By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD I recently received a press release that surprised me. In part, it said, “It’s an open secret in healthcare communities: Patients lie.” I suspect that the reasons are many. Some lie because they don’t want to admit unhealthy behaviors to their doctors. Others, by not voicing a concern, subconsciously deny […]
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How to Improve as a Writer
I recently read a piece I wrote a short five months ago—an article I worked hard to perfect—and was shocked. It wasn’t that my writing was bad; it was that I’ve improved in the intervening time. For most of my life writing has been something I did as part of my job; it was secondary. […]
Every Writer Needs a Tribe: A Practical Guide to Finding (and Writing For) Your Audience By Jeff Goins (reviewed by Peter DeHaan) Every Writer Needs a Tribe is essential to book for all writers who desire others to read their work. Merely writing a great book is not enough. A writer needs a platform, an […]
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Amaze Your Customers
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD After a recent online purchase, I was given the projected delivery date. The package arrived a day before it was promised. I was impressed. However, two hours after it arrived, I received an automated phone call from the shipper telling me the delivery would be tomorrow. The message came too […]
November is National Novel Writing Month, “NaNoWriMo” for short. The idea is to write with abandon throughout the month, completing the first draft of a novel by November 30. Writers who embark on this annual quest, do so within a community of other sojourners who encourage and support one another to keep moving forward. (In […]
When I was in high school, I remember sitting in my parent’s living room watching the USA hockey team play the Soviet Union in the medal round of the 1980 Olympics. My dad, like most everyone else, predicted a sound defeat for the USA, but I held out hope a miracle would happen. And it […]
I wrote this last week—and revised it today—in response to a writing prompt Ted Kluck gave at a writing conference. His assignment challenged us to describe a memorable photo: It may have been the pinnacle of my high school track career. It was at the biggest meet of the year, perhaps my life, and I […]
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Peter DeHaan Addresses Breathe Conference
Author Peter DeHaan spoke at the Breathe Christian Writers Conference on October 12, in Dutton Michigan. This year’s conference enjoyed a record attendance and attendees flocked to Peter DeHaan’s workshop, “Writing 101: Getting Started in Your Writing Career.” Although billed as an introductory session, it was attended by both new and experienced writers. “I was […]
As a writer, I write alone; it’s a solitary activity. So it’s good for me to periodically emerge from my self-imposed cocoon and spend time with other people—and other writers are the people who understand me best, those with who I am most comfortable to be around. I just returned from a Christian Writers conference. […]
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Writing Conference Update
I’ve just returned from a two-day writing conference, the best I’ve ever attended. Last year, I set a goal for this year’s conference, which I was able to meet. I also had a long list of things I was looking forward to and everyone was met and most were exceeded. As a bonus, I had […]