Hello everyone. It is time once again to air the insecurities and fears that we all have that comes from writing. But first, a little housekeeping with regard to the Insecure Writer's Support Group. This is a monthly blogfest that was started by best-selling science fiction author Alex Cavanaugh over a decade ago. It is a popular touchstone with writers, and if you are interested in participating in it, you can go HERE to sign up. And now, to answer a few questions that you might have....
What is the purpose of the IWSG?: It is to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. In other words, it’s a safe space for insecure writers of all kinds.
When do you post?: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. On this day, you should post your thoughts on your own blog. Some ideas include 1) talking about your doubts and the fears you have conquered, 2) discussing your struggles and triumphs, and 3) offering a word of encouragement for others who are struggling.
To get the most out of your participation in the IWSG, you should plan on visiting others in the group so that you can connect with your fellow writer. A good rule is to aim for a dozen new people each time, and you should comment on those blogs and return any comments you get on your blog. This group is all about connecting. Be sure to link to this page and display the badge in your post. And please be sure your avatar links back to your blog. Otherwise, when you leave a comment, people can't find you to comment back.
The X (Twitter) handle that is used by the group is @TheIWSG and the hashtag is #IWSG.
The awesome co-hosts for the August 7 posting of the IWSG are Feather Stone, Kim Lajevardi, Diedre Knight, C. Lee McKenzie, and Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen!
Every month, the IWSG announces a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.
Remember, the question is optional!
August 7 question - Do you use AI in your writing and if so how? Do you use it for your posts? Incorporate it into your stories? Use it for research? Audio?
The X (Twitter) handle that is used by the group is @TheIWSG and the hashtag is #IWSG.
The awesome co-hosts for the August 7 posting of the IWSG are Feather Stone, Kim Lajevardi, Diedre Knight, C. Lee McKenzie, and Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen!
Every month, the IWSG announces a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.
Remember, the question is optional!
August 7 question - Do you use AI in your writing and if so how? Do you use it for your posts? Incorporate it into your stories? Use it for research? Audio?
I don't think that I use any a.i. in my writing. However, I'm not so sure anymore as it has infused just about everything that I research online or look at online. But I certainly don't cut and paste from one thing to another. Now, where I have used it is for short snippets that I read out loud in my D&D game that runs on Saturdays. This is not something I consider writing. One such example might be a dream sequence that one of my player's wants for their character. Usually, I'm not too interested in the weird character choices that other people make, so pretending to have interest and just have a.i. write it up so I can read it out loud is a good way to make them happy and to make me happy at the same time. For example, I have one player who is a furry in my game (she has a fursona) and wants to have a romance with another rabbit person.
That's not my cup of tea. But a.i. doesn't care, so I prompted it to write three paragraphs of a nice clean dream of the two rabbits chasing each other and being all rabbit like. I read it out loud and she really liked it. Cost me nothing, and I moved on with the game. I could give you a dozen or more examples of this kind of thing where I'm not interested at all. But, in 2024 I don't have to be interested. It takes ten seconds through ChatGPT and it sounds "good enough." I think that this is really where a.i. shines: it allows you to generate content that you would find exceptionally boring or uninteresting that another person really wants.
Artists have always been at the whim of their patrons in many ways. I imagine that quite a few artists over the years and centuries have needed to draw and/or paint things that they didn't find interesting at all just to get the money that they needed to be able to work on the projects that they really wanted to see to fruition. This is kinda what I'm talking about here. Artists no longer have to do that. A.I. is there to pick up the slack whenever there's a need for something that no one wants to do. That is its true strength. But yeah, I have never used it for my official writing.
Thanks for visiting my blog.
That was certainly a smart way to use AI. I wouldn't want to write that up either.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good way to use it. I'd say enjoy it while you can. The bubble is about to pop.
ReplyDeleteInteresting perspective on how to use AI to your advantage without allowing it to take over your creative life.
ReplyDeleteWell, I feel I'm too old to learn the AI uses and rules. I get anxious when I have to update an app, remember passwords, attend something on zoom. It's all a bit much for someone who learned to type on an old Remington typewriter. You had to punch the keys to get the letters to impact the ribbon and paper. But even as I say I avoid AI, I have been known to cut and paste, and often regretted the confusion after. And I use a GPS - is that AI, I guess it is. Any tips on using AI to write a best seller?
ReplyDelete@F.Stone: I don't have any ideas on how to use A.I. to write a best seller. However, that doesn't mean I don't have any tips on writing one. The first thing you should do is know your audience. Reading is really down these days, and all the people I know personally who still do read choose audio books. So you will want to write a pure fluff piece and hire a great voice actor. The second thing to know is that urban fantasy is huge. People like stories of vampires, werewolves, and sorcerers living in the real world. Your readers will be mostly women or lean female. Most men don't read anymore unless over a certain age or just very biologically different. Men listen to podcasts and hang out in Discord groups to talk about video games. What women want overall is a bit of a mystery to me, but from what I've observed it is the trifecta of 1) beauty, 2) money, and 3) youth. There's a loneliness epidemic in the United States in particular and the birth rate is really low and people can't stay together and (lets face it), I think most people are unfit to live with another person because of toxic traits. Knowing this gives you plenty of room to create a cozy fantasy in which all of these exist, BUT the heroine of the novel somehow eschews the odds and ends up with Mr. six pack (or multiple Mr. six packs) who has liberal values, is somehow edgy and available, and will do all of the hard work while maintaining the illusion that the heroine is doing all of the hard work. You want to beat up your darlings though so there should be lots of conflict from evil doers (but you want your evil to straddle that line of "they may have a point to what they are doing." But even if you manage to write all of that, it only improves your chances to be a best seller. You still gotta get that audio book out there with a sultry voice reading it. And it helps to be part of a cult or to be famous already. That's all I got.
DeleteWhat a clever way to supplement your D&D game. I imagine it takes a lot of effort to come up with all of that, so this does make things easier for you.
ReplyDelete