7 Quotations for Writers
“Stories come from people. Not from ideas, not from plots. Faulkner gave us the key to our material: ‘the human heart in conflict with...
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Dennis L. Peterson
Sep 25, 20184 min read
Post-Conference Reflections
The much-anticipated, long-awaited Write2Ignite conference has come and gone. The recovery Sunday is now behind me, and the reality of a...
Dennis L. Peterson
Aug 31, 20182 min read
Put the Cookies on the Bottom Shelf!
I don’t know where I first heard that statement: “Put the cookies on the bottom shelf.” It certainly didn’t originate with me, but I have...
Dennis L. Peterson
Jul 27, 20182 min read
Man of Arms, Man of Faith
But Dr. Moses Hoge, a contemporary of Jackson, declared, “To attempt to portray the life of Jackson while leaving out the religious...
Dennis L. Peterson
Jun 15, 20183 min read
Lessons from Current Reading
Lately, I’ve been reading a sadly ironic biography of a talented but confused author who spent his life trying to find himself. He...
Dennis L. Peterson
Jun 5, 20182 min read
Books Re-Read
It finally happened, just as I had long fear it someday would. Several times, I have blogged about having too much to read (for example,...
Dennis L. Peterson
Jun 1, 20181 min read
The Evolving Writer, Part VI–Write for the Intended Audience
If a writer wants his or her message to be understood, one must keep the readers in mind and write to them on their level. Failure to do...
Dennis L. Peterson
May 29, 20182 min read
The Evolving Writer, Part V–Be Precise
Precision in writing is as important to good writing as brevity. In fact, precision, and it’s cousin clarity, inevitably produce brevity....
Dennis L. Peterson
May 25, 20182 min read
The Evolving Writer, Part IV–Cut the Fat!
The next stage for a writer who continues to evolve in his or her skills is learning to “cut the fat.” First drafts are enveloped and...
Dennis L. Peterson
May 18, 20181 min read
The Evolving Writer, Part II–Hallmarks of Good Writing
During that time and through all the ups and downs of my writing career, I’ve noticed seven recurring characteristics that editors seek...
Dennis L. Peterson
May 15, 20182 min read
The Evolving Writer, Part I
If one is making progress in his or her writing, that writing is constantly changing in many ways. It will be changing in content and...
Dennis L. Peterson
May 11, 20183 min read
So Much to Read!
At times, I get frustrated by the amount of reading material that pours in through both my postal mail and my e-mail, every item...
Dennis L. Peterson
Apr 17, 20182 min read
But That’s Not in My Plan!
Sometimes things just turn out differently than we plan. That’s life. But, if you’re like me, such unexpected changes to the plans tend...
Dennis L. Peterson
Feb 23, 20182 min read
Twice- (or More Often) Told Tales
Sir Francis Bacon wrote, “Some books are to be tested, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.” They do not have...
Dennis L. Peterson
Dec 1, 20172 min read
Read and To Be Read
Here it is the first day of the last month of the year. Amid all the increasing hustle and bustle that leads to and accompanies the...
Dennis L. Peterson
Oct 3, 20171 min read
Announcement: Author Forum and Book Signing
I have been invited to participate in the Author Forum and Book Signing activity during the 2017 Homecoming and Family Weekend, October...
Dennis L. Peterson
Jun 20, 20172 min read
Man’s Best Friend?
I can recall many a night when, as a youngster who had been told to turn out the light and go to bed, I dutifully obeyed but then pulled...
Dennis L. Peterson
Apr 21, 20173 min read
How Many Words Are Left?
The other morning, while I was toiling through my regular routine on the treadmill and struggling with arthritis-pained knees, toes, and...
Dennis L. Peterson
Apr 7, 20172 min read
A Baker’s Dozen of Quotations
In lieu of my writing about a single topic for today’s blog, I decided to share a baker’s dozen (i.e., thirteen, for some people who...
Dennis L. Peterson
Feb 17, 20171 min read
And the Nominations Are In
My publisher, McFarland & Company, has informed me that they have submitted my book in nomination for the following two awards. The 2017...
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