Why AI Won’t Replace Writers #IWSG

When I was first introduced to AI for writing, I was truly impressed by what it could generate. As a test, I gave it some parameters and watched it come up with a whole story idea. I got it to break the story down to chapter titles and then I even asked it to write a chapter in full. 

Crikey. 

It was amazing. 

It wasn’t perfect, though. 

Among other things, it followed clear tropes, which isn’t too bad for genre writing. But it became very tropey, with no surprises, which in turn made it bland. This became more obvious when I gave it different story ideas to explore. The more examples I asked from it, the less impressive it became. All the stories the AI gave me were basically the same. Even the style of writing was bland, lacking atmosphere and imagery. 

While this will improve over time, I still don’t believe AI will wholly replace us. Why? 

Because AI lacks that special touch humanity brings to a story. We offer stories that are unexpected, we offer a different perspective, we can capture those special moments that shine when taken from our own unique take on the world. 

How then can AI help us? 

It can do those tasks a lot of us don’t enjoy. It writes great advertising. It can help us break down our already written story into an exciting blurb. It can help us with taglines and synopses. It can shorten research time. It can even help us through a writer’s block by suggesting possible solutions when we’ve written our characters into a corner. And so much more. It's like an assistant who is super helpful when you know what questions to ask.

AI is a tool to enhance our creativity. The best thing we can do is embrace it, to learn how best to use it, and reap the benefits. 

What are your thoughts on AI for writers?

This post was written for the IWSG. Every first Wednesday of the month, members post on their blogs about their writing insecurities or offer some encouragement to others. If you are new to the IWSG or want to learn more, then please go HERE.

IWSG 12th Anniversary

In case you haven't heard, the IWSG is short for the Insecure Writers' Support Group. It was established on the blogsphere twelve years ago by our Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh. It's free to join and has kept me blogging for way longer than I had realised. Where did that time go? 

Each month we come together to post about our great writerly news, our writing insecurities, to encourage and support each other, or to simply connect with like-minded people. Each month we have an option question to answer too. The question this month asks, When did you discover the IWSG, how do you connect, and how has it helped you?

I was there at the beginning when the group first formed. For a while I was even one of the administrators, helping to set up the IWSG website, building and maintaining the About Us page and the Publishers, Agents, Queries resource page. I even helped out in the Facebook group and the behind the scenes work on some of the early books produced by the group, and a bunch of other stuff. 

Over the years, I've met so many wonderful writers from all over the world. The support from this community has been unparalleled. When I published my six books, I don't think I would've found the same success without the help I received from the friends I formed -- the critique partnerships, the encouragement, the glowing reviews, the help spreading word. 

I'm still writing because of you guys, so thank you. 

If you haven't read any of my books yet, and love Fantasy Adventure, then check out my Wielder's Storm Trilogy Box Set, or the individual books: Wielder's Prize, Wielder's Curse, Wielder's Fire. I also have a fantasy novella available, Well of Ash. 

And for something different, I have Cling to God: A 365-Day Devotional. If you're looking for inspirational Christian thoughts for each day of the year, then please consider this book.

More novels will be coming next year. It takes longer to write multiple books at the same time. Who knew? I had hoped to publish again this year, but there's been a lot of disruptions to life in general. Despite that, my plan is to add science fiction to my collection as well as fantasy. More on that later.

So, how about you? How has the IWSG helped you?

Note: This post is prescheduled. Yep, I'm away again (an example of one of those necessary disruptions). When I get back, I'll do the rounds to say hi.

This post was written for the IWSG. Every first Wednesday of the month, members post on their blogs about their writing insecurities or offer some encouragement to others. If you are new to the IWSG or want to learn more, then please go HERE.

Writing Regrets #IWSG

Have you ever written something that afterwards you felt conflicted about? If so, did you let it stay how it was, take it out, or rewrite it?

This is the IWSG question of the month.  

My debut novel was Wielder's Prize, a YA Fantasy Adventure. I'd done my research, read heaps of fantasy novels, heaps of young adult novels, heaps of young adult fantasy novels. I was pretty sure I knew the market. It was a story I was super proud of and happy to share with the world. What I hadn't expected was that for some people, the portrayal of physical abuse is a trigger--a bigger one than I had anticipated. And I portray it early in the story. I feared it had an impact on sales, because those people were loudly vocal about their feelings in their reviews. While the majority of my reviews were four stars or higher, I never wanted people to feel uncomfortable, and while we can't please everyone, I wanted to do something about it. 

The situation my main character grew up in was integral to the story, so it wasn't just a matter of taking that portion out entirely. The whole point of the overarching story across the three books was the importance of forgiveness. So, I came to a compromise and revisited the beginning of the story so that the abuse is softened greatly. It will still be a trigger for some. That I can't change. But I hope that I've made it less uncomfortable when there are already enough things in this world that are grim.

Having learnt that lesson, I now steer clear of anything that's remotely controversial. I applaud writers who can tackle those difficult subjects, but for myself, I just want to offer exciting, escapist reads.

How about you? Ever feel conflicted about something you wrote?

This post was written for the IWSG. Every first Wednesday of the month, members post on their blogs about their writing insecurities or offer some encouragement to others. If you are new to the IWSG or want to learn more, then please go HERE.
 

Where Ideas Come From #IWSG

The July IWSG question of the month: Where do you get your ideas?

While this is the most common question posed to writers, it's also the most difficult to nail down. I don't think my ideas come from one place. They blossom from anywhere and everywhere. An idea can germinate from anything I see, hear, smell, feel. It's probably why, during the pandemic, I had so few ideas to play with, because I was holed up with little-to-no creative input. 

Ideas need seeds from which to grow. The seeds are our life experiences. 

The snippet of a half-heard conversation. A stranger's unusual gait. The way the city smells after rain. A dream. A movie. A book. A single sentence spoken in whispers. A new technology.

Nothing is safe from a writer.

So, if you're struggling to come up with new ideas, stop stressing and start living. Take the time to pay attention to this wonderful world around us. Read more. Take in a slow breath, and start wondering what if...

Where do you get your ideas?

This post was written for the IWSG. Every first Wednesday of the month, members post on their blogs about their writing insecurities or offer some encouragement to others. If you are new to the IWSG or want to learn more, then please go HERE.
 

 

The Pull of Creativity #IWSG

The IWSG question of the month: If you ever stopped writing, what would you replace it with? 

Many writers say they write because they must. There’s something deep down inside that drives them to string words into stories. I too have a similar drive, but it’s less specific. For me, it doesn’t have to be words. It’s anything creative. If it includes storytelling in some form, then that's even better.

Consequently, I tend to oscillate between art, writing and music. I’ve pursued animation, game design, graphic design, photography, music composition, piano, ai art, card making, sculpture, even cooking can be creative in a way. They all bring a quality of peace that eases the need to express myself.

As long as I’m doing something creative, I’m happy. 

How about you? If you couldn’t write, what would you do instead? 

This post was written for the IWSG. Every first Wednesday of the month, members post on their blogs about their writing insecurities or offer some encouragement to others. If you are new to the IWSG or want to learn more, then please go HERE.