Fribourg, Switzerland by lylianmartin73
reblog this if you’re a writer who wants to let their readers know that you have not once used AI in your work and never will
male gaze is not 'when person look sexy' or 'when misogynist make film'
death of the author is not 'miku wrote this'
I don't think you have to read either essay to grasp the basic concepts
death of the author means that once a work is complete, what the author believes it to mean is irrelevant to critical analysis of what's in the text. it means when analysing the meaning of a text you prioritise reader interpretation above author intention, and that an interpretation can hold valid meaning even if it's utterly unintentional on the part of the person who created the thing. it doesn't mean 'i can ignore that the person who made this is a bigot' - it may in fact often mean 'this piece of art holds a lot of bigoted meanings that the author probably wasn't intentionally trying to convey but did anyway, and it's worth addressing that on its own terms regardless of whether the author recognises it's there.' it's important to understand because most artists are not consciously and vocally aware of all the possible meanings of their art, and because art is communal and interpretive. and because what somebody thinks they mean, what you think somebody means, and what a text is saying to you are three entirely different things and it's important to be able to tell the difference.
male gaze is a cinematographic theory on how films construct subjectivity (ie who you identify with and who you look at). it argues that film language assumes that the watcher is a (cis straight white hegemonically normative) man, and treats men as relatable subjects and women as unknowable objects - men as people with interior lives and women as things to be looked at or interacted with but not related to. this includes sexual objectification and voyeurism, but it doesn't mean 'finding a lady sexy' or 'looking with a sexual lens', it means the ways in which visual languages strip women of interiority and encourage us to understand only men as relatable people. it's important to understand this because not all related gaze theories are sexual in nature and if you can't get a grip on male gaze beyond 'sexual imagery', you're really going to struggle with concepts of white or abled or cis subjectivities.
I haven't seen this poll done yet and i'm curious. If you're more than one just pick the most important reason. No nuance
Why do you write?
Because I have stories in my head and they want to come out
Because for some reason it's good (???) for my mental health
Because I just happen to be incredibly nerdy about the mechanics of it
Because I want to make my friends suffer >:)
So I can have something catered specifically to me to read
Because, unironically, I like the Aesthetic of Being a Writer
Not a writer/Bald
professionalscribbler asked:
I'm starting to write more to become a freelance author (using Novlr too btw, great site!), but everytime I get excited about publishing my works or people finding the stories I'm writing, I remember that AI exists and most people are using that for writing, art, and everything in between. It's getting hard for me to keep up the faith that people will want to read my non-AI writing by the time I get it done. Do you have any advice on that? It's okay if not, I know this is a complicated question. Thank you for your time.
novlr answered:
This is such a great question, and one that so many writers are wrestling with. It’s something that I saw as quite a worrying trend myself, but over the last year or two, I will say, a lot of my initial fears have been allayed.
The best quote I heard about generative AI in writing (I can’t remember the source directly, so please bear with my paraphrasing) is that GenAI can make a bad writer a mediocre one. But it will also make a good writer a mediocre one.
As human writers, we can grow and develop constantly. Everything we write improves our abilities. When we love what we do, and the projects we’re working on, our writing will improve with each new iteration. GenAI has a hard ceiling. There are limitations on its capabilities, and costs involved in its development, whereas the only things holding you back are your commitment and desire.
There is a public demand for human-authored works. The market is saturated with AI-written works, and that isn’t what readers are asking for. While just being a human author who doesn’t use GenAI won’t guarantee you an audience (an audience of readers is something you still need to cultivate and speak to), it does mean that you won’t be hobbled by the label of guaranteed mediocrity automatically pinned on writers who rely on GenAI to produce their work.
Let’s define what we mean by AI
There’s a lot of misleading information out there when it comes to AI, so I think from the outset it’s important to make sure we understand what we mean. The broad use of the term “AI” to colloquially mean generative AI causes non-generative AI systems to be wrongly criticised.
GenAI refers to systems that create new content like text, images, and audio based on patterns learned from existing data. LLMs (large language models) that are used for GenAI work by predicting what comes next in a sequence, essentially producing statistically likely combinations learned from an enormous data set. LLMs do not understand meaning or show creativity, instead, they mimic the data they are fed to create a most likely scenario.
When it comes to writing, there are lots of other AI tools we have used for a long time that are not generative. An example of this is spelling and grammar checking tools. These tools help refine existing work but do not generate new content. They use internal checks to identify errors and suggest corrections based on pre-defined rules (i.e. checking the spelling of words against a preset dictionary) in a way that is assisted, and not generative.
While both are AI, only one is generative. But when we talk about AI-generated content, we are talking almost exclusively about writing produced using GenAI.
The reality of AI-generated content
Can AI generate text quickly and serviceably? Yes. It can create absolutely fine copy, passable blog posts, and even produce very short stories that hit familiar beats. For this reason, mass-produced web copy, low-effort listicles, or content produced purely for SEO are the biggest markets for AI-generated content.
AI-generated writing is competent but hollow. It can mimic patterns, but it can’t draw from lived experience, genuine emotion, or the kind of creative risk-taking that makes literature memorable. Readers notice this, even if they can’t always articulate why one piece of writing resonates with them while another feels flat.
Why human writing still matters
AI-generated content saturates the market with sameness. It means there’s a lot of content out there, but it also provides an opportunity to distinguish yourself.
Readers look for human-authored stories, especially in the content they consume for pleasure. While AI-generated content may be readily available, it is not what readers prefer.
So what do you offer that AI can’t?
- Your unique perspective. No algorithm has lived your life, observed the world through your eyes, or processed experiences the way you have.
- Emotional authenticity. Readers connect with writing that comes from somewhere real. They can feel the difference between simulated emotion and the genuine thing.
- Creative risk. AI optimises for the expected. Human writers can surprise, subvert, and challenge.
- Evolution and growth. Your writing will change and deepen over time in ways that reflect your development as a person and artist.
- Real imagination. AI recombines existing ideas; you can dream up something genuinely new, drawing connections and creating worlds that have never existed before.
But how do you stay motivated?
Focus on the work itself
The writing you’re doing now isn’t just a product waiting to be consumed; it’s practice, exploration, and self-discovery. Every story you finish makes you a better writer, regardless of how saturated the market is. That growth is yours to keep.
Build connections, not just an audience
Readers value human creativity, and they’re actively seeking it out. And it’s never too soon to start building your audience and finding your people. Join writing groups. Participate in online book discourse. When you build a genuine connection with future readers, your work will speak to them personally, not just as a marketing exercise.
Limit your exposure to doomscrolling
Dire predictions about AI replacing all creative work are all over the internet. A lot of this fear-mongering comes directly from people pushing generative AI technology, because they have a vested interest in their products looking as good as possible.
The reality is, however, that people still buy books, they share stories in online communities, and readers still actively seek writers whose voices they trust. Don’t let those with a vested interest in promoting GenAI control the narrative and focus instead on what’s observable around you. The shelves of bookstores are stocked. Agents are still taking on writers. And the “AI tells” are still easy to spot. You won’t be replaced any time soon.
Remember why you started
Before you worried about publishing or audiences, something drew you to writing. Reconnect with that.
The love of language, the thrill of building worlds, the satisfaction of getting a sentence exactly right aren’t diminished by the existence of GenAI tools. Those moments of creative satisfaction belong to you, and no machine can replicate the joy of genuine artistic expression.
A longer view
Every generation of writers has faced predictions about the death of their craft. Television was supposed to kill novels. The internet was supposed to kill long-form reading. Video killed the radio star (I couldn’t resist). But while all of these forms of creative expression have changed, they haven’t gone away.
Will GenAI change the landscape? Of course. It already has. But it won’t eliminate the need for human-authorship. If anything, as AI-generated content becomes more pervasive, the demand for authentic human voices may grow stronger.
Your doubt is understandable, but don’t let it stop you from writing. Your stories are worth finishing, not because the market guarantees success, but because they’re yours, and therefore irreplaceable. The more you write, the more you’ll learn and develop.
There has never been a quick and easy shortcut to being a great writer or finding success. Don’t let a fear of generative AI be the excuse you use to stop putting in the hard work.
I think that there is a point (for both fandom and original fiction, in different ways) where it is important to ask, how are we writing female characters?
Not are we, though that is also important to ask, not which ones, though that is also important to ask, but how.
Do female characters get to fall in love the same way male characters do, or do they "not need" love? If they are put aside for the sake of male characters getting together (or a different female character getting together with their spouse), do we see their pain or their grief or their feelings the way we would see a male character's? Do they enter into a new relationship simply for the sake of getting them out of the way?
Are they in charge of things, and if so, is it because they are shown to be qualified? Do female leaders get to be soft, get to have emotions, get to struggle--or, alternatively, are they only maternal, with no othe competencies?
Do female characters only play support roles? Are they only mothers, sisters, best friends, life/relationship cheerleaders? Do straight male characters ever support female characters they aren't romantically/sexually into, or is it only the other way around? Are female characters ever physical, emotional, or intellectual equals to other characters? Are they rivals with people they don't end up sleeping with?
Do female characters always need help--or, alternatively, never need help?
Do female characters have the same rich inner lives as male characters? Do they have the same sorts of backstories?
Do female characters have "male" jobs (soldier, construction worker, firefighter), and are those characters anything other than lesbians or uber-feminine? Do female characters work in physical roles? Do they know how to assemble furniture, change their oil, fix an appliance?
writing characters with one eye
i can pretty much guarantee that ↑that↑ is not a heading you see everyday.
now i will not be giving advice on writing cyclopses, (though it may be sort of the same thing) i still hope this will be helpful for some people out there that are looking to provide a more diverse cast to their wip!
i have never ever ever read a book, watch a show movie etc etc that involves a character with one eye. (aside from those badass characters who wear eye patches bc they lost sight in one eye in some badass way)
for context: i am one of many people who was born with microphtalmia, an eye disease that results in one or both eyes develope smaller than normal at birth. i myself was born with a smaller left eye, which resulted in my left eye being removed exactly twenty days after birth.
microphthalmia (along with many other eye diseases) typically leads to being half or fully blind. i lucked out and only lost my left eye which i am so so thankful for.
i would really really love to see more representation for my community in literature, especially so people would come to see that being half blind isn’t as unusual and weird as people make it out to be.
without further ado, i present to you, a list of information, facts, and first hand experiences from yours truly!
- i’ve had prosthetic eyes made to fit my eye socket for about fifteen years (i’m 16 lol) (the first 6ish months after the surgery i never had a prosthetic)
- in my life i’ve had four different prosthetic eyes made because just like other people, my eye socket grew alongside the rest of me, meaning the prosthetic needed to be made bigger
- i’ve had my current prosthetic for four years now, the past ones lasted about 2-3 years at a time. this one will probably last me through the rest of my life unless i need/want a new one
- as opposed to most media/assumptions, my prosthetic (along with most prosthetics) is PLASTIC (people always think it’s glass) and only half a circle!!
- i’ve had three surgeries related to my eye
- i do not have depth perception which makes doing certain things very difficult (estimating distance, how close/far i am from something etc)
- driving is not affected too much, i just have to turn my head more than other people. i believe being blind in the right eye might be more difficult, but i couldn’t say
- doing my make up is kinda easy, except for eyeliner is a pain in the ASS since most people close their eye to do it on their upper lid, but clearly i can’t close my right eye whilst doing it lol
- my family as well as my friends and even myself often forget i have a prosthetic, which sometimes results in awkward/funny situations
- i hate walking with people on my right bc i can’t tell where they are unless i’m constantly looking down at my/their feet
- i sucked at basketball bc i had such a disadvantage (no depth perception, i could only see half the court, i was constantly turning my head) but professional swimming is much easier for me since it’s not a contact sport and doesn’t really require for me to be paying attention to a million things at once
- i rarely have to take my prosthetic out, and if i do, it’s either to clean it, (we do get eye crusties on our prosthetics just like other people do when they have pink eye or sever allergies) it’s bothering me/really dry, or i want to take it out to show/scare people lol
- a lot of people don’t realize when i first meet them that it’s fake bc my recent prosthetic is amazing accurate to my real eye. others notice and assume i have a lazy eye since it doesn’t move
- for some reason people think i can’t cry out of my left (prosthetic) eye??? i still have a tear duct??? i actually think more tears come out of my left tear duct than my right lol
- i am extremely self conscious about it, but i know there are other one-eyed beauties out there who aren’t which is amazing!! i try to live vicariously through them lol
- i make sooo many jokes about my eye lol, and i’m usually ok w other people making jokes as long as they aren’t like overly rude/offensive, then i’ll feel a lil bad about my self
- people never really made fun of it, but kids in middle school likes to wave things in front of my left eye/on my left side that i couldn’t see which got really annoying after a while
- getting custom designed prosthetics are available, but they’re really expensive (so are normal lol) they costs thousands of dollars, just like other prosthetics do
- i run into things that are on my left side ALL THE TIME it’s actually kinda funny lolol
- i try to hide my left eye/turn more to my left side in photos bc my eyes aren’t always looking in the same direction, which really gets to me
- i wear glasses for both protection and bc my right eye is -1.75 lmao but i did used to wear non-prescription glasses purely for safety
- i do have contacts to wear during the summer, swim meets etc, for when i don’t want/can’t wear my glasses but need to see. bc of this, i have a second pair of glasses that have no prescription
- if doctors/scientists managed to figure out a way to fix microphthalmia (a birth defect), or do a sort of eye transplant, i would not be able to have that done to me because all parts of my left eye have been removed from my body
- microphthalmia is NOT the only disease that results in the haver losing sight in one or both eyes!! there are many others, but it is not my place to share any experiences for something i have not experienced!!!
- for once i just want to see a clumsy character who has one eye that WASNT a result of some tragic event.
- so please please please consider including a character with one working eye in your wip. it would mean the world to myself and all the other members of the community (there’s a lot of us, trust me) plus, i wouldn’t mind starting an acting debut playing a half-blind female protagonist, that would be so dope.
that’s about all i can think of for now! please send an ask or reply to this post if you have any questions, i’m willing to answer any!!! and if you happen to be a member of the one eye club, please add to this post!! that would mean the world to me:)