As I learn more about the business of writing, I am becoming increasingly aware of what I somewhat facetiously call “the dark side of writing,” that is, the imperative need to promote one’s own work. I am a writer, not a marketer; I enjoy humility while abhorring self-promotion. Yet, I know if many are to […]
Here are three more quotes about writing to offer us encouragement and perspective:
Categories
Do You Speak French?
Anu Garg from A Word A Day once noted: “If you speak English, you know a little of more than a hundred languages. That’s because English has borrowed words from so many languages around the world.” Generally, these words are commonly known and easily understood. In most cases, the original language is unknown to the […]
By Peter DeHaan, Ph.D. Consider this: “ACE Healthcare Communications, the world’s leading provider of strategic convergent communication applications to leverage leading-edge technologies, announced today the worldwide release of its revolutionary solution, ACE WidGetiZer, which is uniquely guaranteed to grow organizations by slashing costs and boosting efficiency and revenues without increasing employee headcount.” This is a […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Most of today’s younger drivers have never had the experience of pulling into a gas station and having an attendant run out and fill up their car with gas. When it comes to fueling their vehicles, all they know is self-service. I have a vague recollection of that time. When […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Today I encountered something I had never seen before. I’ll call it a “double opt-out” process. More common is the double opt-in process, which requires a two-step procedure to be added to an email list. The first step is to submit your information to an online form. Since anyone can add […]
Categories
What I Learned Was Wrong
As I more seriously study the craft of writing, I’m dismayed to discover some of what I was taught in school during my formative years was wrong. Some of this misdirection was trivial, and some were likely correct at the time but have changed since then. However, my teachers’ misguided instructions formed habits that are […]
Categories
The 10,000-Hour Rule
Malcolm Gladwell, in his 2008 book Outliers, advances the “10,000-Hour Rule.” He asserts that to be successful in any field, it is largely a result of putting in a requisite amount of time practicing a task and honing that skill. How much time? Ten thousand hours! I have no idea how much time I’ve logged […]
There is a writing conference that I’ve been hearing a lot about lately, the “Festival of Faith and Writing,” held at nearby Calvin College. It first came to my attention just after the last conference. My friend Gerald the Writer, a follower and frequent commenter of this blog, has been three times and speaks highly […]
Categories
The Birthday of Peter Pan
Written by J. M. Barrie in 1911, the novel Peter Pan (aka: Peter and Wendy or Peter Pan and Wendy) is 100 years old. Whether or not you have read the book, you are no doubt familiar with the story, having likely seen an adaptation or two on video or stage. While much can be […]