Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Ali Luke. It can be tough to make the space and find the energy for creative projects at the best of times. But when you have young children or a busy family life, it’s often particularly tricky. I’ve got two kids, aged five and nearly-seven. Eight years … [Read more...] about How to Juggle Your Creative Projects Around Family Life
5 Easy Ways to Write About Your Problems (and Start Solving Them)
Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Ali Luke. Do you ever find yourself going over the same problem — again and again — inside your head? Maybe you’re in your 50s and you’re still worrying what you’ll be when you grow up. Maybe, once again, you’ve said “yes” to something when you wish … [Read more...] about 5 Easy Ways to Write About Your Problems (and Start Solving Them)
5 Ways to Resist Temptation by Supporting Your Willpower
Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Ali Luke. Does this sort of thing happen to you? I’m trying to lose a few extra pounds right now, and we had a packet of mini chocolate cookies on the kitchen counter. The first couple of times I saw it, I ignored it. But before long, the inevitable happened: … [Read more...] about 5 Ways to Resist Temptation by Supporting Your Willpower
How I Learned to Love Binge-Writing (and How it Could Work for You Too)
Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Ali Luke. Back before I had kids, I had a clear idea of how best to write fiction. Ideally, I liked having a solid chunk of writing time — enough for a full creative block, and often a whole morning. This worked ... up to a point. There’d be weeks or … [Read more...] about How I Learned to Love Binge-Writing (and How it Could Work for You Too)
Juggling Parenting and a Creative Career? Here’s What You Need to Know
Editor's note: This is a guest post by Ali Luke from Aliventures. In six years of freelancing and writing fiction (with a fair number of ups and downs), the worst thing I’ve done for my creative career is starting a family. I have absolutely no regrets – with one gorgeous toddler and a rapidly … [Read more...] about Juggling Parenting and a Creative Career? Here’s What You Need to Know
Play to Your Strengths
Editor's Note: This is a guest post from Ali Luke. If you run your own business, you probably spend a fair amount of time looking at what others in your field are doing. What services do they list on their website? What do they tweet about? Do they write blog posts, or produce a podcast? What are … [Read more...] about Play to Your Strengths
Flee or Grab: How Do You React to New Technology?
Editor's Note: This is a guest post from Ali Luke. Think back twelve years: 1999, the end of the last century. What did your life look like then? I’m guessing it was pretty different from your life today. In 1999, I was fourteen. We’d had dial-up internet at home for a year or so, a few of my … [Read more...] about Flee or Grab: How Do You React to New Technology?
Why You Want to Give (and Receive) Brutally Honest Advice
Editor's Note: This a joint blog post by Vlad Dolezal and Ali Luke. “Does my butt look big in this?” You rely on your friends for honest advice. Sometimes brutally honest. You might be willing to show a close friend (or a coach, or a partner) something which is very much a work-in-progress -- … [Read more...] about Why You Want to Give (and Receive) Brutally Honest Advice
Expertise Trumps Experience
Editor's Note: This is a guest post by Ali Luke from Aliventures. You won't find a single blogger with twenty years' experience. You'd struggle to find anyone with ten. The same goes for a huge number of roles: social media whizzes, SEO experts, YouTube stars... The old rules are disappearing. … [Read more...] about Expertise Trumps Experience
Getting Out of Urgency Mode and Having To Think Again
Editor's Note: This is a guest post by Ali Luke. For the whole summer, I was operating in urgency mode. Cleaning out our flat and moving house, a trip to India, finishing a 20,000 word portfolio for my MA, our church's kids' Holiday Club, getting married ... one thing followed the next without much … [Read more...] about Getting Out of Urgency Mode and Having To Think Again
Do You Know How Much Your Dreams Will Cost You?
Editor's Note: This is a guest post by Ali Luke. Have you ever dismissed a dream out of hand because you knew it was going to cost too much? I've just finished a Masters degree in Creative Writing. My college offers a PhD program – which I didn't even bother looking into. Sure, I love being a … [Read more...] about Do You Know How Much Your Dreams Will Cost You?
When To Ignore Good Advice
Editor's Note: This is a guest post from Ali Hale. Good advice can ruin your project, your relationships, and even your life. Just think of the times when you tried a piece of advice which actually made things worse. Perhaps you followed some financial guru's recommendation, only to lose money … [Read more...] about When To Ignore Good Advice
Harnessing the Power of Endings
Editor's Note: This is a guest post by Ali Hale from Aliventures. As well as writing blog posts and the occasional ebook, I write fiction. And one of the things I struggle with most is endings. You've read novels and watched TV series and seen movies, so you'll understand why. A great ending … [Read more...] about Harnessing the Power of Endings
Ebooks: Overpriced or Underrated?
Editor's Note: This is a guest post by Ali Hale from Aliventures. Maybe you buy ebooks. Maybe you sell them. Maybe your Twitter stream and RSS reader have been full of launch after launch. I’d bet that, at some point (perhaps years ago, when you first bought an ebook), you’ve asked yourself how … [Read more...] about Ebooks: Overpriced or Underrated?
How to Multitask – When You Have To
Editor's Note: This is a guest post from Ali Hale of Constructively Productive. Multitasking. All the rage a couple of years ago; but now it gets a bad rap. (I've written my share of posts against it, too.) I'm starting to think there's a middle ground. Sure, we can all agree that it's more … [Read more...] about How to Multitask – When You Have To
Your Creativity Zoom Lens
Editor's Note: This is a guest post by Ali Luke from Aliventures. When you're working on a project, you can have a big picture overview, or you can home right in on details. On Day One, you're zoomed out: with a high-level idea – perhaps a fuzzy one – of what you want to accomplish. As you dig … [Read more...] about Your Creativity Zoom Lens
What No One’s Telling You About Paid vs Free
At South by Southwest, a bunch of us were chatting about blogging. Charlie said something like I don't know why Ali's writing for me for free. And, later on in the week, I had a great discussion with Jonathan Fields about why I feel awkward about pricing my work. I'm still thinking through some … [Read more...] about What No One’s Telling You About Paid vs Free
The Missing Half of Productivity Advice: Why Women Need to Get Involved
Editor's Note: This is a guest post by Ali Hale from Aliventures. I'm a woman, and I care about productivity. So today I want to start reaching towards some answers to the question Charlie posted in What If Women Cared About Productivity? (You might like to read or re-read that post – it's from … [Read more...] about The Missing Half of Productivity Advice: Why Women Need to Get Involved