writing Archives | Page 2 of 7 | A.S. Akkalon

Is it unoriginal to write about dragons?

Sometimes I worry it’s unoriginal to write about dragons, then I realise that’s a ridiculous concern. Here’s why.

From time to time I have the uneasy feeling that when I write about dragons I’m being unoriginal.

Fantasy books can contain any fantastical creatures I can create, so why stick to this familiar beast? Am I taking the imagination out of a genre that lives based on its imagination?

After deep contemplation, I decided no.

Here’s why.

Why ChatGPT won’t replace fiction writers any time soon

ChatGPT might be impressive, but I’m not convinced it will replace fiction writers any time soon. Here it pretends to know me, then makes a hash of imitating me.

If you read the news, or talk to people who read the news, I’m sure you’ve heard of ChatGPT and all its little AI friends.

There’s been a lot of excitement about the possibilities, and a lot of angst about the possible destruction of human civilisation. Recently some writers sued the company behind one of these models for using their work to train the model without compensating them.

But I’m not going to talk about any of that.

What I want to know is whether ChatGPT can replace me.

How hope pulls a scene

Working with my critique partner recently, I learned how hope can make a scene irresistible. (This is not a writing advice post.)

I don’t do writing advice posts. Nope, nope, nope!

But occasionally I discover something about writing I want to share, and do so in a post. This is one such post.

Recently I’ve been working intensively with my new critique partner, both giving comments and suggested edits, and receiving and implementing them.

I’ve also been on a bit of a writing craft bender. I haven’t been counting, but I’ve probably read a good five craft books in the last few weeks. Not new ones, just some of my old favourites from the bookshelf.

All this means I’ve done a lot of cogitating about what makes a scene work, what’s different about the scenes that excite me or suck me in, and how I can implement this magic in more of my writing.

(I’ve also discovered I’m addicted to the words “something” and “filled” and the phrase “going to die”. You decide what that says about my WIP.)

The value of fresh eyes on your draft

Recently I’ve had a lot of fresh eyes on my first chapter, and I was amazed at what my readers picked up on. Here’s why fresh eyes are so valuable.

This evening I finished the tenth draft of my WIP. It’s been a long time coming and the story still has a way to go, but it’s definite progress.

I have a story that runs from a beginning, stumbles through a middle, and finally reaches an end.* The number of characters who magically appear or vanish without a trace can now be counted on one hand, and I’m pretty sure no one who dies is suddenly walking around later on.

* Okay, this was also true of draft six (or was it seven?), but the plot works better this time.

The avian part of my world is still populated solely by owls, sparrows, and the occasional hawk, though.

What now? I hear you ask.

A very serious blog post on traditional publishing

Kristine Kathryn Rusch argues knowledgeably and convincingly that authors should self-publish. I still don’t plan to. Here’s why.

I promised you a very serious blog post, and here it is.

I’m a long-time fan of Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s (though for some reason I can never remember her name).

She’s a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, but I admit I’ve never tried her fiction.

I’m a fan of her blog.

She writes about the publishing industry, but not regurgitated primers on how to get published or the latest gossip. She writes well-researched, detailed posts about the nitty gritty things you need to know if you want to make a living as a writer, such as licensing rights, contract clauses, and why you should avoid agents and traditional publishers like the coronavirus.