Tag: AI

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Writers Chat

Writers Chat Recap for August Part 1

Writers Chat Recap

Writers Chat, hosted by Johnnie Alexander, Brandy Brow, and Melissa Stroh, is the show where we talk about all things writing, by writers and for writers!

“Because talking about writing is more fun than actually doing it.”

Disclaimer: The opinions and viewpoints presented by the co-hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and viewpoints of Writers Chat or Serious Writer, Inc..

AI: What’s the Use? With Brandy Brow

AI. The word elicits strong reactions. Visions of ChatGPT, Midjourney or DALL-E, evoke fears of abuse with creative works used to feed their machines. In this episode of Writers Chat, co-host Brandy Brow will lead a healthy discussion about generative and corrective AI, what they do and what possibilities they pose for the future.

Watch the July 30th replay.

Brandy Brow, Writers Chat co-host who freelance edits and writes flash fiction and short stories for the general market, plus articles and devotions. Her fiction explores the highs and lows of human nature and ranges from normal to strange. She loves to help writers improve their craft.

The Strategic Author

Jonathan Shuerger, CEO of The Strategic Author, indie author, and a Marine veteran, knows that most writers love to write and hate to market. As he says, writers want to “write words, not keywords.” In this episode, Jonathan talks about how his experience with NSA targeting and analysis in the Marine Corps against ISIS targets informs his marketing strategies and how his approach benefits authors struggling to be seen in a saturated digital market.

Watch the August 6th replay.

https://youtu.be/qg-xZwSPqak?si=3eppgeiEOG7Ywt9x

Jonathan Shuerger is the author of the Shades of Black series, The Exorcism of Frosty the Snowman, and the upcoming MilSF novel Semper Die. He is the CEO of The Strategic Author, a service that conducts strategic level analysis that helps authors succeed in their business. He also runs a podcast of stories for his kids, Stories With A Marine Corps Dad, and a podcast for book marketers called The Strategic Author. He is a United States Marine Corps veteran, 3rd-degree black sash in Temple Chinese Boxing, dad of (currently) 4 little girls, and husband to a very loving, very patient wife.

Is Podcasting God’s Next Best Step for You? with Linda Goldfarb

Audio is the future of every writer, and knowing our options clarifies our next step. Yet, not every opportunity to share our gifts and talents is God’s open door. In this episode of Writers Chat, international speaker, award-winning author, and podcaster, Linda Goldfarb, shares insight into the world of podcasting to help you discern what element of podcasting is God’s next best step for you. It’s all about God’s will, God’s way, and God’s timing.

Watch the August 13th replay.

Linda Goldfarb is an international speaker, award-winning author, and podcaster. As a board-certified Christian life coach, Linda helps women move from being stuck or splattered to discovering God’s next best step in their personal and professional lives. Linda is recognized for having a voice that makes you feel welcome, safe, and seen. When she shares her energy, experiences, and expertise during interviews and from the stage, screen, or in her writing, you lean in—not wanting to miss a single word. Linda says, “My life is far from perfect, and that’s where Yeshua met me, loved me, and saved me. For Him, I’m eternally grateful.”

Writers Chat is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET
on Zoom. The permanent Zoom room link is: http://zoom.us/j/4074198133

Categories
Kids Lit

Summer is for Experimenting!

Kids Lit

I have been working/pitching a series of four board books for the last few years on the seasonal changes in nature and the connection to God’s creative care. Amazon had comp titles on changing nature and on Creation Event but none that connected them. I have a niche!

But how do we convey those unique selling points (!) to publishers? I needed to talk their talk. How would this book play in the open market? I put ChatGPT to work.

Amazon Categories

Specifically what Amazon categories: When God Colors…Spring. Red birds, brown mud, green frogs, pink worms. Every season God reveals new colors in nature. In this multi-engaging board book, objects appear under color flaps on each page. Other Titles: Summer, Autumn, Winter.

ChatGPT

For a book like “When God Colors…Spring,” you could consider the following Amazon categories:

  1. Children’s Religious Books
  2. Christian Children’s Books
  3. Board Books
  4. Nature & the Natural World Children’s Books
  5. Early Learning Basic Concepts Books (Colors)
  6. Christian Fiction for Children
  7. Children’s Concept Books
  8. Christian Baby & Toddler Books
  9. Interactive Children’s Books
  10. Christian Board Books

This is excellent information for finding comp titles. But for people to use Amazon’s categories, I needed keywords for online descriptions, articles, ads, and blurbs.

Key Words

I asked: the best keywords for the story: When God Colors…Spring. Red birds, brown mud, green frogs, pink worms. Every season God reveals new colors in nature. In this multi-engaging board book, objects appear under color flaps on each page. Other Titles: Summer, Autumn, Winter.

ChatGPT

  1. God’s Palette
  2. Nature’s Canvas
  3. Colorful Creations
  4. Spring Surprises
  5. Flapping Colors
  6. Discovering Spring
  7. Hidden Hues
  8. Seasonal Spectacles
  9. Vibrant Springtime
  10. Exploring Nature’s Tints

I must not have been clear. Those look like titles, not search terms. Most of them missed the connection to God. Would anyone look up “Exploring Nature’s Tints”?

Discoverability

I tried again with the buzzword: discoverability terms: When God Colors…Spring. Red birds, brown mud, green frogs, pink worms. Every season God reveals new colors in nature. In this multi-engaging board book, objects appear under color flaps on each page. Other Titles: Summer, Autumn, Winter.

ChatGPT

To enhance discoverability for “When God Colors…Spring,” you could use the following terms:

  1. Christian board books
  2. Nature-inspired children’s books
  3. Interactive learning for toddlers
  4. Colorful Christian stories for kids
  5. Lift-the-flap board books
  6. Seasonal exploration for children
  7. Religious concept books for young readers
  8. God’s creation in children’s literature
  9. Early childhood Christian education
  10. Christian-themed interactive picture books

Those don’t seem kid-friendly, but I am not selling to kids but parents and teachers. I’ll try those in my pitch or cover blurb.

Testing AI Results

I tried a few of those terms and did a Google search to see if it understood me. (Or me and AI)

Christian board books – besides sellers, I found a few blogs I might contact for reviews or inclusions on lists.

Lift-the-flap board books – only sellers.

Religious concept books for young readers -that term collected mostly books for middle school.

God’s creation in children’s literature – all original creation books, 1 reviewer

Christian-themed interactive picture books – this was a winner! Several different blogs and lots of full-color pictures.

Essentially AI is useful for sweeping data searches, but there must be some human evaluation almost on a micro level. It did give me some ideas to follow up and feel more ready to send When God Creates…Spring into the world!

Multi-award-winning author Robin Currie learned story sharing sitting on the floor during more than 1000 story times but is still unpacking AI. She has sold 1.7 M copies of her 40 storybooks and writes stories to read and read again!

Categories
Magazine, Freelance, and Copywriting

Writing in the Era of AI: Balancing Opportunity and Uncertainty

Artificial intelligence (AI) has changed the writing world forever. In the past year, AI has transformed from a niche tool for data analysts to an “all-in-one” program capable of replicating human creativity and producing reams of content with a simple prompt.

However, the doomsday-like fears that AI will replace authors, freelance writers, and content creators are largely exaggerated. At their core, AI programs like ChatGPT and Ryter are designed to help writers — not replace them or turn them out onto the street.

As a writer, you can use AI to speed up your research, increase your productivity, and check for errors in your work. You can also use AI to develop a side hustle of your own to support your creativity as you’ll have plenty of time to start a small business with the time you save thanks to powerful deep-learning programs.

Refining Your Voice

The speed and efficiency of natural language processing models mean that they will probably replace low-quality content writers and folks who write for content mills. However, your readers aren’t looking for content that is simply “correct” and SEO-optimized — they’re paying for you.

Rather than competing with Leviathan-like AI models, focus on refining your voice as a writer. A clear, stylistically interesting voice will convince prospective agents and publishers that you are a writer worth bringing on and will keep readers on the page for longer. 

If you’re struggling to discover your writerly identity, ask yourself “To whom am I speaking?”. Focusing on your audience will innately enhance your writerly voice and give you the confidence to make syntactical flourishes and grammatical choices that flaunt your voice and build rapport with your intended audience.

When considering your audience, you may find yourself mistakenly believing that you have nothing to say. This is likely caused by low self-esteem and a lack of experience. As a writer, you are an astute student of the world and always have something to contribute. Fortunately, you can improve your self-esteem by:

  • Prioritizing positive writer relationships
  • Practicing assertiveness when you sit down to write
  • Reining in self-criticism
  • Talking to a counselor or therapist

Remember, you don’t need to be an expert to write on a particular idea or subject. Simply believe in your ability to create credible, engaging content and use AI to help with pre-writing research.

Pre-Writing Research

As a writer, you may be reluctant to create an account with ChatGPT or Ryte — particularly if you believe that they will “steal” your job one day. However, writers have been using tools for centuries. We’ve come a long way from quills and dip pens, but you should still make use of the latest breakthroughs in tech.

You can use AI to speed up the pre-writing research phase and improve the veracity of your work. For example, imagine you’ve been asked to produce a blog post titled “The Best Summer Annuals for Large Flower Beds.” However, you know nothing about gardening and don’t know your petunias from your pansies.

Rather than spending hours scouring the web for expert advice, start your search with a simple prompt on a program like ChatGPT. Something like “What annuals will fill a large flower bed?”. This will likely generate a list of useful options for you to consider. However, you aren’t finished researching just yet.

Take the information that ChatGPT has generated and follow up with several Google searches based on your findings. Focus on authoritative sources and truly learn from the blog posts and articles that you find. When it’s time to write, close the AI program that you used to get the ball rolling and focus on writing high-quality copy that reflects your voice and links to all the appropriate sources.

This AI-driven style of research will save you plenty of time and help you get an overview of any given subject. It’s your job to turn your research into reader-friendly paragraphs that are accurate, enjoyable to read, and SEO-friendly.

Starting Your Own Side Hustle

As an author or freelance writer, you’re usually a small cog in a much bigger wheel. You produce thousands of words per day but only get paid based on the rates agreed upon with clients or publishers.

However, AI can change this paradigm and put you in the driver’s seat. Leverage your strengths to create a business of your own by identifying your most valuable soft and hard skills. Combine these skills with an industry that you are passionate about and consider starting your own blog or affiliate website.


Use AI to firm up your blind spots and do the heavy lifting for you. Use SEO programs like SEMRush, Jasper, and AlliAi to identify keywords, complete A/B testing, and track your rankings. This means you can focus your efforts on writing high-quality content without having to worry about doubling as an SEO agency for your own blog or affiliate site.

Conclusion

As a writer, you can’t afford to ignore the power of AI programs like ChatGPT. Instead, use the tools to increase your productivity, alleviate your workload, and start a side hustle of your own. Use the time you save thanks to AI tools to refine your writerly voice and increase the depth of your research. This will help you stand out from the crowd of writers and lead to more lucrative book deals or client contracts in the future.

Amanda Winstead is a writer from the Portland area with a background in communications and a passion for telling stories. Along with writing she enjoys traveling, reading, working out, and going to concerts. If you want to follow her writing journey, or even just say hi you can find her on Twitter.

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Guest Posts

6 Useful ChatGPT Prompts for Fiction Writers

Guest posts

Writing can be a solitary journey. But what if you had a companion to guide you, to help you when you’re stuck, to inspire you when your creativity needs a boost? That’s where ChatGPT comes in.

While many authors frown upon the idea of trusting artificial intelligence with their writing, it can be a helpful tool to facilitate your creative process without losing your unique voice.

Even though there are enough examples of books written with ChatGPT lately, we won’t talk about making AI write for you. Instead, we’ll cover a bunch of useful tasks you can give ChatGPT in order to nudge your creative flow whenever you feel lost.

Yes, weaving AI into your writing routine might appear challenging, and you indeed need to understand the basics of prompt engineering to ask the right questions. So let this article be your guide, demonstrating how AI can make life easier for fiction writers.

Here are six things ChatGPT can do to assist in your book-writing process:

1. Generate story ideas

Ever felt stuck while brainstorming new story ideas? ChatGPT can act as your virtual ideation partner, providing fresh perspectives and novel concepts to kickstart your creativity and expand your imaginative horizons.

ChatGPT prompt example: I’m writing a novel set in a post-apocalyptic world with elements of science fiction. Suggest ten unique storylines that revolve around a group of survivors, their struggles, and the mysteries of this new world they must explore.

2. Assist in character development

Crafting believable, multifaceted characters is a crucial aspect of compelling storytelling. With ChatGPT’s assistance, you can delve deeper into your characters’ psyche, sketching out complex backgrounds, motivations, and arcs that truly bring them to life.

ChatGPT prompt example: Help me further develop a character for my mystery novel. Her name is Jane, a private detective in her late thirties with a keen sense of intuition, a dark past, and a stubborn nature. I need more details on her backstory, personality traits, and possible character growth.

3. Get you unstuck during plot building

Navigating the labyrinth of plot building is no longer a daunting process. ChatGPT can aid in constructing compelling plot lines, helping to fill in the gaps and resolve narrative complexities, ensuring your story remains gripping from start to finish.

ChatGPT prompt example: I’m stuck with a plot point in my fantasy novel. My protagonists are trapped in a magical labyrinth filled with deadly traps and mythical creatures. I need a creative and coherent strategy for their escape that ties into the magic system of the novel.

4. Improve the setting description

The power of immersive, vivid settings can’t be underestimated in fiction writing. With ChatGPT, you can generate detailed and atmospheric visuals with words that transport your readers right into the heart of your story.

ChatGPT prompt example: I’m writing a sci-fi story set on an alien planet. Could you help me describe this planet’s exotic landscape, unusual weather phenomena, and unique life forms? Try to make it vivid and imaginative.

5. Reduce the blank page syndrome

The infamous blank page syndrome is a writer’s worst nightmare. ChatGPT comes to your rescue by providing starting points and generating content ideas, helping you to overcome that initial hurdle and get the words flowing.

Even if you won’t end up using the words it writes, it will push your creative buttons so ideas start bouncing in your head.

ChatGPT prompt example: I’m writing a novel about a time-traveling historian. Could you generate 3 versions of a compelling first line or opening paragraph that would immediately catch a reader’s interest, hinting at the time-traveling aspect of the story?

6. Improve your writing style

Every author has a unique voice, and fine-tuning that voice is vital to creating immersive stories that linger in the reader’s mind. With ChatGPT’s extensive knowledge of various writing techniques and stylistic nuances, it can help you uncover new tricks to enrich your narrative and captivate your audience, improving your writing skills and making your story more immersive.

ChatGPT prompt example: I want to improve my ‘show, don’t tell’ writing technique. Here’s a sentence: “Alicia was very nervous.” Could you rewrite this into a more descriptive paragraph, showing Alicia’s nervousness through her actions, reactions, or environment?

Wrapping up

You hold the pen that will draft the next literary sensation, a book that will touch hearts and stir minds. To get there, you need every tool that can streamline your creative journey and enhance productivity. This is where AI can make a difference. Let it invigorate your writing process, offering a fresh perspective and making each step more engaging. Remember, the future belongs to those who dare to innovate and explore new horizons.

Juliet Dreamhunter is a certified goal success coach and AI consultant from Juliety.com. She writes about using AI for productivity, battling procrastination, and working from home effectively. When she is not writing, she is either reading, traveling with her husband, or testing new AI tools.

Categories
Kids Lit

AI:Part 2 In which I get a 4-star review for a book not yet written!

Kids Lit

People seem to be taking sides on AI and feeling strongly about it. Recently we had an AI adventure in the home office.

My husband works for the local arboretum plotting and interpreting data gathered from trees – sap flow, and seasonal correlations. He loves charts. Recently he had to find a formula for interpreting certain data. He researched, found one, applied it, and got an answer. One of the other team members got a slightly different answer by using an AI program. They reviewed all the data and determined the human had the more accurate answer! Ha! Take that AI Know-it -all!

So I took another pass at AI technology, using ChatGPT. Remember my last attempt was to get a story or rhyming story of a spin on The Three Pigs. It was not a publishable success! So what if I wrote the story but let AI do the Twitter pitch and back cover synopsis, which I admit I find tedious. 

I gave AI: 

Twitter book pitch – Frank grandson of the Big Bad Wolf is tired of turnips and wants to eat grandchildren of the original Three Little Pigs

And in seconds received: 

Title: Frank the Grandson of the Big Bad Wolf

Genre: Children’s Fiction

Twitter Pitch:

Frank, the grandson of the Big Bad Wolf, is tired of his boring diet of turnips. He dreams of devouring the succulent grandchildren of the original Three Little Pigs. Join Frank on his adventure to capture the pigs and satisfy his hunger. Will the pigs outsmart Frank or will they end up in his belly?

#FranktheWolf #ThreeLittlePigs #ChildrensBooks #Adventure #HungerGames #FamilyTree #FairyTaleFridays

I suppose #HungerGames is relevant because the proposed meal is “succulent grandchildren” but… It’s a start, albeit not an inspiring one.

Clipart Library

My human-developed Twitter pitch:

No More Turnips!

Turnip burgers and turnip tacos! Frank has had it! Grandpa Wolf howls about his scorched tail, but why not risk putting some bacon on the table? There is no hot pot in the Three Pig’s fireplace but little grandpiglets wait to cure Frank’s ham hock hankering. #pbpitch

I should note I got NO teeny little hearts on mine, either!

Using the pitch AI wrote I asked for a back cover blurb: 

Title: Frank Grandwolf and the Three Little Pigs

Genre: Children’s Picture Book

Blurb:

Frank Grandwolf is tired of eating turnip egg rolls, but his dreams of devouring delicious pork chops seem impossible. Until one day, he sets his sights on the Brick House, where he believes he’ll find the succulent grandpiglets waiting for him. But to his surprise, the clever grandpiglets have set a trap for him. Will Frank Grandwolf fall for their trap, or will he learn the value of friendship and share a meal with his new companions?

This delightful picture book teaches children the importance of being kind to others and shows that sometimes, the greatest friendships can be found in the most unexpected places.

#FrankGrandwolf #ThreeLittlePigs #PictureBook #Friendship #Kindness #ChildrensBooks #FamilyTime #BedtimeStories #AnimalTales #EarlyReaders.

The hashtags were better this time, but I am not sure the point of the book (if there is one!) is kindness and friendship. It might just be a funny story!

Clipart Library

Whereas my HUMAN back cover:

Turnip burgers, turnip tacos, turnip dumplings. Ever since the Original Three Pigs and Big Bad Wolf met, both families have been strictly vegan. Now Frank the youngest wolf cub has a ham hock hankering. He drops safely down the Three Pigs’ chimney, but the grandpiglets know how to make Frank lose his taste for spareribs.

The other thing I struggle with is writing reviews! So using the back matter AI developed I asked for a review of the book that is technically NOT YET WRITTEN.

Title: Frank Grandwolf and the Three Little Pigs

Author: [Insert author name]

Genre: Children’s Picture Book

Target Age Group: 4-8 years old

Review:

“Frank Grandwolf and the Three Little Pigs” is a delightful picture book that is sure to capture the imagination of young readers. The story is beautifully told and the illustrations are charming, making it a joy to read.

The book teaches children the importance of friendship and kindness, as Frank Grandwolf learns the value of sharing a meal with his new companions. The story is also full of suspense and surprises, keeping children engaged from beginning to end.

The book’s message of friendship and cooperation is an important one for young readers, and the way it is presented in the context of a fun and exciting story is a real strength.

Overall, “Frank Grandwolf and the Three Little Pigs” is a wonderful addition to any library or classroom. It is a perfect bedtime story and is sure to become a favorite for children and parents alike.

Rating: 4/5 stars. 

4 out of 5??!! And who did the “charming illustrations”? That is the update on the AI world, and I going to work on those pigs – I want 5 stars!

Multi-award-winning author Robin Currie learned story sharing by sitting on the floor, in library story times. She has sold 1.7 M copies of her 40 storybooks and writes stories to read and read again! Robin is pleased to report that How to Dress a Dinosaur has many 5-star reviews from humans!

Categories
Magazine, Freelance, and Copywriting

How is Artificial Intelligence Changing the Copywriting World?

Copywriting has changed a lot in the past decade. Instead of writing for print media, most copywriters now work in digital marketing and are experts in SEO, keyword optimization, and social media.

Most copywriters have embraced the digital revolution and can find more work thanks to the explosion of blogs, websites, and social media platforms.

However, artificial intelligence is poised to shake up the copywriting world forever. Some fear that AI may even replace copywriters in the future, though the effectiveness of AI remains questionable. In reality, sophisticated AI can help copywriters mitigate mistakes and work more efficiently.

A.I. Copy

A.I.-generated copy is designed to produce quick results for folks who don’t have the budget to pay real writers. This means that most human writers aren’t afraid of AI, as algorithms can’t do the work required to research keywords, plan projects, and gather insights from industry experts.

A.I. is relatively easy to spot, too. As copywriter Giada Nizzoli explains, A.I. is only capable of producing “words written without a strategy.” This means that A.I.-generated content might be grammatically correct, but it seldom performs as well as human-generated content.

A.I. copy goes against Google’s guidelines, too. Major businesses cannot afford to fall foul of Webmaster guidance and will sidestep A.I. content. Those who do “employ” A.I. writers run the risk of being classified as “spam” and removed from Google listings.

Unfortunately, A.I. may take work away from the most at-risk writers. Writers who are growing their portfolio on sites like Fiverr or Upwork could face direct competition from bots, as A.I. is a cheaper, quicker alternative to freelancers. These writers will have their income slashed, as their price point will be driven downwards by A.I. that offers similar services at a fraction of the price.

That said, most writers quickly graduate from the pittance paid on freelancing sites. Writers who want to build a career in copywriting can generate their own portfolio using sample work and should try to work with agencies that are on the lookout for creative, motivated copywriters.

A.I. Assistance

Writing bots aren’t going to replace professional copywriters anytime soon. However, A.I. can be used as part of a professional writer’s toolkit.

Artificial intelligence helps researchers and writers by eliminating human error and improving pattern identification. Machine learning programs are capable of crawling the web in a fraction of a second, and can speed up data analysis. This means that A.I. can be used during keyword research and may help writers generate ideas for when they’re struggling with writer’s block.

A.I. can speed up the editing process, too. Programs like Grammarly and ProWritingAid use machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing to identify errors and make suggestions. This helps copywriters sidestep syntactical slip-ups and ensures that every sentence, paragraph, and page is grammatically correct.

A.I. for Business

Copywriting is about more than keyword research and wordsmithing. Any copywriter worth their salt is also a savvy business person and understands the importance of personal branding for their small business.

For new copywriters working on a limited budget, A.I. tools may be a cost-effective way to improve their offering and reach more clients.

A.I. can help small business owners generate sample logos and branded blog pages that resonate with prospective clients. A.I. can also complete competitor analysis to help copywriters set price points and target new customers.

It’s worth noting that business-related A.I. tools aren’t as effective as real-life humans. A real graphic designer will always produce better results than a bot. Likewise, human intervention is needed during competitor analysis as A.I. can be swayed by anomalous data points and complex consumer behavior.

Conclusion

The pessimistic amongst us believe that A.I. will take our jobs and deliver us all into a matrix-like future. However, steps are already being taken to ensure that A.I. doesn’t tread on the toes of real-life copywriters. Anti-bot apps like GPTZero are capable of identifying AI-generated content and Google’s Webmaster guidelines categorize AI-generated copy as spam.

That said, A.I. can be used as a tool to help copywriters. A.I. can eliminate errors and conduct competitor analysis. This gives copywriters a leg-up on the competition and ensures that clients get the high-quality content they need.

Amanda Winstead is a writer from the Portland area with a background in communications and a passion for telling stories. Along with writing she enjoys traveling, reading, working out, and going to concerts. If you want to follow her writing journey, or even just say hi you can find her on Twitter.