Aliventures

13/06/2024

Are all the demands of daily life making it tough to write? You're not alone ... this can be a huge struggle and I hear from a lot of Aliventures readers going through really difficult times. There's no easy fix, but here are a few suggestions that may help a little.

https://www.aliventures.com/htww-drained/

11/06/2024

What type of writing are you doing, and how's it going? What topics would it be helpful for me to write about? Fill in this year's Aliventures survey and let me know: https://forms.gle/aystLuoT2knBYtUi6

I'm super-grateful for your responses as they'll shape what to write about (and what resources to create) so I can make the Aliventures blog and newsletter as helpful as possible.

Thanks so much for taking part in the Aliventures survey! All the questions are optional. Please write as much or as little as you want. Your responses will feed into the blog posts and other resources I create throughout the rest of 2024 and beyond.

31/05/2024

I've got another guest post up this week ... on Problogger this time, all about how you can become more confident about your writing. It's aimed a bloggers, but a lot of the tips apply to all kinds of writers.

I’m going to take you through some practical steps to help build your confidence in writing – and I’ll give you ways to put it into practice.

23/05/2024

I've got a guest post up this week on C.S. Lakin's wonderful blog, Live Write Thrive, all about how to courageously grow and develop as a writer:

Unlock your writing potential and overcome procrastination. Discover how to grow as a writer and gain the confidence to succeed in your writing journey.

20/05/2024

☕Writers' Cafe is still open for new members until Friday -- and your first month is half-price at $5/£4. ☕

We've had four live writing hours so far and we're getting lots done! Plus weekly prompts, check-ins, members posting work for feedback ... there's loads in the Cafe to help you reach your writing goals.

You can find out all about it here: https://www.aliventures.com/writers-cafe/

16/05/2024

Do you find it hard to focus when you're writing? Using a timer can make an astonishing difference ... and there are several different ways you can use timers to boost your concentration and keep you moving forward.

https://www.aliventures.com/timers-writing-focus/

13/05/2024

Exciting news ... I've just launched Writers' Cafe. :) It's an online community for writers, packed with ways for us to support you with your writing goals. Whether you're just getting started or you've finished multiple novels, we're here to cheer you on!

We've got:
- Wekely writing hours to help you set aside time to write
- Weekly check-ins to stay on track
- Weekly writing prompts to inspire you or kickstart your ideas
- Opportunities to get feedback on your work-in-progress
- Lovely writers to chat with and share ideas with

Come and have a look at everything that the Cafe offers. If you join before Fri 24th May, it's just $5 (or £4 if you prefer GBP) for your first month.

https://www.aliventures.com/writers-cafe/

09/05/2024

One of the toughest parts of writing is getting started ... and that's what I'm blogging about today. I discuss why it can feel so daunting to begin on a new piece of writing (or even to sit down at the start of a writing session) and what you can do to make it easier.

https://www.aliventures.com/htww-cant-get-started/

07/05/2024

Want to be more focused when you're writing and get more words down ... without sacrificing any writing quality (or any enjoyment)?

How to Write Faster is for you. Get it here:

30/04/2024

⏰⏰ LAST CHANCE! ⏰⏰

https://www.aliventures.com/self-study-packs/

Today's the final day to buy my self-study seminar packs (they're going away for good at midnight PST).

They're all half-price ($10 for a pack of four seminars, or just $25 for ALL the packs -- 24 seminars!)

26/04/2024

The "show, don't tell" rule is such a common piece of writing advice ... but it's not as straightforward as some people make it sound! In today's post, I go through what the rule means, what telling vs showing looks like, and when it's appropriate to tell rather than show.

https://www.aliventures.com/why-show-dont-tell/

23/04/2024

**All the self-study seminar packs are half price (closing down sale!)**

In case you don't get the Aliventures newsletter or didn't read it last week, here's the quick version:

- My self-study seminar packs are going away for good at the end of April
- That means they're on half-price sale until the end of 30th April
- You can get any one pack (four seminars) for $10, or ALL SIX packs (twenty-four seminars!) for $25
- The 60-day money back guarantee still applies

You can find out about all the packs here: https://www.aliventures.com/self-study

18/04/2024

You've got feedback from your beta reader(s) or editor ... now what?! Today's post offers some tips for working through and deciding how to incorporate that feedback into your story.

https://www.aliventures.com/rewrite-story-after-feedback/

12/04/2024

Do your readers have a sense of your characters existing before your story begins ... and after it ends? That's what we're exploring in today's post.

https://www.aliventures.com/before-and-after-story/

04/04/2024

How did the first quarter of the year go for you? I share my writing goal progress in today's post, going through what's worked well for me and what I'll be tweaking over the next few months:

https://www.aliventures.com/2024-q1-writing-progress/

28/03/2024

Do you feel discouraged or put off writing by your "inner critic" -- that harsh, critical voice from inside? There are several different ways to view the inner critic and to use this voice more constructively ... and in today's post, I take you through some ideas for turning your inner critic into a supportive inner coach:

https://www.aliventures.com/inner-critic-to-inner-coach/

26/03/2024

If you've only got 10-20 minutes to write, how can you make the most of your time? That's what I tackle in my guest post on Write It Sideways (Thanks, Suzannah, for hosting me. 😀)

Today’s post is written by Ali Luke of Aliventures. Most of us don’t have all day to write—or if we do, that doesn’t happen often. Even finding a solid hour to write might be next to impossible. Between the demands of a day job, family life, and household chores, there just isn’t much time...

14/03/2024

How do you tackle time jumps (big and small) in your novel without confusing your reader ... and without long boring passages of summary? I go through six different options in today's post:

https://www.aliventures.com/handling-time-in-fiction/

08/03/2024

Your writing is valid and important regardless of whether you make any money from it. But it can be really tough to carry on going if you do want to earn something from your work eventually ... but you're not there yet. Here are some thoughts on how to keep writing when you're not yet making money:

https://www.aliventures.com/htww-not-making-money/

01/03/2024

Here's a really powerful technique that you can use in any genre -- unanswered questions. Raising questions in your reader's mind will keep them turning the pages, eager to solve the mystery or find out what happens next. I go through four types of unanswered questions to try, with examples and tips on how to use each:

https://www.aliventures.com/unanswered-questions-story/

22/02/2024

If you're waiting on some more client work to come in, there's still plenty you can be doing as a freelancer. Here are seven of my go-to tasks when my time isn't quite full with assigned articles:

https://www.aliventures.com/freelancer-waiting-client-work/

15/02/2024

Are the first few pages of your novel putting readers off? Whether your characters aren't engaging enough or you're throwing too much action onto the page too fast, it's easy to make mistakes with your opening. (And that's fine and totally expected when you're drafting!) In today's post, I cover some key issues to watch out for as you rewrite your first chapter:

https://www.aliventures.com/why-readers-give-up/

12/02/2024

Not sure if your novel's pacing is right? I run through some signs that your pace may be too fast or too slow -- and offer tips on how to fix it -- in my guest post on the Beemgee blog here:

Guest post by Ali Luke: Pacing in fiction is how quickly—or slowly—the story progresses. It’s tough to get pacing spot-on when you’re drafting. Don’t worry about your pacing as you draft. Instead, address it in the redrafts. Here’s what to look for when redrafting your work.

09/02/2024

Are you running up against any obstacles in your writing life? Maybe you've had a piece of work rejected, your writing time has been interurpted a lot, or you're completely out of ideas.

In this week's post, I go through these all-too-common obstacles (and more) then offer some tips for overcoming your writing obstacles.

https://www.aliventures.com/common-writing-obstacles/

02/02/2024

Lots of writers have fears about writing. You might worry how people will respond, or whether you can do justice to your idea. You might even worry that you're wasting your time.

But how can you keep on writing, despite those fears? You'll find some of my suggestions in this week's post on the Aliventures blog:
https://www.aliventures.com/htww-afraid/

01/02/2024

Want to write faster? I've got a guest post up on ProBlogger today -- How to Write Faster, Better Blog Posts: 4 Techniques Top Bloggers Use: https://problogger.com/faster-better-blog-posts/

It's aimed at bloggers, but a lot of the tips apply to other kinds of writing too!

Start creating compelling content in less time today! Discover the secrets of top bloggers with our guide on writing faster and better posts.

25/01/2024

Want to get through your freelance writing assignments faster? Try batch writing: I explain it in this week's Aliventures post:

https://www.aliventures.com/batch-writing-freelancing/

16/01/2024

I've changed the layout of the Aliventures website's front page a little so it's easier to find the latest posts (they're now near the top instead of below a "welcome, I'm Ali" bit 😆)

https://www.aliventures.com/

If there's every anything that's hard to find on the website, or if you have any other suggestions for improving it, do let me know! 😃

11/01/2024

My Annual Writing Goals for 2024 (Plus Learning From Last Year’s Goals) - https://www.aliventures.com/annual-writing-goals-2024/

04/01/2024

New on Aliventures: Six Ways to Track Your Freelancing Time and Income (and Why You Should) - https://www.aliventures.com/track-freelancing-time-income/