. Well not exactly. When you graduate from an acting program at a well-known school like Julliard or NYU for example, they have showcases where agents and managers can come to see you perform and you may get a bite off that. Those of us who did programs at conservatories/studios that are not Ivy League (and for those who didn’t get signed on the spot at a showcase), we have to hit the pavement.
I won’t tell you how to go about getting representation because Lord knows I am not in any position to share the secret as I myself am not privy to it! Also, the truth is that even if you were to obtain representation, your job doesn’t end there. An agent/manager’s job is not exactly to get you a job so much as to put you closer to it. YOU still need to book it. Also keep in mind that you are not the only client your representation has. Even if you are with a boutique agency that has a smaller roster of clients, you still need to have the mind of a hustler. You still need to wake up every day with an intention. You cannot sit down and wait for a call. To be an actor is to be an entrepreneur. There is no boss giving you a “to do list” or a desk where you sit down every day, open up Excel, and then find what your responsibilities are.
Acting is a business with a lot of grunt work and many of us don’t realize how much of that type of work is involved. Many of us focus on the creative side but there is absolutely no getting around the need of having a business savvy mind. You hear it all the time but to actually live it; to get up every day and push yourself when there is no one standing there managing you or telling you that you will be fired if your work is not completed, is a different thing. Any work, pay checks, professional and personal fulfilment will all be generated by you. The truth is, you can’t have the creative mind without the business smarts.
“You can be creative from your head to your big toe but if you do not have the drive or the savvy to sell yourself, you will not get far”
In a business that people think involves a lot of “pretending” or “faking” you actually need a lot of truth. According to the late Sanford Meisner, “acting is being truthful under imaginary circumstances.” You want to be truthful in your work of course but you also need to be truthful with yourself-brutally honest to be exact. You need to be able to ask yourself if a life of uncertainty (that can stretch for years with no visible end in sight) is something you can deal with.
“You need to ask yourself if you can motivate and light a fire under your feet when you are tired and there is no immediate or obvious consequence should you decide to skip a day-or two or three”
You also need to be truthful in what you are in this industry and that is the most personal and I think the most important thing I can share with you.
APH: Many thanks to Shauna for sharing this great post with us and we look forward to sharing the second part of the “Art of Acting” with our readers in December.
About the Writer: Shauna was recently in the off-Broadway play The Girls of Summer and last month she produced and starred in her self-written short film Winning.
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Have you ever wondered what a career as a research analyst looks like? What do research analysts do? What exactly is being researched and analysed? To provide some more insight into developing a career in Research, Amara interviewed Dolapo Oni, Head of Energy Research at Ecobank Capital – a subsidiary of EcoBank.
APH: Can you tell us about your educational and professional background?
DO: I studied Economics at undergraduate and postgraduate level at the Universities of Uyo and Ibadan, Nigeria. After my undergraduate degree, I worked as a staff writer for a company that published a magazine called ‘Networth.’ My real work started after my Masters when I joined Agusto & Co. Ltd, a credit ratings and research firm. This is where I really started my affair with research. Although my role as a staff writer had kicked things off in the right direction, I discovered my passion for information gathering, analysis and reporting. I was with Agusto for about four and a half years before joining Ecobank’s Research team. I am currently the Head of our Energy Research desk and have been with the bank for about 4 years.
I know there are different kinds of research analysts – marketing, decision support, business data – please could you shed some light on what a research analyst does?
In a previous article, Lola discussed the challenges and potential benefits of intercontinental relocation on developing a legal career. In this she reflects on her experience of undertaking the New York Bar exam and shares some tips to enable prospective candidates succeed.
“In an increasingly globalized legal marketplace, and with increasing numbers of United States practices – particularly New York based – opening in Britain, it makes sense for UK-based lawyers to be dual qualified.” – BPP
Studying for any bar exam can be intimidating for most candidates, especially for foreign trained lawyers who are unfamiliar with the basic legal concepts. A healthy level of anxiety is better than an unhealthy level of confidence. The key is to channel your anxiety towards diligent preparation and these tips for success will go a long way to help you prepare.
In a previous article, Lola discussed the challenges and potential benefits of i
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