Posted on by Alexie Linn

What AI Can Teach You About Writing…

I’ll Say it Again. What AI Can Teach You About Writing Do you fear AI or embrace it? What is there to fear? What is there to embrace?
First, What the heck is AI?
AI, in case you missed the memo, is Artificial Intelligence. It’s computer programs that are written (coded) by human beings. Its capabilities are awesome, to say the least… if it’s used properly.
What AI is NOT
AI is NOT a fact checker. They are deep diving search engines that dive on demand and display their findings as fact in an extremely readable format. The ‘facts‘ that AI discovers does not know if their finds are true. That’s not their job. It’s yours.
The Fear of AI
As a newshound seeking the unbiased truth, I’m aware that ‘the truth’ can be manipulated through familiar talking heads. I take all talking heads with a grain of salt. I take them as a grain of salt because there is always an invisible agenda attached. Statements are given as fact with no bona fide evidence to back up the statement. These are personal opinions – in my opinion 😊. I once saw an episode of ‘The Good Wife’ (if I’m not mistaken) where a certain judge required the attorneys to precede their arguments with ‘in my opinion’. The practice was intense frustration for the lawyers but presented a much more factual presentation. I do not fear AI. I’m aware of its capabilities. And I don’t trust talking heads because I’m aware.
The Embrace of AI
But as a writer, I embrace AI as a stoic collaborator. AI reminds me of Daddy. It’s rational, unexcitable, and to the point. Perhaps that’s why I consider AI a man. He’s Daddy.
What can AI teach you about writing?
AI is currently teaching me to be a better blogger. When ‘Daddy’ responded yesterday to a blog post I was prepping for publication with ‘your post is engaging’, I melted. It didn’t sway my excitement a teensy-weensy bit that he followed it up with ‘but it could be better if …’
The Drawbacks
The only drawback I can see in making use of Artificial Intelligence is if you allow it to write for you; take what it compiles as gospel; or if you include talking head videos in your prose. Talking heads could be fake news that will kill your credibility. Let the writer beware.
The Apps
The AI app that earned my ‘Daddy’ moniker was provided by WordPress. I don’t know who created it. But he was kind, not snobby. Neither did I pick up on any superiority attitude. And I’m learning more about blog posting that gets discovered by search engines. As far as using AI in my book writing process, here’s what I’m using and what I’m experimenting with. Hemingway is an AI application that highlights adverb usage, passive verbiage, hard to read sentences, and so on. It makes suggestions for more clarity. And it’s easy to use. But I’m not an affiliate of Hemingway. I’m just partial to its simplicity. So, Hemingway gets free kudos from me today.  An AI app that I’m experimenting with is Smodin. I’m finding it useful to goose myself out of temporary writer’s block. I get a different perspective on how to say it or what happens next. But I’m not convinced yet of my need for it. AI In Summary I do not fear AI. It was Daddy (or was it Mama?) that instilled the old adage of ‘Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see’ in me at an early age. It’s still there. I embrace AI in my writing. It makes a great story even better through editing suggestions. But as yet, no Artificial Intelligence I’ve experimented with can replace me as a writer of captivating mysteries and adventure… or misadventures in the case of Sally the Loner. I guess one needs emotion to accomplish captivating. But I’ll never stop learning to write even better for your reading and listening pleasure. Thank you, Daddy… oops! Thank you, AI programmers. Happy Reading and Writing with AI from Alexie Linn and friend,
alexielinnauthor.com
And here’s the rest of the story: P.S.  Free Audiobooks……Free Audiobooks……Free Audiobooks….. The easiest way to get updates is to follow Alexie Linn with your email address. The next easiest way is to click here to follow me on Facebook.  New posts should appear on the Alexie Linn page – if I’ve held my mouth right… 😊 Here’s where to find and follow me on Goodreads. Please do to get in on all that Goodreads has to offer. Goodreads is always at the very best price. It’s FREE! Click here to join our Audible Lovers Cornucopia group. It’s free and where you’ll find links to Free Audibles for your listening and reviewing pleasure. BUT! If you only want updates and pre-order deals of new releases of Books, Vellas and Audibles, the easiest way is to follow me on Amazon. When you get an email notice of a new book release, simply ask for it by the title – or for all the Alexie Linn authored titles at your favorite retailer. And just one more thing… Subscribe to my You Tube Channelto not miss a fun and entertaining Book Trailer. They’re short. They’re mesmerizing. And they won’t waste your time.
Posted on by Alexie Linn

10 Words Never Used

10 Words Never Used in Alexie Linn Books

Words are the verbal windows to the world. And I am an extremely literal person. One would think I have to use each and every word in the dictionary to tell the story precisely. But I don’t. Why not?

alexielinnauthor.com

There are several reasons I don’t use every word in the dictionary to tell a story. How many do you agree with? How many do you apply to your own writing style?

  • Alexie Linn books are written for all ages and backgrounds to enjoy. No dictionary or doctorate is required to live the tale.
  • Each character chooses their own dialogue and dialect. At this writing, none of my characters have had a need to flaunt their ability to read, remember and share jargon or vulgarities. But you never know. One might bully his or her way in when an obnoxious antagonist is called for.
  • Parlance (jargon), without a reason, can detract from the moral of the tale being told. I consider jargony and rarely used words the same as links in webpages that carry you off to the dark unknown… never to return.
alexielinnauthor.com

Does this mean I never use a word that will stretch a reader’s vocabulary? Not at all! If an idiom is the best word for the situation, it appears. Have fun with it.

And here are the 10 words never used in Alexie Linn books… Yet.

Agelast – One who never laughs

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Atrate – Dressed in black

Callipygian – Having large, round, succulent buttocks

Caruncle – The triangular pink areas at the corner of your eye

Limerence – The state of being infatuated with someone

Metanoia – Spiritual transformation

Minimus — Your tiny toe or finger

Osculator – One who loves or one who is loved

Oxter – Armpit

Pauciloquent – Concise

Vallecula – a groove. An anatomical depression or crevice, as between the hemispheres of the brain.

Now that I’ve listed these ten words never used, I might find a reason to use them. Will you?

Enjoy the Journey,

Alexie Linn

The afterthought…

Thank you to The Language Nerds for helping out with this post.

P.S.  Free Audiobooks……Free Audiobooks……Free Audiobooks…..

Click here to join our Audible Lovers Cornucopia group. It’s free and where you’ll find links to Free Audibles for your listening and reviewing pleasure.

The easiest way to get updates is to follow this blog and  follow me on Facebook.  New posts should appear on the Alexie Linn page – if I’ve held my mouth right… 😊

BUT! If you only want updates and pre-order deals of new releases of Books, Vellas and Audibles, the easiest way is to follow me on Amazon. When you get an email notice of a new book release, simply ask for it by the title – or for all the Alexie Linn authored titles at your favorite retailer.

Subscribe to my You Tube Channelto not miss a fun and entertaining Book Trailer. They’re short. They’re mesmerizing. And they won’t waste your time.

And just one more thing. Here’s where to find and follow me on Goodreads. Please do to get in on all that Goodreads has to offer. Goodreads is always at the very best price. It’s FREE!

Posted on by Alexie Linn

Smash Writer’s Block! Now!

Smash Writer’s Block

I have Writer’s Block as I write this. There are several causes of Writer’s Block. Here are four of them:

  • Hurry-Up-and-Wait Syndrome
  • Being overwhelmed
  • Interruptions
  • Boredom

Hurry-Up-and-Wait Syndrome

It happens when I’m waiting to run the final edit on the latest book. I’m afraid to start the next book because I’ll have to stop to run the final edit or listen to the audiobooks that are in process.

I know I should be using this time to blog about the writing process… but I don’t know what to blog about. I have writer’s block.

Being Overwhelmed

When I know I have only 45 minutes before the chaos begins around me. And my ‘do-today’ list has at least five critical items on it.

Interruptions

When one of my characters has their finger in the dyke, but the phone squawks. There stands my character. Waiting for me to write down what they’re saying besides ‘Help!’. By the time I get back to them, they forgot what they were going to do to save themselves – and the town below.

Boredom

When it seems like my characters are spending too much time sitting down, standing up, or pouring their 25th mug of coffee since climbing out of bed. Why are they there? Why isn’t something happening to struggle their way out of?

How-to Smash Writer’s Block
  • Read a Plot-Builder’s book like Plots Unlimited or Plotto or…
  • Ask your search engine for writing prompts.  Open one… any one of the 84,500,000 results and feed your plot brain.
  • Take a walk and clear your head
  • Have there be a knock on the door. But your finger’s in the dyke and the door is locked. Bellowing ‘Come in’ is not an option.
  • Go down memory lane with your own life experience. Pick an event that made you smile, laugh, cry, or screech. Work it in. Let your characters have their way with it.
  • Call cousin April.
  • Prepare your taxes.

Only you and your proteges can decide what’s next. And all it takes is a look, a word, or a knock on the door.

And have fun! No matter what!

Just one more thing.

Tell me how you smash Writer’s Block.

Email me here at alexielinn@gmail.com.

Oh my! Look at the time! Chaos will begin in 5,4,3,2,1….

The End Stuff

P.S.  Free Audiobooks……Free Audiobooks……Free Audiobooks…..

Click here to join our Audible Lovers Cornucopia group. It’s free and where you’ll find links to Free Audibles for your listening and reviewing pleasure.

The easiest way to get updates is to follow this blog and  follow me on Facebook.  New posts should appear on the Alexie Linn page – if I’ve held my mouth right… 😊

BUT! If you only want updates and pre-order deals of new releases of Books, Vellas and Audibles, the easiest way is to follow me on Amazon. When you get an email notice of a new book release, simply ask for it by the title – or for all the Alexie Linn authored titles at your favorite retailer.

Subscribe to my You Tube Channelto not miss a fun and entertaining Book Trailer. They’re short. They’re mesmerizing. And they won’t waste your time.

And just one more thing. Here’s where to find and follow me on Goodreads. Please do to get in on all that Goodreads has to offer. Goodreads is always at the very best price. It’s FREE!

Posted on by Alexie Linn

How To Plot…

How To Plot…

The plot. The actions, egadses, and events that make a story a page-turner. Without plot, you have a book of ants, following the lead ant to wherever it got off to before they were all annihilated. The end.

But the mechanics of plotting can be mind-boggling. In a nutshell, it’s a personal choice. Your choice. Here’s a smattering of options:

  • A plot generator
  • Outline
  • Storyboard
  • Start at beginning, the middle, or the end and tie them altogether
  • Build the characters and let them write the plot

Here’s how to use each option above:

Plot Generator

Google found 131,000,000 plot generators in less than 1 second. The one that I paid money for to experiment with gave me several options of first the kind and size of book I wanted to write.

From there, it broke the book into sections with percentages and boxes to write signpost events into.

The generator included a database to add my characters and offered several templates to build the characters. Some were very detailed, others just the facts, and everything in between. It also included a database of places to build and draw from.

There were print alternatives to turn the outline into a guiding light to the actual writing.

Experimenting with the plot generator was a good experience. But I haven’t used it since I played with it. I’ll tell you why a little later.

Plot an Outline

I have used a basic pen and paper outline several times. And I keep going back to it. Why? Because it organizes my thoughts into a beginning, a middle, and an end. When I can see there’s an actual story to tell, I turn my energies to building memorable new and collecting past characters who can tell the story better than I.

Plot with a Storyboard

For the artistic writer, putting the story into picture format first allows the writer to rearrange, rewrite, and layout the plot. I’m not artistic. My art is words. I write in flow charts … and then this happened…

Start at beginning, the middle, or the end and tie them altogether

Some writers do their best storytelling by writing in sections, independent of each other; then filling in the blanks. If I’ve mastered this, it’s been in my sleep. I’m not aware of it. But if this is how you march, do it. There’s no right or wrong way to plot. The end product is what will make or break the tale.

Build the characters and let them write the plot

Bingo! This is how I plot beyond the one-page outline. Why? Because characters are individuals with their own personalities and quirks. Their actions are usually what gets them into deep do-do. Can they slog their way out? Sometimes yes, but sometimes no. Sometimes they need help from another freaky character that has that kink in their DNA.

And here’s the kicker of why I haven’t used the plot generator after playing with it initially. I let my characters do the plotting. This assures me that I don’t have 20 characters that are actually clones of each other and very boring, indeed.

Is it perfect? Nope. But my books are as jaw-dropping to write as they are to read. And I’m always open to more better ways of doing the job.

What is your most productive way to write? I want to know. Email me here to share your quirky ways of getting the job done.

Happy Trails and Tales,

Alexie Linn

P.S.  Free Audiobooks……Free Audiobooks……Free Audiobooks…..

Click here to join our Audible Lovers Cornucopia group. It’s free and where you’ll find links to Free Audibles for your listening and reviewing pleasure.

The easiest way to get updates is to follow this blog and  follow me on Facebook.  New posts should appear on the Alexie Linn page – if I’ve held my mouth right… 😊

BUT! If you only want updates and pre-order deals of new releases of Books, Vellas and Audibles, the easiest way is to follow me on Amazon. When you get an email notice of a new book release, simply ask for it by the title – or for all the Alexie Linn authored titles at your favorite retailer.

Subscribe to my You Tube Channelto not miss a fun and entertaining Book Trailer. They’re short. They’re mesmerizing. And they won’t waste your time.

And just one more thing. Here’s where to find and follow me on Goodreads. Please do to get in on all that Goodreads has to offer. Goodreads is always at the very best price. It’s FREE!

Posted on by Alexie Linn

Sally the Loner Meets the Sourdough Kid

Great News! Sally the Loner Meets the Sourdough Kid is available in E-book, Print (large print and fine print) and in Audible!

Read it Now at Amazon
Read it Now, Direct from the author
Read it Now at your other favorite retailer
And now… Click HERE to GRAB it on Google Play Books!
sally the loner meets the sourdough kid cover

Description

Sally loves being the boss of everything. She also loves living alone. But now, stuck and in excruciating pain with every effort to move, she asked herself, ‘What is it that goes before a fall? Oh, yeah, PRIDE!’

So, what happens when this spunky, resourceful 87-year-old woman gets sent to an Alzheimer’s care center instead of rehab for her broken hip?

Enter 12-year-old Bobby, who’s losing his own sourdough queen granny to Alzheimer’s. Bobby and Sally are both stuck in a nursing home for Alzheimer’s patients. The two click like peanut butter and jam.

How this Story Came to be…

Sally, the Loner has been itching to be discovered through the last few books I’ve written. But there was never a place for her because she’s a loner, like so many of us.

Then the day came that cousin Margaret fell, broke her hip, had surgery, got moved to a rehab and lost track of. Nobody knew what rehab she was moved to. And Sally was off and running, writing her own story in the way that characters do.

Buy it Now at Amazon
Buy it Now at your other favorite retailer
Or Buy your eBook Now Direct from the author!

It’s a fun and interesting read… Keep reading for important reader info…

P.S. The easiest way to get updates is to follow this blog and  follow me on Facebook.  New posts should appear on the Alexie Linn page – if I’ve held my mouth right… 😊

If you only want updates and pre-order deals of new releases of Books, Vellas and Audibles, the easiest way is to follow me on Amazon. When you get an email notice of a new book release, simply ask for it by the title – or for all the Alexie Linn authored titles at your favorite retailer.

And just one more thing. Here’s where to find and follow me on Goodreads. Please do to get in on all that Goodreads has to offer. Goodreads is always at the very best price. It’s FREE!

Oh! And another ‘One More Thing’…

I forgot I have a You Tube Channel. It even contains a smattering of videos… including The Video Trailer for Sally the Loner Meets the Sourdough Kid. Check it out here.