Hi. This isn’t a mea culpa or a request for respect. Just an attempt at transparency.
All works of mine up to 2024 were produced without the use of AI, at least by me; I ask the cover artists I hire not to use “generative” AI, but I can’t fully police it.
In late 2024, I made the decision to purchase ProWritingAid, which is a machine-learning-powered spelling/grammar checking plugin/software. I believed at the time that it was a lesser evil.
I did not use this program for generating sentences or phrases, but I used it for line-editing tasks like detecting frequently used words or repeated phrases, and copy-editing tasks like detecting punctuation mistakes. I used it to flag potential issues (many of which I ignored, because it is a carnival of false positives), then I fixed the issues I deemed to be legitimate by rewording or correcting them myself.
Most of my line-editing process is done through rereading drafts and running searches in Word, and occasionally on paper. But I used PWA as noted above for The Strangers’ Sanctuary.
After further reflection and backlash, I decided to stop using it for any other projects. However, because Strangers was so close to completion at that point, I decided I didn’t have the energy to start over from scratch. I did decide to rewrite Therapist 9 from scratch, since PWA was used in this way on that story to a lesser extent. But since that story was shorter and not as far along in its process, it felt surmountable to start over.
I will include a disclaimer at the beginning of the book, along with the content warnings, about all programs used in the production of the book.
I don’t use AI knowingly in any other capacity, and I don’t knowingly use “generative” AI at all. Not to “brainstorm”, not for “feedback”, not for “research”. (It is none of those things. Do your own thinking, talk to humans, and read actual books.)
I also don’t intend to knowingly participate in any sales or group activities (promotions, etc.) that use AI-generated copy, books, or art.
However, if my use of PWA is past a line for you as a reader, I respect that. If you have a problem with it, don’t buy it or read it. That’s your choice. I understand if my decisions/actions seem hypocritical. I made a mistake, and I am attempting to course-correct. Others are welcome to make their own decisions.
That’s it. Thanks for your time.