Category: Writing Life

Updates April 10-14

Hello,

Thank you for the likes and follows.

For authenticity’s sake, I will attempt to be honest about what I did last week. It was an uneventful day-job week. The client was reasonable, but I wanted to get home. I had loosed out my hair and made an appointment with my braider for the weekend. I didn’t think about Easter and my Holy Day is not Sunday and my braider is Muslim, so she didn’t mind either. My daughter has been out of school for 5 years now. The holidays come, go, and still feel like ordinary days. So yes, instead of scrambling to get this post complete on Sunday, I was making myself look pretty. I don’t regret it. Hair care is self-care which equals wellness. Consider this a late edition. 

I am still behind on Connection Lost. I may have written in previous entries that I didn’t see myself using writing AI for any reason.  That bridge was crossed last week, and I probably fell over a little bit.  I signed up to Sudowrite from the recommendation of author and podcaster, Joanna Penn.  A tutor from Sudowrite suggested new users try out their ideas Chat GPT.   I think both AI’s services use the same program.  Disclaimer I may be writing this wrong.   It was a way to refine the wording to get the outcome we most likely want.  I set guidelines for myself.  Joanna Penn and other writers have written up an AI use guideline for Authors, who wonder about the ethical use of machines. I am not sure how other authors use the services but for now I am only using them for outlines and character profiles.  It was interesting because I had to agree with author Leslye Penelope, who also spoke about using AI about two weeks ago on her podcast Imaginary Friends.  They algorithm doesn’t write anything for you or doesn’t take the narrative in the path you want.  It just gives you ideas and other things to consider.  So, I workshopped some ideas, my term for what I was doing, two or three contemporary romances and two speculative fiction stories.  Now I gathered a bit of data and eventually I will have to pick and choose what I want to keep and what I want to toss.  In comparison I like the Chatgpt a little bit better than Sudowrite, Chatgpt is a language AI, it told me this a million times when I asked it what it wanted to do or what it could do.  Whatever I use I plan to add a disclaimer to my stories when I publish them.  I think that would be honest.  Most of the outlines generated were basic.  Something that I should have come up with and most likely thought about but didn’t because I was waiting for a better idea from inspiration.  I am tired of waiting and willing to try other things.  

In reading news, I started to re-listen to Leigh Bardugo Shadow and Bone book 1.  I watched two episodes of the series on Netflix.  I don’t remember when I bought the audiobook.  It is a young adult or new adult series and I have stated my thoughts on those a long time ago.  I did like it and planned to continue with the series I think but life and a budget got in the way.  Netflix gave Shadow and Bone a second season so that is good for the fans that like it.   This was my way to catch up with everything.   Re-listening or rereading a book is always interesting, you are anticipating the parts you loved and find new aspects of the story that you didn’t pay attention to before.  It is always fascinating.  I want to have that skill for my audience. 

The goal for this week is to work on the priority writing projects, Connection Lost and possibly Gothic.  There is a scene playing out in my mind that I want to explore on paper.  This may not have been mentioned as a project for the quarter, but the short story Dark Science Manifesto will also be a writing project for this quarter.   This Wednesday there will not be a review just a random post on my thoughts.  I am on the fence about what to review a single book or a series.  I am open to suggestions.  I will explain more about this subject on Wednesday.  

That is all for now. I hope these words find you all doing well.  Remember to be kind and open to all positive opportunities. 

End.

P.S. For those of you doing Camp Nanowrimo, You can reach your goals.

Updates March 27-31

Hello,

Thank you for the likes and follows.

Last week was an interesting week.  We all waited for a prediction that didn’t happen.  I am not saying any names, but we all know what I am typing about.  Historic times we are living in. 

We are still in the process of moving.  My room is almost painted.  My daughter and dad will start to paint the living room next.  Our major project will be the kitchen.    This process kind of took over the weekend. 

Besides keeping my eye on the news last week and working at the day job, I watched Invisible City on Netflix and worked on Connection Lost.  Getting back into the story took some time.  It is a mindset I didn’t even know was missing until I tried to pick up where I left off.  I found myself stuck on various character’s motivations.  Where certain characters should be introduced into the story and how their importance to the main character differed.  For example – Somer is a classic middle child.  She has 3 older siblings and 3 younger siblings.  The six all displayed their manifest will at an early age, they are considered prodigies.  However, Somer does not have that type of ability.  Her ability cannot be displayed, her Djinn godfather bonded her to a familiar.  This is an outdated practice. In the present-day supernatural world, you either have the ability/skills or not.  I didn’t consider what kind of relationship Somer had with her older siblings.  Her incarceration did change things for everyone.  But what was it like before that?  By the third novella, Somer is supposed to be comfortable as a “gray sheep” of the family.   As a younger sibling myself, I know that an older sister and brother, I have both, may perceive their shared history differently from the younger person.  There are times when the younger sibling is living in the older one’s shadow. It can be a frustrating place.  I wrote down thoughts on how admiration and love can turn to annoyance.  Or how harmful neglect and overprotection can be even from a sibling. I must make some decisions and they probably should’ve been there already. 

A quick word on Invisible City.  The show was interesting.  I binged it in one night, the season just five episodes.  It was good but did not pique my interest the way that the first season had.  The characters’ development seemed plausible, but I felt like I was misled.   It does make me want to research into Brazilian folklore.  My mother is from Guyana, it shares a border with Brazil, and I wonder if there is folklore transfer, in one country the entity is called this but called something else in another country.  Like how cassava is also called yuca.   If there was a season 3 I would watch it but I think the story ended the best way the writers could do it. 

This week, I will continue to work on Connection Lost, specifically on the characters.  I will be completing the Dragon Blood Omnibus and then decide if I want to continue with the series.   As research I will be looking up articles on antagonists.  There is also the first quarter review and the set up for the second quarter.  I have all the stickers and washi tape; I think I need.  That is all for now.

Please feel free to leave a comment.  Remember to be kind and be aware of positive opportunities.

End