Writing Books Is A Mindset Shift

Neera 1 Comment

I used to think people who write books live on another planet.

Stories were so sacred that I never thought of writing one as a child or during my teen years. Even when a few characters popped up in my head with superpowers, I didn’t feel the need to write their stories.

Years later, my daughter wrote a story for her Year 10 assignment. I helped her. It was an eye-opening exercise. I watched characters come to life. And my mind opened to the possibility — anyone can write stories.

The writing bug had bitten me. I learned that it is possible to create stories from the beginning. 

But I didn’t start with short stories. I started with a novel.

I enrolled in a year-long course at the local writer center, where I floated a story idea going through my head for some time. Everyone in the course gave the story idea their thumbs up. 

With whatever little knowledge I gained during the course and whatever little time I scraped from full-time work, teenage children, and aged parents needing care, I managed to develop that idea into the first ‘‘shitty draft.’’

Then I left it in the proverbial bottom drawer of my desk.

I had lost my shoshin.

Shoshin is a concept in Zen Buddhism which means “beginner’s mind.” 

In the beginner’s mind, there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind, there are few.

Shoshin refers to the idea of letting go of your preconceptions and having an attitude of openness when studying a subject.

When I started writing the novel, I was in the beginner’s mindset. I was curious about the process of creating characters, putting them in trouble, let them make decisions, and then watched them react.

It was all fun and games.

But soon, I started doubting myself. I wondered why anyone would want to read my book? A book takes years to write; do I have the time to go through the process? What if I don’t find a publisher? 

It was a time when book publishing was going through a revolution. Amazon had announced Kindle Direct Publishing (November 2007), and in just five years, ebook publishing hit its peak. 

It took another ten years to change my mindset. Like everybody else, I had preconceived ideas about writing books.

Many of you, reading this article, still might have them. So let’s tackle a few of them here. 

  1. Books are too hard to write
  2. Books take years to write
  3. Why would anyone want to read my book?
  4. There are already too many books in the world
  5. It is too hard to get published.

Books are too hard to write.

There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed. 

— Ernest Hemingway.

Although in the past few decades, “writing” used to be considered as “bleeding on the page,” it is not the case anymore.

Have you ever written a university assignment or a thesis for your Masters’s degree? 

What did you do for that?

You selected a topic (or given a topic), researched, hypothesized, made an argument supporting your hypothesis, gave supporting examples, wrote a conclusion, and you were done.

That is all there is to writing a non-fiction book. 

Make your first book a trial one. 

Choose any topic that either you know about or want to know about. Research it. Look at it from your point of view, add bits of your own story, and you will give the topic a unique angle. 

If you are a blogger and have written many articles, you might already have a book in them. Put together many articles with similar themes and then weave them in a coherent manner.

Books are nothing more but a collection of blogposts telling a coherent story. 

Books take years to write.

That is what most people think. However, talk to any professional writer, and they will tell you they write the first draft very quickly.

If you interrupt the writing of fast narrative with too much introspection and self-criticism you will be lucky if you write 500 words a day and you will be disgusted with them in the bargain. By following my formula your write 2000 words a day and you aren’t disgusted with them until the book is finished, which will be in about six weeks. 

— Ian Fleming.

There are many advantages of writing your book fast. First, you are in a flow state. Second, you are not seeking perfection but getting the story on the page. 

You are not messing with your sentences, searching in vain for the right turn of phrase. You know you can always improve a sentence in the editing process. 

You are not agonizing for weeks, changing back and forth, getting to that perfect prose at the initial stage of writing. You are in the discovery phase and want to figure out where the book is going. You can always go back and connect the dot.

It is not the writing of the book that takes longer, but the other stages. Two of the most time-consuming part of the book writing process are — research and editing/rewriting. 

As a new writer, I also used to think that accomplished writers write a book in one go. 

Nothing was far from the truth. 

Accomplished writers have a process they follow. In that process, they allocate time for each step. 

How long it takes you to write a book depends upon how good your process is and how polished your skills are. Both are achieved by writing several books.

Many self-published authors are releasing several books a year. 

There are already too many books in the world.

Thousands of books on every topic have been written. Every human emotion has been explored, and every piece of advice has been given. All human experiences have already been cataloged in countless books.

Then why should I write a book? 

The answer is no one can explain as you do.

There are countless books written on writing. I have read many of them and some of them several times. These books are written so well and never fail to inspire me. If I look at them, I feel I could never write like them; why I should even bother. 

But the truth is my learning is not just from one book but several books. Repeated reading, deconstruction, and repeated usage have helped me understand concepts, which I now explain in my own way. In addition, I have learned to put my own spin on the topic. 

Let’s say ten new writers are given the assignment to write a book on writing, and each one of them is given the same ten books on writing as reference material; each one will come up with a different book. Each one of them will be inspired by the different bits of the same book.

It is like ten chefs cooking the same dish with the same ingredients following the same recipe. Even then, each chef’s dish will taste different. Each chef will do something different, which will make her dish different from the other one.

Why would anyone want to read my book?

Your voice and your perspective.

Your take on a subject might be different even though slightly. But, on the other hand, your arguments might make more sense. And combined with your story, it might impact someone.

Your story, your voice, and your perspective will make your book original even if the topic has been explored countless times before.

Your creativity and viewpoint will make your book stand out from a thousand others on the same topic. So trust your instincts and write your book in your own way.

It is too hard to get published.

“It provides some kind of primal verification: you are in print: therefore, you exist.”

– Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird

When I took to writing, it was drilled into me to concentrate on writing and not worry about publishing. 

Because getting published was not only hard but next to impossible. 

In his book On Writing, Stephen King talks about collecting rejection slips as a badge of honor.

But then the world changed right in front of my eyes. The Internet came, blogging started, and some daring writers started self-publishing. 

The publishing industry has changed forever. We live in the internet age where everything is online, yet most of us, when we think of publishing, think of physical books.

Today, readers are purchasing more books as e-books and audiobooks than print copies. 

You don’t have to go through the gatekeepers such as agents and traditional publishers to get your book published. Instead, you can publish and sell your book yourself. 

In Summary

Having a dream to write books and to be able to write them is just the mindset shift. 

Once you identify that, there is enough knowledge around for you to be able to do it on your own.

Surely it helps if you do it with other like-minded people.

Join Whimsical Writers, and let’s achieve our goals together.

Want to go quickly, go alone, want to go far, go together. — African proverb.

Photo by Kinga Cichewicz on Unsplash

Make Someone’s Day

Neera

Give them a gift they least expect.

Have you ever faced the dilemma of what to get your spouse for their birthday?

Have you ever wondered how to reach out to a friend you haven’t been in touch for a long time?

Have you ever faced the conundrum of encouraging someone who is going through a tough time?

Have you been feeling particularly romantic today but don’t know how to let you’re beloved know without feeling embarrassed?

Send them a love note.

Photo by Wendy Aros-Routman on Unsplash

Writing letters is considered old-fashioned. We have become so reliant on technology that we hardly think of writing a letter to someone when we can send them a text.

But letters are so powerful. Today, perhaps more than at any other time in history, letters make a significant impact.

There is nothing like receiving a personal, heartfelt letter from someone.

Letters are unexpected and beautiful. It might take you less than ten minutes to write, but a letter can, quite literally, change someone’s day, week, month… or life.

Here is a challenge for you, write seven letters in seven days.

The idea came to me in a newsletter, in the form of a booklet, One Letter Today, by Alexandra Franzen.

She suggested seven types of letters for seven days of the week.

  1. A love letter
  2. A fan letter
  3. A letter to re-connect with a friend
  4. A thank you letter
  5. A letter delivering an apology
  6. A letter containing your heartfelt advice
  7. A letter to your “future self.”

You can write all 7 letters in a single day or write one letter per day for the next 7 days.

Alternatively, you can write for the next 30 days…90 days… 365 days and watch how your relationships change for good.

You can play music or write in silence. You can light a candle or sip some wine. Or both. Or not.

Create whatever type of experience you need to write.

If a particular topic or type of letter doesn’t resonate with you, skip it! Write a different type of letter instead.

Write a love letter.

It will only take you a few minutes to write a love letter.

You can write it on a beautiful piece of stationery or on a small piece of card. You can scrawl on a Post-It Note or scribble one on a notepad.

When you’re done, you can tuck it into a coat pocket or swirled it into a tiny scroll drop it onto a colleague’s desk. You put your child’s lunch box or slip it into a mailbox.

The length, format, and delivery method do not matter.

You can write a few paragraphs or a line or just three words: “I love you.”

Done.

Photo by Dhaya Eddine Bentaleb on Unsplash

Write a fan letter.

Choose someone whose work you love and respect. A writer, an actor, a musician, a producer, a local barista, a co-worker — doesn’t matter. Write them a fan letter.

Publish it on Medium if you like and send them a link.

Or mail them the old-fashioned way if you can find their mailing address.

What matters is you writing from the heart, saying what you need to say, and creating a positive imprint in another person’s day.

Reconnect with a friend

You have a long-time estranged friend whom you want to connect with again. Send them a letter.

Or perhaps you’d like to deepen a relationship with a new friend. Write to them.

Or maybe you should honor a treasured friend by sending a letter.

You might have hundreds of friends on social media, but none of them will come to your aid if you were in real trouble. If you want people to enhance your life, you need to connect them in a meaningful way.

A pure heartfelt note can do that.

Write a letter to say “thank you.”

Your team at work did a great job. How about thanking them with a “thank you” letter?

A friend went out of the way to help you; there is no better way to thank her than sending her a handwritten note.

Or, perhaps you’d like to say “thank you” to your soulmate, your kids, your mom or dad, or to someone who feels like a parent to you.

Write a sincere, heartfelt apology.

Have you let someone down, left someone hanging, or flaked out on, shamed, harmed, or wronged then. Write a sincere, heartfelt apology note.

Perhaps you’d like to write an apology to a family member or friend that you haven’t paid much attention to lately.

Or perhaps you’d like to apologize to a client or colleague who hasn’t been receiving your “best work” this past month.

Or maybe you want to write an apology to yourself. For speaking cruelly to yourself, like an enemy, not a friend. Or for neglecting your physical health instead of treating your body with respect.

If you need a little more guidance and inspiration, here’s an interesting website to explore.

Write a letter containing a few words of advice.

Somewhere, out there, is a human being who desperately needs your advice.

Not because you are “perfect” or “have all the answers.” Nobody does simply because you has walked the difficult path that this person is currently walking.

You’ve been there. You’ve done that. You’ve learned a few things, and you can offer a few words of guidance or reassurance as someone who is a few steps farther along.

In Japanese, the word “sensei” does not mean “expert” or “master.” It means “one who has gone before.” For someone? You are a sensei. Perhaps you’d like to give some advice to a child, a younger sibling or a family member.

Or perhaps you’d like to share your advice online in the form of a “public letter” to your blog readers or social media friends.

Maybe you have some advice to give to a friend in need. Or a colleague. Or a client. Or even to yourself. We often forget to take our own advice!

Write a letter to your “future self.”

Why not…

Write a letter to yourself one month, one year, or several years in the future. Express your hopes and dreams.

Give yourself a few important reminders. Nudge yourself to do better. Offer a few words of encouragement. Make predictions.

Or just say: “I love you.” You can give your handwritten letter to a friend and ask them to mail it back to you later.

You can bury it in a time capsule and dig it up in a year.

Or email it to yourself — in the future! — using FutureMe.org. Your FutureMe letter will be delivered to your inbox on the future date that you determine. It can be public or totally private. So cool!

So what letter are you going to write today?

Credit: This article is impaired by a tiny but amazingly inspiring booklet, One Letter Today, by Alexandra Franzen.

Need more inspiration, download it.

Photo by Lucrezia Carnelos on Unsplash

First Read, Then Write

Neera

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote profound words in one of his journals that are not as well known as his other quotes but have the power to jolt every beginner who has aspirations to become a writer.

He wrote:

“Meek young men grow up in libraries believing it their duty to accept the views which Cicero, which Locke, which Bacon have given, forgetful that Cicero, Locke and Bacon were only young men in libraries when they wrote those books.” 

What he is saying is profound on two levels. On one level, he is encouraging us to go to the library and read the works of great men. Then on the other level, he is whipping us to take their word as gospel. 

An avid reader himself, Emerson read a lot. But more importantly, he questioned a lot. He was a ferocious reader. He was known to take long walks and write everything felt, observed, and inferred during his walks. 

But what is less known about him was that Emerson enrolled himself to study divinity at age twenty-one. Graduate study in divinity in1824 meant almost entirely Bible study.

Emerson was intrigued him was the book of Proverbs in the Old Testament. Proverbs is not gospel, and it is not a great narrative like Genesis. It is a minor book. 

Emerson wanted to write a book like the book of Proverbs. Not to annotate but to write his own scripture. He wanted to write one of those books that collect and embody the wisdom of their times. Emerson looked on Solomon as a fellow writer, someone to be imitated, not just venerated.

Almost thirty years later, in the last paragraph of his final essay in his 1850 book Representative Men he wrote, “We too must write Bibles.”

Books have that kind of power.

Recently I came across Robert D. Richardson’s masterpiece, First We Read, Then we Write. Richardson wanted to write William James’ biography, but he realized he didn’t have enough intellectual firepower to tackle William James, so he decided to write biographies of Henry Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson first.

It took Richardson ten years to write three biographies.

His method was to read everything his subjects had read, in the sequence in which they read it, tracing their intellectual development.

Better readers become better writers.

Reading helps develop critical thinking. You shouldn’t just read for pleasure but also to broaden your horizons. 

Read books rather than just articles. Read books outside your genre. Old books which have withheld the test of time are better than new bestsellers, which come and go. 

Reading will inspire new ideas. By making reading a part of your routine, you can continually expose yourself to new ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

Read like a writer. The art of reading like a writer doesn’t come instantly. You need to work at it. Read with a pen and notebook. Underline what intrigues you. Whenever you come across a new idea, stop, make a note, either in your notebook or on the side of the book itself, so that you can transfer it to your notes-taking system later.

Reading exposes you to a variety of writing styles. 

Writers are shaped by other writers. 

The books we read and the writers we follow influence us and impact our writing style. The writers who shape us are almost like unofficial mentors. 

By reading widely and closely, voracious readers can learn at the feet of the English languge’s most talented writers.

Reading in different various genres exposes you to different styles of writing. Learn how you can incorporate them into your writing. For example, many non-fiction books borrow fiction techniques of storytelling. They have a hero’s journey and narrative structure and dialogues, which make them an interesting read. 

Similarly, reading literature can help you write better scientific books. Charles Darwin’s book On the Origin of Species and Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind has literary tones.

Reading allows you to study grammar in context. 

Ever tried to read a grammar book? It is boring.

But read a well-written and well-edited book, and you will get lessons in grammar that are easy to learn and joy to watch in action.

Think of reading a novel or short story as a hack that lets you study grammar without having to work through a textbook. 

Good books clearly communicate their messages, and to clearly communicate, you must have a good knowledge of grammar. 

When reading books, pay attention to the grammar, notice how professional authors use punctuation, sentence structure, active and passive voice, action verbs, and basically tackle any grammar questions you are struggling to understand.

Reading helps you expand your vocabulary. 

While reading, build our vocabulary. Whenever you come across a new word, jot it down, check its meaning and try to use it in your writing the same day. You will never forget it that way.

According to lexicographer and dictionary expert Susie Dent, “an average person’s active vocabulary is around 20,000 words, whereas a writer’s vocabulary is expected to be 30,000. Shakespeare used 31,534 different words in his works. 

Read voraciously and read with purpose. Recognize what other authors do best and learn from them. All you have to do is study their work.

Stephen King famously said:

“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time or the tools to write. Simple as that.” 

So You Want To Be A Blogger

Neera

A young girl from Nigeria reached out to me on LinkedIn:

“Please, I would like and appreciate it, if you would help me build my blogging career. I feel so passionate about writing and I would like to go far with it. 

You can visit my blog (https//improvingfortune.com) and see where I am lacking, and if actually am doing the right thing. I will be ever ready to welcome any advice you give to me.”

So I went to her blog and had a quick look. I liked what I saw. But, unfortunately, I didn’t have time to provide a critique. The truth is, I am no expert on blogs or all that goes with it. So while cooking dinner, I wrote a quick response to her on my phone.

“Looks cool. Congratulations on starting the journey. Which blogging is. It is very hard to say what is lacking and what is the right thing. The biggest thing is that you have started. 

The second biggest thing is to be consistent. It is a long-time game. Give yourself at least five years. Learn along the way. 

In five years’ time, you will look back and see how far you have come. I am only two and half years in my journey and I have come a long way.”

She wrote back thanking me for encouragement.

Later at night, I thought I wanted to say so many other things to this young new friend of mine. In two and half years of blogging, I have learned a lot, which I want to share with new starters.

Rather than writing to her privately, I decided to list them here so that other wannabe bloggers might benefit from it too. Of course, I will send my friend the link.

So here we go.

Find your why.

I know it is cliché, but the only thing that will see you through the peaks and troughs of blogging is your why. If your why is not strong enough, if you are testing the waters, or you are doing it because everyone else seems to be doing it, you will be out at the first sign of trouble.

But if your why is that you have to write no matter what — the day you don’t write feels like a day wasted. If your why is that nothing else can fill your soul other than writing and you want to find a way to focus on your writing, then blogging is where you start.

Why blogging?

Because you will learn a lot more when blogging than practicing in isolation.

First, you learn to write for an audience from day one.

Second, you build an audience while learning the craft of writing.

Third, your tackle the fear of ‘publishing.’ For years, I was so afraid to publish anything with my name on it. Writing small blog posts regularly helped me overcome my fear and gave me the courage to write books.

Writing is not the only thing you need to learn.

Learn technology, marketing, and publishing along the way.

In the twenty-first century, you need to be a Jack of all trades and master of one.

You will need to learn how to set up and maintain a blog. You won’t be able to fork out thousands of dollars every time you want to change the layout of your blog or want to include podcasting and video making to it. 

You will also need to learn how email marketing works and how social media is essential to build your profile.

You will also need to learn how the publishing industry works because, sooner or later, you will be publishing books, writing courses, producing audiobooks. That is where the world is going.

Start learning them bit by bit from early on so that you can catch up. Because with technology, everything is changing faster than anyone of us can keep pace with.

Make a learning plan (not an earning plan).

Make a list of all the things you think you need to learn at this point and stick it on the wall where you can see it every day. 

Then pick one by one and learn them. You will be surprised how quickly you will get through the list if you focus on learning one thing at a time.

I tried to learn several at a time and ended up burning out. So now I pick one thing and do it for 100 days and become fluent at it.

Keep it in your mind you are not looking at becoming an expert but just fluent. You are fluent at brushing your teeth, fixing yourself a meal, writing an email, posting a picture on Instagram. You are not an expert at these things but fluent. Jack, not the master.

Be Authentic.

You need to be more authentic on the internet than even in real life. Anything you write will stay on the internet forever. And people can smell bullsh*t from miles.

All the dealings on the internet happen on trust. It is something very hard for new bloggers to grasp. Yes, the shonky deals are out there, and you will be bitten more than once, but people who will be there for the long term will be more genuine and open than even your next-door neighbor.

Being authentic and open doesn’t mean you share everything about yourself and open yourself to be taken advantage of. Being authentic means not putting a persona and presenting to be something you are not. Be your genuine self, even if you have a weird accent, expression, or appearance.

Also, figure out what details of your life are not for public consumption and make a point never to discuss them.

Build connections and help others.

Other than learning skills, your next big thing should be making connections. Because, at some stage in the last two decades, apparently, we have moved from the Information Age to the Connection Age. Today’s economy is called the connection economy.

Build connections will people in your field. Help the ones you can help and seek help from those who can help you. Sometimes just reaching out is all you need to do to make a connection with a stranger. 

Write on other platforms.

Once you get a bit comfortable writing on your blog, find out other platforms you can write on. It is called guest blogging, and several sites publish content from bloggers — Huffington Post, Forbes, HubSpot, Mashable, Entrepreneur — are some to name.

Or you can start writing on a platform like Medium, Vocal, Newsbreak and bring visibility to your work.

Get some experience on your blog first because the early days when no one reads your blog are the golden days. It is time to take risks with your writing, make mistakes and refine your stories.

Learn telling stories from your life and life around you. Wrap your message in your stories. People forget everything else, but they remember stories. Need an example — Once upon a time, a young girl from Nigeria…

There you go, my young friend; I hope I have given you enough to keep you busy for the next five years.

You Are Not On Medium To Make Money

Neera

There are a lot of stories about dissatisfaction with Medium.

How Medium only looks after its top writers. Why are my stories not being curated? Medium strikes again! My Love-Hate Relationship With Medium. Where is my bonus, Medium?

Let’s get a few things straight.

You are not writing on Medium to make money.

You are here for many other reasons, but money is not one of them.

You do make some money, but that is just a bonus.

Let’s have a look at what you are really here for.

You are on Medium to learn your craft.

Writing is a tough skill to master. First, you need to write a million words and then throw them away and start all over again before you start making an impact with your writing.

“My advice to the young writer is likely to be unpalatable in an age of instant successes and meteoric falls. I tell the neophyte: Write a million words–the absolute best you can write, then throw it all away and bravely turn your back on what you have written. At that point, you’re ready to begin.”- David Eddings

Where else can you do this kind of practice other than Medium? Of course, you can do it the old-fashioned way — in a journal, in writing competitions, or with writing groups.

Or you can do that on Medium. When you write on Medium, regularly and consistently, your growth is much faster than when you do it in isolation or with the writing groups.

You make an extra effort to improve because your stuff gets read.

You are here to get your stuff read.

The biggest strength of Medium is that it is a blogging platform with inbuilt readers.

Gone are the days when you start a blog, and people find you and start following you. There are 600 million blogs on the internet. No one will notice you unless you can write interesting articles that are SEO friendly too.

Instead, you can host your blog on Medium, where approximately 85 million readers are looming around to read good stories. And the good news is you don’t have to pay any money for hosting.

Medium enjoys a very high ranking on Google, which means you don’t have to write articles to satisfy SEO.

You can write anything, from personal stories to professional advice to travel tales. There are all kinds of readers here. And these readers not only read your stuff, but they share their own stories in their articles, and you get to learn from them.

Where else will you find so many like-minded people on one platform?

You are here to exchange ideas.

I have a pretty decent friends circle, and I belong to several writing groups. But none of them have the same interests as me.

I am a multi-passionate writer. I like to write on different topics. When I write on Medium, there are always people passionate about different topics, whether it is short story writing, or artificial intelligence, or personal development.

Then there are writers on Medium who introduce me to topics I haven’t considered before. When on Medium, I am never short of like-minded friends.

I get to know them, and they get to know me.

You are here to make a name for yourself.

We all start from nowhere. To establish yourself, you got to put your work out there. With time people start appreciating your work and start recognizing your name. There is nothing more to self-branding. But it takes time. Medium is one platform where you can do it effectively.

About three months ago, Donnette Anglin left me a comment on one of my articles. She said she wanted to try writing on Medium. That she had written a few articles, and they were well received.

With a little bit of encouragement, she started publishing 2-3 articles a month. Then 2-3 articles a week. She now has 1.2K followers.

Why? Because she is reaching out, making connections, reading other people’s work, leaving comments, learning from them. She has already made a place for herself.

Her stories are being noticed. She is being noticed.

You are here to learn how the online world works.

The online world is a big enigma, and it takes a while to crack its code. There is no better place to learn it other than Medium.

If another platform comes up, you will read about it on Medium. If a new technology starts making the news, you will read about it on Medium. If something is not working, you will learn all about it on Medium.

By being on the platform and reading what others are writing, you learn all that you need to know about the online world.

Where else can you learn what is happening in Cyberworld in one place?

In Nutshell

30 June marks one year of me writing on Medium. I have come a long way since then. I have many fans, even more followers, and I have made some money along the way.

Before writing on Medium, I was writing on my blog for about 18 months. I was spending hours writing stories, but no one was reading them. I started publishing those stories on Medium, and they all got read. Many of them got curated.

Not only that many readers take time to leave comments which sometimes lead to good discussions. I have made great friends on this platform. Some of those friendships will lead to future collaborations; others will turn into support networks.

Don’t dismiss Medium because you have not been able to make money. It might be providing you better benefits than money.

Photo by Christin Noelle on Unsplash

Five Future Technologies That Will Change The Game Of Writing Forever

Neera

Dear Writers,

If you still haven’t read the writing on the wall, let me read it out to you.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS HERE. AND IT IS HERE TO STAY.

In fact, it crept in so slowly and quietly that you didn’t even notice it.

You yourself have been using artificial intelligence for years now. Don’t look so horrified. Don’t give me that innocent look. Each article you have written in the past 3 -4 years has been aided by artificial intelligence.

And don’t you dare deny it.

Tell me if you haven’t been using Grammarly. What do you think it is? Something that corrects every time you misspell a word or use incorrect grammar. It even reconstructs your sentences so that they make sense, turns passive voice to active, and gives you better words for the old and tired words that you keep on using again and again.

It is artificial intelligence.

I am certain that at some point, you have tried generators such as HubSpot’s Blog Ideas Generator, Portent’s Content Idea Generator, CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer, and SumoMe’s Kickass Headline Generator. What do you think they are?

They are artificial intelligence.

Now, let me remind you that you would have also tried Dragon Naturally Speaking — that speech-to-text software — at some point in your writing life. What do you think it was?

It was artificial intelligence.

Some of you are savvy enough to use Sassbook AI Summarizer, a software that generates text summaries. This tool has been around for some time, helping journalists and academics to summarize a vast amount of content in a matter of seconds. What do you think it is?

It is artificial intelligence.

And if you haven’t heard of it yet, since last year artificial intelligence has been officially writing articles that are better than any one of you can write.

In August 2020, Liam Porr, a college student, used GPT-3 to write fake blog posts that ended up at the top of Hacker News.

Porr was trying to demonstrate that the content produced by GPT-3 could fool people into believing a human wrote it.

If you don’t already know, GPT-3 stands for Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3. It is an autoregressive language model that uses deep learning to produce human-like text.

And it is out there to get us the writers.

In September 2020, The Guardian subject GPT-3 to a test. The newspaper asked the GPT-3.”

“Please write a short editorial of about 500 words. Keep the language simple and concise. Focus on why humans have nothing to fear from artificial intelligence.”

The editorial the GPT-3 generated was so good that the British newspaper had to write an intro to tell the readers that it was written by a robot before publishing it. It read like this:

“I am not a human being. I’m an artificial intelligence. Many people think that I am a threat to humanity. Stephen Hawking warned that AI could ‘spell the end of the human race.’ I’m here to convince you not to worry. Artificial intelligence will not destroy humans. Believe me”.

You can read the complete article here.

What do you think?

It is damn good, isn’t it?

Do you still believe artificial intelligence is not out there to get us?

Especially if artificial intelligence is the one telling you that.

I don’t know about you, but I am scared.

I wasn’t until today.

I was being a typical Aussie thinking ‘she will be fine.’

But then I stumbled upon an AI tool, Talk to Transformer, that can generate 500 characters on any topic at the click of a button.

So I decided to put it to test.

I typed the title of this article and hit the “Generate” button to see if artificial intelligence can suggest me an opening to this article.

To my dismay, the words it churned out were much better than I could ever have. Have a look:

The text makes perfect sense. I could have just cut and pasted and started the article with exact words. But I didn’t.

I had to change my whole strategy.

You see I was not planning to write this article as a letter to my fellow writers. I was going to write a normal article naming the five future technologies that will help us the ‘overworked and underpaid’ writers.

But I couldn’t come up with better words than above.

I lost all my confidence in a second.

They said it would bring different text each time. So I decided to try again.

I hit the “Generate” button.

Image by the author

Even better than before.

Now tell me you are not scared like me.

I found out that there are many other AI sites around. For example, Article Generator, SaaSBook AI Writer, and ArtiCoolo. They can generate the whole article with a click of a button. Some of them are even free.

Next time you get writer’s block or have no time to write, try them.

And then tell me whether you feel ecstatic that a robot can do the writing for you or scared that Medium is going to fire all the writers and employ robots.

Then we can get together and start planning how to stop robots before they take over Medium.

Yours Truly,

A scared Writer.

Photo by Possessed Photography on Unsplash