AI Archives - Joyana Peters

AI for Writing Books

AI has arrived in the world of publishing. Is it welcome? Let’s examine the use of AI in writing books.

*This post was updated in March of 2026

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My Feelings on an AI Writing Future

AI. Two letters that evoke such strong feelings. We have doomsayers predicting the end of the writing world as we know it. And then others praise the technology as the best thing since sliced bread. So, which is it? What does a future of AI in writing books look like?

I think there is a reason people are afraid and opposed to it. There has been evidence of competently executed manuscripts, articles, and artwork by this new technology. I believe it was Stephen King who used the technology to generate an example of artwork that was spot-on for one of his potential books. The staff of sci-fi magazine, Clarkesworld, had to close submissions for their annual writing contest in January after they were flooded with AI-generated submissions. But were those submissions successful? “It was “easy” to see which submissions were machine-generated,” said the magazine.

One can argue that will change in the future and people will soon be unable to differentiate as easily. Honestly, it already is. I’ve used it myself to come up with blog post ideas and outlines, course creation, research, and student exercises. It’s also vastly helped me with my historical fiction research. I’ve also used software like ProWritingAid to help me with chapter critiques and editing. It’s impressive.

But I still have to say, I don’t envision an AI program completely taking over the creator industry. Call me naïve- but I just honestly don’t.

Why I feel Creators are Safe

Thirty years ago, the first computer beat the best chess player in the world. Everyone predicted the end of chess. Why bother anymore? And yet, my son just had over forty kids sign up for his after-school chess club this past winter and a maxed-out chess camp session this summer with a waiting list.

There will always be fun in the “game” to draw people into wanting to create. The human element, both within and behind the creation, will always continue to attract people. People want someone to root for and relate to. People want to get to know the author or artist. They want to know what their inspiration was. What their thoughts, process, and difficulties were during the creation.

Perhaps that’s not always the case–hence why I’m not surprised AI-generated work is entering the marketplace. Just like people devour Hallmark movies, some individuals will appreciate formulaic AI reads. But I feel there will always be room for both, and people using AI for writing books will never completely dominate the marketplace.

What I DO Think Will Divide Us

Now, what I do envision happening is a divide between the creators who embrace this technology and those who don’t. Just like the technology of the past, those who grow comfortable with and use it will be the ones to rise to the top.

I imagine it being like the stigma associated with self-publishing for so long. There will be those who will retain a moral high ground, making it harder for themselves, while others will use its merits responsibly, and then those who will jump in with reckless abandon, giving it a bad name. But that’s again human error and abuse, not the fault of the technology itself.

Ways to Embrace Artificial Intelligence Technology in Writing

There are plenty of ways to utilize this AI creator technology responsibly. Who couldn’t benefit from gaining time by dictating with immediate editing software? Meaning, in addition to grammar, it would correct awkward sentence structure and misuse of words. This alone could save hours of rewrites and drafts.

Also, as I said earlier, it’s extremely helpful for research (although always double-check everything), idea generation, Title generation (this has always been one of my least favorite activities, so I’m more than happy to relinquish it), outlining, editing, critiquing, and more. (Important to note, ProWritingAid guarantees they do NOT use any of your writing for training AI software.)

Leveling a Playing Field

There is also AI narration and illustration. No, we do not want to replace human narrators or artists entirely. But it’s costly to use a human narrator or illustrator, which limits what we can publish. Using AI for shorter works, bonus content, low-content books, etc., could increase our marketing potential and library of content.

Overall, we need to examine the technology implementation. Instead of living in fear, let’s be strategic and discern how AI can improve our lives and be more productive.

What are your thoughts on AI? As usual, I always love to hear from you. Please share below in the comments!

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Plagiarism or Inspiration? How Do We Know the Difference?

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Is there a fine line between them?

Plagiarism or Inspiration? How do we define the difference?

Did you read Grapes of Wrath in school? What about Of Mice and Men? I know I even got to teach Of Mice and Men to my 9th graders. And I have to say, as much as many of them complained, it was actually one of my favorite texts to teach.

Steinbeck has a complex reputation in our literary canon. His books continue to reign on assigned reading lists, but people also tend to have extremely strong love/hate reactions to him. Perhaps, this is because he truly was a very complicated and controversial figure in life.

One of the thornier topics he encountered during his popularity was the source of his inspiration for The Grapes of Wrath. Few will ever forget that scene where Rose Sharon uses the breast milk from her stillborn baby to save the life of a starving man. But was this profoundly moving scene the fruit of Steinbeck’s imagination?

Smithsonian Magazine published an interesting piece a few years back about another author named Sanora Babb who published about the Dust Bowl. What was interesting about the piece was the mention of the copious notes Babb took during her firsthand interviews with migrant workers. These notes were shared with Steinbeck by the same editor who published both of their stories. In those notes- there was a scene with a stillborn baby and a mother sharing her breast milk.

This begs the question- what actually is considered plagiarism when it comes to authors’ inspiration?

I had a conversation about this recently with a book club I visited. We asked if any new story could ever entirely be new? Or ever told exactly the same way? Think on it- how many World War II historical fiction books are out there? How many authors inspired by the same chilling photograph or event in history?

Now think on eyewitness accounts in court. Do any two witnesses ever retell the same event exactly the same way or do each bring their own unique perspective to the retelling?

Kristin Hannah admits in interviews that the inspiration for her novel The Four Winds came from her love of Steinbeck. She wanted to write an updated version of his classic story. And although the books have similar themes and elements, I’d say she succeeded in telling her own unique story.

Perhaps there needs to be some grace given in storytelling. Although the word plagiarism is defined as taking of someone else’s words or ideas, I’d say it is very difficult to prove from where ideas originate or what happens after the same inspirational idea strikes.

I mean, if we were truly to take that definition at face value, couldn’t we potentially argue that every love triangle, natural disaster or genre-based trope is an idea born from someone else?

What are your thoughts on this topic?

Distractions In Your Writing Career- May IWSG Post

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Writers Strike 2023 : What Do Writers REALLY Want?

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The Writers Strike 2023 came up in conversation the other day as bbq conversation. This is not the first time and as things continue in their stalemate fashion, I’m sure it will not be the last. But what really struck me during this particular conversation is the misunderstanding people have about why the writers are striking.

I’m appreciative that Hollywood actors joined the picket line in solidarity. I think this was imperative for the writers to make any headway. But unfortunately, I do believe their joining contributed to the confusion about the issues at hand. They say they’re fighting for the same thing, but that’s not exactly true. All I heard from multiple people during this conversation was there was no way the writers could win, AI was here to stay. I finally asked, what do you think the writers strike is about?

Every single person answered that the issue was AI and the writers’ fear of replacement. My stomach plummeted at this response and it honestly proved my worst fears about the way the media has been covering the strike. While yes, AI is a concern that’s been brought to the table, it most definitely is NOT the chief reason the writers went on strike. And it most definitely is not why they walked away from recent negotiations and are still at a stalemate.

Working conditions for many across America have worsened. I’ve written about the abuses of mislabeling “independent contractors” in the past and how we’re being forced further and further into a gig economy that does not benefit the worker. The true heart of the Writers Strike 2023 lies in this same issue.

Your Hired! Job Title: Independent Contractor

In the past, writers were picked up to be employees on set for a show. They were employed for the full season of a show, creating sixteen to twenty something episodes. Writers were paid a living wage for all of those episodes, they also received contributions to their WGA pension fund and health insurance plan. They also received residual payments for TV reruns and movie showings.

Streaming has changed all of that. With shorter seasons with fewer episodes and content coming out constantly, all the protections of previous writer contracts have gone out the window. To avoid paying for more than the studios believe they need, they’ve opted instead to fall into the corporate abuses of the gig economy.

Instead of writers being hired as employees for a full season run, they’re now being hired as independent contractors for short gigs. Those gigs are paid with minimum hourly paid contracts. They’re pushed into writing pools, think tank rooms, where they’re forced to write an entire season’s worth of episodes over the course of a few days and then they’re dismissed. There are no contributions made to their pension or health insurance and there are no residual payments.

So, what are the Hollywood writers fighting for in the Writers Strike 2023?

They are fighting for the right to be employees. This a penultimate moment in American working history. Workers across the country are losing their employee protections by being forced to “independent contractor” status. Data from 2021 showed that an astonishing 1 in 3 workers are now classified as gig workers. This number rose to a record 51 million in one year alone. A 34% jump compared to 2020. Some of this was by choice, but many were not.

Most gig work does not pay enough to cover parental leave or health insurance. This puts gig workers at a major disadvantage to other regular employees. These numbers speak for themselves, it’s time to pay attention. If we don’t want this to be the future for American workers, we need to speak up and do something about it. The Hollywood writers are taking a stand. And man, I hope it’s enough.

What are your thoughts on this issue?

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