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

Passive vs Active Work and Why Each Matters

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Welcome back. I know things have been kind of all over the place this month, but hey, you're not here for normal. If you wanted that, there are a ton of other blogs out there that'll deliver. Ha! One thing you won't get here are pre-written blog posts created by anyone, or thing, other than me. Despite my interest in AI and what it can offer writers, I prefer to tickle the keys and bring you my winning personality. :)

All that being said, today, we're diving into the differences between active and passive work and why you should be doing both. Why do they matter? Are they really both important?

There's only one way to find out! Let's stop wasting time up here and dive on in, shall we? Get that coffee, get comfortable, and get to scrolling.

Passive Work - This is most easily defined as learning. On a more complex level, you can call it a dabble (practice), gaining education, thinking about what you need to do, or setting up preparation to complete a task. Now, let's break those down.

Thinking about your task is the first thing you should do. While it does still matter, it usually comes in the form of considering what you need to complete the task, how you'll tackle the dabble, what books you'll read or videos you'll watch, and thinking about timing/making a schedule so you know when you're ready to prepare. You can also spend this time making a playlist or ordering/buying books you'll need for the education phase.

Dabbling gives you the advantage of basically trying before buying. This is where you try the skill or get used to the tools you're about to use to perform a bigger task. In the form of art, it's trying different mediums to see how they feel or react to whatever substrate you plan to use or getting the feel of different tools in your hands. In writing, it's things like blogging or journaling. Just keep in mind that practice doesn't make perfect, practice makes permanent, so assure you're practicing with the right form in mind. Either by holding that brush just the right way or using complete sentences.

When you're passively tackling education, it's all about reading or watching someone else do what you're about to do. Taking classes to further your education in one area or another is also considered education. Lots of folks dive into this before they start to dabble. Yeah, there could be a set path, but sometimes, you dabble, educate, then do, so nothing is really set in stone. I know I started dabbling in writing when I was about twelve, and I didn't dive into the education side until much later. :) By the way, those first stories never saw the light of day. They were just mine. I shudder to think about the reviews... You also practice here because that's learning. Read, paint, do whatever until you're good at it.Something a lot of people don't know is that MailerLite has an education course where you can become certified. If you're thinking about that newsletter, go take the course and practice using their platform.

Now, with preparation, this is your woolgathering stage. You set the circumstances, get everything together that you need to perform the task, and make a plan or schedule to get things done. A lot of folks might call scheduling active work, but it's not. It's passive. 

Active Work - This is the doing. We can break it down into creating the thing; making sure others create the thing; or diving, well prepared, into that task.

When you're creating the thing (whatever it may be), you should know exactly what to do next and be well prepared to do it. You know your stuff because you spent passive time learning how to do the task(s) needed. You're familiar with the tools. All that passive work leads to the doing.

If someone else needs guidance (if you're a manager or foreman), you're the one with the skills to show them how to do it, and you can keep people on task because you have a schedule you created during your passive time.

Active work will be a small percentage of your day unless you're already well versed on the things you need to accomplish and how to get them done. Every time you're learning a new skill, you'll have more passive time in your workflow.

I've heard of some companies giving employees up to two hours a day to spend on learning so they get better at their jobs. Something to think about. When we know more, we're more productive and have to spend less time stopping to learn what we're doing when we come upon something we're not sure how to do. You know it ahead of time.

Spend the time learning how to do everything related to the tasks you know you'll be facing, and you'll be more productive and have fewer hours of downtime from having to backtrack or look something up (which is oftentimes where writers get lost in the internet). Ha!

I feel sometimes too much emphasis is put on the active side of things because that's where actual results can be seen, but passive work is equally as important, or you lose a lot of production hours. I know you know what I mean. :P

I hope this post was informative! Do you find yourself engaged in more passive or active work? How do you find the balance? Drop me a comment and let me know. :)

Well, that's all for today, folks!

Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

MS Awareness Month! What MS is and How Diagnoses Happens

Hello, and happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'm getting a little personal with you all and discussing MS. So many folks don't know what it is or how it behaves, and since March is Multiple Sclerosis awareness month, I thought it was a good time to get into it. If you're not interested in learning more, feel free to move on. However, if you are wanting to know a little more about this disease and my journey with it, grab a blankie and scroll on.

Let's get into it.

Multiple Sclerosis, better known as MS (or Mister Sinister in many circles) is a nerve demyelination disease. Myelin is the soft covering over your nerve endings, and MS causes the body to attack these soft parts and destroy them. That's the simplified version. We'll get more in depth here in a minute, but first, I'd like to tell you about my personal journey with this disease.

I traveled via airplane to see my son graduate high school in Iowa. When we were airborne, I fell asleep on the plane. This isn't something I usually do--naps don't happen for me and never have, but I passed right out. I simply could NOT keep my eyes open. I did the same thing in the car on the drive to the hotel. Weird.

I figured it was just my new glasses. You see, I'd been having some weird vision problems and assumed I just needed a bit of help. I was like that the whole trip, and I'd just fall asleep in random situations. Okay...

We came back home via airplane. It was the next day when all Hell broke loose. I woke up feeling like someone had put me on a Tilt-a-Whirl, hit the start button, and left it running. I was dizzy as all hell, nauseated, and exhausted. My husband urged me to see the doctor.

Doctor A (PCP) put me on steroids and antibiotics, assuming I had an inner-ear infection. A month later, I was still dizzy. I went back to see that doctor again. He told me to find a neurologist and make an appointment. I looked up reviews and found the best neurologist in my area. Keep in mind, I was at the height of my career and suddenly couldn't write. I was in a bad place and was sleeping all the time. It took another month, but I got in to see Doctor N.

SHE said she thought it might be MS, but she had to do a lot of tests to confirm it. Here are all the things we did:

• Bloodwork (to rule out Lupus and other autoimmune things)
• Infectious Disease Doctor (to rule out Lyme)
• Vestibular Testing (to rule out that inner ear)
• MRI (to check for lesions on the brain)
• Spinal Tap (to check for: WBC count, neurofilaments, and Oligoclonal bands [the most important])

Only then could she say, with 98% certainty, that I had MS and could start treatment for it. You see, there's no test for MS. You have to rule out everything else it could possibly be, and even then, there's a slight chance that's not what it is. However, every single one of my ducks were in a row, and my lesions were mid-brain, which impacts speech, hand-eye coordination, and several other things creatives need. There was a need to be super aggressive, so she started me on a popular drug that worked wonders.

My fatigue went away, my dizziness subsided, and my hands started to cooperate a bit better. I finished the books I was working on. Yay! I felt like a human again. Through the years, I've had a couple of flares and med changes, but overall, my MS is under control. This was in 2017. This September will mark my eighth year fighting this crap, and thank goodness for intelligent doctors. I'm not sure I would've survived everything that was happening to me.

Now, back to the potential things MS can cause.

I know you've probably put it together by now, but MS can cause a ton of things to go wonky in your body. This is one of the reasons it's so difficult to pin down. It can be literally anything because of the nervous system. If something goes down, it can seem like it's related to something else (see vision problems and inner-ear crap above). Some people lose the ability to walk suddenly, and some folks simply have a weird rash.

It varies from person to person, but an intelligent neurologist will be able to discover what's going on.

If you met me, you'd wonder whether I have a disease at all because it's so well controlled. That's one of the reasons they call it an invisible disease. Sometimes you see it, and sometimes you don't. When I'm in a flare, you see it. I can't write; hell, I can't even sign my damned name (an automatic thing your brain does). Nothing gets done because I'm just tired all the time. Not tired like someone who's sleepy, but it's massive fatigue--almost like narcolepsy. I can't hold my eyes open and can sleep for days. Pain is a constant friend, and my scale probably is at a one when yours is at an eight. I've acclimated.

Many people with MS also take a lot of OTC pain medication. Don't judge them.

So, if you know someone struggling with this disease, be gentle with them. They can only do so much. You probably won't see the pain, but trust it's there, and try to be understanding. Mister Sinister is a quiet, vicious beast.

I hope you all learned something from this post! If you have questions or comments, feel free to drop them below. You do have to have a Google account, and I apologize for that, but the SPAM has been horrendous here. Help a sister out and just log in, mkay?

Well, that's all for today, folks!

Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

AI and Writing - A Series of Looks Inside: Part Four - HyperWrite

Happy Monday, everyone! I did end up missing my Friday post, but that's okay because I had a suuuuuper busy day getting back to Georgia. I wanted to sleep all day Saturday. Sadly, I have a hubby that drives me from slumber with promises of coffee. I didn't complain too loudly. Okay, I did, but that's neither here nor there. Let's get on with today's topic, a part of our AI and Writing series. Today, we're looking at HyperWrite, and we'll use the same parameters we used for the others. If you missed the first post (where all other posts are linked), you can check it out here.

That post talks about how AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) works. It's a great read.

Without further gabbing up here, let's get our coffee and blanket and snuggle in for the journey. Ready? Let's do it!

I'm not going to make you wade through screencaps of the signup process. I did it, and when I verified my email, these are the options I got:

We'll choose Create Document. We get this screen:

I'm going with Write It For Me. It gave me these questions:

Now, we'll answer the questions, plug in our prompt/outline, and see what turns up. Again, I'm just asking for Chapter 1. 

Here's what I input:

I need the first chapter of a YA Fantasy novel about two creatures, a vampire and a shape-shifting unicorn, who meet and fall in love after defeating an evil I haven't decided upon yet. I have a rough outline of a few chapters, and I only need chapter one written. It should be about 3000 words in length. My audience is teens between the age of 15 and 19. There are no other restrictions. Here's the outline of 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.

It output it all in chat, so I had to click Add to Document, but it did so seamlessly. Here's what it looked like:

Here's what we got (all 877 words of it). We'll also dive into the actual writing. :) Italics are mine, as always.

Chapter 1: The Hunt

The moon hung like a broken fang in the violet twilight sky, casting weak shadows through the ancient oaks of the Blackmire Forest. Elara moved between them with the silence of falling snow, her boots barely disturbing the carpet of dead leaves beneath her feet. Three hundred years of hunting had taught her patience, but tonight something was different. Tonight, the forest held its breath.

This part actually isn't terrible, and I do like the way it compared the moon to a broken fang. Nice name for the forest, too. I'd like some mention of death to grab reader attention, but other than that... *shrugs*

She paused, lifting her nose to the wind. The usual scents were there—decomposing leaves, damp earth, the musty fur of small creatures that knew better than to cross her path. But underneath it all lurked something else. Something that made her centuries-old blood sing with curiosity.

"What are you?" she whispered to the darkness, her voice barely a thread of sound in the growing night.

Honestly, I'm not a fan of anything other than an action tag or dialogue tag. Mixing them has always felt off to me. It's like a stutter in the story. Decide. Editing wise: We need to get rid of the em-dash, shorten the second sentence, and combine sentences two and three. Sentence four isn't even a whole sentence. I'll shut up now and let you read. :)

The hunger gnawed at her insides, a constant companion she'd learned to live with but never truly befriended. Elara had sworn long ago that she wouldn't become like the others of her kind—the ones who haunted cities and treated humans like cattle. She chose the forest instead, feeding only on what she needed to survive: deer, wild boar, the occasional wolf that grew too bold.

I can't help it. I never said she didn't feed on humans! Why is every AI doing this?

A twig snapped somewhere to her left, and Elara's head whipped toward the sound. Her enhanced vision cut through the shadows, but whatever had made the noise was already gone. Still, that scent lingered—like summer rain and starlight, if starlight had a smell. It was maddening.

She pressed her palm against the rough bark of an oak tree, its age nothing compared to her own. The forest had changed so many times around her, generations of trees living and dying while she remained. Lonely? Perhaps. But loneliness was safer than the alternative.

The strange scent grew stronger, and with it came a pulse of energy that made her skin tingle. Elara's fangs extended involuntarily, pressing against her lower lip. Not from hunger this time, but from something else. Something that felt almost like... fear?

She almost laughed at the thought. What did a vampire have to fear in these woods? She was the apex predator, the nightmare that kept other nightmares awake. Yet here she was, heart racing like a newborn vampire's, all because of some mysterious presence that danced just beyond her perception.

A flash of silver between the trees caught her eye—too bright to be moonlight, too pure to be natural. Elara moved toward it, her preternatural speed carrying her across the forest floor in silent bounds. But each time she reached the spot where she'd seen the light, it appeared again several trees ahead, leading her deeper into the Blackmire.

"If this is some kind of trap," she muttered, "it's not a very subtle one."

Still, she followed. What choice did she have? Three centuries of the same routine—hunt, feed, retreat to her solitary cabin, repeat—had left her with an insatiable curiosity for anything new. And this? This was definitely new.

The silver light led her to a clearing she'd never seen before, which should have been impossible. Elara knew every inch of the Blackmire Forest, or thought she did. Yet here was this perfectly circular space, where the trees stood guard like silent sentinels around its edge, and in the center...

Nothing. The light was gone, the strange scent faded to almost nothing, and Elara stood alone in a clearing that shouldn't exist, feeling, for the first time in centuries, completely out of her depth.

She circled the clearing slowly, her enhanced senses straining for any clue about what had led her here. The ground at the center was disturbed, as if something large had recently lain there. When she knelt to examine it closer, she found a single hair that gleamed like liquid moonlight between her fingers.

"Curiouser and curiouser," she whispered, tucking the hair into her jacket pocket. The hunger that had driven her out to hunt in the first place was forgotten, replaced by an entirely different kind of appetite—one for answers.

A distant howl echoed through the trees—a normal wolf, nothing supernatural about it—and Elara realized how long she'd spent chasing shadows. The night was half gone, and she still hadn't fed. With one last look at the mysterious clearing, she turned and headed toward the areas where deer usually gathered at this hour.

But as she moved through her familiar hunting grounds, Elara couldn't shake the feeling that everything had changed. That single strange encounter had awakened something in her that she thought had died centuries ago: hope. Hope that perhaps she wasn't destined to spend eternity alone in these woods. Hope that magic still existed in the world that could surprise even a creature as old as she was.

And somewhere in the back of her mind, a small voice whispered that this was only the beginning. The silver light, the impossible clearing, the otherworldly scent—they were all connected to something bigger. Something that would shatter the careful solitude she'd built around herself like a fortress.

For the first time in three hundred years, Elara smiled as she hunted, her fangs gleaming in the darkness. Change was coming to the Blackmire Forest.

And she was ready for it. 

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

For the love of the em-dash. Ten is too many. That's more than one for every 100 words. No. What's up with AI starting sentences with but or AND? Does it realize there's a comma and a lowercase b or a in there in 99% of cases? What writing is it studying to get these ideas?

Also: Now I need someone to tell me what starlight smells like...

If you check this model out, be sure and click over to the tools section. Marvel at the sheer number of tools available. I nearly peed my pants. This is just a few of them (click image to enlarge).

Overall, HyperWrite did an okay job, but so did the others we've looked at so far. It's a start of something. It's wasn't overly flowery, which is good, but it also left a lot to be desired. I asked for 3k words and got 877. That means I have to find places I can insert things. :(

I hope you all enjoyed this post and learned a little! Wednesday, we'll be back on the train with Rytr. 

What do you think? Are these snippets getting better? Worse? Do you have any answers to my questions above? Drop me a comment.

Well, that's all for today, folks!

Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Writing Tips That Don’t Work?

Hello, and happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, we’re going to examine a few writing tips that don’t work, or do they? I ran across a thing where it listed five writing tips that don’t work. Now, the beginning of the thing was the advertisement for a product. Will we be diving into that product to let you know the ins and outs? You bet your ass we will. Today, though, we’re going through the tips the creator of the thing says don’t work. You all know me. You’ll get my unfettered opinions as we trudge forward. :)

I know you’re all excited to get going, so let’s DOOOOOO EEEEEET! Get comfortable, and let’s dive on in.

1. Writing and Reading a Lot Doesn’t Work

I call BS on this one. As you read, you learn, and as you write, you learn. Yeah, you may end up with a ton of words that make no sense, but it’s practice. Period. You have to practice something before you dive in, and as you read, you’re practicing. You’re ingraining in your brain how sentences need to be structured. You learn what words to use in what order to make the most sense. Writing puts those things into practice as well. Doing something more often makes it automatic. This is one of the reasons I always say that no matter where you’re writing—social media, text messages, etc.—it needs to be done properly. Don’t get into the habit of using text shorthand, and don’t think the difference between their, there, and they’re doesn’t matter. Use it right consistently, and you’ll become a better writer.

2. Learning Theory and Tips on Construct Doesn’t Work

This is also BS. You have to understand how the story you’re writing is put together. I’ve said it before: Take the tips you want and leave the others. BUT TAKE THE TIPS. Use those tips. Read all the books you can on craft, and you’ll have a better understanding of how a book is constructed and how characters are developed.

3. Learning from Professional Writers Doesn’t Work

For this one, I’d say yes and no. It goes back to taking the tips that work for you and leaving the rest. This is why writing, writing, writing is so dang important. You’re learning your voice. Is it a good idea to try and emulate the exact style and construct of a wildly popular author? No. Can you gain a lot of really great insight by taking away some of their habits and/or tips? YES. You have to learn HOW to be a writer.

4. Using Writing Groups to Get Feedback Doesn’t Work

100% yes. Writers aren’t your target audience most of the time. Reviewers are readers. Those are the folks you need to go after. READ your reviews! I hear so many authors give others advice to not read reviews. Poppycock. Go read them. If your book sucks, they’ll tell you, and many of them will even tell you WHY. Don’t ask friends or family. Either they’ll lie to you, or your relationship will die because they tell the truth. Let’s be honest! Your mom is going to tell you how great everything is. :)

5. Writing Novels Doesn’t Work

Again, this is BS. It’s literally practice. Please don’t publish the first thing you write. It’s gonna suck. Shove it in a drawer and power on. It was practice. Ten years from now, when you have several novels under your belt, pull it out and look at it again. You’ll probably die from embarrassment, but if you live through that harrowing experience, come on back and let me know. :)

Now, this thing I found went on to talk about what does work.

• Practice First Perform Later (ummmmmmmm… See #1?)
• Practice Deliberately and Get Feedback (see #2?) Most of the tips on this were from a professional writer. Also see #3 and #4. :)
• Focus on Scene Writing to Shorten the Feedback Loop (you learn to do this by reading those craft books)

After we went through all the things, there was a pitch for the product. IMO, everything above in the section about what does work is just twisting those craft tips to suit the pitch. I’m not a fan of companies that use hyperbole and clickbait to get someone on board. If you’re gonna do the thing, do it. If your thing is great, it should sell itself. Telling people what not to do by way of an intro is shady as hell. Again, my opinion.

Below the thing were links to several others that are meant to show the person interacting with the thing that this wasn’t all. You could watch and learn how the creator wrote their masterpiece. This is in direct conflict with the content of the thing. Not only that, but the book that was being referred to is pretty low in its categories on Amazon.

Keep your eyes peeled though. Soon, we’ll be diving into the thing they were selling. :) How’s THAT for a cliffhanger? HA.

Well, that’s all for today, folks!

Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Errors, Content, and Making It Work Anyway

Happy Monday, everyone. *big stretch and yawn* That was a tiring weekend, huh? I admit, I could crawl back in bed and sleep the rest of the week away. I’m traveling, and that’s why you’re not getting AI posts right now. My laptop is in another state, and I’ve been working from my iPad. Good times. Needless to say, this keyboard thing has a trackpad, and it’s making my life hell. I disable the trackpad on my laptop because I like to use the wrist rest. You can’t do that if there’s a trackpad in the way. Anywho…

Today, we’ll talk about making your writing work, errors and all (which you’ll see more of this week), no matter where you happen to be. If you’re ready to dive in, grab a blanket and something warm to drink. You deserve it. :) Also, I may not be here Friday. We’ll have to see how travel goes. Moving on!

Remember in Friday’s post when I talked about not going back to your work until your allotted time? That’s directly related to editing. There are a few things you can do to clean up your manuscript before you go looking for an editor. This is a step you really shouldn’t skip. It may end up costing you more in the long run. After you take your MS (manuscript) out of that drawer where you put it for a couple of weeks (or months) so you’d have fresh eyes, you need to red pen the everyloving hell out of it.

Here’s a post on errors that are easy to catch, and you need to be sure you’re also looking at pacing, storyline, and character building (see the next link for a free PDF that will help). If you don’t give a crap about the character(s), your reader won’t either.

Let’s get into content now.

As a writer, your social media presence is going to matter, so it would behoove you to start building a following before you even publish. Get your handle chosen, and get those pages locked down first. I do have a packet on branding that’s free to download and print. You can find it here.

Once you’ve gotten all your ducks in a proverbial row, you can then start to plan your content. Go ahead and make sharable graphics (or find someone to do it for you) for up to three months. You can do this by making yourself a social media schedule. Decide what kind of content you’ll publish on which days. For example:

• Monday Madness
• Tuesday Funnies
• On Wednesdays, we wear pink.
• Throwback Thursdays
• TGIF Fridays
• Weekend Woes

Choose one of those days, twice a month, and make it book related. No one will hang out on your page or give you a follow if you’re always screaming, “BUY MY BOOK! IT’S THE GREATEST BOOK!” So, be sure to share posts from your fellow authors. Trust me, there are plenty of readers to go around. Scatter the balloons so we can all float down here.

Once you have your content plan, create and schedule. Now, you’re free to write. Be sure to set aside a couple days to do this every two months or so.

I’ve been terrible about it lately, but I have a plan to get my ducks back in their rows. You just have to make it work either way (hence the blog post you’re reading right now).

Speaking of…

If you’re a traveler, and you know you’ll be on the road quite a bit, invest in something you can take with you so your work doesn’t suffer. I know one author who wrote an entire novel in Notepad on her phone while she nursed her newborn. She made it work, and if she did it, you can, too. Please, for the love of all that’s holy, plan for these things and know what works and what doesn’t. You don’t want to be stressed about XYZ.

In On Writing by Stephen King, he talks about setting aside time to write every day. While I think that’s a little extreme, I do believe you can fit it in every weekday. Yes, even when you’re traveling.

Make. It. Work. Treat writing like it’s a job, and it’ll pay you back in kind.

10 Ways to Help Yourself Write More

Hello, and happy Friday, y’all. Yay! It’s Friday. I hope everyone has amazing weekend plans, and I hope you all manage to stay warm somehow. If you’re trapped in the house because of the weather, perhaps you can put some of today’s tips into practice and see if they help you. I know these are the things that help me, but I’m also a bit weird…

Anywho, grab a blankie and some hot chocolate, and let’s get into the nitty gritty. Here are TEN tips to help your productivity (with annotations, of course).

1. Use the Damned Planner - I’m sure you all know this one and already have a beautiful, new, 2025 planner sitting on your desk that you haven’t touched. Knowing is separate from doing. Make it a habit to sit down every week on Sunday and fill it out for ONE week. Use stickers or anything else that makes you smile. What we’re after here is something you can look at so you know what to do next. Surprisingly, this helps your brain focus on what you’re doing, which is writing. Right?

2. Have a Start and Stop Time (and stick to it) - This is probably one of the most important things you can do as a writer for productivity and to write better and faster. Your brain will go into writing mode when it knows it’s time to perform. After a certain hour, do NOT go back to your manuscript. Leave that for one day out of your week.

3. Set Aside Time to Learn - You can do this on the weekend. Read freaking books on craft. Read blog posts (like this one). Take away the tips you want and discard the others, but learn as much as you can as often as you can. This will also help you focus when it’s time to write.

4. Treat Time Like It Matters - Your time should be protected. If you went to an actual office every day, no one would even think to ask you if you can do this or that during the day. You can’t unless they pay you to do it. Your time is money, too. Your home office is an office, too. YOU WORK, TOO! If little Timmy’s mom needs you to get him off the bus every day, she can pay you just like she’d pay a sitter.

5. Read and Write a Lot - Even if you’re just scribbling nonsense in a notebook, you’re writing. When you read, you’re learning how to write. Even those novels published by your peers will teach you something about plot, construct, and flow. You can’t write if you’re not a reader. You can’t write WELL if you’re not a reader.

6. Set Aside Time for Marketing - You don’t always have to be on when it comes to marketing. This goes back to #4. Your writing time is precious. Use tools that will help you market your books better. If you have yet to publish, start researching tools now. CRM (Customer Relationship Management) has come a long way. Yes, it will probably cost you money, but if you do the right research ahead of time, you’ll know where to put it for maximum impact. Set aside time to tend to it.

7. Become Your Own Worst Critic - If you write something and read it later only to think, this is trash, delete it and do better. If you think it’s trash, so will your readers. Just delete it. JUST. DELETE. IT.

8. Your Books Aren’t About You - You should be writing what you’re interested in, yes, but you’re not talking about yourself, so go crazy. People may look at you and think you’re unhinged (I mean, have you read the PPSK series?), but that’s the point of all this. Writing should be fun, and you shouldn’t be concerned with what Great Uncle Walter will think of you. Have fun, It’s not about you.

9. Don’t be Afraid to Publish - This goes hand in hand with: PLEASE READ YOUR REVIEWS. Readers will point out things you can do better as far as flow and pacing, even character development, so publish your dang work then read the reviews. Yes, they may be harsh, and yes, you may get discouraged, but take a step back and go again. Rome wasn’t built in a day, y’all.

10. Write Because You Love Writing. Period. - If you’re in it for the money, you may be disappointed. It’s not about the dollars. Don’t make it about the sales. It’s about your need to put words on a page. If you don’t have that drive, that story inside you itching to get out, then you need a different career. This one won’t spark joy.

Yes, I did quote Ms. Kondo. She has a point.

When you’re creating your weekly schedule, be sure and include at least an hour a day for writing. At least. Some days, you can do more, but if you’re consistently writing an hour a day, and you manage 1500 words every time, that’s 390,000 words a year. Read that again. At just 1500 words a day. Once you train your brain to write from X to Y, you’ll be able to do that consistently. I promise. Our writing group would run sprints, and I’d actually manage around 2k words in an hour, sometimes more. You can do it, but you must be consistent.

I hope this helps you start to pump out the words. Remember! A good editor is worth their weight in gold, too. Find one you love.

Well, that’s all for today, folks!

Until nest time, WRITE ON!

Jo