Do You Need to “Better Yourself”?

January 14, 2010

I had a conversation with my sister while I was at my parents’ for Christmas, and I wanted to pick up on something which she said to me and explore it here, because I suspect it’s an issue for a lot of people.
She started at Cambridge University last October, and just like I did when [...]

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Why I Blog

January 11, 2010

I’m having trouble starting this post, partly because I’m not sure I should even be writing it. When I launched Aliventures, I had no plans to write about blogging. I didn’t think it would be of much interest to most people reading.
However, a few good folk (including Charlie Gilkey) have nudged me to occasionally say [...]

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How to Freelance Without Ending Up Penniless

January 7, 2010

Before I get going with the post, there’s news to share today! I’ve been listed on ProBlogger as one of 30 Bloggers to Watch in 2010, and I also have a guest post up on Copyblogger that might interest any writers amongst you: Dragon Slaying 101: How to Use Heroic Language to Battle Boring Copy
A [...]

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Planning 2010’s Projects

January 4, 2010

In a few quiet days between visiting various sets of relatives, I took some time to look at what I’d done in 2009, and what directions I want to take in 2010. At the start of each year, I write down my annual goals in a notebook: this is what I wrote for 2009:

Move away [...]

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2009: Adventures, Ventures and Lessons Learnt

December 17, 2009

If you’re not a Productive Flourishing reader already, (a) you’re missing out, get the feed now and (b) if you’re a creative type who makes or hopes to make some dosh from what you love, you might want to read my first ever Productive Flourishing guest post: Why You’re Undervaluing Yourself (And How to Stop).
[...]

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You Need to See the Box Before You Can Think Outside It

December 14, 2009

I’m not fond of the phrase “think outside the box”. It’s business jargon: it hints at a corporatisation of creativity – and very few of us are capable of being innovative on demand. It’s also become such a cliché that it’s lost meaning.
However, I think the concept of the box is useful. We’re often stuck [...]

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Staying Focused on Tasks That Matter

December 10, 2009

Jason R. Ayers asked in a comment:
With no sales, a business is just a bunch of untested ideas. So, my biggest challenge is making sure I spend 80% of my time focused on selling my products and services. It’s awfully easy to get sidetracked into operations, technical issues, paperwork, and other non-essential issues.
My questions is [...]

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Five Scary-but-Exciting Reasons to Write Fiction

December 7, 2009

If you’ve been reading Aliventures for a while, or hanging out with me on Twitter – or if you’re one of the approximately three readers who know me in real life – then you’ll know that, as well as blogging, I do a lot of fiction-writing.
I’ve been writing stories for most of my life, and [...]

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How to Be More Consistent (When it Matters)

December 3, 2009

Back in August, Halcyone (who didn’t leave a link) said:
I’d like to see you write about consistency and the importance of showing up. You’re clearly doing well on that front with very regular posts. What tools and tips can you share with us on how you keep yourself consistent? Thanks again!
I’ve chosen to tackle this [...]

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When You Have No Idea What You Want

November 30, 2009

You were supposed to have this post last Monday. Except there was a minor technical screwup on my part. Er, whoops. If you’ve already read this, hurrah, you must be following me on Twitter.
For those who missed me Twittering the happy news last week … Paul and I are now engaged! Happily for Aliventures readers, [...]

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