What writers can learn from the life and career of Carrie Fisher On December 26, 2016, my wife and I went to see the movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The next morning I learned that Carrie Fisher had died. Like most people, I knew her for her iconic performance as Princess Leia in […]
Writers need to guard against making unhealthy comparisons to other authors As writers we read the work of others, we look at their books, and we notice their successes. Though this happens in any profession, writing is a more public endeavor, so making comparisons is harder to avoid. Yet we should strive to sidestep assessing […]
Last week we talked about the importance of knowing how many words we write per hour. I’ve heard experienced fiction writers who say they consistently clip along at 2,000 words an hour. They write four or more books a year. This boggles my mind. In the stratosphere of word counts, I’ve heard other writers claiming […]
Blogger Shares 12 Tips For Better WordPress Content Creation Aug. 12, 2014 – Peter Lyle DeHaan will speak at this weekend’s WordCamp in Grand Rapids Michigan. WordCamps are informal, community-organized events, put on by WordPress users for WordPress users, including everyone from casual hobbyists to core developers. Peter will share with attendees: “12 Tips For […]
Part of the writers gig is public speaking. You may aspire to this or you may shun it, but regardless, you the author will upon occasion be asked to make an oral presentation. When you do, be sure to record it. Just as you need to save everything you write and keep all your edits, […]
Peter Lyle DeHaan, the publisher of Connections Magazine and TAS Trader, gave the keynote address at the recent SNUG (Startel Network Users Group) convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which was held March 11-14. Peter focused his address on the theme of “how to get the most out of this convention.” He encouraged people to share […]
A few years ago literary agent Amanda Luedeke quantified what constitutes a “solid author platform.” Frankly, her numbers are overwhelming: This is daunting. Even more disconcerting is knowing that the number of blogs, websites, Twitter accounts, and Facebook pages is growing much faster than the number of people who visit, follow, and view them. This […]
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 […]
Do you ever read a book and feel the author is your friend? This can be especially true if the book includes self-disclosure, as in a memoir styled account. After reading this type of book, I wish I could sit down and talk with the work’s creator: asking questions, sharing observations, and nurturing the budding […]