Tina Haapala, Excuse Editor

Today is the last day of NaNoWriMo , and writers around the world attempted to finish a novel – or at least 50,000 words of one (most novels out there are closer to 80,000 words)-- in 30 days. For most, this meant a regular, daily commitment. Others opted for long weekends locked away from the world in order to build up their word counts. Either way, they set time aside and met a personal commitment. Although millions around the world collectively took up the challenge, it was up to each individual writer to do the work themselves. Besides the lessons of time management (you CAN schedule writing time in, even when the rest of your life seems chaotic) and priorities (is another round of Words With Friends important, or is that last 200 words for today?), writers learned the strength of momentum! You remember Newton’s laws of motion , right? Basically, an object in motion tends to stay in motion. This could be a law of creative writing as well. Once your writing creates move...

Today was like any other day; I had to be certain places at certain times. I had appointments.  I rearranged the other tasks in the day to fit in the scheduled events.  No problem, this is life. We take the time we have in our day to do what needs to be done.   In the past month, I’ve had to take about 6 hours out of my week for physical therapy on my knee.  Of course, taking 2 hours out of my day 3 times a week was not in my “normal” routine, but once I marked it on my calendar, I found ways to make it fit.  The therapy sessions were allotted for the whole four weeks, and if I needed to make a change (which I did, a few times), I had to let them know ahead of time, so that they could also shift their own schedules around.  When we are trying to “find time” to write, it somehow does not appear. We fill our time with other tasks, rushing around, staying busy (or staying lazy, but with justification at the ready—tired, burned out, etc.), only...

Today's guest post is a blog tour stop for author, Kristie Cook, who has recently released a companion novella for her popular Soul Savers series. Remember to comment for a chance to win prizes from Kristie (I will leave the comments open for entries until Friday, November 4). Have a great week and watch for a new writing contest and market newsletter this week (that is, if you are a subscriber )--Tina  How the Ancient Greeks Lived: A Look into the World of Genesis Genesis: A Soul Savers Novella is a bit different from the other Soul Savers books. Although the fantasy world I created is the same, the real world is not. After all, it takes place over 2,000 years ago, around 200 B.C. So it required a lot of research to understand life in Greece during that era. For each stop along the release tour, I’m sharing something I learned and how it ties into the story. Just like today, homes in Ancient Greece varied depending on class. Wealthier people had larger homes that were usually ...

Credit: NBC If you are a fan of Parenthood , and haven’t watched October 11 th ’s  episode (I haven’t caught up to this week’s yet), you may want to skip this if you don’t want to deal with a little spoiler.  Or not. It may not make a difference to you. See, Crosby, the younger, hip brother, and Adam, the more uptight, responsible brother (played by Peter Krause, who I LOVED in Six Feet Under ) are starting a music studio. Crosby tells Adam he really needs to loosen up when he meets with their potential client, a rapper named Mistah Ray. Cut to Adam, looking more ridiculous than Jamie Kennedy in Malibu’s Most Wanted , walking down the street after getting talked into some “fly” clothes, just like Crosby suggested.  He catches a glimpse of his image in the car window and panics. He’s on his way to meet the rapper/potential client, but he realizes he looks like nothing like himself.  He grabs a lifeline and calls Crosby, who is closer to his house, and asks him t...

The Excuse Editor blog has been on a little unintentional break.   The blogging gurus and marketing mavens out there endlessly remind us that blog posts should be consistent. I agree. But stuff happens. I also agree that writers need to continually write in order to improve and flourish.   Not many writers would disagree with that idea. But again. Stuff happens. So. Stuff happened and I haven’t been blogging and I haven’t been writing (much). I’ve only sporadically been Facebooking , and my tweets are as rare as the tinamou .   (I was able to send out the monthly contest listing, though!) The best way to get started again is to begin.   And that’s lesson #1 for today: You gotta start somewhere. Whether you are making your first attempt at writing, or you have been stopping and starting for years, when you decide to write, create a starting line wherever you find yourself at that moment. Now, runners at a starting line don’t stare, contemplate, and plan when t...

Since the last Scoop , I've come across a few more places you may want to submit your writing. Good Luck! They are sorted chronologically by deadline. September 30, 2011 Tom Howard/John H. Reid Poetry Contest Entry Fee: $7/every 25 lines First prize: $3,000. Second prize: $1,000. Third prize: $400. Fourth prize: $250. There will also be six Most Highly Commended Awards of $150 each. The top 10 entries will be published on the Winning Writers website. October 1, 2011 Mighty River Short Story Contest Entry Fee: $15 30 page max Prize: $500 and publication Consequence Prize in Poetry NO ENTRY FEE No More than 3 poems of any length (theme: consequence of war or social injustice) Prize: $200 Prolitzer Prize for Prose Writing Entry Fee:  £4 1500 word max Top Prize:  £130 and publication. Two runners up receive  £30 each. Do you have a book you are looking to publish? Coffee House Press is seeking submissions now through October 31. Please take a look at...

The Help movie is still pulling in big numbers at the box office. I know of a few people who have watched it more than once. (A quick glance shows a movie called The Debt also generating a big following this weekend. Let's hear it for movies with strong female characters!) I hope that it continues to do well, and that people come away with plenty to discuss-- not only about race, but about class, parenting, and friendship. Final Lesson: You Are Not Alone Before the book with the baby-blue cover could be published, it had to get written. Before that, it had to be researched. In order to do that, a great number of people had to get together. The book Skeeter and Abilene worked so hard on was a collaborative effort, not just between the two of them, but with over a dozen other maids. Abliene's story alone wouldn't have been enough, neither would have Skeeter's, but once they were able to get other people to share, the work was, at times, unstoppable. Mill...