Pursuing Equilibrium in Writing, Work, and Life Requires Intentionality Personally, when it comes to finding balance, it seems something is always slipping, with the areas of writing, work, and life being in a constant state of tension. Yes, there are times where I may go a couple of days keeping everything in balance, but one […]
Why Learning to Write Better Matters More than Writing Faster For years my goal was to write faster, but I made no effort to write better. Though I did improve, my progress was gradual. When I got serious about improving as a writer, I had to force myself to slow down and be more deliberate. […]
Seek Input from Serious Writers and Readers Who Speak the Truth in Love After writing regularly, the second most valuable thing I did was to get feedback on my writing. It was scary at first (and sometimes still is). But to get feedback from our family or friends doesn’t count. They love us and will […]
Here are the actions I pursue to improve as a writer: These tips helped me to improve as a writer. May they do the same for you.
I remember it well. Alone, I sit in my home office. I should be working. I’m not. I’m distracted. In my windowless basement room, I swing the door shut and dim the lights. I know what I must do, but I don’t want to. I’ve been writing and publishing for years, but I’ve never owned […]
Treat AI as a Tool to Help You Write Better When most people think about using artificial intelligence to write, their mind goes to people who may abuse the technology. Yes, some people will use AI to churn out sub-par books. But don’t worry about them. Instead, look to how you use AI. View AI […]
Discover the Art of Writing, the Business of Publishing, and the Joy of Wielding Words Peter Lyle DeHaan’s latest book is Successful Author FAQs. Do you have questions about writing? Publishing? Veteran author, publisher, editor, and freelance writer, Peter Lyle DeHaan answers questions writers often ask. In 15 topical chapters, tackling over 100 questions, Peter […]
The one single most important thing I ever did was to make the commitment to write every day. This principle to write every day, however, is shorthand to write regularly. At first, I wrote five days a week, Monday through Friday. Then I made it six days and eventually seven. Now I’m back to six. […]
In the book From No Plot? No Problem!, Chris Baty (founder of NaNoWriMo), talks about constructing our Magna Carta 1 and Magna Carta 2. What does he mean by that? Magna Carta 1 is a list of what we like in the novels we read. Magna Carta 2 is a list of what we dislike […]
Author Inspiration “It’s splendid to be a great writer, to put men into the frying pan of your imagination and make them pop like chestnuts.” -Gustave Flaubert “Story, finally, is humanity’s autobiography.” -Lloyd Alexander “Your voice dries up if you don’t use it.” -Patti Page “The problem in our country isn’t with books being banned, […]