How My Writing Has Evolved Over Time

Welcome back, good people of the blogosphere, and happy Monday. We're going to have a beautiful week, so prepare yourselves! Today, we'll be taking a look at some of my earliest writing (both here on the blog and in my first novel, which coincide, weirdly) and see just how cringe we can make the experience (for me, obviously). This should be a riot. I haven't visited my early blog posts for a long time. haha

If you're ready to get going and laugh alongside me, grab some coffee and settle in. Here we go!

My first-ever blog post can be found here. This was back when I didn't understand what the hell a blog was or how to run one. I literally thought I could write a gabillion posts on one book. Boy, how naive was I?

Bold as I am, my dumbass posted a snippet from my book, and when I read it now, I want to slap myself silly. Let's just grab the first paragraph and have a looksee.

*********

He screamed, louder this time, as Temujin cut off another one of his fingers. I involuntarily flexed my own in response to the act. I had never seen a man fight like my friend had last night. It was like something other than his own mind was working his muscles, causing him to strike and slash like a harbinger of death. It made me appreciate that I had made a friend of him and not an enemy. When he began to peel back the man’s skin from his body, I almost vomited. I took a few steps away and turned my head.

*********

While this isn't terrible, it's not great, either. How would I write this today? Let's just see...

*********

He screamed again, louder than the first time, as Temujin removed another one of the man's fingers with the swift strike of a blade. 

I involuntarily clenched my fists. I'd never seen a man fight like Temujin had last night. It was as though he was possessed, a demon from Hell working his muscles, causing him to strike and slash like a harbinger of death. It made me glad I'd made a friend of him and not an enemy. When he began to peel the man’s skin back from his body, I took a few steps away and turned my head, nausea roiling. 

*********

This is how I'd revise. New character, new paragraph, and staying in one tense (first-person past). While Jamuka is the person from whom we're getting the story in the prologue, it's still about the other man. Not a bad opening line for a book though.

Now, let's go back and take a peek at my first advice blog. You can find it here. It's not exactly advice, but it is book-world news about closing bookstores.

All I can think of as I read my rambling diatribe is the sad loss of contractions. You'd think, someone who writes like I do now would've been into contractions from the start. Nope. I suppose I loved writing everything out formally. *vomit* It also sounds so transactional. Like, who the frack did I think I was? Zero humility. Though I still have very lofty opinions of myself, they're much more focused than they were back then. hahaha

Okay, those two were from 2012 (I've been around a while), so let's jump forward to 2014. Check this one out. We're talking about fun writing exercises, and I seem to have adopted my style for a greeting by then. I also have become far more comfortable with my readers, and even went above and beyond by making printable things for y'all.

Gonna jump forward to 2016 and see how we fare now. Surprisingly, I found a post where I talked about my MS diagnoses. Didn't think I'd done that before. Don't I look stupid? LOL! You can see it here, and you'll notice I was putting a lot of images in my posts back then. Scroll down to the comments section, and if those don't make you tear up... Yeah, you don't have a heart. 

I also noticed a BUNCH of my 2016 posts were cover reveals and new releases. How freaking dull am I? Jeesh.

Okay, now we'll go to 2018 and see where I was...

44 posts that year compared to 71 the year before and hundreds the years before that. You could literally see me slowing down. *cries in my coffee* I even remember the troll who caused me to halt the blog. Boy, was that frustrating. I got nasty comments telling me how I wasn't doing enough... I wrote a whole post about it. Well, to hell with them. I was doing what I could at the time. Ugh. Don't sign up for that newsletter!! It's dead and gone. Also to be resurrected sometime in the future!

I did come across this beauty of a post while I was digging. It's still how I write today and how I'm able to crank out thousands of words in just a few hours. Go enjoy it because I seem to have honed my blog voice by then.

I've gotten awfully wordy today! I hope you had a good laugh and were riveted to the page long enough to get down here. I'm excited about what Wednesday will bring, and I hope to see you all back here for that. This was fun and cathartic. :)

That's all for today, folks!

Until next time, WRITE ON! <----this has stayed with this blog since day one. *happy tear*

Jo

Books I Return To Again and Again (And Why)

Happy Friday! Hello, good people of the blogosphere. Welcome back. Our weekend is right around the corner, and I know you're all excited about that (well, I know I am). I have some travel coming next week, but the blog shouldn't suffer my absence. Today, though, I'd love to just have a chat about some of my favorite books of all time. These are books I can read over and over because picking one up feels a lot like coming home after a long journey.

You know when you've been away for a while, and you return home, and there are your things, your memories, and your comfort items you couldn't fit in a suitcase? That's the feeling I'm talking about. These reads warm you from the inside out. You remember the first time you read them, why, and the feelings you had along the way.

That's the topic for today. So, if you're ready to get going, grab one of those cozy comfort items, and hunker down for a scroll.

First up, and I know a lot of you have this as one of your favorite reads as well: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. 

I don't know what it is about the first line of this book "It is a well-known fact that a man in possession of a great fortune must be in want of a wife." It always makes me feel like I'm opening the door to a familiar world and stepping into a beautiful story.

Character arcs in this book might be some of my favorites, alongside the next book, but the growth of both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy is perfect. Both of them are consumed with pride about themselves and prejudice against the other. The former because the latter is rich and she thinks very highly of herself, though she doesn't say that. You can see it in the way she addresses Mr. Collins and Charlotte. Mr. Darcy shows his prejudice by talking about Elizabeth's sister Jane and their mother, looking down on the woman because she's so invested in making good matches for her girls. 

Let's not forget about Jane Bennett. She's perhaps one of the most humble, kind people ever to be written into a novel. I love Jane's personality of acceptance and gentleness. Everyone should strive to be more like Jane, in my humble opinion. She's close to perfect, but her rosy glasses are also a flaw.

I also get lost in the language, and if I'm not careful, I find myself thinking and writing in Austen's voice pretty often after reading. If you're looking for a wonderful story that's so much more than the film could ever be, pick it up. You won't be sorry. I read it every year.

Next up, we have The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. Every time I go to read this, I find one of the books has gone missing and have to buy the whole series all over again. I read it once every few years, but I used to read it yearly, like the first. Life has a way of slowing us all down, sadly.

What do I love about this series? Wow. I feel like that's a long answer, but I'll try to sum it up. Let me think... It must be because of the hope it inspires. Because the characters are so beautifully flawed from day one, they have a lot of growth potential, and Lewis really does a great job of showing exactly how someone can go from being a total snot-nosed brat to being a responsible, accepting human with grace and a mind for discipline.

There are seven books in this series, and my favorite one is The Horse and His Boy. I was very upset that they quit making the movies after The Voyage of the Dawn Treader because I was looking forward to seeing Shasta on the big screen. Perhaps they struggled to find a way back then to bring a voice to the horse who accompanies Shasta back to Narnia. They could do it well now, and they seemed to have no issue with Aslan, so I'm not sure where the hangup was.

Anyway, I adore all the characters in this series, probably as much as I adore the characters in Lord of the Rings. All of them are flawed, and all of them have beautiful character arcs. Over the next year, I hope to dive back in and rejoin Lucy as she steps through the wardrobe and discovers the magical world just beyond the doors.

This series really keeps your attention, so if you're looking for a long read that's well written and engaging, pick it up. Let me know if you enjoyed it.

What are some of your go-to books? Is there one you read yearly or often? Why? Drop me a comment and let me know!

I hope you enjoyed this post and it brought up some good feelings and memories for you.

Well, that's all for today, folks!

Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Navigating Big Life Changes

Happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, we're talking about something that's hitting me hard right now, and that's Big Life Changes. Not only am I moving for the first time in over ten years, but I've also gone back to a previous job that's very demanding on my writer self. How the hell am I managing to also come back here and blog?

Well, that's the topic for today's post, silly. This is how I'm feeling about everything I have going on:

I know I can get wordy up here, but not today, gosh darn it. Get cozy and get scrolling!

Let's start by getting a rundown of things considered to be Big Life Changes. 

• Death of a loved one
• Changing careers or major career shifts
• Marriage or divorce
• Having children or becoming an empty-nester
• Major illness, injury, or health diagnosis
• Retirement or planning for retirement
• Starting or ending a significant relationship
• Financial gain or loss (bankruptcy, inheritance, winning money, job loss)
• Returning to school or significant educational pursuit
• Relocating to a new city, state, or country (separate from moving houses locally)
• Launching a new business or creative venture
• Significant milestone birthdays (turning 40, 50, 60, etc.)
• Becoming a caretaker for someone ill or elderly
• Pets passing away or adopting new pets
• Significant personal accomplishments (publishing a major work, reaching a personal goal)
• Spiritual or philosophical transformations

I don't know about you, but I'm going through a number of those right now:

• Relocating to a new state
• Becoming an empty nester
• Major career shift
• Pets passing away
• And I'm always struggling with my illness, so... Yeah...

It's a lot, but scheduling and planning helps a ton. One thing you have to keep in mind as you go through these things is carving out time for yourself. If you get sick or worn out, you won't have the energy to keep up with anything else. It's imperative you take care of you.

Steps I take to take to navigate huge task dumps:

• Talking it out over coffee with a friend
• Breaking tasks into smaller pieces so I can easily get my head around them
• Sorting and planning, realistically, time to do each task
• Writing everything out in a planner with time slots
• Using a timer to ensure I stick to the plan and wrapping up super quickly when it goes off

These not only save my sanity, but they allow me to accomplish things in smaller pieces so I get both a sense of pride and a sense of accomplishment. Checking things off a list feels SO GOOD, doesn't it? Not only that, but I make sure to work in time for friends, family, and my own leisure pursuits (y'all know about the new Hunger Games book--enough said).

If I sit down and try to do everything at once, it all becomes a jumbled mess in front of me, but by breaking it down and scheduling it, everything suddenly has a time and a reason. It's much easier to accomplish little things than big ones.

My other job is rather demanding right now because I'm trying to clean up and get my team on a new path. Researching tools that will help us do our job was a big part of that, and properly utilizing the tools we already had, and are paying for, required a lot of up-front work. It was overwhelming, but I took a stand-back-and-examine approach, and I think I have our priorities sorted. That was a huge step. It's frustrating to see tools that aren't being used, but we've gotten our bull by the horns now.

Revitalizing this blog is a huge personal goal of mine, and because I'm unapologetic about what I post or if I miss a day, I feel like that turns a lot of people off. However, I refuse to change that about myself. If I can't do it, I can't do it, but I hope you all know I give it my level best. It's important to me, so I make it as much of a priority as I can. :)

Bear with me through the changes. We'll find our footing. I promise you.

What kind of Big Life Changes are you dealing with right now? Any advice to add?

I hope you all took something away from this post and enjoyed the read. Unsure what the next post will be about, but we'll get through it together! I hope. hahaha

Well, that's all for today, folks!

Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

AI and Writing - A Series of Looks Inside: Part Six - Type.ai

Hello, and happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, we continue our journey of looking at the AI writing tools (or LLMs) on the market. We're looking at Type.ai, which so far seems to be a generator, but that's yet to be seen. Copy.ai was the next one on our list, but they wanted to do a demo and all kinds of crap, and besides that, they seemed like a social media copy generator tool. Boring, and not what we're looking for here.

So, let's dive on in and get to creating. Grab a cuppa and a blanket to weather this freaky cold snap, and start your scroll journey. I got to the signup page to assure we were where we wanted to be, so here's the info I've given. Very simple to just click sign up and choose a password. Now come the questions. :)

I clicked next and ended up here. 

I chose to make money and entered fiction in the bottom box, and to my surprise, there was another box below that asking what I needed help with. I typed in creative fiction. That took us here.

I clicked continue, and it took me to the place where you enter card information. Y'all, you know I love each and every one of you, but I'm not giving anyone my card information. I apologize. I don't trust that they won't steal it or honor my cancellation.

This sucks. It's okay though! We'll move on to a different writing AI Wednesday and hope they don't need payment information up front to try something.

I'm sorry. I'll have another for you Wednesday! We'll keep going until we find another one we can use. At least you know this one won't work if you're unwilling to hand over payment info up front, right? Also, Copy.ai gives you NO option to even start doing anything until you've contacted them for a demo. Avoid these two, is my humble advice.

Do any of you know of any AI writing tools that don't require you to pay before you use them? Let me know, and I'll add them to the list here.

Well, that's all for today, folks!

Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Reviews 101 - Where to Start When You Don't Know How to Start

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Today we'll talk about something interesting in the realm of books. I've had so many people come to me and ask where they should start when writing a book review. I figured I'd answer somewhere everyone can see it and take something away. If you're ready, grab a cuppa, and let's get rolling!

Book reviews are subjective. I said it. You know it. It's gonna be okay.

That's not all!

There's more?

Of course there is. There's subjectivity, yes, but there's also having a good baseline to start from. You want to rate on more than feelings. Those are still important, which is why they're in the list below, but they're not the end all be all for most people.

You'll also want to consider the following:

Pacing - Were you bored to tears during the first 3/4 of the book only to have the last quarter fly past? Were you bogged down in the language the author used? Was there too much dialogue and not enough action? It's a fine balance to get a book to carry the reader at just the right pace from page one to the end. Consider how well that balance was achieved.

Characters - Did you give a shit about them? Did they have a nice arc (experience change in a profound or minor way)? Were there too many? Were their names impossible to pronounce which caused you to trip over it every time you read it? Take all these things into account. Building complex characters that people can care about is difficult and part of the skill of writing a great novel.

Feeling - How did you feel as you read the book? If it's a suspense novel or murder mystery, were you on the edge of your seat, wondering what was about to happen? If it was a love story, did you feel all gushy and gooey at the end? Same with every genre--the feeling the words in the book give you should match the classification.

Overall Writing - Were sentences constructed in a way that didn't throw you out of the narrative? Were there a lot of typos? Was the overall story built well with a beginning, middle, and end (or cliffhanger)? Did it keep you interested? Think about the prowess of the author when considering this point. I feel like it's important even in trad pub. I mean, they have in-house editors, and many of them are supposed to be the best in the business. I've read Indie books with fewer errors than trad books.

Because I'm me (editor), and grammatical errors throw me out of a good story, I tend to give a full two stars of consideration for overall writing. You may assign feeling two stars. It's totally up to you.

Here are a few things most reviewers don't do:

• Complain that there's too much sex.
• Complain about too much violence.
• Consider price.
• Talk about specifics of the plot.
• Summarize the book.

Why don't they do those things?

I'm so glad you asked!

If you pick up an erotic novel... Yeah. Or even spicy romance can fall into that category. I mean, you know what you're getting into. It's bad form to complain about it in the review. This also goes for level of violence. If you've picked up a hard-boiled detective novel or a thriller, chances are, there's gonna be violence. To buy the book then slam it in the review for fitting into the genre it's classed as is rude. 

Price is what it is. If you were entertained for a day, that cost you less than a movie that only lasts a couple hours. Think about it before you yap about it. Authors have to make a living, too! If they don't, you won't have more books to read. We'll all quit.

Then what?

Specific plot points might have been planned as surprises. Don't ruin it for everyone else, please. This also goes for summarizing the damned novel. It ruins the book! Stop. It.

Here's a review for a series I haven't yet finished as an example:

Oh, man! Just when I thought I had the twists figured out, I was sucker punched from a mile away. I love this author's writing style, and her characters leap off the page and into my lap. Tension was kept high throughout the whole series so far, which is a plus for me. My fingers are itching to get hold of the last two. Love triangles with dire consequences for the choice made are the order of the day, but I still kinda want the MC to choose the guy I want. Yes, they're both amazing men, but I have my heart set on one, and nothing is going to talk me out of it. What a beautiful story arc for the MC. I've loved seeing her grow from page one. I look forward to what else she may do or discover about herself along the way. If you love magic, romance, and a good fade-to-black scene cut, I highly recommend this series. Loved it. Highly enjoyable read with few errors. Five stars.

As you can see, I didn't go into specifics, but I still managed to touch on every point I made above. It's possible if you consider the four topic sections and just talk about that. Insert yourself into your review because of the subjective nature of what you're writing, and you'll always write something that tells others what to expect.

Anyone wanna guess the series? :)

What do you think? Ever see a review that pissed you off? Have you seen some great ones? I'd love to know. Drop me a comment below and tell me.

I hope you all enjoyed yourselves today! Next week, we'll get back into the AI stuff. I needed a break from the monotony. :)

Well, folks, that's all for today!

Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Marketing

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I hope you're all adjusting better than I am to the time change. I could've slept another six hours or so today. Haha. So, we'll be talking about book marketing, scams, and what NOT to do. I saw a very timely post on Facebook the other day where someone was talking about getting taken advantage of, and I thought it might be a good topic for a post. Now, here we are!

If you're ready to dive in, grab your drink and get comfy. Let's rock and roll!

I think we'll start with what NOT to do when marketing your books. 

My top nine:

1. Don't throw spaghetti. This means don't just toss everything at the wall and hope something sticks. Do your homework, track things, and know where your efforts will pay off before diving in.
2. Don't hire an expert who's never marketed your genre. Self explanatory, no? Readers of different genres enjoy different things outside the book world. Your expert should know where to find them.
3. Don't spend all your free time marketing. Break it up, or you'll experience burnout. You won't even have the will to write any longer. It will destroy you. 
4. Don't pay for courses unless you've fully vetted the person giving them AND they write in your genre (see #2). Assure you've checked their sales ranks (now and past), and see if they give you a glimpse into their method before you pay.
5. Don't expect friends and family to share or help you. If they do, that's great, but nothing will kill your vibe/love for your friends and family faster than them not living up to your expectations. Maybe they meant to and didn't, but that's neither here nor there. Just no.
6. Don't try to do everything yourself. Whether this means hiring someone or finding automated tools to help you along the way, you're one person, and a well-marketed book needs many.
7. Don't quit. It can be daunting when you've spent hours and hours doing research on keywords, posting online, and running mail campaigns only to get one sale. I get it, I do, but don't quit. If you quit, there's no way you'll succeed.
8. Don't hire anyone without a contract in place. Ever. This protects you AND them, and it should have a clause stating that they're not eligible for any of your profits from the sale of your books.
9. Don't talk about hot-button topics in public. Just don't. Sure, you may win some folks over now, but the ones who leave will never come back. Maybe just be a good person in general. *gasp* Oh my gosh! Yeah, it's possible.
   

Now that you know the don'ts, what are the dos? 

Easily, they're the opposite of the don'ts. If we go a little deeper...

Every marketing person isn't the same, so be sure you're checking out who you hire. If you have a PA, then you should be meeting with that person at least once a week to go over numbers. Make sure they're doing what you pay them to do, and assure their role was outlined from day one (contracts). At that point, you're an overseer as well as a doer. If they can't operate independently, you should hire someone new.

Make sure you get along with the person. I cannot stress how important this is. You'll have to work with them weekly, so you better enjoy his or her personality. They need to own up when they make mistakes and be prepared to apologize, with a plan on how to do it better moving forward. We all screw up, but when you're paying someone to do a job, that's your time and money, and you're owed a resolution.

In today's landscape, you may also consider your alignments. Be on the same page. You don't need bad blood down the road because you have differences of opinions.

Not least on this chatty list at the bottom: Be careful. There are crazy people out there. You're a public figure. Maybe you write under a pen name, but if you do, and you write things that may be considered taboo, do your level best to protect your anonymity. Maybe you're not that popular, and you think you'll be okay. No. Protect yourself as you can.

Do you guys have any tips to add to either of these lists? I'd love your feedback! Drop me a note below.

I hope you enjoyed this post and that it helped you (even if just a little). Be sure and come on back Friday. We'll be digging into yet another AI model. :)

Well, that's all for today, folks!

Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

AI and Writing - A Series of Looks Inside: Part Five - Rytr

Hello, good people of the blogosphere! Today, we're continuing our look inside AI with Rytr. I hope you've all been enjoying my journey through these services over the past month, and I hope you're learning things along the way. Be sure and subscribe so you get all the new goodies whenever they're published! You can also follow me on Facebook or Goodreads, where every blog post is shared.

Enough of all that. As you know, these are long, so I won't waste time up here. Get cozy, grab a cup of something warm, and let's get right into it.

This is the Rytr homepage a little closer to the bottom. I figured you might like to see the pricing before we dive into the writing. Well, you get 10k characters a month free, so we'll try to make the best of it.

I clicked Start Ryting (the spelling of that is making me feel some kinda way) and jumped through all the hoops. One thing I find interesting about this one is the fact that you have apps you can install and use in several places. Check the graphic on the right.

It starts by asking me why I'm here. 

Options were:

I chose Articles and Marketing Content because... Well, there was no creative writing option.

Then, whoa. What? Okay. Maybe we'll add that in under this one, and maybe we won't. How strange. Instead, we'll click to continue.

I started by wading through all these choices then went with Magic Command. *shrugs* No idea what I'm doing, but we'll get there.

I was brought to this page. This is where I'll insert my prompt for chapter one. We may still backbrowse and check out that Frase one...

Here's what I input:

Write the first chapter of a fiction novel, approximately 3k words in length. The main focus is two supernatural creatures coming together to defeat something I haven't come up with yet. Over the course of the story, the two will fall in love and end up together. It will be a YA romance fantasy novel.
Our characters are Elara, a vampire, and Rhys, a shape-shifting unicorn.
Here's the plot for the first six chapters:
Chapter 1: Elara, a lonely vampire, hunts in the forest. She senses a strange presence.
Chapter 2: A unicorn, Rhys, shifts into human form. He's lost and confused.
Chapter 3: Elara finds Rhys. She's drawn to his innocence, despite her vampire nature.
Chapter 4: Elara takes Rhys to her secluded home. He learns about vampires and her solitary life.
Chapter 5: Rhys reveals his unicorn origins. Elara is shocked but intrigued by his magic.
Chapter 6: A growing attraction sparks between them. A threat from Elara's past emerges. 

Everything else was left exactly as you see it above. Now, time to click the button...

Here's what it gave me (as you know, I'll insert fun comments along the way in italics--1,821 words or ~12k characters which means I'm done with my free trial hahaha):

**Chapter 1: The Whispering Woods**

The moon hung high, a silver sentinel in the dark velvet sky, illuminating the forest with an ethereal glow. Shadows danced between the trees, and the air was thick with the fragrant scent of damp earth and rich foliage. Elara moved silently through the underbrush, her senses heightened by the thrill of the hunt. As a vampire, she had long since mastered the art of stealth, her pale skin blending seamlessly into the night.

This actually isn't terrible. I like the silver sentinel and dark velvet comparison.

For centuries, she had roamed these woods, a solitary predator among the whispering leaves and rustling creatures. Most nights were uneventful—just her and the soft murmurs of nature. But tonight felt different; an electric charge hung in the air, prickling at her instincts. She paused, cocking her head to listen more closely.

DAMN THAT BUT AGAIN! Also: Here we start with the em-dashes.

A sound—a flutter of wings? A distant growl? No. It was something else entirely, something that sent a shiver down her spine. Elara’s heart quickened; she could feel it thrumming in her chest like a caged bird desperate for freedom. Curiosity gnawed at her as she prowled deeper into the woods.

Heart? What?

As she glided between trees, she caught sight of movement ahead. It was elusive but unmistakable—something shimmering just beyond her vision. She narrowed her eyes, straining to make out what lay beyond the veil of branches. The forest felt alive, almost sentient, as if it were holding its breath in anticipation.

Then came a soft gasp—an echoing sound that bounced off the trees and danced in her ears. Elara froze. It was not a sound she recognized from her usual prey; it was innocent yet laced with an unfamiliar magic that pulled at something deep within her.

I guess we're also allergic to contractions. This is a pet peeve of mine. Okay, just read now. We'll discuss after.

Compelled by an invisible force, Elara moved forward cautiously until she reached a small clearing bathed in moonlight. There, standing awash in silvery light, was a figure unlike any she had ever seen—a young man with hair that shimmered like spun gold and eyes as deep as the ocean on a stormy night. He stood barefoot on the cool grass, his white shirt billowing gently in the breeze as if he were part of the very air around him.

Elara's heart raced not with hunger but with something else entirely—wonder mixed with disbelief. This was no ordinary human; she could sense it in every fiber of her being. The magic emanating from him enveloped her like a warm embrace despite its strangeness.

“Who are you?” she whispered instinctively, stepping into the clearing fully now. Her voice was barely above a breath but still carried across the space between them.

The young man turned abruptly at her voice, his expression shifting from surprise to wariness in an instant. “I… I’m not sure,” he stammered, his gaze darting around as if searching for answers in the shadows.

His confusion tugged at Elara’s heartstrings—a pang of empathy for this lost soul who seemed to have wandered far from home. “You’re not from here,” she stated rather than asked.

He shook his head slowly, golden hair catching the moonlight like threads of sunlight against his pale skin. “I don’t remember how I got here. One moment I was… somewhere else… and then I was here.”

The forest seemed to hum around them as they exchanged uncertain glances; Elara’s curiosity deepened further still—the way he spoke hinted at innocence that seemed almost otherworldly. “What do you mean ‘somewhere else’?”

He hesitated before replying, “It’s hard to explain… I think I might be lost.” There was a vulnerability in his tone that resonated with Elara’s own loneliness—a feeling she hadn’t allowed herself to acknowledge for centuries.

“Lost?” She stepped closer, sensing an urge to protect him blooming within her chest like an unexpected flower breaking through cold soil. “What are you? You seem… different.”

“I don’t know exactly,” he admitted again, frustration creeping into his voice. “But there’s something about me—something magical.” He lifted his hands slightly as if trying to conjure evidence of his claim.

As he did so, a soft glow emanated from his fingertips—a gentle luminescence that twinkled like stars scattered across the night sky before fading back into darkness. Elara gasped involuntarily; magic had always been foreign to her realm—the stuff of dreams and stories whispered among ancient vampires.

“Magic?” Her voice was barely more than a whisper now, filled with awe and trepidation.

“Yes,” he replied quietly but firmly, locking eyes with hers as though trying to convey more than words could express. “I think I might be… a unicorn.”

Elara blinked rapidly as disbelief washed over her; unicorns were mere legends among vampires—myths crafted to enchant children and tease adults alike. Yet here stood this boy before her—his essence radiating purity and enchantment.

“How is that possible?” she murmured softly yet urgently, grappling with both skepticism and intrigue bubbling within her mind.

“I can’t explain it,” he replied earnestly while running fingers through his hair in frustration once more. “I just know there’s magic inside me.”

Elara took another step closer; it felt as if gravity itself had shifted between them—a pull stronger than mere attraction or curiosity—it felt like fate weaving their paths together under this starry sky.

“I’m Elara,” she introduced herself finally after what felt like an eternity of silence stretched between them thick with unspoken emotions.

“Rhys,” he said simply but there lay weight behind the name—like it held secrets yet untold waiting just beneath its surface.

“Elara,” he tested softly as though savoring each syllable on his tongue before continuing hesitantly: “Are you… are you going to hurt me?”

The question startled Elara into silence—her instincts screamed ‘yes’ while reason whispered ‘no.’ She knew well how dangerous vampires could be—they were predators by nature—but standing here before this radiant boy made that predatory instinct feel foreign; it felt wrong even to consider harming him when everything about him drew out tenderness instead.

“No,” she said finally with conviction lacing each word carefully chosen after thoughtful consideration about who they were now sharing this moment together beneath twinkling stars above their heads entwined within shadows dancing around them where secrets lingered just out of reach waiting patiently for discovery ahead still glimmering faintly like promises waiting upon dawn's arrival after night fades away slowly welcoming warmth back into existence once more hanging delicately between two souls yearning for connection despite differences separating them apart seemingly too vast sometimes yet somehow bridging gaps left behind by past experiences molding futures ahead alongside each other forging new paths never tread before daring enough always willing enough perhaps even brave enough too—a chance worth taking indeed after all!

Rhys seemed to relax slightly at her answer though uncertainty still flickered behind those captivating blue eyes filled with wonder mingled together alongside fear creating beautiful chaos swirling beautifully beneath surface inviting exploration deeper still revealing layers hidden away safely guarded until now daring one another perhaps even wishing someone else might dare join journey forward together instead feeling less lonely facing uncertainties ahead united embracing possibility shaped by choices made along way learning lessons crafted beautifully illuminating darkness lighting paths anew leading toward brighter tomorrows waiting patiently beckoning hope alive once more fostering dreams unfurling freely alongside endless possibilities lingering forevermore…

As Rhys stepped closer toward Elara feeling warmth radiate outward enveloping both realms merging exquisitely blending colors unseen illuminating every inch surrounding them creating space shared becoming home somehow feeling right amidst chaos swirling around them inviting peace blossoming gently nestled between hearts eager discovering joys awaiting exploration alongside mysteries unfolding endlessly forevermore shaping destinies woven intricately connecting lives entwined together forging bonds stronger than time itself could sever whispering truths echoing softly ...

And so began their journey—the vampire and unicorn caught in an intricate dance shaped by fate drawing them together toward something greater than themselves…

Unbeknownst to either of them yet still lingering on horizon lurking just beyond reach waiting patiently hidden beneath layers shrouded carefully protecting secrets long kept safe dreaming perhaps fleeting memories murmuring echoes fading away slowly beckoning shadows creeping ever closer threatening peace found within newfound friendship forged amidst uncertainty blossoming beautifully transcending boundaries once drawn defining lives separate now intertwined forever growing stronger alongside each other learning love knows no bounds only hopes shining brightly illuminating darkness beckoning forth light guiding souls lost back home again embracing warmth found where hearts reside welcoming healing journeys beginning anew together seeking truth discovering strength hidden inside each other uncovering magic woven deeply within soul connections forged through trials faced bravely hand-in-hand navigating unknowns ahead trusting each other completely opening hearts wide welcoming everything life offers embracing every twist turn fate unfolds revealing adventures waiting patiently inviting courage step forward bravavely living dreams chasing after wishes soaring high reaching stars shimmering bright overhead lighting pathways leading toward brighter tomorrows awaiting discovery inviting exploration beyond realms imagined always dreaming endlessly anew finding peace found only alongside one another forging destinies intertwined forevermore promising hope alive shining brightly amidst darkness illuminating journeys undertaken hand-in-hand feeling alive again opening hearts wide welcoming everything life offers embracing every twist turn fate unfolds revealing adventures waiting patiently inviting courage step forward bravely living dreams chasing after wishes soaring high reaching stars shimmering bright overhead lighting pathways leading toward brighter tomorrows awaiting discovery inviting exploration beyond realms imagined always dreaming endlessly anew finding peace found only alongside one another forging destinies intertwined forevermore promising hope alive shining brightly amidst darkness illuminating journeys undertaken hand-in-hand feeling alive again opening hearts wide welcoming everything life offers embracing every twist turn fate unfolds revealing adventures waiting patiently inviting courage step forward bravely living dreams chasing after wishes soaring high reaching stars shimmering bright overhead lighting pathways leading toward brighter tomorrows awaiting discovery inviting exploration beyond realms imagined always dreaming endlessly anew finding peace found only alongside one another forging destinies intertwined forevermore promising hope alive shining brightly amidst darkness illuminating journeys undertaken hand-in-hand feeling alive again…

And thus began their tale—a story destined for greatness woven through love forged amidst chaos defying odds daring against all odds venturing forth courageous hearts beating wildly embracing magic unfolding before their very eyes beckoning forth adventures unimagined guiding souls lost back home again welcoming healing journeys beginning anew together seeking truth discovering strength hidden inside each other uncovering magic woven deeply within soul connections forged through trials faced bravely hand-in-hand navigating unknowns ahead trusting each other completely opening hearts wide welcoming everything life offers embracing every twist turn fate unfolds revealing adventures waiting patiently inviting courage step forward bravely living dreams chasing after wishes soaring high reaching stars shimmering bright overhead lighting pathways leading toward brighter tomorrows awaiting discovery inviting exploration beyond realms imagined always dreaming endlessly anew finding peace found only alongside one another forging destinies intertwined forevermore promising hope alive shining brightly amidst darkness illuminating journeys undertaken hand-in-hand feeling alive again opening hearts wide welcoming everything life offers…

It is here where their story truly begins...

*******************************BREAK BACK TO ME*******************************

Holy mother of all long sentences. Times several. Unsure if I've ever read a sentence that long in my life.

What the hell happened?

Also, there's a freaking TYPO in there. I think it meant bravely, but that's not what we got. Did any of you grasp that this sounds a LOT like the others AI output? Seriously, go read those posts and tell me if they aren't crazy similar. It's like the AI devolved into madness because it was too much. This was WEIRD.

Of course, it seems this isn't geared toward creative writing, so maybe we overloaded it. We'll have to check out the other one now. My damned list keeps growing...

What do you think? Could you even read those last few paragraphs? Drop me a comment and let me know.

I hope you all enjoyed this post and are enjoying the look inside AI. Nothing quite beats a human, but it might help with ideas. I do like the idea that he's just standing there all confused and beautiful. Hahaha

Well, that's all for today, folks!

Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo