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.
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: [convertkit...
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. We’re now halfway through the year … so here’s what’s been happening. The 2026 goals I set in January (and slightly modified since!) are: Big Fiction...
What is a Scene vs a Chapter – and How Should You Structure Each?
Are you writing in scenes or in chapters? That might sound like a weird question. Maybe you feel like it doesn’t matter, or that they’re basically the same thing, or that it doesn’t matter either way. But whether you think in scenes or chapters can make a big...
Your Writing Matters (Even When it Doesn’t Feel Like It)
Do you ever feel like your writing just doesn’t matter? Unless you’ve got some kind of deadline, writing is pretty much never urgent. It’s also not something that needs a lot of space or time: it’s tempting to think that writing could – or even should – fit into the...
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:
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 things go wrong. In writing, it’s helpful to see accountability as something much more supportive....
Idea to Novel: How Can You Start Developing a Strong Novel Idea?
You’ve got a novel idea … but where do you even start with turning it into a novel? That idea could be an image in your mind, a compelling character, or a “what if” question. So many writers carry a novel idea for years, even decades, before they start writing their...
![Character Flaws: Why They’re So Important to Your Story [With Examples]](https://www.aliventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/character-flaws-fiction-400x250.png)
Character Flaws: Why They’re So Important to Your Story [With Examples]
Maybe you’ve heard that your characters “should” have flaws. Or maybe you’ve come across terms like “tragic flaw” or “fatal flaw” in literature. So what exactly is a character flaw … and why’s it important to your story?
Idea to Novel: How Can You Start Developing a Strong Novel Idea?
You’ve got a novel idea … but where do you even start with turning it into a novel? That idea could be an image in your mind, a compelling character, or a “what if” question. So many writers carry a novel idea for years, even decades, before they start writing their...
Character Flaws: Why They’re So Important to Your Story [With Examples]
Maybe you’ve heard that your characters “should” have flaws. Or maybe you’ve come across terms like “tragic flaw” or “fatal flaw” in literature. So what exactly is a character flaw … and why’s it important to your story?
Developmental Editing, Copy Editing and Proofreading: What’s the Difference?
You’ve been working hard on your novel and you’ve got a good second (or even third) draft … but what should you do next? This is the stage where a lot of novelists, particularly those considering self-publishing, think about getting an editor. Once you start looking...