The strategy that turns AI from your biggest threat into your most powerful assistant—and why your human "flaws" are about to become your greatest assets
Wow, finally someone said what I was thinking for a long time: we don’t need AI for this, we’re already in the slop era. SEO killed journalism and blogging, and even basic information delivery (if you ever tried to find a recipe via Pinterest and had to scroll through 7-pages history how the dish evolved, you know what I’m talking about).
And even in fiction, I feel like 90% of new romance novels is just the same story repurposed for a hundredth time, where only the city and names of the characters are changing.
I’m convinced AI will replace generic, content copying authors that only duplicate content that already exists. But if you have something interesting to say, and you have your own voice—it will be even more valuable than before.
And as for novelists… AI won’t make a bad writer good. But it will create more fast-food, low value content, so some authors will disappear. The question is, was the replaceable, generic story art in the first place?
I have many concerns regarding AI ethics though. Thanks for great encapsulation of how it will affect writers in the future.
I for sure agree with you on the newer bunch of novels, romance, and otherwise. So many are tedious, poorly constructed, and boring. I notice a lot of writers can't sustain my interest and fail to create a satisfying ending. Blah.
Brilliant article!! I’ve been leaning so much into story and my own personal experiences and perspectives. It’s way more interesting than the “how to” content. I get bored as hell writing that kind of content.
Interesting take. Yeah I feel like I've always gravitated towards writing because of the human behind the writing. Our stories are powerful. Sure, they can be replicated, but AI will never replace a real human sharing their personal journey. Meeting people in person and inspiring them through words. Life cannot be replaced. Thank you for your words.
1. You bring up some excellent points. (And I've been writing professionally as a journalist & author for 20+ years) 2. Definitely *don't go into coding. ChatGPT's pretty good at that too ;)
I did not read the whole article and just saw the title. My mental response was: so what? AI can write and paint as good as human or even better, but it can not replace the emotional process involved in creating ourselves.
People come here to hear stories from other people and interact with other people. That is like saying that Facebook will be replaced by AI. The only reason Facebook exists is because the people gather there. Will AI also replace parks and living rooms?
This is 100% not true. People come here to hear stories from other people and interact with other people. That is like saying that Facebook will be replaced by AI. The only reason Facebook exists is because the people gather there. Will AI also replace parks and living rooms?
Wow, finally someone said what I was thinking for a long time: we don’t need AI for this, we’re already in the slop era. SEO killed journalism and blogging, and even basic information delivery (if you ever tried to find a recipe via Pinterest and had to scroll through 7-pages history how the dish evolved, you know what I’m talking about).
And even in fiction, I feel like 90% of new romance novels is just the same story repurposed for a hundredth time, where only the city and names of the characters are changing.
I’m convinced AI will replace generic, content copying authors that only duplicate content that already exists. But if you have something interesting to say, and you have your own voice—it will be even more valuable than before.
And as for novelists… AI won’t make a bad writer good. But it will create more fast-food, low value content, so some authors will disappear. The question is, was the replaceable, generic story art in the first place?
I have many concerns regarding AI ethics though. Thanks for great encapsulation of how it will affect writers in the future.
I for sure agree with you on the newer bunch of novels, romance, and otherwise. So many are tedious, poorly constructed, and boring. I notice a lot of writers can't sustain my interest and fail to create a satisfying ending. Blah.
Summarize knucklehead. 🥝🤩🎉🤣
As someone who’s built a writing career on spotlighting vulnerability, I approve this post!!!! Excellent work.
Arguably your best column ever.
People want real people with real-world experiences to inspire and motivate them.
My takeaway: "Stop hiding your mistakes. Start showcasing them"
Great post! And if you have Marcus’s Substack, I would love to check out his work.
Brilliant article!! I’ve been leaning so much into story and my own personal experiences and perspectives. It’s way more interesting than the “how to” content. I get bored as hell writing that kind of content.
A good reminder to fully embrace our messy, imperfect humanity.
Awesome work. We just have to be more authentically us. Got it 👍 😁
Interesting take. Yeah I feel like I've always gravitated towards writing because of the human behind the writing. Our stories are powerful. Sure, they can be replicated, but AI will never replace a real human sharing their personal journey. Meeting people in person and inspiring them through words. Life cannot be replaced. Thank you for your words.
1. You bring up some excellent points. (And I've been writing professionally as a journalist & author for 20+ years) 2. Definitely *don't go into coding. ChatGPT's pretty good at that too ;)
RIP the brand new writer, who will never find their voice because AI already took it.
I did not read the whole article and just saw the title. My mental response was: so what? AI can write and paint as good as human or even better, but it can not replace the emotional process involved in creating ourselves.
People come here to hear stories from other people and interact with other people. That is like saying that Facebook will be replaced by AI. The only reason Facebook exists is because the people gather there. Will AI also replace parks and living rooms?
This is 100% not true. People come here to hear stories from other people and interact with other people. That is like saying that Facebook will be replaced by AI. The only reason Facebook exists is because the people gather there. Will AI also replace parks and living rooms?