I’m not trying to be nice or conform to gender roles. — Today I got up at 5.45 to make scrambled eggs for my Turkish friend who slept on my couch. When I offered it last night, she questioned whether I would do it out of pleasure or a sense of duty. I hadn’t really thought about it, it was just a…

Are we misjudging our potential? — When I graduated from university, I was told that I couldn’t get a creative job at an advertising agency. I needed a very special talent for that, and I obviously didn’t have it. But then I saw a copywriter job ad in the newspaper which jump-started my creativity. It prompted…

The secret sauce of successful screenwriting — Ever found yourself engrossed in a TV scene, only to cringe at its hollowness, unable to pinpoint the exact flaw? As a screenwriter, I’ve been in that very spot, squirming in my seat as my own written scenes played out on screen. It was a puzzle for me— some scenes…

The relief I felt the moment I found out I couldn’t be with my crush — My relationship with my son’s dad lasted 12 years and ended about three years ago. Since then, until a few months ago, I didn’t consider looking for a new relationship. I was feeling depressed and had plenty of other issues to worry about. Less than a year ago I joined…

What to do when you are 100 % right — I was 1000 % right in this case. One of my best friends and I were setting up online tickets for a musical event. Our audience was not tech-friendly, so we were still going to sell a number of physical tickets the old way. We needed to decide the numbers…

Squat like a pro — When I first moved to New Zealand with my Kiwi partner, he introduced me to his old friend. Upon hearing that I’m Turkish, the friend asked me if I could squat. Excuse me? Yes, that was exactly what he was curious about. …

Why is it so hard to get feedback on your story ideas from working screenwriters? — Do you need help validating your story idea before you begin developing it? You might have noticed that it’s next to impossible to talk to screenwriters about your ideas. And I was one of them. I wrote drama series for Turkish national TV channels for over ten years. I never…

The best time to start exercising was 10 years ago. The next best time is today. — I never write about fitness, but I recently realized how important this is, so I wanted to share my new wisdom with you. I’ve been a couch potato more or less all my life. Now at the age of 50, I exercise every day. …

A discussion with a family member who “doesn’t play the pronoun game” — I didn’t even want to talk about this matter until she said “Trans women are gaslighting us by saying they are women.” This assertion gave my head a little spin. “So they are gaslighting us by saying who they are and how they feel. …