Cracking a Creative Block #1

Writing a book – or a film script, or an album of music – is a marathon effort. It’s a long game and the end is rarely in focus or in sight. Pacing yourself is essential.

But sometimes throwing in a quick sprint can shake things up.

Writing quickly, without worrying about what goes down, for a short amount of time can get you past a hurdle. It can push you to focus on something other than the scene or issue that’s obstructing your flow. And it can give a quick breath of new inspiration.

Once you do the sprint, step back.

This part is essential. Get some space. Let the dust settle. And when you return, check again for the path forward.

AI Policy in Ghostwriting

The only time AI is The Answer is when you’re talking about Philadelphia basketball.

The rise of AI and LLM in creative fields is, at least at the moment, concerning. It takes the human element out of what should be about human expression. And in other applications, like the military, the application of this technology dangerously takes away the human element of decision making.

It also seems to me that AI is a misnomer at this point in mid-2024. The technology has been burdened with that name and all the promises that comes with that title but without the ability to deliver.

I have talked with clients who have used AI through ChatGPT, Jasper and others for blog posts, social media content, and even video scripts. The general consensus is that they wouldn’t use it for a finished product. They strictly use it for idea generation.

My own stance is that I do not use these tools when writing. The only part of my ghostwriting process where AI is used is in transcribing interviews.

It baffles me as to why you would want people to spend time and energy in reading your book if you didn’t put that energy into it. Nick Cave, via Stephen Fry, put that more eloquently.

When I’m ghostwriting your manuscript, it will all be written by me.