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IWSG

#IWSG July 2024- A.I. is Sneaky

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: 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.

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After hanging out with Alex, be sure to stop by and visit this month’s co-hosts:
Feather Stone,
Kim Lajevardi,
Diedre Knight,
C. Lee McKenzie, and
Sarah – The Faux Fountain Pen!

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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 #25).

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.

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Uncategorized

#IWSG May. 2024- Writing While Distracted

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.

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, VA. Please see my About page for more details. Thank you for your support.

Optional Monthly Question: How do you deal with distractions when you are writing? Do they derail you?

I feel like I’m distracted all the time, which is probably why I don’t write as much as I’d like. Still, there are times when I’m determined to write, and I find a way to deal. I’ve learned to put on headphones and play white or pink noise. I can sometimes face away from people or distracting things and that’s enough to help. Soft music can be helpful sometimes, but I find that I use music to help set the mood when I’m writing something specific, so it’s not always helping with distractions.

Ideally, I’d love to be able to write mornings but I’ve learned to get words in whenever I can. The only time I can recall being derailed by a distraction is when I have to tend to my dog or someone’s child. I’m never going to try to split my attention between writing and tending to the needs of a living being. Sometimes, I have to take my dog for a walk knowing that I’ll only have 15 minutes to write because her walk will take 20-30 minutes. It is what it is.

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Speaking of my dog…

New Release!

Book Description

Margie is a bit skittish. She’s a hunting dog who doesn’t know how to hunt, but she loves a good walk. Living in a shelter with other dogs, she has no idea that she could have a home and a set of humans all to herself. This is the story of how Margie “The Scaredy Dog” Finds a Home.

Amazon.com
eBook $2.99
Print Book $12.99 (for a limited time)

I’m so happy to share Margie’s story with the world.

Find it at Amazon.

 

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A post shared by Toi Thomas (@toithomasauthor)

If you’d like a chance to win some Margie Merch, share your pet story below. Be sure to visit this link http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0e47765341/ or enter the giveaway below to validate your entry. Open internationally. Ends May 31st at midnight ET.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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And now, on to the personal updates…

I just came back from a wonderful vacation. I spent a few days at a cabin to unwind and then attended Raven Con as one of the guest speakers. It was a lot of fun. I’ll be sharing a wrap-up video soon on social media.

I’ve been writing more than usual, but that is mostly due to being on vacation. (Hey, I’ll take what I can get.) I’m excited to update my Patreon community with more installments of my ongoing projects as well as adding some items to my shop.

Don’t know if I’ve mentioned my food memoir here much, but it’s really coming along. I’m so proud of what I’ve done with it and am excited to begin incorporating contributions from others who’ve agreed to share their stories.

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How do you handle distractions when writing?
It may take some time, but I promise, I will eventually stop by your blog.
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:
Victoria Marie Lees,
Kim Lajevardi,
Nancy Gideon, and
Cathrina Constantine!

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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.

Categories
IWSG

#IWSG April. 2024- Am I Still Blogging?

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.

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, VA. Please see my About page for more details. Thank you for your support.

Optional Monthly Question: How long have you been blogging? (Or on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram?) What do you like about it and how has it changed?

I started blogging back in either 2010 or 2011 with my 40 Days and Nights of Eternal Curse blog. I moved on to several other blogs that I ran all the same time before streamlining my efforts into this blog, The ToiBox of Words. I started this blog in 2012 and may be ending it in 2024 because I’m really NOT happy with my server. We’ll see what the future holds.

I’ve been trying really hard to build up my Patreon community. I can’t figure out why so many people are willing to sign up for newsletters but not this. It’s just as free as a newsletter and comes in your email just like a newsletter. Oh, well. I guess if it’s meant to be, it will be. If it’s not, it’s not.

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My book about Margie, my rescue dog, is up for digital pre-order and I plan to release the book on April 29, 2024. That’s my wedding anniversary and it seemed like a good day to release it. I’d planned to post the giveaway information this month, but I’ll have to wait until May because of life circumstances. I’m very excited about what I’m giving away and how people can enter. I think it’ll be a lot of fun.

Coming April 29, 2024. Pre-Order Now!

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Now, on to the personal updates.

I’ll be at Raven Con in Richmond, VA in the middle of the month and look forward to recapping that experience with you all next month.

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How long have you been blogging?
It may take some time, but I promise, I will eventually stop by your blog.
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:
Janet Alcorn,
T. Powell Coltrin,
Natalie Aguirre, and
Pat Garcia!

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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.