Today I’m sharing some of my reading journey. I released it a few days early to the members of my Patreon community, whether free or paid, along with some exclusive content in the form of my series, Have U Seen This? Now, the video below is public for the world to see. I hope you enjoy it.
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The stickers and other accessories can be found at Redbubble.
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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.
Created and hosted by the Ninja himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writers Support Group posts the 1st Wednesday of every month. Click hereto learn more or sign up.
Optional Monthly Question: Do you use AI in your writing and if so how? Do you use it for your posts? Incorporate it into your stories? Use it for research? Audio?
I haven’t been intentionally using A.I. in my writing. In fact, I’ve been intentionally trying not to use it, since it seems to be popping up and inserting itself everywhere whether you want it to or not. The reason I use the word “intentionally” is because I saw a news report about a college student suing to have fraud charges removed from her record after submitting a paper spellchecked by Grammarly. Even though it was deemed, after the fact, that she didn’t do anything wrong, she still has charges of fraud based on the original claim that she used A.I. to draft her paper. If using spellcheck software is considered using A.I. to write something, I don’t know if I have a place in the writing industry anymore. I may not be smart enough to call myself a writer since I’ve been using some form a spellcheck since I was in high school. I understand that Grammarly does more than spellcheck but it seems like that same issue could apply to editors who want to stake a claim on someone else’s work. Just because you write something doesn’t mean it’s yours anymore unless you are also the one who edits and distributes it. Perhaps, writers aren’t really writers unless they are using typewriters or pen and ink.
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Here’s a video explaining some of what I’ve been doing for the last two months…
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And now, on to the personal updates…
Well, I’m here. Not sure if it feels right to say I’m back. I’ve been part of this community for a long time, but I haven’t felt like a member of it for a while. So, that’s why I say “I’m here.”
I hope that if I stick around long enough, I’ll feel the sense of community I once felt, or I’ll receive a sign telling me to step away completely. Whatever I do, I want to be clear when I say that this is a wonderful community, and it can be helpful for someone seeking a way to connect with writers or bloggers and learn from them.
Also, I must admit that my participation in the hop has become a struggle over the years. I’ve not been able to visit blogs the way I want to. I can never visit on Wednesday because that’s when I usually put in a 10-hour work day. I try to read blogs on the weekend but that’s also when I have to do all my meal prep. As much as I’d like to be the victim here, the truth is, I haven’t been able to be part of this community the way I once could.
I fear that I am moving in a different direction that this community cannot support. I guess I’ll see how things go.
I’m taking a break from my publishing to help an aspiring writer pursue her publishing dreams. I’m hoping that by helping her, I’ll rekindle my love of publishing. As of right now, I have no desire to ever publish again. And though I’m still writing, I have no desire to share what I’m writing, mostly because I don’t think anyone is interested in what I’m writing.
So, I’m back to where I started before I even joined this community- writing for myself. At this time, I’m still attempting to share what I’m writing with my small Patreon community, but I am making a major change to how I do that. It sounds nice to have people financially supporting you when they believe in you, but when it seems like they’re doing it out of habit, it does the opposite of motivate. For my own mental health, it may be time for me to simply walk away from public writing, but I’m going to give it one more go (keeping my writing to myself wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world).
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Are you intentionally using A.I. in your writing?
It may take some time, but I promise, I will eventually stop by your blog.
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UPDATE 8/9/24 – I was hoping to visit blogs today, but my dog passed away yesterday I can barely write this update. I hope to be back in better spirits next month. Sorry for not responding to those who’ve already commented, I will come back later to address this.
Click here to visit other IWSG blogs and sites to receive and share more inspiration and support. (This month, I’m #25).
Did you know you can join my community for FREE over atPatreonto 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.
Please join the IWSG Book Club today on Goodreads for a short general poll. Aside from spotlighting two IWSG member books each month, we also want to engage in bookish whimsy and encourage others to have a healthy reading lifestyle. You don’t have to be reading or have read the 2 current featured books to be able to participate in this poll, so please, join in the festivities. Click the image below to see our fun poll. This month the topic is about writers becoming their characters.
July ’22 General Poll
In June 2022, It was a 5-star month for me, though, I read 3 titles and DNFed 1. Check it out.
Below you’ll find my star ratings and review blurbs for each title I completed in the indicated month. If you have not signed up for my newsletter, please consider doing so. That’s where I post an overview of what I’ve been reading, watching, and writing quarterly, as well as talk about my love of reading while offering tips for having a healthy reading lifestyle. You can also click the Goodreads links to see the thorough reviews. At the bottom of this post, you’ll also be able to watch a video of my monthly reviews, if that’s more your style.
This post contains affiliate links. If you click through to make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. Any amount I make goes towards my dream to host a book fair in Hampton Roads (Coastal), VA. Please see my About page for more details. Thank you for your support.
So, did you read any good books in June or did you try either of the IWSG Book Club Books?
What did you think of the ones I read? Any recommendations?
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords #blacklivesmatter
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