IWSG Sept 3, 2025

 

Welcome readers, writers, authors, and bloggers!

We're glad you're here! It's the First Wednesday of the month; when we celebrate IWSG Day in the form of a blog hop featuring members and guests of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Founded by author Alex Cavanaugh (Thank you, Captain!) and fostered by like-minded associates, IWSG is a comfortable place to share views and literary news as we record our journeys. Check out our monthly newsletter here.

The awesome co-hosts for this month’s posting of the IWSG are: Kim Lajevardi, Natalie Aguirre, Nancy Gideon, and Diedre Knight!

 Today’s entirely optional question: What are your thoughts on using AI, such as GPChat, Rapter, and others with your writing? Would you use it for research, storybible, or creating outlines/beats?

I’ve been skeptical all along – not so much about using, but about trusting AI. Don’t believe everything you read or hear, right? And that was before Chat or any of that. The Internet has always seemed (to me) to be “THE Edge” that people either jumped from or steered clear of.

Nevertheless, I tried it. However, not for writing. Because that would be cheating, skimping even. How could I put my name on something I didn’t write?

A friend and fellow member of this group makes an excellent point regarding exactly where AI gets the information we so eagerly consume…which brings me to my recent first and, so far only, adventure into the world of Artificially Intelligent (how reassuring is that?) bot-forms who live in your computer writing for and about anything; including you and anyone else who deems them trustworthy, simply by updating my resume.  

The new resume wasn’t terrible. It just didn’t seem right. Or real. And I didn’t write it. It was lightning-fast though! Where I simply listed “Author” it inserted genres and websites and enough information to fill an entire page in a matter of seconds.

Would I use AI for research? Yes. I guess I already do. I love research, and AI makes it so easy…I just need to believe in the validity of the information I read. How about you? Since I have the honor of co-hosting this month’s IWSG, I’ll be around to read your thoughts on the subject.

Happy Writing!

 

IWSG August 2024

 

 

Welcome readers, writers, authors, and bloggers!

We're glad you're here! It's the First Wednesday of the month; when we celebrate IWSG Day in the form of a blog hop featuring members and guests of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Founded by author Alex Cavanaugh (Thank you, Captain!) and fostered by like-minded associates, IWSG is a comfortable place to share views and literary news as we record our journeys. Check out the May newsletter here.

The awesome co-hosts for this month’s posting of the IWSG are: Feather Stone, Kim Lajevardi, myself (diedre Knight), C. Lee McKenzie, and Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen!

 Today’s entirely optional 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?

Is it just me, or is absolutely everybody taking the leap to AI?  Without ever having “walked” it first, I’m just not at all sure what lies ahead; around the bend, under the bed… I won’t soon forget thinking I was smarter than the average prisoner of the notorious Coronavirus lockdown. It was just as embarrassing as the commercial (they probably wrote for me) depicted, where I ask Siri how far is the nearest hamburger joint, and she replies “Why? Where do you think you’re going?”

That’s why (getting back to the question) even inadvertent toe-dips into AI leave my heart racing, my senses honed for any bells or sirens suggesting I’ll soon be nabbed for my latest Intellectual Property Heist – when it wasn’t even my intention…exactly. Perhaps I just need to know more about it.

While we’re on the subject of perplexing things, what happens to all the stuff you placed in the “Cloud” when your computer crashes? For instance, has anyone seen a basket of Fairy Pickles floating around?

No, I can’t say I’ve ever used AI intentionally—not for posts, letters, or works in progress. But I think I’d like to try it once.

Can’t wait to come around and see what you all have to say on the subject!

Happy writing ;-)

 

IWSG March 2024 Is AI Keeping it Real?

Welcome readers, writers, authors, and bloggers!

We're glad you're here! It's the First Wednesday of the month, when we celebrate IWSG Day in the form of a blog hop featuring members and guests of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Founded by author Alex Cavanaugh (Thank you, Captain!) and fostered by like-minded associates, IWSG is a comfortable place to share views and literary news as we record our journeys. Check out the March newsletter here.

The awesome co-hosts for the March 6 posting of the IWSG are Kristina Kelly, Miffie Seideman, Jean Davis, and Liza @ Middle Passages!

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG posts. 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!

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?

No, I haven’t played with AI. I’m too busy hiding from it. I don’t trust any application that may well have been programmed by someone in a very bad mood the day the program was “born.” I wonder if users of a program (comprised of the thoughts of the programmer), which might here on out be considered “all anyone needs to know about creativity,” could truly produce anything original?  

Can you sue a machine for plagiarism? I like keeping things real.

As far as getting an AI-composed synopsis, I’m skeptical. But it might be worth a try. When it comes to something as personal as creativity, there should be no contest between humans and machines.

I believe everything has a place in this world, but you won’t find weeds in a vase on my table. And I won’t be accepting AI as exceptional in terms of creativity.

According to my writing app (yes, I do use some applications), I’m off to a good start this year. I can almost hear clapping in the background ;-)

Happy Writing!

 

“There’s a page that aches for a word which speaks of a theme that is timeless,”

BE ~ Neil Diamond

 

  

IWSG October 2023

 

Welcome readers, writers, authors, and bloggers!

We're glad you're here! It's the First Wednesday of the month; when we celebrate IWSG Day in the form of a blog hop featuring members and guests of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Founded by author Alex Cavanaugh (Thank you, Captain!) and fostered by like-minded associates, IWSG is a comfortable place to share views and literary news as we record our journeys. Check out the October newsletter here.

Our awesome co-hosts this month are:   Natalie Aguirre, Kim Lajevardi, Debs Carey, Gwen Gardner, Patricia Josephine, and Rebecca Douglass!

The optional question(s) for this month is: The topic of AI has been heavily debated across the world. According to various sources, generative AI will assist writers, not replace them. What are your thoughts?

First, Happy October, everyone!  It’s Children’s Magazine Month! It’s also Banned Books Week as well as Good Books Week. Does anyone see a correlation?  

Is AI going to ruin the writing industry? Well, probably not. But it will eliminate jobs in every industry, including ours. However, given the absence of emotional range without the slightest ability to incorporate ethics or morality into a soulless system programmed only to problem-solve, it stands to reason that AI also lacks the creative aptitude that human writers are born with. I am somewhat heartened by that.

Keeping in mind that AI is only as reliable as the input it receives, one has to wonder what to expect when a data entry specialist is tasked to describe to a machine the psychological effects of being caught in a perilous sea squall, the loss of a cherished friend, the physical pain of heartache. Could AI then impart the information with any semblance of realism to inspire joy, invoke fear, or extract a sob or a tear from the reader? I doubt it.

AI could, however, unflinchingly pass your data off as the property of someone or something else. Privacy and Security are what is most at stake here, and as long as we’re vigilant, we should all be alright.

Wishing everyone a highly creative season!