By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD I’d been thinking about it for quite some time. However, that little voice inside said, “Today is the day.” It seemed simple enough. I was going to move my computer monitor on my desk: a whopping eighteen inches. Six years ago when I set up my office, I spent a […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Today, harnessing the power of the Internet should be a goal of every telephone answering service. When used properly, the Internet can save time, generate revenue, increase communication, obtain and retain clients, and bolster the bottom line. Here are some items to consider. You are likely already doing most of […]
When I delete something from a work in progress—be it a book, article, or post—I try to save it. Often it comes in handy later. Last week’s post, How Much Has Your Writing Progressed in the Past Year?was running long. I shortened it to make my point more succinctly. I deleted content that didn’t move […]
Last week, I shared how going on a writer’s retreat gave me the opportunity to pause and reflect on my writing journey over the past twelve months. I had written nearly every day during the prior year, making progress but not seeing it. I ground out words with methodical repetition, not realizing I had reasons […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD When my wife and I go to the movies, we have two choices: drive east into the city to visit a multiplex or visit one town to the west to enjoy the intimate setting of an old-time, one-screen theater. Last night we drove west to enjoy Oz the Great and […]
A few years ago I attended a writers retreat. Aside from a chance to write in a different venue and hang out with other writers, I enjoyed an unexpected benefit: I recalled my writing journey over the past twelve months. It’s wise to periodically look back and evaluate progress, yet we seldom do. As writers […]
Last week I talked about writing contests. These competitions come in two flavors: free and fee. I generally don’t enter any fee-based contests, though last week I made an exception. Here are the pros and cons of both. Free Contests: Freewriting competitions are egalitarian; they are fair and open. This appeals to my sense of […]
I don’t normally mention books I haven’t read, but after hearing a podcast with the iconic Guy Kawasaki about his new book, I’ll make an exception. Guy’s latest contribution to society is APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur – How to Publish a Book. Can you see why I’m mentioning it? APE is an acronym for Author, […]
I sometimes submit my work to writing contests. And I sometimes wonder why. Though I want to win, I don’t really expect to. This isn’t self-deprecating; it’s realistic: I write nonfiction and most of the contests I enter are for fiction. So why do I do it? To Stretch Myself: Many of the contests I […]
For the past few days, I’ve been fighting a cold. I cut out as much as I could from my daily activities, doing only what had to be done. I stopped exercising and skipped my morning writing routine. Though I still wrote during my illness, I only did what I could not put off: maintaining […]