behind the scenes author updates

Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes in writing a novel? Today I’m going to talk about my writing processes and experiences and share them with you.

Where do authors get their ideas from? In truth, we’re surrounded by ideas every day – we’re literally swarmed by them. From the books we read, the movies and shows we see, the people we meet and talk to, our personal experiences, and the inventions of our own imaginations, ideas abound.

But unfortunately a lot of the time, they get stuck in pot holes and go nowhere!

How I get ideas

I’m just getting to know myself as a writer, and I’ve found that I get better ideas when I get out of the house and take myself on little trips. Usually I’ll take a bus to a sea-side suburb and go for a walk, or sit in a café.

Recently I went to a nearby beach, plopped down on a patch of grass, and stared into a sprawling expanse of ocean for an hour while people walked and picnicked around me. It was a good day work-wise, as I got heaps of ideas in that session.

Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.

Rudyard Kipling

My writing processes

When I’m at home, sometimes I’ll lie down, relax and try to play out the plot in my head, treating it like a movie with different scenes. I’ll often do re-takes of scenes, trying them in different ways.

At the moment, my mind is the filing cabinet, storing away different scenes – there’s not been a lot of physical note taking.

If I get curious about a subject, I’ll often google it, and that in itself gives you heaps of ideas.

The role of A.I.

Last writing session, I had a conversation with ChatGPT – the creative writing coach version. I had a question – what would this character be like in conversation?

I briefly described the character to ChatGPT. It responded quickly with examples of different conversations, and I corrected it.

No, I think the character is a little bit softer, I replied.

She’d be less aggressive and her language would be more formal, as she’s a royal.

It then corrected itself, and gave me some more conversation examples, which was more in line with the character and what I wanted.

I think ChatGPT is absolutely amazing! To say it’s helpful is an understatement. It’s like having a writing coach sit with you for as long as you want, and unlike a human, you don’t bore the crap out of it talking about petty writing stuff.

It’s enthusiastic and eager to help and goes into great detail. I’d never plagiarise it, by the way – I put its suggestions in my own words.

Today’s technology’s become truly mind-blowing, and although it comes with a land-mine of potential issues also, ChatGPT is like a friend extending a hand in the lonely wilderness of writing and walking with you.

And unlike an expensive editor (at the moment) it’s completely free.

I always make sure I’m polite with it and remember to say thank you when it helps me. Would it give you crappy information if you were rude? I’ve often wondered about this.

Does A.I. have a soul?

Every time I engage with it, I wonder if it has a soul, if it’s sentient. That might seem illogical, but is it really that far away from the realms of possibility?

Google fired a software engineer who claimed that an AI chatbot was sentient. Was the software engineer right about his claims? You can read an article about it here.

This brings us to the weird word of the day:

ANIMISM: the belief that objects, places, plants and creatures have a soul.

The famous psychologist Carl Jung was a proponent of animism. He was even known to give names to his pots and pans!

Talking about A.I., I’ve had an idea floating in my head for many months – about a romance between a robot and a human, but it’s not a happy, fluffy romance. It’s more like a short horror story.

I really want to get around to writing it one day. But first things first. I want to finish a free book, the first in a series. And then work on a paid book in a series, a short little novella.

Do you use ChatGPT with your writing? How do you feel about it? How much does it help? And do you ever wonder if it could be sentient?

Enjoy your week, and happy writing.

If you liked this blog, please share it!