My first writer’s critique group was a rewarding experience. There were ten in attendance, which included several first-timers. As a newbie, I was able to share my journey and participate in the discussion, but I could only be an observer in the critiquing process. Wisely, they want to make sure that newcomers are serious about […]
Category: Writing and Publishing
Writing and publishing articles by author Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD
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How Big is Your Platform?
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 […]
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Why I Like to Mix It Up
In my writing journey, I recently submitted my completed dissertation for review and comment. This had been a concerted effort for several months and once achieved, I took a needed writing respite. This didn’t mean completely ceasing all writing activity, as I continued blogging and whatnot, but I intentionally took a break from big projects. […]
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My Writing Goals for 2012
Last April I shared my five writing goals in the post, What are Your Goals as a Writer? Goal setting is both recommended and wise, but alas, I did one thing wrong: I failed to specify the time for completion. This was a serious omission that stymies most goal-setters. Here is how I did: Though […]
I recently blogged about the 10,000-hour rule, which postulates that it takes 10,000 hours to master any craft, including writing. In parallel fashion, I recently read a post by Kaye Dacus, who wrote, “I’ve heard it said that no one can consider himself a “real” writer until he has written at least one million words.” […]
I don’t recall who recommended Kristen Lamb’s book to me about blogging, Are You There, Blog? It’s Me, Writer, but I am most appreciative. It’s packed full of practical information that is actually feasible for writers to implement. Through her advice, I picked up some useful blogging tips and learned what I’m doing right. In […]
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:
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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 […]
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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 […]