Finally, I'm an Author

My unsurprising take on AI (well, I assume it's unsurprising)

Hello Foxes,

I always wondered when I’d feel like a real, capital-A Author. Turns out it goes something like this:

Finished writing a novel I could actually publish

First short story published in an anthology

Published novel

First poem published in a magazine

Won an award

First sale to a stranger

More publishing

Book pirated and used to train Meta’s LLM

Ah. There it is.

In case it isn’t obvious via all the wailing I do about how my characters cheat with the plot, betray my plans and do things like date the wrong people, get the wrong job, and sit around eating snacks instead of saving the universe, I don’t use generative AI in my writing. Or my visual art. Or my audio readings.

I’m not a technophobe. Technology does wonderful things for us, including letting me send you this message from across the world or amplifying a saxophone solo, but I don’t think generative AI helps the artist. I’m not looking to make the creative process easier. Sometimes it is joyous and fun and like running downhill laughing, and sometimes it is bloody hard work, and sometimes it is like the thing I’m trying to make is clawing its way out from under my skin.

All of that is what makes it so damn beautiful. And I cry and flail and wonder every time if this will be the book that breaks me, and then it’s finished and it means something and I do it all over again.

I’m open to change, but using generative AI to write or create paintings doesn’t sit well with me, so I don’t do it. I don’t feel awed by AI art the way I do about human art. I’m not interested in reading books written by AI. The whole point, for me, is human resonance. Maybe one day the robots will be sentient, and then I may well be interested in their stories and their interpretations of the world. Antics of the Antifloof: One Robot Vacuum vs Cats will be top of the TBR.

Anyway, until then, here is a collection of books by Aussie and NZ authors available for 99c all this weekend! It includes Everfire, book 2 in The Lightless Prophecy, so if you haven’t got that yet, head to your favourite e-retailer and pick it up cheap. (You do need to have read Darkhaven first.)

I’m still closing in on the end of the Angels draft, although it’s starting to feel like each ‘end’ is a mirage and oops, there’s some other unresolved thing to deal with. Complicated little story. They all are, somehow. Humans.

Weigh in on the AI discussion if you like – I’m curious to know! Whatever you read, read it because you love it.

Which is to say,

Happy reading!

Kel