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Creating A World

9/21/2023

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All forms of writing require some level of world building. This is especially true in speculative fiction. The reader needs to have a sense of the environment within which the story takes place. That environment is wider than just the physical setting, it includes all the trappings of a society: art & culture; food & drink; politics & religion; fashion; science & magic; infrastructure & transport; technology & structures; languages & class structure; flora & fauna; disease; races of humans, monsters & aliens; and rules & laws – amongst other things.

BUT (that’s in capitals because what follows is very important) …all the details of the world you create don’t need to be included in your story. I know it’s tempting to include it all that gritty minutia you spent hours, days and even weeks researching and thinking about, but just don’t. Only include enough to provide a scaffold for your reader’s imagination, context for your characters, and to move the plot forward.

Because I’m a discovery writer (I discover the story as I write it), I don’t do a great deal of world building before I start writing. I’ll just do enough to get me going. My typical approach for developing a world is very organic. I start with the main character. Once I understand who they are and what drives them, I can start to write the plot around them. The final step is to construct the world in which the character and the plot exist. This means my writing is often interrupted by periods of research.

For The Grotesque Wars (novelette in Letters From Elsewhere), I spent a lot of time researching castles. The final story only carries a glimpse of all that research. I’ve included just enough so the reader can picture a castle, but not be bogged down and distracted by in-depth descriptions. I know the exact layout of the castle and even details of the materials used in its construction, but these have no bearing on the story. Specifics, where needed, are woven into the story, rather than dumped in as a chunk of exposition.

In my novella, Rose Moon, the story moves between three realms: a fantasy realm; a human realm; and the realm of the seasons. Each needed sufficient depth and vibrancy to make them real. Most of the action occurs in the human realm, so that’s where I needed the most detail. I had to consider politics, religion, laws, technology, magic and the setting. Then, determine how the realms interacted.

In the above examples, the worlds were built on an earth or earth-like reality, but that’s not always the case. I’m working on a series of space opera novella’s, Ghost Assassins of Bijou, where almost nothing about the series universe is familiar. I’ve had to build almost everything from scratch, but I start with the known.
  • The assassins and their targets are human, but different races.  
  • Societies are versions of democracy or autocracy.
  • Religions have distorted to fundamentalism and misogyny.

After that, and because I’m not bound by hard science, I can let my imagination riot.
  • Spacecraft are mechanically enhanced, sentient cuttlefish-like creatures.
  • Intergalactic travel is possible via ‘Punch Flight’.
  • There are multitudes of sentient species other than humans.
  • Universal translators are glitchy, but exist.

Worlds don’t need to be based in reality, but they do need elements of fundamental truths. Readers need to have something or someone they can identify with or understand.

There’s a whole bunch of stuff I have high confidence writing about: women; sexuality; animals; habitats; politics; and the logistics involved in managing large-scale international projects. There’s a much larger list of things I have less confidence about, including: technology; physics; strategies of war; legal systems; and medical procedures. Those differing levels of confidence will dictate how much research I may need to do, which facets of a world will be more important to my story, and whose perspective the story is being told from. For example, if I have a scene set in a hospital, it will be told from the perspective of a visitor or patient, not from that of a surgeon or staff nurse.

Setting is a critical component of world-building. All too often it’s one dimensional – visual. Add richness with the other senses. The stench of rancid milk evokes an almost involuntary gag reflex in most of us. That first mouthful of rich, bitter coffee in the morning is nirvana to some of us, and repulsive to others. Aromas and flavours are powerful drivers of emotion, as is sound. The mewl of a kitten, the screech of brakes, the scream as you plunge a knife into someone’s stomach. Don’t forget the feel of the warm blood as it splatters on your face, the silk smoothness of the dress you wear, and the irritation of the sand in your eyes. Use all the senses to draw your reader deep into your world.

​Finally, it's important to remember that no world is perfect. There will always be dissent, crime, and inhabitants of societies fringes. Recorded history doesn’t always align with reality, it usually suits those who are in power. The same applies to the interpretation of the tenets of religion, think about the difference between a zealot and someone with faith. We’ve bred thornless varieties of lemon trees but left to themselves, they revert. Animal species aren’t meant to be able to interbreed, yet there are numerous examples of hybrids in nature. Don’t limit your world to one dimension – allow it to be full and rich.
 
Here are some of my favourite worlds.
  • Pern – Ann McCaffrey
  • The Dandelion Dynasty – Ken Liu
  • The Murderbot Diaries – Martha Wells
  • Binti – Nnedi Okorafor
  • Discworld – Terry Pratchett
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AI and Publishing

6/5/2023

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​I want to state upfront that I’m no expert on the use of AI. My interest is borne from being a writer doing her best to write stories worth publishing in an already jammed market.
 
I’d vaguely heard of chatbots but had no real understanding of what they were or what they could do. Then, in February 2023 Neil Clarke, of Clarkesworld Magazine issued a statement that he was temporarily suspending submissions due to an unprecedented influx of AI generated stories. That got my attention.
 
Reactions of writers to the rising use of AI apps in writing fiction have been mixed. I’ve heard everything from “it’s the end of the world as we know it” to “cool, I can use this tool to churn out a book every month.”
 
The name on everyone’s lips seems to be ChatGPT (and that’s what I’ll mostly refer to), but there are many other AI apps targeted specifically at creative writing. For example: Sudowrite; Jasper; Rytr.AI; Quillbot; Sassbook; and Grammarly.
 
At the end of May 2023, a quick search of Amazon showed 225 books on ‘ChatGPT for Writers’, and over a 1000 published books with ChatGPT listed as an author. It’s impossible to know how many others have been produced using some form of AI.
 
What is very clear is that this genie cannot be stuffed back in its bottle.
 
Because I believe as writers and readers we need to inform ourselves, I spent two weeks doing research and having discussions with fellow authors. I presented what I found on the AI in Publishing Panel at the SFFANZ ReConnect2023 online conference held 3-4 June 2023. This post is based on the panel discussion.
 
What ChatGPT (et al) produces
Even though ChatGPT is referred to as an AI (artificial intelligence) it’s not at all intelligent. It doesn’t think or have emotions. Very simply, it uses algorithms to predict likely next words. These predictions are based on the material it’s been trained on, which is basically the internet. So, it’s not surprising that AI responses: fall into tropes and predictable phrases; show cultural bias; and can be based on lies and hallucinations. Uncritical use of AI produced text is very unwise!
 
Acquisition of data.
ChatGPT (et al) works by producing text that is statistically likely to follow the text that came before it. It’s been trained to do that by scraping the internet for material, with no consideration for copyright. In my view this is unethical and undermines the entire purpose of copyright.
 
New Zealand does not recognise the ‘Doctrine of Fair Use’ as a defence for copying copyrighted works. The Copyright Act 1994 permits certain activities in relation to copyright works, these include: incidental copying; fair dealing with a work for the purpose of criticism, review and news reporting; fair dealing with a work for the purpose of research or private study; and, where the copying is for educational purposes and follows the requirements of the Act.
 
Copyright protects the expression of ideas or information, not the underlying idea itself. It is likely that an infringement case in New Zealand would revolve around whether the use of copyright works by the AI amounted to copying a substantial part of the works – i.e., has the AI copied an important or distinctive part of an earlier copyright work to create something new?
 
It's possible ChatGPT could respond with ideas or even wholesale phrases provided by other writers, including writers who didn't consent to giving ChatGPT their data. At this time creatives have no ability to opt-out of having their products used to train ChatGPT.
 
There is at least one class action taking place in the US in the visual arts where artists are suing for breach of copyright. The outcome could have implications for writers.
 
Authors should be compensated when their works are used in training of generative AI, and AI developers should disclose what works they use to train their AI. Authors should have the right to opt out.
 
Use of AI needs to be transparent.
Unless an author using AI acknowledges they are doing so, there are limited ways to know a work is not entirely the product of human endeavour. Yes, for now, there are programmes to assess work, but they can throw up false positives, e.g., when authors are writing in a second language.
 
There are numerous ways in which AI can be used by authors, i.e., idea generation, plotting, writing chunks of text, character development, and grammar checking. Acknowledging the level of use would go a long way in retaining the trust of readers and publishers alike.
 
At the very least, authors, publishers, platforms, and marketplaces should be required to identify when a significant portion (e.g., more than 30%) of a written work has been generated by AI.
 
Copyright of creative works should be restricted to humans.
Wholly AI generated works can’t be copyrighted in the US, but in stark contrast, they’re automatically copyrighted in New Zealand (and the UK).
 
NZ copyright law expressly states that AI produced creations are covered by copyright. Originally, this was to protect computer generated models such as weather forecasts and the like.
 
But…for copyright to apply in New Zealand, there must be an original work and there must be an author. For work to be original, the author needs to demonstrate they've applied sufficient time, skill, and effort in creating it. Inputting a simple prompt is unlikely to be enough. No legal tests have been made in New Zealand, and it seems unlikely to happen any time soon.
 
Economics:
It’s already difficult to make money as a writer. Society doesn’t place much value on art. By devaluing writers and crowding the market, AI could further erode what little we earn.
 
Currently, there’s a free to use version of most AIs, but there are increasing scales of cost with added features. Companies are making money from data sets compiled through non-consensual scraping of the internet – writers who created the source material are not.
 
I’ve worked hard and spent a lot of time and money to develop my writing skills and create my brand. If someone uses the prompt, “Write a 1000-word fantasy story in the style of Jacqui Greaves” I think I should be compensated. Why should someone else be able to profit without consequence by using my voice (without my consent and potentially bringing harm my brand)?
 
There should be a requirement for permission and compensation for authors when their works are used in outputs, or when their names or identities or titles of their works are used in prompts.
 
Submissions:
When thinking about submitting stories written with the assistance of AI, writers need to be aware of the AI policies of publishers.
 
Some, have very clear policies:
Clarkesworld Magazine states;
“We will not consider any submissions written, developed, or assisted by these tools. Attempting to submit these works may result in being banned from submitting works in the future.”
QueerSciFi annual flash fiction contest rules say;
“We do not allow submission of work that is partially or entirely generated by Generated Artificial Intelligence (generative AI).”
Other publishers have statements along the lines of ‘we only accept submissions from humans made of meat.’
 
In contrast, Space and Time Magazine had a recent call for their Friend or Fiend? AI and Human Creators: Special Edition. They invited submissions demonstrating how AI can enhance human work, but not replace it. “To demonstrate that human creativity is vital and can not be replaced by AI, but it can free us from tedious tasks so we have more time to create.”
 
In the already murky world of self-publishing (a space I inhabit) it’s a bit of a free for all. I predict it will become even more difficult to rise above the dross. I’ll be adding an AI statement to my social media profiles and the metadata of my online publications, and hope I’ve built enough trust with my readers.
 
Readers:
Readers have a role to play. If readers want works created with heart and nuance, with original themes, characters, and settings, they need to insist that their bookstore (physical or virtual) has a clear AI disclosure policy.
 
If there’s no market for fiction largely or wholly produced by AI, then there’s no reason for a supply. This only works where authors and publishers disclose when AI has been used in the production of a creative piece of work. As stated above, this may be challenging in the self-publishing arena.
 
Readers may need to become more discerning in which authors they read and take it upon themselves to do their due diligence.
 
And, for those of you happy to read AI generated stories, you do you!
 
Environment: not directly related, but an interesting aside
Forbes reported that training a single AI model results in the emission of more than 283,000 kg of carbon equivalent (around the annual production of 5 cars).
There are also issues around the enormous quantities of water required to cool processing centres and the ongoing challenge of e-waste disposal.
 
 
Websites I visited while researching
http://neil-clarke.com/ai-statement/
 
https://blog.enterprisedna.co/what-is-chat-gpt-everything-you-need-to-know/
 
https://becominghuman.ai/ai-writing-tools-for-creative-writing-and-fiction-unleash-your-imagination-and-write-like-a-pro-4f098ccc7fce
 
https://renaissancerachel.com/best-ai-novel-writing-software/
 
https://www.euronews.com/next/2022/11/08/ai-writing-is-here-and-its-worryingly-good-can-writers-and-academia-adapt
 
https://prowritingaid.com/art/681/Why-AI-Will-Never-Replace-Writers.aspx?gclid=Cj0KCQjwsIejBhDOARIsANYqkD3foJNDryjEoyQ-pncvOyX-SZ3-PuKwuG_kA9eph3G9Zraxrz6g9KMaAlA6EALw_wcB
 
https://mythcreants.com/blog/questions/is-it-ethical-to-use-ai-in-fiction-writing/
 
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/apple-a-day/202303/how-will-ai-affect-the-future-of-fiction
 
https://www.lawfareblog.com/ai-generated-works-artists-and-intellectual-property
 
https://medium.com/@emilymenonbender/thought-experiment-in-the-national-library-of-thailand-f2bf761a8a83
 
https://authorsguild.org/advocacy/artificial-intelligence/
 
https://www.npr.org/2023/02/03/1154091957/artists-file-class-action-lawsuit-saying-ai-artwork-violates-copyright-laws
 
https://cointelegraph.com/news/environmental-impact-of-ai-pioneering-solutions-for-a-sustainable-future
 
https://builtin.com/artificial-intelligence/ai-copyright
 
https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=9ee46558-7233-4255-a56a-a895fabdf276#:~:text=This%20section%20confirms%20that%20the,of%20the%20work%20are%20undertaken'.&text=This%20means%20copyright%20can%20and%20will%20subsist%20in%20AI%20generated%20images.
 
https://www.equaljusticeproject.co.nz/articles/can-new-zealands-ip-and-copyright-law-keep-up-with-ai-advancements2023
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The Trickster

11/12/2018

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I’ve been thinking about the role of the antagonist in stories. A super quick search of the interwebs revealed four main types of antagonist: Evil, Opposing, Superior and Internal (honestly, I’m sure there are other classifications, but this serves my need for now). They’re all interesting and worthy of deeper consideration, but it’s the evil antagonist who is most relevant to where my musings have been taking me.
The evil antagonist is the one who is evil for the sake of being evil. This character may have a back-story that gives them some excuse, but generally it’s not critical to understand their why. All that matters is how they satisfy their greed, hunger for power and uncompromising drive to achieve their nefarious goal at any cost, and how they torment the hero of the story along the way.
Often, we feel nothing but hatred for this character, they represent the worst traits of humanity distilled and concentrated for effect. No-one feels empathy with the likes of Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter, Sauron in Lord of the Rings, Darth Sidious in Star Wars, or Doctor Smith in the revamped Lost in Space. They have no redeeming features.
But there is another kind of evil antagonist—the trickster. They’re usually a secondary antagonist to some greater evil, either facilitating the main antagonist, or confounding the hero for their own means. Yes, they’re evil, but they have moments of vulnerability that fool not only the hero, but us as well, into empathy. We can almost see ourselves in their place, even if just for a moment.
My favourite examples of the trickster are The Master/Missy from Doctor Who, Loki in all his incarnations, Moriarty from Sherlock Holmes and, most recently, Ms Wardwell (otherwise known as Lilith or Madam Satan) who was the sole reason I watched the entire first season of the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina in one sitting!
Of all the antagonists I adore tricksters above all others! What I love most about these characters is their intelligence and wit. So, it’s really no surprise that I’m incorporating one into my current work in progress (known for now as ‘The Japanese Story’). My trickster is a white fox who acts as a messenger between humans and Gods. He’s a fun character to write and I hope I do him justice as his role develops.
 

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What’s in a Cover?

3/29/2017

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​I’ve recently been involved in negotiations and discussions over the design of a book cover. During the discussions, it became clear that almost everyone involved had a different expectation of what the cover should look like and what that would mean.
So, I ask the question—What’s in a Cover?
Because I’m a very visual person, I look for an attractive, interesting, or quirky cover. It must have artistic merit, I like imagery that leads the eye from the title across the page to the author, or the other way around. I like space and a sense of movement. Imagery should address the content, but sometimes words and patterns are all I need. In that case, the fonts should be interesting and unique, and the placement of the title and authorship used to the same effect as imagery, to lead the eye.
Unless I’m looking for a specific author or title, then it’s the cover that determines whether I bother to pick a book up and look inside to see what it’s about (Yes, I’m describing my process with a physical book because that’s where my heart lies, but it equally applies to clicking on an ebook on a screen).
The cover is very important when I’m looking for a new read. If I don’t like the cover, I don’t pick up, or click on, the book. No sale!
The different will leap out at me, anything that is unusual or unexpected will grab my attention.
So, in my recent discussions, I was surprised to learn of the belief that people won’t buy a book if the cover doesn’t match their expectations for the genre. The perception was that the reading audience did not seek uniqueness, but sought sameness in design. This revelation hurt my heart. It also made me wonder whether the approach of uniformity limited sales to a portion of the potential market. Maybe it doesn’t matter, because those that want their books to look the same form the most lucrative corner of the market? I have no idea.
I, of course, understand that a cover for a physical book won’t always work in an online environment—where the size of the thumbnail images results in the loss of fine detail and finesse. The sheer quantity of books available in electronic format exacerbates this. Anyone can self-publish, some of it is wonderful, much of it not! So surely, in the sea of books available to readers, a well-designed and unique cover becomes even more important?
The other issue that arose was specific to erotic fiction, where the favoured ‘look’ is a torso, or two (I was directed to the top selling erotic fiction on Amazon, you should go there too!). There was much discussion on whether the model on the cover should be a single man, a single woman or a couple. In many ways, this depends on the perceived audience and the contents of the publication, but even here we diverged in our views. My view is that women readers want to see a woman on the cover—someone they can identify with. Almost everyone else in the debate thought the opposite. For me, unless the title of the book gives a clear indication otherwise, a single man on the cover indicates that the material inside is aimed at gay men. Maybe I’m just weird?
Despite not getting my way on almost every aspect I was concerned about, it was an interesting discussion and clearly gave me a lot to think about (hence this blog!).
I fully concede that this is an area I’m new to, and I’m quite likely wrong in many of my views. Hell! I’m sure there’s an entire field of research that I’ve been too lazy to investigate that would answer all of my questions! But I’d really rather hear from you!
How important is the cover in your book choices? And what makes a great cover? I’d be really interested in your thoughts.

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Finding Inspiration

1/12/2017

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I’ve never had any trouble finding inspiration for stories, short or long. My novel-under-development was inspired by one of my cheeky dogs from another time in my life. Many short stories find their source in a real-life historical character whose story I reinterpret and twist to suit my strange tastes.
Dreams sometimes provide me with the kernel of an idea. I’ve always had vivid and fantastical dreams and when combined with an over-active imagination my cup of inspiration is often in flood.
Sometimes travel gives me rich pickings. In 2015 I travelled to Japan, a country laden with myths, legends and religious icons, where sexuality is at once repressed and celebrated. I have a wonderful idea for a story involving samurais, gods, white fox messengers and perhaps even water-dragons.
Just this New Year I was in South America, where once again local myths and legends have fuelled my imagination. Tales of Peruvian gods and goddesses, shamanic tales of the mystical powers of the rainforest trees and animals who inhabit them, and idyllic settings have set my imagination on fire once again.
My challenge? How to contain my urge to write them all at once and how to retain the passion for each story.

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What do you write?

11/5/2016

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‘What do you write?’
It’s an innocent enough question to ask when someone is introduced to you as a writer. But to be honest, when someone asks me that simple, naïve question I break into a cold sweat!
It happened at a party I was at the other day. And the ensuing conversation was a complete train-wreck! I’ve been thinking about it since, trying to figure out why it so often goes wrong.
Just to be clear, I write using a pseudonym. I’m not embarrassed about what I write and, unlike other writers I know, being revealed would pose no threat to my livelihood or family. I use a pen-name to keep the slightest degree of separations between my worlds, specifically when it comes to social media. However, there are differences between the public personas of writer-me and day-to-day-life-me. So, when face-to-face with a stranger, telling them what I write reveals that duality.
The question ‘what do you write?’ always makes me pause. During the pause, I do two things. First, I panic! Second, I consider the person I’m facing. Do they look open-minded? Am in the mood to shock them? Will they think I’m a freak? Do I care? Will I ever see them again anyway? Based on scant first impressions, and after an uncomfortable silence, I fashion a response for them.
Sometimes, I simply say I write fiction, hoping that will satisfy them. It seldom does.
Sometimes, I state I write erotica. Without fail, they immediately think I write bodice-ripping romance novels, and feely offer their opinion on that genre. I have no problem with the genre, I read it in my younger days while hiding under the blankets, it’s great fun! It’s just that I don’t write it!
Usually, I tell them I write fantasy and science fiction. And, this is where it gets weird in my mind, because the general response is something like – ‘oh, children’s stories.’ Which tends to make me stutter and blink in disbelief.  
So, in all cases what follows is a weird conversation where I try to explain that I weave explicit sex into the fantasy and science fiction genres as a way of exploring humanity’s fundamental interest in sex and sexuality in unique environments and circumstances. I try to talk about how I like to delve into the darker aspects of ourselves by using non-human creatures, often interacting with human’s. But, by this time, I’m losing them and they usually politely excuse themselves, leaving me standing alone pouring another glass of wine down my throat.
I find it painfully difficult to explain in person what I write and why. I want people to know I’m a writer, I’m proud of what I do and achieve. There is a part of me that seeks the acknowledgement and praise of others. I just don’t know how to clearly and calmly explain it, in a conversation with a complete stranger, in a way that doesn’t leave us both disturbed and scuttling away to safety on opposite sides of the room.
Any suggestions?

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