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Are you stuck? Do you have a great idea bouncing around in your head, but don't know how to convert it into words and hopefully a great story? Don't worry, you're not alone. We all experience the trials, tribulations and joys of creative writing. From inception to completion, writing a novel can seem a monstrous exercise, but like anything else you need to break it down into sizeable, digestible portions.
THE TRIALS
There is a huge, white elephant that sits in the collective room amongst authors. It's called Ai. I'm proud to say that none of my work is generated through that medium. It's a personal decision, but one I made when I began my career and Ai first started appearing on the scene. Is it cheating? I think it is, but you need to decide for yourself if it's for you. I'm not judging it. It's just not for me.
The problem with Ai is that, in my opinion, it cannot create context. That concept must be created by the human mind. Consequently, when I read an Ai generated paragraph or story, I find it is quite easy to identify its robotic nature. Parallels can be made with students in high schools and universities where students are extremely adept at using the technology, but if required to use arithmetic or write unaided, many of them fail to do so.
Yes, I know I'm old-fashioned, but nothing can replace mental arithmetic and profound writing skills. My sincere hope is that if you are contemplating a career as an author, then you should discipline yourself from engaging in any or most Ai content. Your mind will thank you for it, and, quite frankly, your stories will be better and more believable for making that decision.
I know that it's highly contentious, and we all live in a digital world where everything is generated in a flash with the push of a button, but speed is not a measure of quality. Quality is a measure of experience, learning, application and effort. Words mean something when they have a soul. In the profoundly soulless medium of Ai generated content, words are lost. Indeed, they are ghosts of the literary world.
Well, now that I've got that off my chest, I'll come back to my original point. What do you do with your great idea? My answer is first and foremost - write it down! So many good ideas are lost, gone and forgotten before they are written down. It doesn't matter how silly or stupid the idea many appear - write it down! Many a brilliant book has started from a seed that was considered unworthy for growth. And remember, you need a seed to begin with. You can water and fertilize it later.
Now, what do you do once you've written down your idea. Firstly, don't dismiss it! Try to expand on it. I'll give you a little insight from my own experience. The first word I wrote down in my first book of the series, 'The Tales of the Magic Piano' https://www.damienmcaseyauthor.com/ was Nicolas. I had no idea who he was and why I wrote it down. I just did. From that first word, I have now written four books in the series with over a million words. See, the seed can grow into a tree pretty quickly, and it can for you too.
TRIBULATIONS
Life is a journey. I can tell you for sure that my journey has not been and continues not to be easy. The world has always trailed behind those who are gifted in the arts. Please don't get down in the mouth if your first book doesn't sell ten thousand copies. Books are rarely successful. This business requires constant effort and learning, not to mention considerable financial backing. However, if you really want to write, then I believe that nothing can stop you. Just believe in yourself. That's a very good place to start.
And not everyone wants to be a mega-star author with millions of copies sold world wide. It's perfectly okay just to write for the joy and pure pleasure of it. That's how I started. We must never forget our roots and stay grounded. That's very important.
Riding the rollercoaster of emotional investment is something I've learned to deal with. Think big, but accept when things turn out differently. We all want success, don't we? Are you prepared to put in the extra miles to get there?
One of the difficult problems I've encountered is we simply live in a world with an oversupply of information. It can be very daunting for a new kid on the block to know and understand what to do. In my own publishing journey, I've completed an apprenticeship of learning that has cost me multiple thousands of dollars and endless sleepless nights working away at my craft. Whilst I've tried to maintain an open mind, I've come to the conclusion that you must be very careful who you associate yourself with and what their motives are. Yep! I've made heaps of mistakes in my haste to make my millions, but the knowledge and experience I've gained is invaluable.
My advice - use the KISS principle. What is the KISS principle? It's an acronym that means KEEP IT SIMPLE SWEET. What is that exactly? Well, basically, the principle applies to anything you do that you don't overcomplicate it. In other words, follow a simple strategy and stick to it whether that be writing, publishing, marketing -- whatever! It's just too damned complicated out there. Strip it back and keep it simple. You are far more likely to succeed at anything you do in life.
JOYS OF WRITING
Well, now that I've imparted my advice, I would just like to say that it's imperative that you you stay true to the reasons why you started writing in the first place. Does it satisfy your creativity? Does it leave you in a place where you feel safe and secure? Does it simply bring you joy? It does all those things for me and more. I guess that's another reason why I think Ai is a dangerous medium. It has the potential to limit your creativity. God gave you creative powers, not Ai. Remember that. I wish you well on your journey into the world of creative writing. It's a world that is unlimited in your imagination. Hopefully, one day I'll see your name in lights.
Damien M Casey.
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