The ToiBox of Words

Created and hosted by the Ninja himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writers Support Group posts the 1st Wednesday of every month. Click here to learn more or sign up.

Optional Monthly Question: Have you “played” with AI to write those nasty synopses, or do you refuse to go that route? How do you feel about AI’s impact on creative writing?

I’m glad that A.I. is there to help some people achieve their creative goals, but what I’ve mostly seen of it is people using to be lazy writers. I’m all for assisted writing where the A.I. helps you with research and organization, but when it’s drafting paragraphs for you in the style of some other writers, that’s just lazy and wrong. I’ve tested out one creative brainstorming application and it freaked me out. To quote myself from a Patreon post on June 27, 2023 (https://www.patreon.com/posts/06-23-original-85201435), “I tested out an A.I. writing feature just to see what it’s all about. Needless to say, it worked, but it worked too well. It was creepy. I wrote a small poem on a piece of paper to compare the poem A.I. generated in my style. I will not be doing that again. The similarity and closeness still have me twitching. With that said, I combined what I wrote with what the A.I. generated to produce the poem at the start of this piece.” For that poem, I generated a 153-word combo of my words and A.I.-generated words. The rest of the story is 1,232 words of my original content and creativity. I feel no need to revisit this experience.

I’ve also posted an abbreviated response to my social media accounts. I’d love to see you over at Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok.

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I posted a goals update last week to explain my absence from social media, if you’d like to check it out. Instagram | TikTok.

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Happy Read an Ebook Week! Don’t miss the massive celebratory sale going on right now at Smashwords! There are deep discounts on thousands of books, but only until March 9. Check it out my Ebook sales here: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/toithomas

I have a novel, short stories, nonfiction, and picture books on sale right now.

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I finally worked out the kinks with my digital ARC of Margie “The Scaredy Dog” Finds a Home. Now I just need to finalize the print proof. In the meantime, I think I’m ready to start promoting it. I’ve decided to do a giveaway with Margie merch, dog treats, and more, (I will have an alternative prize for winners outside of the U.S. and Canada) where entry is all about people sharing their pet stories online. They can share on their blogs, vlogs, podcast, or social media. As long as they share the link with me, they will be entered to win. I am going to keep it very simple and use Rafflecopter to track progress. I’m also seeking individuals who’d like to read a digital ARC. I’m hoping the recipients will review the book, but they don’t have to. I hope to launch everything next month.

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No additional updates at this time.

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What are your thoughts on A.I. and creative writing?

My response time has gotten slower but I’m still making my rounds.

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After hanging out with Alex, be sure to stop by and visit this month’s co-hosts:
Kristina Kelly,
Miffie Seideman,
Jean Davis, and
Liza @ Middle Passages!

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Click here to visit other IWSG blogs and sites to receive and share more inspiration and support. (This month, I’m #27).

Did you know you can join my community for FREE over at Patreon to receive a monthly update on the creative projects I’m working on? I tell you the truth, it’s better than a newsletter!

Thank you for making it this far down the virtual page. Kudos to you! I’d love to know what you thought of this post in the comments below. Stay safe and be blessed.