One thing I absolutely detest with the whole AI debate, is how it forces me to basically stand in a group and defend something, which I don’t feel is right. But it is basically where I am pushed to.
Let me explain.
Look at this, I mean – I know exactly where they are coming from, because there are some very, very vocal people that will just insist your book is ai no matter what the fuck you do.
Now this post was originally about ‘how it’s morally wrong to not disclose your use of ai’, and as the first commenter says, of course people don’t, because it opens you up to irrational bullshit and false flagging.
This is from the same debate, and I mean this is why people do not disclose any use of AI when they write (or any media really). This is the shit you meet, and honestly I think the debate needed is ‘when does it stop being ai’, because as I am going to get into in two minutes, I don’t use AI to write, but that is not the same as I don’t use it in my process.
Right, so this behaviour is basically why even if I don’t feel I belong there, only have spaces for people who actively use AI to write.
And I don’t think that’s cool, but again. As someone not against AI, this is the only space I have if I want to talk about writing. Which is straight up ridiculous.
It’s very demotivating for me, because you know. I am all for using AI to a moderate level in your writing, It’s still yours. But I’m not at all a fan of making the AI write for you, and then I land in that weird spot in between. I mean I know sure as shit, I don’t think anyone should get shade for using AI. And If there’s something I want, it’s for authors to be loud and proud, and we need to normalise a moderate use of AI, because most people do it, come on.
They do.
And it does make me happy that people like this, are quickly shut down by the authors themselves. And like I spoke about in this post below, it’s rarely the authors, often the readers, who are being bitches about this issue. But as I told you, writers use AI – and many use it like I do, for grammar correction and notes.
So the comments to that absolutely braindead post on the self publishing sub on reddit was like this:
And it’s like that old ass argument with ‘people who have a trade, don’t use ai’ is still sticking to some. But it’s absolutely untrue.
Now I actually find this guy absolutely insufferable, but he does have some good points, and while I cannot agree with his opinion on AI usage. I am also of the firm opinion that it’s a subjective matter, I mean I don’t shame him for it, I just don’t agree… which is why I don’t write like he does.
Does that make my books better?
No, it doesn’t.
I am not speaking about quality, but he does have some really good points, mainly about why people should shut the fuck up, when it comes to writing with AI.
This is kinda more of the same, but he does break down some of the most die-hard stupid arguments that I have seen, and gotten flung at me.
Why does this upset me?
Well because I don’t write with fucking AI, but I feel like I have no choice but to stand with those who do, both because of as I said above. It doesn’t matter to me if you do or don’t use AI to write, but also because they know what I speak of, when rant about how unfair I think it is, that my work I spent years making, is nothing because some rabid extremist dickhead have a hateboner for AI.
It doesn’t matter how many times I make it clear that I didn’t write with AI, and so I don’t feel my book is AI. But I use AI covers, so it’s all AI, because people who use AI are cheaters, and don’t care about human emotions.
I call bullshit, I mean the ones not caring is them. not me.
https://authorsguild.org/resource/ai-best-practices-for-authors/
If you are curious as to where some of this unfounded fear and vitriol comes from, click the link above.
So what do I use AI for?
AI TOOLS
Co-pilot for suggestions; I mean I will ask it to make me ten village names in this specific vibe, and it does. I ask it to do that like five times, and I will pick and mix the suggestions to something I like.
Co-Pilot for research: like I need to make a religion, I will ask it to find me links on some specific stuff, and then later, ask it to suggest me like a doctrine for my made up church.
Co-Pilot for unsticking; I will in rare occasions when I am hopelessly stuck, enter a text to my Co-Pilot notes, and ask it something specific, like ‘give me three suggestions as to what Tay would do now’. Not that it knows the character Tay, but I will include something in the note about the specific thing that I am having a hard time with, so it can give me a more specialised suggestion. Often it just says something like ‘he would pick up the gun on the table, do you want me to write you a piece on what he is thinking in this moment’. Like I don’t care, but perhaps I’m thinking, ‘yeah, I think he could go for the gun, but Hadley gets it first.’ and there you go, I unstuck myself.
Back in the days, I had other writer friends, fanfiction or not. But I simply don’t anymore, and that is why it’s easier for me to just play ball with the AI for suggestions.
NOT QUITE AI
Obsidian for notes: It’s basically Nevernote, but it can do this cool thing that I don’t know if Nevernote can, at least it couldn’t back when. But when you enter stuff and interlink it, it will make you like a map of connections, which is priceless.
This is actually a terrible video, but he does showcase the basics of Obsidian.
You can download it here for windows
Outwrite for editing: I pay for this service in order for it to take larger chunks of text, and also to use their own page, and not just use the free version that is an (honestly very unstable) addon for google docs and word. But it helps me with grammar and iffy sentences, i want to hand over as good a product as possible.
Speechify for listening: Now this is in a different color, because it IS basically AI, I just don’t use it for writing. Speechify is a text to speech program that I simply can’t praise enough. It is developed for people like me with ADHD, and with dyslexia. It can read your notes, your kindle books, your online docs, and websites. And to get it to read my own story back to me, helps me immensely, I can hear if a sentence is weird, even if I didn’t see it. And also I will catch little inconsistencies I have to go back and edit.
And that is it.
I realise that this is enough for many who are very against the use of anything ai, to balk. But I honestly don’t feel like I write AI books, I just don’t.
And it makes me so very angry that I have to deal with being grouped up with people who literally just do ai books. But if you think they are a friendly bunch, you’d be wrong, they are not. Ai writers are very, shall we call it… defensive. Every bit as batshit as their counterparts.
And I kinda get it, because the constant harassment does make you very ‘combat ready’ if I can call it that. But this is why I feel like it’s even more important to just stand tall, don’t like, don’t excuse or explain. Just do it, and if people wanna give you shit, let them. block, ignore, whatever… let them, they are just trying to make you say something dumb to fuel their fire.
And so lastly I’ll leave this video with you.
And also I want to remind you, if you need a frontpage made, let me know. I have some up here on my deviant art, both covers, and other stuff that creatives might find use for.
DREAMS OF A LOST MOONCHILD 
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