Writing and publishing articles by author Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD
Many Writers Wish They Had a Mentor The problem is that those who are most qualified to be a mentor are also the busiest, and the people who have time are usually not as experienced. If you find someone who would make a great mentor, just ask them, but leave them room to say, “No,” […]
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 […]
Now is a great time to publish a book and don’t let anyone tell you differently What is your perception of the future of books? Is interest in increasing, maintaining, or shrinking? The media would have us believe the end is near, at least as far as the book business, especially print books, is concerned. […]
Most definitely! First, if writing were easy, everyone would do it. Though anyone who knows how to read can write, few people can write well. That’s what being a writer is: exercising our ability to string words together with excellence. As with any worthwhile endeavor, it takes time to develop skill as a writer. As […]
I really, really try to not go back and read what I have already posted. First of all, it’s not a good use of my time. Secondly, revisiting my work causes me to either be too critical of what I wrote or too generous–neither of which is a healthy consideration. Last, with each re-read, I will inevitably […]
Effective communication should address both linear and 3D thinkers Linear thinking people process thoughts and ideas in succession, logically moving from one point to the next 3D thinking people jump from one thought or idea to another, which often seems to have little connection with each other. Printed material, such as magazines and books, lend […]
As I read more and more self-published books, I’m dismayed over a reoccurring theme: many lack robust editing. That’s not to imply these works had no editing at all, most did. It’s just that they lacked full editing. The first reminder to every writer is we can’t truly edit our own work. True, we must […]
For social media, I post an excerpt from my blog posts on social media, with a link pointing back to that post on my website. Though social media platforms prefer you don’t do this, because they want to keep you on their site, I want to get people to my site. That’s what is most […]
How to Identify Speakers in Dialogue Here are some options to identify speakers in dialogue. 1. Tag your dialogue with any descriptive word other than said, such as exclaimed, interjected, sputtered, yelled, and so forth. I learned this in Middle School and followed it for many years. Now the recommendation is to avoid doing this, […]
Last week I experienced the importance of accuracy. With anticipation I opened an article submission. The topic was relevant and novel. My excitement, however, waned as I read his opening sentence. The author stated the earth’s population was 6.2 million. I thought there are over seven billion people on our planet, so I sought confirmation. […]