Read posts about: Fiction | Freelancing | Blogging | Motivation | Creativity | Editing
Annual Writing Goal Progress in Q4, 2024 – What’s Worked This Year and What Hasn’t?
Annual Writing Goal Progress in Q4, 2024 – What’s Worked This Year and What Hasn’t?
We’re almost at the end of 2024. You might remember that after Q3, I wrote that I was running behind where I wanted to be with my writing.
Spoiler alert: I did not catch up in Q4!
I’ll take you through how my writing goals went in October, November, and December … and I’ll share some overall thoughts about what’s worked for me this year and what hasn’t.
I hope this is helpful as you think about setting your own goals for 2025.
I’d love to hear about your 2024 and your plans for 2025 too, so do leave a comment at the end of the post, or email me at ali@aliventures.com to share what you’re up to.
Indirect Characterisation: What Is It and How Is It Different From Direct Characterisation?
Indirect Characterisation: What Is It and How Is It Different From Direct Characterisation?
“Characterisation” is how we show, on the page, who our characters are.
But there are a couple of different ways we might go about that: direct characterisation and indirect characterisation.
Neither of these is right or wrong, but to really engage readers with your story, you’ll want plenty of indirect characterisation that lets readers form their own impressions of your characters.
About
Start Here
Can You Call Yourself a “Writer” if You’re Not Currently Writing?
The Three Stages of Editing (and Nine Handy Do-it-Yourself Tips)
What to Do When Your Writing Goals Seem a Long Way Off
If you’d like more suggestions, head to the “Start Here” page:
Archives
Just head on over to the Archive:
What is Writer’s Block? The Myth, the Reality, and How to Overcome It
If you’re struggling to write – if you feel wrung out of ideas, you can’t focus, or you’d rather do anything but sit down and put words on the page – you might feel that you’re suffering from writer’s block. This idea of being “blocked” gets a lot of debate in the...
Stop Procrastinating, Start Writing: 3 Situations That Trigger Writing Procrastination (& What You Can Do)
Procrastination is the bane of many writers … or would-be writers. It can affect you at any stage of your writing life. And it’s one of the top problems I hear about (along with “time management” more generally) from Aliventures newsletter readers, Writers’ Cafe...
Writing Voice: Finding Yours and Loosening Up When Your Writing Seems Stilted or Dry
In this year’s Aliventures survey, one person wrote: “When I decide to write for public consumption, my writing becomes stilted and didactic. I write much more loosely and enjoy it much more when it's just for myself. This became such a big hurdle for me...
Three Act Story Structure (Including the Seven Key Plot Points Your Novel Needs)
Does your novel draft feel a little lopsided? Is your pacing off, or does it seem like the story takes ages to get started? Maybe the tension slackens off in the middle, or you feel like something big needs to happen – you’re just not sure what (or when). Here’s...
Annual Writing Goal Progress in Q3, 2024 (Plus When to Quit a Writing Goal)
We’ve got slightly under three months left in 2024 … and this is the time when I start to think about all the writing I haven’t yet got done! If, like me, you had a busier-than-expected summer, you might be running behind where you’d like to be with your writing. By...
Outlining for Pantsers: Three Key Stages of Wrestling Your Rough Draft Under Control
Some writers love to plan out every detail of their plot in advance … but is there such thing as outlining for pantsers? If you follow writing groups, blogs, or social media accounts online, you’ve probably come across the pantser vs plotter debate: how much should...
