Can we Talk?

I know, this is late to the game. It’s not that I haven’t noticed, believe me, this is just the first time I’m publicly sharing my opinion on this very divisive topic within the writing community. And that’s why. It’s divisive. I am, of course, talking about the use of AI.

We live in fast times. We eat fast food. We buy fast fashion. And increasingly for the last few years we are reading fast fiction. Many readers may not even be aware of this as they consume content on a daily basis. You may have heard by now the ease at which blog articles can be compiled by your computer; SEO, pictures, even YouTube videos, all added in the click of a few buttons. With varying degrees of humanness, of course, depending on how carefully the “author” proofreads the article their computer has written, and the level of competency said person has in actual writing structure, grammar, etc. In fact, this has become so prevalent that search engines have implemented stronger tools just to sus out these artificially created articles. Why? Because they are not created out of a place of knowledge or love on a topic. They are created to exploit the use of affiliate links and earn fast cash. Seeing a pattern here? Let me be clear. There is nothing inherently wrong with affiliate marketing. It’s a way for people to see products most often used by influencers, bloggers and vloggers, who do the promoting. The thing is affiliate marketing in its legitimate form does in fact take a fair bit of dedication and it isn’t a get rich scheme. Typically to get to a point of significant passive income one has to have multiple affiliations, posted on multiple sites, in a variety of ways. I’m not going to get into that here, let’s stay on topic. For the purpose of this article, we're exploring the use of computer-generated content where actual blog writing is concerned. Blogging isn't just a fluff job. I’ve tried it before, I’m getting ready to try again (legitimately, don’t worry). Blogging takes time. It takes research, testing of products and methods, tracking down or taking pictures, and of course the writing. That’s right. Outlining, drafting, perfecting. We as writers all know how much dedication goes into that.

I have been dragged down an absolute rabbit hole in my quest to write this article and a few terms I keep coming across in “how to’s” for instructing your computer in what you want it to convey to your readers include: authority, authentic, trust, expertise. You know what term comes to my mind? Irony. These writers want their blogs to sound authentic. Their readers want a place to glean said blogger’s expert opinion on whatever topic they’re searching. The problem with this fast cash path of blogging is that these bloggers don’t actually have to have any knowledge whatsoever on said topic. That’s right, a quick search of trending topics or questions and you’ve got a topic people are guaranteed to click on. Just go to your handy AI tool, let it research for you, write for you, maybe pick out a few pictures for you and that’s it. All formatted and everything. But what happens when one of your readers has a question for you and all your expertise? So now we see why search engines are cracking down on this. It is actually damaging the internet's capability to find relevant, genuine information.

Now that we’ve covered that, I have another surprise for you. Artificial intelligence exploitation is not limited to the realms of get rich quick blogging. That’s right, in a turn that’s even more disturbing to this writer, it has invaded full on novel production. Look, we all know that publishing is a mess right now. We’re all looking for a way to supplement our incomes, I get it. I’m in the same boat. But claiming work that I had virtually no input on as my own? That just doesn’t sit well with me.

We’ve all heard of ghostwriting. It’s far more talked about in nonfiction. Articles, blogs, memoirs, autobiographies. A lot of celebrities' memoirs were not physically written by them, but then again, they definitely provided the material wouldn’t you say? The same goes for nonfiction, textbooks, etc. People who have the expertise aren’t always skilled in writing actual books or articles. It’s a common practice.

There are various types of ghostwriting in fiction too. IP writing for instance is a form of this. For those who aren’t familiar with the term, that’s where a publishing house contacts an author to write books based on existing well-known characters. Traditional ghostwriting is nothing new in fiction either. There are well known authors who become too busy to finish books they’ve been contracted to do, and in long lasting series with literally hundreds of books, ghostwriters are commonplace. Ghostwriting proposals can consist of anything ranging from a full first draft in need of extensive overhaul to nothing more than an interesting original character and maybe a general story idea. And while there is debate on this, the fact of the matter is, some people don’t have the necessary skills, but still have a great idea. These authors may not do the actual writing, but they have contributed material they came up with on their own. Even if all they have is an original idea and a dream, it’s theirs. But I digress again…

This new trend, thanks to advancing technology, is not the same. To be clear, this is no fault of the actual ghostwriters. Afterall, keep in mind, said writer is getting no glory for their work, and in a nauseating turn of events, typically very little compensation.

In my rabbit hole journey, I came across programs that encourage those with no skill other than hustling for money, to utilize their programs specifically trained to not only generate story ideas but spit out CHAPTER BY CHAPTER outlines. With the click of about six buttons and the dedication of about as many minutes you are given a complete outline, character names, tropes and all, to send off to their supposedly exclusive collection of ghostwriters, cover designers, manuscript editors and readers that give positive reviews before the completed book even goes live online, thereby standing out in the algorithm (making it even harder for indie authors just trying to get their original works seen). How do I know about this?

I watched a few “free training videos” aka clickbait to get sent a relentless number of emails to immediately delete. I was curious so I began doing my own internet search of these companies and what I came across was ludicrous to anyone with a rudimentary understanding of novel writing. I saw multiple complaints from ghostwriters that they are inundated with generic copy and paste proposals requesting multiple books for below rock bottom prices. Stories about rude “authors” berating said ghostwriter and making nonsensical demands. So…I went to a few freelance for hire sites, and guess what I found? Multiple listings looking for someone to write nearly identical Romance/Thriller novel series for anywhere from $800-$1050 for the entire series! Demanding a sample writing of 5000 words. Okay, 5000 words, could be a typical chapter or so. HOWEVER, the listed the word count expected for the actual books looked something like this:

Third book 30,000 words

Second book 20,000 words

First book 15,000 words/ 10,000 in one post

I mean, I’ve heard of writing tight, but GEESH! Let’s not forget that if your “book” is 10,000 words, asking your ghostwriter for 5,000 BEFORE even hiring them is literally asking for half of the---Book? Article? Short Story? You certainly wouldn't call it an adult fiction novel. You can see how clearly this is not about art. It’s not about creation, sharing your perspective, working through past traumas and any other reason us creatives write and share our stories. Not only that, but it is also an attempt to exploit creatives looking for freelance work and taking up the space for legitimate proposals on the freelancing platforms.

As I pointed out earlier, people use ghostwriters for a variety of legitimate reasons even if it’s as little as a great character they can’t get out of their mind onto paper, but it’s an original idea. When a computer generates not only a pie chart of genres, tropes, and word count, but everything down to character names and chapter outlines…at what point can you claim authorship? These companies often even require your first “novel” to be in the genre, general plot, tropes THEY choose for you to guarantee financial success (Which they of course take a cut of AFTER charging you to purchase the program). Kind of explains the multiple identical proposals I found on freelance websites huh?

In similar fashion to AI written blog posts, these fast fiction novels have been flooding the already saturated market of pay per print and online marketplaces which not only makes it more difficult for authors to get their hard-earned work in front of potential readers, but it is killing these book selling platforms. It may not look like it financially, but if all that is ever pushed on these sites are these fast-tracked books, readers will begin to leave. Good books are not written in weeks. Maybe you can write a first draft in that time. Maybe even an awesome first draft. But anyone worth their salt will tell you to shelve it after the first draft and wait several months for edits. You become so invested in the world of your characters when you write that you’re too biased to edit and rewrite. To make a book its best you have to be able to detach yourself from it, whittle it down and rewrite significant portions if not all until it's as perfect as you can get it. That care shows in the finished product no matter how shiny and new some fast fiction project looks up front.

And who really benefits from these books?

The ghostwriters I’ve come across who actually accepted these offers felt exploited. The readers are being spoon-fed the same generic plot with the same generic characters (of course if that’s what they’re into who am I to judge?). Even these “authors”, how much do they really benefit? Sure, there are a few out of the thousands who’ve achieved riches beyond their wildest dreams, out there on their yachts…yah, yah, yah…whatever else these “training videos” use to sell desperate people an overly priced tool and the opportunity to submit proposals on freelance sites that any writer can immediately pick out as a dud.

Who benefits? The company selling this AI program. Make no mistake. These aren’t novels. They’re products. Produced with one goal in mind. To make money. And if one generic book gets horrible reviews, there are a thousand more generic books to take its place. If a thousand students invest thousands to get this program (plus enough to cover actual writing and creation) but quit because all they really achieved was losing money, there are thousands of people just like them willing to invest.

And what of these students? Where are they learning the craft? Where is the instruction on the industry of publishing? Writers don’t write to get rich. They write because they have to. I don’t have a degree in English, but I want to write, and I want to write well and improve my skill, so: I have read countless books on the craft, I subscribe to published author’s newsletters and YouTube channels of authors and editors and agents, I’ve attended webinars, I joined a local writing group, I write as much as I can. Sure, I’d love to sell my books, but writing isn’t just about selling your books. It’s about the process, and I’m a much better writer for it.

These click of the button novel programs may not technically be a scam. computer generated blog posts may technically not be breaking any rules. But they are hurting the writing community, and they are not contributing to personal growth of the person utilizing them. It is tempting to use something so easy to quickly generate income, especially in these times. I admit, the thought crossed my mind while compiling my info for this article. But then I thought of something. I would never be able to attach my name to something my computer wrote. And even if I used a pen name, I’d feel like a fraud at the next meeting of my writing group. I know there are those likely to disregard my opinions as jealousy, but I’m not. Over the past several years I’ve taken it upon myself to study the craft. I've learned the amount of work and care that goes into any piece of writing. I know what it takes creatively and emotionally to create characters and to dictate their stories. Artificial intelligence can be useful to generate names, or to help put plot points together. It can help with organizing thoughts for a blog post and optimizing for SEO.

The use of AI in and of itself may not end of the craft of writing, but the misuse of it for gain just may.