Most anyone who has heard me talk about writing knows of my disdain for the word very. I’m quick to strike it whenever I see it; only rarely does it survive my critical eye. Along with very, here are some words to avoid in your writing: Very: Writers use very to intensify the word that […]
Category: Writing and Publishing
Writing and publishing articles by author Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD
As a consumer, the type of book and the form it’s in affects what I’m willing to pay. First, some background: I read both printed and e-books, having no overwhelming preference for one over the other; I like aspects of both and realize their limitations. The other item is for most of my adult life […]
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Is Your Writing Improving?
Seven Tips to Grow as a Writer My original blog, Musings, has over 500 posts, totaling about 130,000 words, enough for two or three books. While many posts wouldn’t make for good book content, about half of them have potential. So, I’ve taken the best ones and organized them by topic to repurpose as a […]
For the last 14 weeks, I’ve been running a series on blogging. I’ve enjoyed interacting with everyone who’s commented: it’s been fun. I hope you’ve picked up some good ideas to make your blog better. I know I’ve reminded myself of a few things I need to work on. In case you missed a few […]
One day I blogged about a book I really enjoyed. To my complete shock, the author commented on my post. She thanked me profusely for my kind words, added to the discussion, and then mentioned her upcoming book. I was smitten. More recently, on my main blog, Spiritually Speaking, I posted a review of a […]
I’m a fanatic about backing up my writing. I never want to lose my work, and my backup compulsions prove that. I feel the same way about backing up my blogs and posts. First, it would be overwhelming to recreate an entire blog if something happened to it. Second, every post I write is with […]
When I started blogging in 2008 my readers came from two sources: friends who knew about my blog (that is, I told them about it) and people who discovered it online. I had more readers who I didn’t know than people I did. The power of blogging became apparent when, after two weeks of blogging, […]
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The Author Brand
As an Author, You are Your Brand Many authors are uncomfortable with the idea of branding themselves. I know I was. But the reality is that as authors, we are our brand. Yes, there are some exceptions, but they are rare. And before you decide to become one of those exceptions, ask yourself this one […]
Great writing is essential to successful blogging. Using links when we blog helps us better serve our readers and aids in search engine optimization (SEO), which lets more readers find our work. This blogging tip has three considerations: Link to past relevant posts: Within a post, link key words or key phrases back to other […]
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Proof then Publish
Another blogging tip is to proof and then publish. That is, once written, review with care and post without delay. It’s that simple. Some beginning bloggers are afraid to share what they write. They fear it’s not good enough or people will criticize their words. They talk themselves into waiting until it’s better. They search […]