Aliventures

Understanding Personal vs External Stakes (and Using Them in Your Story) Have you ever started a book that had a terrible, world-shattering event looming on the horizon … and yet you just didn’t care?

There’s Plenty of Time to Turn Your 2026 Around (Writers’ Cafe Invite) We’re coming up to the final three months of 2026.

Why Repetition is Powerful in Writing (and How Authors Can Get it Right) This post was first published in June 2017 and last updated in September 2026.

Nine Things that Are Totally Normal (and Expected!)

Aliventures Summer Break 2026 – Eight Posts to Catch Up On Summer’s here in the UK and I’ll be taking some time off from blogging.

Writing Progress in Q2, 2026: What Worked, What Didn’t, and Why At the start of January, I set out my writing goals for 2026, and wrote about how these were going at the end of Q1.

What is a Scene vs a Chapter – and How Should You Structure Each?

Your Writing Matters (Even When it Doesn’t Feel Like It) Do you ever feel like your writing just doesn’t matter?

Why Accountability is the Key to Reaching Your Writing Goals (and How to Find It) In some areas of life, “accountability” might seem a negative or at least serious thing: we might talk about workplace or government leaders being held accountable when thin…

Idea to Novel: How Can You Start Developing a Strong Novel Idea?

Character Flaws: Why They’re So Important to Your Story [With Examples] This article was first published in January 2022 and last updated in May 2026.

Developmental Editing, Copy Editing and Proofreading: What’s the Difference?

Plotting vs Pantsing: How Much Should You Plan and Outline Before Starting a Novel?