Happy July everyone! It’s time for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.
I’ve been busily plugging away at my edits. Another Critique Circle pal finish my beta and I’m currently working to improve my in-world palace security to address concerns. I think, once I get those edits complete, I’ll reach out to my next set of betas. All-in-all, I feel the story is stronger than where I started a year and a half ago, and it’s a heck of a lot better than the original I published 13 years ago.
Though most of my focus has been on my edits, I have done a little bit of art. This is a piece I’ve attempted multiple times over the past 4 years, and this is the first time I actually like the outcome. It’s more horror themed than I intended, but I’m okay with that. This isn’t a scene straight from the book, but more of an embodiment of the story around chapter 5. From a distance, Derek looks demonic, but I swear, up close, he’s a sweetie pie.
IWSG Question of the Month – Is there anything you’d like to see changed, added, and/or rearranged about the book publishing industry?
I’d like there to be less of a witch hunt surrounding AI. I don’t use generative AI in my writing or artwork, nor do I condone the theft of intellectual property from writers and artists to feed AI engines. But I’ve seen a number of writers and artists get accused of using AI when they haven’t. It makes me despair because I feel it’s only a matter of time before someone levels such accusations at me. It’s a different type of fear than “what if they hate my book?” That’s a matter of opinion. But AI accusations can blacklist innocent people, and that scares me.
How many rounds of betas do you typically have to go through? Do you like my picture? What would you like to see changed in publishing?
About Insecure Writer’s Support Group
You can find the sign up for the IWSG here. We owe Alex J Cavanaugh a huge thank you for thinking this blog hop up.
First, I love the art. You are so talented. No doubt based on hard, hard work.
Second, yeah, AI. I don’t use it either and would absolutely hate anyone suggesting I did. Feeling pretty bad for the accused. Those consequences would kill me.
I never thought of it like that. We could all be accused of using AI.
I like the art, especially those vines! Yeah, the AI witch-hunt is alive and well… I wonder if one has to go on a dusty digital road to defend your honour like in the old west? (I’m watching a lot of cowboy movies with my dad, so that’s the first thought I had. LOL.)
Demonic ? With those amber-gold eyes ?
Definitely not, happy to believe he’s sweet. reminds me of the amber eyed friendly tom-cat I met yesterday, in a place called Ironbridge Gorge.
That word ‘ artificial’ could be more than half the trouble. Foodstuffs are so often proclaiming ‘ no artificial ingredients’ My IT professional other, called a husband, points out, often, that we’ve all been usin g computer intelligence for decades.
I love your artwork! I admire your talent so much!
I also don’t use gen AI in my work, but every time I hear someone say, “Em dashes are a sign you used AI, you know,” I cry a little on the inside. And the outside. The AI witch hunt is *scary*.
Love the image, Loni! I think Derek looks very cute. I don’t use AI in my writing, and I am not interested in AI written things. But it’s getting harder and harder to know. Is using spell-check, AI? How about if Word points out a grammar error? Is looking up AI info for something you’re writing AI use? At least I know my ideas and words are my own. All the best to you!
That is a great picture. When I accuse people of using AI, it’s usually students who are writing way too good for how they should be writing. In book form…? I don’t know. I think having your blog and showing people you’re a real person goes a long way towards proving you wrote your own books.
Lovely picture. I adore it.
Wow! That drawing/painting really grabs my interest. Intended for a cover? Liked your comment that Derek wasn’t too demonic. Still makes me want to check out your books.
About beta reads, I just finished my hopefully almost-final art crime mystery and have it out to six beta readers, my first time in using more that two. The result so far has been richly diverse with more to come in July. For now, I’m trying not to read/reread that wip, letting it rest. By mid-July, I’ll be back to work. Is that how working with betas is for you?
100% agree.
I love the art. You are so stinkin’ talented.
You’re such a talented artist. I agree that it’s not fair when writers who aren’t using AI are accused of using it. In my writing job, we used to use an Al detector. It would sometimes say an article was AI-generated when the writer wrote it totally themselves.
Your character looks great! You’re such a talented artist.
I think we need to be less concerned about being accused of using AI, and the AI actually rising up and taking over the world. ;-P
Hi Loni! It’s so nice to “see” you again. I’m guessing you didn’t get time to post this month, so I’ll comment here. Firstly, your art is fantastic, as always. Beguilingly creepy. And I love the look of your site now, especially the squirrel!
As for your comment on publishing, I agree. AI is a valuable tool that’s only as good as the user who wields it. While it shouldn’t be used to write books (as a developmental editor, I’ve unfortunately seen the horrible results of that), and it can’t replace human editors, it can do a lot of good for writers when used wisely. The witch hunt and “AI is evil” protestors remind me of when the internet was first gaining steam. A lot of people swore they were never going to use that, either.