Tina Haapala, Excuse Editor

Photo from Flickr by  eekim What is the ratio of time you've spent writing compared to the time spent preparing to write (for example-- reading, reading about writing, taking classes about writing, talking to people about writing, etc.)? Preparing is great and necessary, but it does not replace the act of doing--similar to many things that get us where we want to go. Today's Excuse : I want to kick the tires and check under the hood of this writing thing for a good long time, so I can cruise along effortlessly once I get started. Excuse Edit: You need to get in the driver's seat No matter how many games of Pole Position you've played, getting behind the wheel of a real car is completely different. The same is true if you have only been in "simulation mode" with your writing, for example, imagining the cover art of the novel you haven't written yet or scribbling ideas for scenes but never fleshing them out. These are virtual acts. Shifting i...

Image from flickr ...or, why FNASR isn't necessarily as scary as MRSA . Sure, many of you would like to just write, write, write, all day long and not have to worry to much about the "business" aspect of the writing world. The catch is, of course, that writing is a business (unless you are just writing for yourself or your family, and most of us want to share, i.e. publish, therefore: it's a business). A writer submitting to contests or markets or signing contracts needs to understand the basics about publication rights. When submitting to a contest, get out your magnifying glass and read that fine print. Sometimes just SUBMITTING is enough for you to give away your rights. (I try to keep these kinds of contests out of the Scoop , or at least give my readers a heads up, but ALWAYS read before sending in your hard work.) If you sign a contract for an essay to be printed in an anthology, you may not be able to sell the essay again, or you may, depending on the c...

Image from Flickr Ahh.. the first blush of a new love: the excitement, the intensity--you are swept up, head over heels, crazy for...your new writing project. Do you imagine spending sweet time with your new love, exploring your heart in ways you never thought possible? Do you predict the two of you enjoying time between the covers--of a beautifully crafted book? Or...will your grip on to your new obsession last for just a short while, only to be tossed it to the side? Are you taking a "friends with benefits" approach to your writing? Today's Excuse: I like it, but I can't put a ring on it. Excuse Editor Tips: Transforming Your Writing Fling to the Real Thing Notches On Your … Pencil Are you skipping from project to project, writing each off because the next idea may be better? Even if you hear one of them calling you back, you ignore it and rationalize that if it was "the ONE" you would have known by now. Not that you gave it a chance. Limit you...

Joanna Penn Tell us a bit about your book. Pentecost is an action/adventure thriller around religious and psychological themes. Kind of Dan Brown meets Lara Croft! The premise is that after Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead, the Apostles took stones from the empty tomb to wear as a symbol of their Brotherhood. At Pentecost, the fire of the Holy Spirit empowered the stones and the Apostles performed miracles throughout the Empire. After they died the stones were handed down to Keepers who protected them and kept the secret. But now the stones have been rediscovered and the Keepers are being murdered in order to use the power for evil. Oxford University psychologist Morgan Sierra is forced into the search when her sister and niece are held hostage. She is joined by Jake Timber from the mysterious ARKANE, a British government agency specializing in paranormal and religious experience. From ancient Christian sites in Spain, Italy and Israel to the far reaches of Iran and Tunis...