2017-02-12 17:42
2011 was supposed to be a banner year in Afghanistan. Starting in 2009, the American military began surging an additional 33,000 personnel into theatre, a half-again increase of pre-sur… Read More
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Alastair Luft Blog
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This blog documents lessons learned and experiences from my journey towards being a writer. Aimed at preparing other new writers based on my own experiences, each week the blog will cover a different aspect of the business of writing, such as resources, exercises, publishing, motivation and others.
2017-02-05 18:26
"War is an act of violence pushed to its utmost bounds."Carl von Clausewitz, On War. In 2002, suicide bombers were unheard of in Afghanistan. But in 2005, the tactic began to… Read More
2017-01-29 18:27
There was no shortage of fighting spirit during Canada’s engagement in Afghanistan. Attacks, raids, cordons and searches, reconnaissance operations; every day offensive actions we… Read More
2017-01-22 18:11
A few weeks ago, various media outlets announced that the Kandahar Airfield ball hockey rink would be repatriated and displayed for posterity in the Canadian War Museum. The hockey rink was… Read More
2017-01-15 19:40
This week's author interview is with Gregory Taylor, a local author from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Gregory is a mathematics teacher with a Bachelor of Mathematics from the University of… Read More
2017-01-15 18:40
As part of the series on applying the Principles of War to the business of writing, this week looks at the first principle, Selection and Maintenance of the Aim. What was the ai… Read More
2017-01-05 00:47
This week I'm interviewing Barbara Florio Graham, a writer, teacher, and communications consultant. Barbara has contributed to more than 30 magazines and newspapers around the world, websit… Read More
2016-12-28 00:15
Taking a small break from the blog over the Christmas period, so please find some war poetry. Perhaps not quite the holiday spirit, but this is what's in the ready rack. Please feel free to… Read More
2016-12-22 19:22
Inkshares author Donna Fung is currently running a video series of author interviews where she digs into tips and techniques for crowdfunding a novel. To date, authors Janna Grace and Jane-H… Read More
2016-12-18 18:54
"You know you never defeated us on the battlefield," said the American colonel.The North Vietnamese colonel pondered this remark a moment. "That may be so," he replied, "but it is also irrel… Read More
2016-12-16 00:34
For those with questions on crowdfunding and the Inkshares platform, Inkshares author Donna Fung has started a new series called Coming Clean on Crowdfunding that looks into both of tho… Read More
2016-12-11 18:01
There are many high standards in the military, which is a good thing. After all, entrusting an institution with the use of violence on behalf of society is an impressive responsibility. As… Read More
2016-12-04 18:32
Yogi Berra reportedly said that, ‘you can observe a lot just by watching.’ Sounds similar to the After-Action Review (AAR) process, a tool of organizational learning… Read More
2016-11-27 18:23
I began my Patrol Pathfinder Course in September of 2002, having just returned from a six month deployment to Afghanistan. Three months later and 20 pounds lighter (incident… Read More
2016-11-20 17:54
Popular culture is full of stereotypes about military personnel as loud-mouth toughs, intimidators who browbeat their subordinates into obedience. Whether it’s Gunnery Sergeant… Read More
2016-11-18 11:06
Continued experimentation with poetry, would love any feedback Read More
2016-11-14 00:30
Like many an officer on the career track, I did my time as an Executive Assistant. Yes, I walked away from being responsible for the lives of dozens of soldiers, hundreds of thousands o… Read More
2016-11-07 00:00
It’s often the case that bad news doesn’t get better with time, or easier to deliver. Several years ago, I was tasked as an assisting officer to the family of a soldier… Read More
2016-10-30 23:00
No blog on teamwork would be complete without the obligatory motivational poster... Ever had the pleasure of being part of a team th… Read More
2016-10-23 17:17
On the eve of my first winter warfare exercise, a senior enlisted told me that winter training was like getting ready for a kick in the groin – you know it&rs… Read More
2016-10-17 23:47
This week's interview is with Adam Corres. Adam feels he could have been good at about 40 different things but never specialised at any of them for long enough to settle. Obviously he w… Read More
2016-10-16 16:54
“Where’s the OC?” the section commander asked. “Uh…he’s on a recce,” I replied. Except the OC wasn’t on a recce. As the platoon com… Read More
2016-10-12 23:30
This week's author interview is with Jonathan Dital, who goes by the pen name of Joni Dee. Jonathan currently hails from London, Eng… Read More
2016-10-11 00:00
It was the summer of 2001 and I was almost finished my mechanized infantry platoon commander’s course, or Phase IV Infantry. To have a bit of fun, my course sta… Read More
2016-10-02 17:35
Isn’t it funny how the same words can often be interpreted in wildly different ways? Even in somewhat homogenous groups, breakdowns in communication can happen. I remember… Read More
2016-09-28 23:42
This week's interview is with Christopher Lee, an indie author and founder of the Indie Authors Collective. He is currently crow… Read More
2016-09-25 23:15
The night I went to jail was probably when I first knew I had a drinking problem. Sounds stupid to see it written like that, but let me tell you that up until then, I though… Read More
2016-09-22 00:00
This week's interview is with Kyle T. Cowan, an actor in TV and film, and also a writer of novels and screenplays. Kyle is currently crowdfunding his novel, Sunshine is Forever, through Ink… Read More
2016-09-18 23:28
For the better part of the last 20 years, leadership has been my bread and butter. Don’t take that the wrong way – I’m not claiming to be a good leader; just expressing the… Read More
2016-09-14 04:00
This week's author interview is with Allison Griner, an aspiring author who hails from Indianapolis. Allison studied Creative Writing and Graphic Arts Technology at Ball State Universi… Read More
2016-09-12 12:49
Memory works in funny ways. Take my first deployment to Afghanistan, probably still my favorite. There are the obvious memories, of course. The Whale. Tarnak Farms. The crowds lining the str… Read More
2016-09-07 04:00
This week sees the start of a new segment, author interviews - a great opportunity to ask other writers about their lessons learned and their current projects. Without further ado, the very… Read More
2016-09-06 00:00
When’s the last time you started something new? One of the joys of having kids is seeing them try new things every day. When they accomplish something they’ve ne… Read More
2016-08-29 00:00
Are you a natural storyteller? A lot of people would say they’re not, including me. Too self-conscious, too introverted, whatever – excuses are a dime a dozen, right?Not s… Read More
2016-08-21 23:44
I used to take a lot of pictures. When I first joined the military, I almost always had a camera with me and would snap pictures whenever I could. Not beauties, but good for memories, like t… Read More
2016-08-15 01:00
My wife used to teach dance, so when we started dating we did a lot of dancing related activities. We took lessons, performed a choreographed dance at our wedding, even part… Read More
2016-08-08 11:00
In the army, pathfinder and scout forces learn that a fundamental of reconnaissance operations is to gain and maintain contact with the enemy. In other words, once yo… Read More
2016-08-01 10:00
In 2002, I deployed to Afghanistan with the 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group. In the aftermath of 9/11 and as part Operation Endu… Read More
2016-07-25 11:00
When I decided to start writing, the one smart thing I did was not go off half-cocked. One of the benefits of military service is that the importance of having a plan is drilled into you alm… Read More
2016-07-18 04:00
This guy is not happy... In the summer of 2013, I realized I wasn’t happy.Not that I was unhappy – I wasn’t. In fact, I had a lot to be happy about, like the birth of my se… Read More
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