I'm sorry about my mopey and depressed post from last month. Not sure if was the winter blues or what, but I'm feeling much better now. More positive, more energy. It probably won't last, but I'll make the most of it while I can.
I've been writing again, and revisions on Gale Harbour book 3 are coming along well. I've also started thinking long and hard about my next project, and I have several ideas for short stories I want to write in between. It's amazing the impact not being depressed has on your productivity.
I've also been painting again and I picked up Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. I've only played it for an hour so far but I'm really looking forward to getting into it - there's only so many hours in the day.
My day job is still crazy busy as it always is this time of year, and will continue to be for about two months, but once I'm past crunch time I should be able to finish my writing projects and get into Final Fantasy VII. Spring is looking up!
Random Question: I've almost reached the 500 subscribers limit on my free MailChimp account, and I really don't want to pay the $30+ per month to expand the limit. I really don't make that much money off my writing. I want to keep building my mailing list, obviously, but I don't send very emails/newsletters - just when I have a new book or pre-order to announce, really. I'm considering exporting the email addresses, and just using MailChimp to collect new addresses. Does anyone have another solution, or suggestion on what other systems they use?
Oh, and there's still the question of the month...
Have you "played" with AI to write those nasty synopses, or do you refuse to go that route? How do you feel about AI's impact on creative writing?
I have not played with AI for writing synopses, though I really want to because I hate writing them myself. I guess there's a part of me that's afraid of feeding entire manuscripts into the AI's learning algorithm. Not that it couldn't have picked up my text from somewhere else, and I'm sure it's already scanned tons of work way better than mine. Still seems weird to actively do it myself.
I'm also being hypocritical, because while I'm apprehensive about embracing AI-enhanced writing, I use it for producing art all the time (mostly for fun, and not for commercial purposes). Whether it's feeding on my written words or someone's visual art, it's still stealing/borrowing without permission from someone's work.
I know that AI is going to have an impact on writing and publishing, and fighting against it is a losing battle. It's inevitable, like the lightbulb replacing oil lamps. And algorithms learning from the work of others is not that different from humans being inspired by the writing or art of others - we all borrow elements from our favourite creators. The difference, of course, is that a computer program can process artworks a million times faster than we can, and does not have any discretion on how it uses that information.
I'm also really paranoid about that "Does your work contain any AI-produced material?" question on the Amazon publishing page. For now I'm steering clear of any AI content, because I don't know what Big Jungle will do to my books if I click "Yes."
Wow that's alot this month. Time to go check out some other blogs.
Hugs & Kisses,
-CDGK
The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Writers post their thoughts on their blogs, talking about their doubts and the fears they have conquered. It's a chance for writers to commiserate and offer a word of encouragement to each other. Check out the group at http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/
