Why I Don't Run Triathlons
Because they're terrible.
Wait, you wanted to run a triathlon? lolz
I know. This was something like twenty years ago and I thought it would be…fun?
How far did you get?
I trained for a month through some organization called DC Triathlon Club, and I realized something very important during that time. I’m not really a fan of running, biking, or swimming.
I hear those are important for triathletes.
Who knew! Anyway, I realized that, as much as I admired them, triathlons aren’t for me. And that was okay! I played coed flag football back then on the weekends, which is basically the same thing. Probably harder, in fact.
Well, I wouldn’t say…
Anyway, I was reminded of this when I went to a presentation a few weeks ago about using AI in writing.
I have no idea where you’re going here.
During the panel, we were shown how ChatGPT can help writers come up with plot points, novel ideas, character names, titles for books, and more.
And how did that make you feel?
I wouldn’t say that I appreciated this approach, even if I thought the presentation was necessary. After all, we should know what tools are out there, even if we’d never use them. And the presentation was informative and insightful and well done.
Did you graciously mention that afterward?
Well, no. I promptly went to social media and complained about ChatGPT and called anyone who uses it a sell out.
How did that go for you? Were people mad?
Most writers agreed with me, but a few were big mad. Turns out they love ChatGPT for writing. Called me names. I think I lost friends.
Were you all, IDGAF what y’all think!
I wish! But, truthfully, I give all fucks what y’all think! I’m not built like the average social media user. And I really hate hurting people’s feelings. I felt miserable.
And now you want to take this opportunity to walk back what you said?
Oh lord no. Absolutely not. Look, I did not like running, biking, or swimming, so I did not become a triathlete. If you’re able but unwilling to figure out the beauty in a complicated plot point, a character name, a title, or something else inherent to the process of creation…then maybe being a writer isn’t for you. Because that’s the gig.
IF YOU’RE AGAINST AI IN WRITING, THEN MAYBE YOU SHOULDN’T TYPE ON A COMPUTER!
Yeah, the term AI is getting thrown around a lot, isn’t it? People are like, “You use a blender? WELL THAT’S AI, BRO. WE’VE BEEN USING AI FOR YEARS AND YEARS.”
In all honesty, I love what AI can offer, the advances available to science and freedom of thought. I had the chance to watch a series of presentations by developers of AI and futurists from prominent, international universities, and I think AI will be the most significant invention in history. In simple terms, one of the futurists from Oxford University explained that human development has followed a generally linear path, with inventions inspired from other inventions. Imagine discovery as a dark circle, and we only illuminate an area within that circle. AI can potentially, in an eventual state, show us the entire thing. It’s Plato’s Cave with fluorescent lighting.
But AI will never be able to replicate what a human does, right?
That’d be nice. A few people have used AI to demonstrate how stories written by AI have certain flaws and errors, in regards to derivative language, shallow characters, etc. Charitably, um…those flaws and errors already exist in many popular books. It’s not that far behind us, especially once it develops beyond ML and truly generates its own concepts.
I hope we can compete, but I think there is a certain inevitability in people employing AI as a “partner,” and an excitement in seeing what AI can do. Look, I mentioned my hope for scientific advances. If AI can someday cure cancer and treat it without the need of a doctor, then the plight of affected doctors may not matter much to people. If ChatGPT can someday tell a better story than humans, then readers won’t care. Some will, to be sure, but not enough. I get that.
That sounds bleak.
It does, but this whole AI thing made me realize something.
That’s it back to the triathlon for you, Eddie-pooh?
lolzno. What I think about ChatGPT, or writers who use it, doesn’t matter. Not really. I can scowl or gnash teeth and, at the end of the day, what does it matter? I can’t control how people write. And I don’t want to.
All that matters, like always, is the work we each create.
All I can do is keep my head down on my own paper and concentrate on my work. And try to be, as James Baldwin once said, a good man and an honest writer. At the end of the day, that’s all I ever wanted. You can’t control the world, you can’t wrestle what’s inevitable for others. You find your own race and run it as best as you can, and hope you’re truly proud of what you’ve accomplished at the end. As Walt Whitman said, in “O Me! O Life:”
Answer.
That you are here—that life exists and identity,
That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.
EA
I mentioned this last month, but my new thriller When She Left is now available for preorder! Interested in reading about a young couple desperately running from criminals and the reluctant hitman/realtor hired to kill them? Yes, you read right, a reluctant hitman/realtor. This is my jam. Check it out HERE.
She Started It, Sian Gilbert
Ed’s Note: This one means a lot to me. I’m going to write more about this next month, but I mentored Sian Gilbert in last year’s Pitch Wars (a contest where an aspiring writer is paired with an experienced one, as a mentorship opportunity). I knew from Sian’s submission that she was the real deal, an absolute force, and once I met her, I learned what a sweet, lovely person she is. She Started It was published last month as a Book of the Month Club pick, an Amazon Editor’s choice, and has been cherished by readers and bookstagrammers from the moment it appeared on shelves.
All the Sinners Bleed, S.A. Cosby
Ed’s Note: Speaking of writers who knocked it out of the park, have you met S.A. Cosby? This is actually a very happy newsletter to write, because one of the nice things about being in the crime fiction community (for me, anyway) is the true happiness at your friends’ success. And it’s been lovely to see Shawn burn through publishing with his blend of southern noir, social mirroring, and intense prose. I just started this book and it’s as great as his others…and has the potential to be even better.
Beware the Woman, Megan Abbott
Ed’s Note: Megan Abbott has always had a distinct presence in crime fiction, writing books for years that mix domestic suspense with classic noir in a way that few writers (okay, no one else) can quite do. She’s been, personally, my favorite writer for quite a while, and everything about Beware the Woman sounds like it can be one of her best.
The Street, Susi Holiday
Ed’s Note: Susi’s one of the most versatile writers I know, sort of like Jess Lourey, the kind of writer who can seemingly write anything and write it well. The Hike, her last book, was a great read, full of twists and surprises, and I’m excited to see where she goes with The Street.
Death Among the Ruins, Susanna Calkins
Ed’s Note: Susanna Calkins is good at what she does, and what she does is write some of today’s most compelling historical mysteries. Few things in writing seem harder to me than capturing a time period or era, in service of a intriguing plot, and Calkins always does so with a deft hand, without burying the reader in show-offy data or description. And she’s really just so damn delightful in person. I don’t get it.
Because the Night, James D.F. Hannah
Ed’s Note: There’s a reason that crime fiction goes back to the grizzled detective - something about that hurt angel echoes in us. But it’s hard not to make that character a caricature or cliche. Hannah has managed, through six books so far, to keep his Henry Malone engaging, a creation born to endure long past his contemporaries.
Hot Pot Murder, Jennifer Chow
Ed’s Note: Jennifer Chow struck a happy chord with readers and critics in her series debut, Death by Bubble Tea, which introduced readers to the Yees and their food stall business. Chow managed to blend a lighthearted mystery with food descriptions that leave you ravenous, and her series was a welcome inclusion in the world of cozy mysteries.
You Can Trust Me, Wendy Heard
Ed’s Note: Heard has written both YA and adult thrillers, and You Can Trust Me sounds like what Heard has always done best through six books - insightful thrillers about women, and one that’s sexy, feminist and utterly fearless.
I like writers who help other writers, which is how I met Andrew Brandt. He reached out to me about No Home for Killers, and I learned that Andrew has created several platforms to spread the word about books he enjoyed, and he runs a newsletter, and he’s created an interview series designed to help writers with craft, marketing, all the tools a writer needs. And he does all this in addition to his own award-winning writing.
And a writer Andrew Brandt recommends?
There are many authors who could be considered the heir apparent of Stephen King’s macabre mind and storytelling, but Andrew van Wey’s imagination leaves me feeling icky—in the best way! Check out his thrilling, horror-filled Head Like a Hole, a revenge tale set in the 90’s that will have you wondering until the very end. He’s also a super cool person, but after reading the books he writes, I do worry about his mind. :)
Learn more about Andrew Brandt HERE. And learn more about Andrew Van Wey HERE.
This is outside of crime fiction, but it was lovely to see Stoker Awards (from the Horror Writers Association) presented to , Cynthia Pelayo, and Alma Katsu, three writers who have written in both crime fiction and horror, and have all been powerful amplifiers and supporters of diverse voices…My buddy Tara Laskowski and I will be hosting the Noir at the Bar at Bouchercon this year, and have put together an AMAZING lineup…Speaking of Noir at the Bar, DC’s Noir at the Bar is tonight at the Looking Glass Lounge, and the absolutely sizzling lineup features S.A. Cosby, Cheryl Head, Angie Kim, Eryk Pruitt, and Art Taylor, with music from Sara Jones…For those writers out there with a story or book that was published this year, the Thriller Awards just opened their nominations for 2024, so get your work submitted, homies…HUGE CONGRATS to Lisa Regan, who has just sold over 3 million books in her beloved Detective Josie Quinn series!…And, finally, in very cool news, Amina Akhtar just announced that her next novel, Almost Surely Dead, is going to be published through Mindy Kaling’s own imprint, Mindy’s Book Studio! I want to meet Mindy Kaling. I think she’d find me awkward, but probably not in a charming way.
The winner of my monthly newsletter contest is jodi_______@yahoo.com! Which means you win copies of both books in my “Two Writers You Should Read” section. I’ll slide into your DMs (send you an email, so not exactly slide into your DMs) soon.
Until next time, much love and Happy Reading!