Words to Write by

We've been putting AI chatbots through creative writing challenges, but what are these systems actually doing when they write?

In this episode, we bring in AI expert Bill Moore. Bill works with AI on the coding side, so we had him apply his technical know-how to literary prompts - including crafting the opening of a bestselling fantasy novel. Along the way, we dive into the thorny ethics of building and using AI systems.

Perfect for non-tech folks who want to understand what's happening under the hood.

Remember, we have a Writers Process meetup every Tuesday. Check us out.

Is nothing sacred? After exploring how AI might steal our writing jobs, we're now testing whether these digital usurpers can replicate our podcasting chemistry too. Google's NotebookLM claims to transform documents into conversations between virtual "hosts," setting up the perfect showdown with our human-led book discussion format. 

For this AI vs. human battle royale, we revisit our podcast roots with James Gardner's "The Art of Fiction," specifically tackling that mind-exploding (and not in a good way) final chapter on plot. With words like “profluence” and “picaresque” not to mentions some painfully retrograde sexual politics, this chapter is a doozy. 

Listen as we compare the artificial hosts' takes with our own snarky comments (er…insights) and decide for yourself: can cold, calculating algorithms somehow make Gardner's impenetrable prose not just comprehensible, but actually entertaining? (Spoiler: the results will surprise you.)

Remember, we have a Writers Process meetup every Tuesday. Check us out.

We've explored AI as brainstorming allies, critique partners, and research assistants. Now we're tackling the most contentious question: should writers use AI in the actual writing process? Not the "generate a novel in a week" approach (both ethically dubious and creatively hollow), but rather using AI as an editor whose word and phrasing suggestions you might incorporate into your novel. Is this approach effective? And even if it is, is it ethical?

Join us as we navigate these thorny questions at the intersection of creativity and technology.

Remember, we have a Writers Process meetup every Tuesday. Check us out.

In the current publishing industry, authors are expected to handle their own social media. If we wanted to be out there interacting with people, we probably wouldn't have picked artforms that have us sitting alone for hours everyday. What writer hasn't wished for an assistant to handle their social media? How about assistants we don't have to pay? 

In this episode, Kim and Renee explore how AI can lighten authors' marketing burden. They demonstrate AI tools that create marketing checklists, research Amazon keywords, build reader personas, and develop social media strategies that won't leave authors exhausted or creatively drained. Also, Renee, without any AI assistance, goes on a great rant.

Remember, we have a Writers Process meetup every Tuesday. Check us out.

Can AI truly enhance your creativity without taking over? Our previous episodes left us wondering, but in this episode of "Words to Write by," we interview educator Kate Scott of the "AI for Squishy Humans" newsletter who offers some refreshing answers.

Kate reveals her practical framework for taming AI's "enthusiastic toddler" tendencies and transforming it into a genuine creative partner. Drawing from her own experience with her just-published indie fantasy novel, Kate demonstrates how she leverages AI for targeted marketing strategies and discovering innovative ways to connect with potential readers. She shares unexpected ways AI can serve writers beyond just generating content—from personalized writing coaches to creative problem-solving tools that actually strengthen your unique voice.

If you've been curious but cautious about AI in your creative process, this conversation with Kate on "Words to Write by" explores approachable methods for conquering blank page syndrome and organizational hurdles that might be exactly what you need to hear.

Remember, we have a Writers Process meetup every Tuesday. Check us out.

Submitting work to your first workshop or critique group is nerve-wracking - these aren't your supportive friends or family, but strangers with opinions. Yet honest feedback is the lifeblood of growth for writers. The problem? Workshops are expensive, inflexible, and the quality of feedback varies wildly.

What if you could get thoughtful critique on your terms, anytime day or night? 

That's the promise of AI writing assistants. In this episode, Renee is the guinea pig as she submits a chapter draft from her memoir to Claude and compares its insights against feedback she previously received from human critics.

The results? According to Claude, they are “Surprising, illuminating, and potentially game-changing for writers everywhere.” We’ll let you be the judge of that. 

Remember, we have a Writers Process meetup every Tuesday. Check us out.

Can writers harness AI ethically without surrendering the soul of their craft? In our provocative new mini-series, we're not just theorizing about AI's role in creative writing—we're putting it to the test.

Picture this: You're staring at a blank page. Your protagonist is trapped, your love interests are stubbornly avoiding each other, or your climactic scene lacks the perfect setup. We've all been there. Could AI be the brainstorming partner that breaks through these creative walls?

To find out, we challenged Claude (our AI of choice) with a classic writing exercise from John Gardner's The Art of Fiction. The results? Let's just say they left us speechless—and not for the reasons you might expect.

Whether you're an AI skeptic, enthusiast, or simply curious about the future of storytelling, this episode is for you.

Tune in to discover if AI truly empowers the creative process—or if it's leading writers down a dangerous path.

Remember, we have a Writers Process meetup every Tuesday. Check us out.

In this episode, we're finally putting the Hero's Journey to rest and bidding farewell to Christopher Vogler's "The Writer's Journey." And by "putting to rest," we mean cramming the entire second half of this doorstop of a book into one episode. Renee takes one for the team by distilling each chapter down to its least painful bits. Then we'll zoom out to discuss what we actually found valuable in this tome and offer our candid recommendations on how to approach reading it.

For the second half, we're pivoting to something that won't collect dust on your shelf—our new mini-series on AI and its invasion of the writing world. Do chatbots mean the end of the craft of writing, or can we humans somehow incorporate the AI's as tools to improve our stories? Today, we're just examining how alarmingly far AI has advanced since our last tech episode two years ago (spoiler: it's terrifying).

Remember, we have a Writers Process meetup every Tuesday. Check us out.

Christopher Vogler's The Writer's Journey insists all stories follow the Hero's Journey template—but does this actually work for romance novels? I mean, we know they have climaxes... just not necessarily the kind Vogler was talking about.

In this workshop, we corner romance author Lia Riley - creator of the time travel regency hockey romance Puck & Prejudice - who’s happy to geek out about the structure behind those steamy page-turners. Lia discusses the essential structure, beloved tropes, and what she playfully calls "the butter"—those deeper emotional truths that give romance its irresistible flavor.

We chat about the weird contradiction at the heart of romance: how do books where everyone knows the ending somehow dig deeper into who we really are? Lia breaks down how characters fumble through their emotional baggage to find real connection, basically becoming their best selves by falling in love.

And because we couldn't let her go without some fun talk, Lia tells us about her own podcast obsessions—Afternoona Delight, where she goes all-in on K-drama analysis, and Afternoona Army, her unapologetic haven for fellow BTS fans.

Remember, we have a Writers Process meetup every Tuesday. Check us out.

Just when you thought you had the Hero's Journey all figured out, we're back with a surprising twist! In our previous episode, we confidently declared that the "Road Back Home" stage was the climax of the journey. But according to Christopher Vogler's "The Writer's Journey," we may have jumped the gun. It turns out that the true climax lies in the "Resurrection" stage.

Confused? Intrigued? You're not alone! Join us as we try to untangle the differences between the two stages. We'll explore what makes the "Resurrection" stage so pivotal and how it serves as the ultimate test for our hero.

But the journey doesn't end there. We'll also shed light on the final stage, the "Return with Elixir," where our hero comes full circle, bringing back the hard-earned wisdom and rewards to share with the world. 

Remember, we have a Writers Process meetup every Tuesday. Check us out.