Welcome to the Aliventures blog
I’m here to help you get your novel to “the end”.
Whether you’re coming up with ideas, you’re tackling the messy middle of a draft, or you’re editing your novel … you’re in the right place! Scroll down for recent posts or take a look at the Start Here page.
What is a Scene? Understanding and Using the Basic Unit of Story Structure
This post was first published in March 2016 and last revised/updated in October 2026. A scene is an individual unit of story. You might think of a scene as a building block within your novel. Some are longer than others, some are more critical than others, but they…
Writing Progress in Q3, 2026: What Worked, What Didn’t, and Why
Back in January, I set out my writing goals for 2026, and wrote about how these were going at the end of Q1 and the end of Q2. We’re three-quarters of the way through the year now and the last few months have been busy ones! Here’s what’s been happening. The 2026…
How to Finish a Novel: Key Sticking Points and Crucial Tips for Completing a Full Novel Draft
Starting a novel can feel really daunting … but finishing one is a whole lot harder still. There’s an awful lot of ground to cover between writing “Chapter One” and writing “The End”. Since you’re reading a blog post on how to finish a novel, I’m going to assume that:…
Understanding Personal vs External Stakes (and Using Them in Your Story)
About
I’m Ali Luke, and I live in Leeds in the UK with my husband and two children. Aliventures is where I help you get your novel all the way to “the end”.
Roadmap Sessions
I offer free 30-minute Roadmap sessions to dig into anything that’s holding you back with your novel … and come up with your next steps.
Archives
Want to see all the posts on Aliventures?
Just head on over to the Archive:
There’s Plenty of Time to Turn Your 2026 Around (Writers’ Cafe Invite)
We’re coming up to the final three months of 2026. How’s this year been for your writing? I hope it’s been a great year, where you can look back and be really happy with your progress… but realistically, that’s just not the case for a lot of us. If things haven’t gone…
Why Repetition is Powerful in Writing (and How Authors Can Get it Right)
Is it ever okay to repeat the same word or phrase in your writing? Absolutely! Unintentional repetition is something that authors are (quite rightly) warned to watch out for, particularly in fiction. It’s one of the 20 common writing mistakes I go through in Editing Essentials. Intentional repetition, however…
Nine Things that Are Totally Normal (and Expected!) When You’re Writing a Novel
If you’re writing a novel, you might have moments – or even months – where you’re tempted to give up. Perhaps something about the process makes you feel like you’re doing it all wrong, or you’re never going to finish, or you’re just not cut out to be a writer. Whether…
Why Repetition is Powerful in Writing (and How Authors Can Get it Right)
Is it ever okay to repeat the same word or phrase in your writing? Absolutely! Unintentional repetition is something that authors are (quite rightly) warned to watch out for, particularly in fiction. It’s one of the 20 common writing mistakes I go through in Editing Essentials. Intentional repetition, however…
Nine Things that Are Totally Normal (and Expected!) When You’re Writing a Novel
If you’re writing a novel, you might have moments – or even months – where you’re tempted to give up. Perhaps something about the process makes you feel like you’re doing it all wrong, or you’re never going to finish, or you’re just not cut out to be a writer. Whether…
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. I’ll still be sending the Aliventures newsletter on and off over the summer. To get that, plus my free “Make Time to Write” worksheet, just pop your name & email in here: …