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Insecure Writer's Support Group (insecurewriterssupportgroup.com)
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IWSG August 7 question - Do you use AI in your writing and if so how? Do you use it for your posts? Incorporate it into your stories? Use it for research? Audio?
The easy answer to the above questions, for me, is "No" to all. I have written several novels (two unpublished) plus a book of poetry and never used AI to create or develop the story. My focus now is on writing short stories and the ones I've written for anthologies have all been about topics of personal interest that I could relate to and embellish with research - my favorite part of writing. I look forward to reading the IWSG blog comments today to learn more about AI, programs others use, and success stories.
As for my interest in writing short stories again, I often wonder about length and whether long or short stories are more appealing to readers. Social media sites seem to owe much of their attraction to easy access, short comments, and "photos that tell the story."
Do shorter attention spans require shorter short stories?
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Never used AI either. I think a lot of people prefer short stories, so rock on with them.
ReplyDeleteThanks Alex, short stories are more fun to write.
DeleteI wouldn't use AI to generate a story of any kind. I would, however, use it for research. As to how long a story should be...I always think it should be long enough to tell the tale I want to. Thanks for posting on IWSG today!
ReplyDeleteAI does have its benefits and posts today have given me a comfortable perspective on its future. Thanks for co-hosting today.
DeleteI agree with Lee about using Al for research and as a tool for other tasks. There are a number of members posting about their short stories being accepted in anthologies this month. So it sounds like a good market to pursue if you enjoy writing short stories.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Natalie. I agree. I've written short stories for anthologies and one upcoming anthology and have returned to blogging, so my writing needs are being met.
DeleteWord count would depend on what you are going to do with it. If it's for your own enjoyment, use whatever length it takes. But if you have ideas on submitting, check the guidelines. Publishers are strict and their guidelines are more like rules than the pirate code in the movies. hehehe
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
Love your comment about the pirate code! Also agree that when writing for enjoyment, the length is negotiable.
DeleteI think the length of the story is determined by content. Some stories require 500 words. Others are told in 5000 words or 50,000. The story dictates, at least it does for me. My favorite format at the moment is a novella, between 20,000 and 30,000 words.
ReplyDeleteOlga, I've always thought novellas were the perfect length for today's hurry-up readers who enjoy social media's short comments. That story dictates length is good advice.
DeleteI think there's a place for both short and long form stories. Personally, I enjoy longer stories. I want to be able to settle into the world of the story and spend some time with the characters who live there.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I also don't really like reading off a computer or phone screen. Eye strain is a thing. So I guess it depends a little on whether something's going to be published in print or online.
Considering I am currently reading The Demon of Unrest by Erki Larson, I have to admit to often reading longer stories. But I am also having fun writing short stories now.
DeleteI wonder if we'll all still NOT use it in five years. Hmm...
ReplyDeleteImprovements in AI and a longer transition period may make it more accessible and acceptable to writers. The stigma of AI quashing creativity is strong though.
DeleteCan't speak for all short attention spans, all I can say that as a person with ADHD and so a shorter attention span in certain respects short stories of almost any length work for me both in reading and writing. I tried writing a two or three novels and I never completed any of them. I'm okay with reading novels if they don't go too much more than 350 pages. I hope that helps somewhat at least.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Steven. Text messages and Twitter (X) comments have become the norm for many readers. What this does for a writer, I think, is to make sure that what is written is worth reading. 350 pages is a lot to plow through if the plot doesn't thicken.
DeleteI think a story needs to be as long as it needs to be to tell. Some stories need 1,000 words while others need 100,000. I do like a short story I can read in its entirety on the bus home though. That's satisfying.
ReplyDeleteMy bus rides would require very short stories, Kate, but I do agree that reading while riding is satisfying.
DeleteInteresting post! Actually, I began writing novels because a short story I wrote refused to stay short! Now, some 8 novels later, I can't imagine telling a story without diving in. I still love writing poetry, but those short stories always seem to grow . . . and grow. About AI, I'm interested in how people use it, yet I'm just more concerned about how AI may morph into more than humans can control. I'm not normally paranoid, yet that capability to self-learn that comes with AI makes me pause. At what point do we redefine 'human'? And back to the writing, my crit partner tells me, "Write what you love." Doesn't matter if it's short or long. Your stories will find readers.
ReplyDeleteAh, your crit partner is wise! Life is too short to write what we think other people will like. AI is still such an unknown, everyone should be a bit wary; but it will be interesting so see what becomes of it in five years as Computer Tutor pondered in a comment above.
ReplyDeleteHi, At the moment, I have three open projects that I am working on and don't want to invest the time in AI. You might want to try writing Flash Fiction. People love to read them during their lunchbreaks or while commuting because they can finish them easily in thirty minutes or an hour. Shalom shalom
ReplyDeletePat, if you have three open projects you are working on, you probably don't need help from AI for ideas. I do enjoy writing drabbles and even worked two into one of my short stories. I agree that being able to read a full story quickly is their advantage.
DeleteI guess I'm an oddball in that I've never been a fan of short stories - reading them or writing them. There has been an odd author here and there whose short story I've come across and enjoyed, but overall, I just don't feel I get as much out of them as I do novellas and novels. When I've written them, I've always felt constrained and like I wasn't giving the reader enough to really get into the characters and plot. Perhaps my skills just don't extend to short stories.
ReplyDeleteTo your point about AI: We have some of the most amazing works available to us - and none of them came out of an AI. Humans are clearly capable of creating masterpieces. Why would we cheat ourselves out of the chance to create another one by our own God-given talents? *Shrug*
Emma, my mind has churned about issues with AI. You have eloquently expressed why not to use it: Humans are capable of creating masterpieces with our own God-given talents.
ReplyDeleteHello, fellow short story writer! I'm surprised short stories aren't more popular than they are, given (as you say) how people like to read short things on the internet. I enjoy writing them because I can go from idea to finished product so much faster than I can with a novel.
ReplyDeleteJanet, I agree and as I age, remembering plot progression of short stories is much easier. Less time consuming to edit, also.
DeleteThanks for stopping by my blog. The question of length has always been of interest to me. I've tried to dabble in long and short-form fiction to cover all the bases but I think genre plays the biggest role.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Toi. I never thought of it in terms of genre playing a role in story length. Something new to ponder.
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