Start Here

A very warm welcome to Aliventures!

I’m Ali Luke, an author and writing coach. (Read more about me here.)

Writers often come to me because they’re stuck at some point with their novel. Some are right at the start and not sure how to go forward. Others have made it a few chapters in, but they’re bogged down. Some have a full first draft, but they’re not sure how to hone it into a polished manuscript.

Whatever stage you’re at, I’m here to help.

On the Aliventures blog, I’ve got posts covering all aspects of the craft of writing fiction: developing characters, structuring scenes, writing dialogue, adding conflict, and much more. You’ll also find plenty of help here with motivation, focus, and making time to write.

I also run Writers’ Cafe, a friendly and welcoming online community for writers. Our doors are always open for new members and we’d love to welcome you in. We have weekly check-ins, a feedback space, writing prompts, live writing hours, and much more to help you make faster progress with your novel, short stories, or whatever you’re working on.

I offer one-to-one support as well, through a range of different coaching packages. This lets you get supportive feedback on your work from me, alongside help overcoming any sticking points with your writing.

In the Aliventures shop, you’ll find a range of great value instant-download writing products: these have helped hundreds of writers to get inspired, write more, and develop their skills further.

The Aliventures newsletter comes out each week by email … and it’s completely free. As soon as you sign up, you’ll get access to all my mini-ebooks: Time to Write, The Courageous Writer, and more. You’ll also get a fresh newsletter each Monday and a weekly blog post on Thursdays.

The Aliventures blog focuses on fiction-writing, particularly novels (though a lot of the advice will apply to short stories too). Here are some of the best posts to get started with:

Planning a Novel

How Much Should You Plan Before Starting a Novel?

Do you need to know “the end” before you start writing chapter one? Should you have an outline or wing it? In this post, I outline one approach to planning.

Five Different Appoaches to Developing Characters

Characters will make or break your story. You need characters who feel real … and who your reader cares about. This post covers some different ways to develop them.

Three Act Story Structure (Including the Seven Key Plot Points Your Story Needs)

If you want to outline your whole novel in advance, this post takes you through all the pivotal moments that your plot needs to have … and where to place them.

Drafting a Novel

Choosing the Right Viewpoint and Tense for Your Fiction (With Examples) 

Should you write in first-person, third-person, or even second-person? And should you tell your story in the past or present tense? In this post, I run through your options, and give you examples of each in practice.

Internal and External Conflict: Why Your Story Needs Both (and How to Do Them Well)

Stories run on conflict, and if you can layer both internal and external conflict into your story, it’s likely to grip readers. This post runs through examples of each, plus tips for adding conflict into your story

Stylised Talk: Writing Great Dialogue [With Examples]

Some writers love dialogue, others struggle with it. Whether it comes naturally to you or not, this post will give you tips for making your dialogue even better. I’ve included examples to make it easier to see dialogue in action.

Editing a Novel

How Does Editing Best Fit Into the Writing Process? Four Key Options to Consider

When should you edit? You don’t necessarily have to finish your whole draft first, for instance. In this post, I run through different options (and the pros and cons of each).

What Bad Writing Looks Like … and How to Fix It [With Detailed Examples]

This is one of my most popular posts! If you’re worried your writing isn’t quite there yet, this post runs through some common “bad writing” mistakes and shows you how to fix them.

Five Tips to Help You Rewrite Your Story After Beta Reader or Editor Feedback

You’ve got some feedback, which can be both thrilling and scary … so what do you do now? This post is all about knowing how to use the feedback you’ve received.