Writing in the Age of AI

Years ago I spent a lot of time on my art-making hobby. I made 2D and 3D mixed media art in a spare bedroom that I referred to as my Studio. I never sold anything, but I did have pieces in a couple community shows.

Let me tell you, there are a lot of supplies you can buy as an artist. Some of them are actual supplies, like paint, adhesives, cold press paper, and brayers. They are tools the artist uses to create their art. There are also “supplies.” Things like stencils, rubber stamps, and kits of all kinds. These always seemed to me like shortcuts to make art that would look like someone else’s art.

I was sort of a purist. If I wanted to use a stencil, I would make the stencil. If I wanted to use fabric, I would typically alter it in some way. If I wanted to use a stamp, I would carve it, albeit badly. I wanted to make the elements mine, which in turn made the art I produced more mine. (I didn’t go as far as making my own paper, but there were days I considered it.)

There’s been a lot of news about AI and writing since, well, ever since AI showed up on the scene.

I’ve tried not to get too wound up about AI, one way or the other. I tend to lean more toward Luddite than early tech adopter, taking a measured approach and considering if the next big thing is really something to get excited about.

But eventually I started to form an opinion about AI, and I can see that it connects directly back to my experience creating art: If I say I am a creator, then I should be the one creating.

When I think about being a creator, I equate it with terms like craftsman, artisan, and maker. Someone who has spent time to master their craft. Someone who has applied themselves and developed a skill.

That’s who I want to be, as a writer and a visual artist.

I don’t care that using AI could allow me to do things faster or using less energy. (I'm talking about my own energy here, certainly not the energy used by AI.) When I write a book I want to know that I have worked hard to take an idea, cultivate it, shape it, and hone it into a unique, quality novel that has my fingerprints all over it.

So when the questions fly regarding AI and writing, (like should writers use AI in their process? Is it okay to use it for brainstorming? What about for grammar and spell checking? Could AI be used in place of a real live editor (or book coach)?), I’m not going to bother trying to answer them for other writers.

But I do have a stance on how I will be using AI in my writing: I won’t be. And I want to work with other writers who choose not to use it either.

I was in a meeting with Author Accelerator CEO Jennie Nash last month and she said (I’m paraphrasing) she believes the fundamental motivation to write a book, for most writers, is that you want to create something, not copy something.​

I’m excited to engage with writers who want to create something.

Now I’m curious, what have you been thinking about AI? How do you use it, or what steps do you take to avoid it? I'd love to hear in the comments!