IWSG: Is AI everywhere . . . even for writers?

Fall is certainly here. I can see it in the leaves, now brilliant red and yellow against the last green of summer as we wander along our favorite path at Manito Park. Each day we cherish for next week, temperatures will drop into the mid-50s.

October begins with Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) challenge question: 

"Many people are calling for writrs who use AI to disclose it. Most who employ ghostwriters do not admit it - Do you think authors who use ghostwriters should have to disclose that too?"

Oh, I have opinions! Yes, we should disclose any use of AI or ghostwriters. That just seems obvious. 

Just as an aside, Amazon now requires we do disclose any use of AI in generating text, images, or editing when we upload a new book. They say this is for informational purposes, but the writer's submission will not go forward until that question is answered.

Do I have personal experience with AI? 

Yes! I discovered a program that would help me, an indie writer, make covers -- in seconds. The first time I used Stratira to create a cover for my new September 2026 release Honeymoon in Egypt, I fell in love with the cover, and everyone just says "Wow! How did you do that." 

Somehow that cover captured everything I was hoping for. Yes, I did input title, author, and a few words describing the theme, but that cover generated in seconds???

What was next was a makeover for my Standing Stones series, historical fiction set in 1840s Scotland and Australia. Once again, I was awed by the resulting covers, far better than what I'd been able to scrounge together in the past. Here's the result:

In fact, if we use search on Google, we all are using AI if we read that opening blurb, generated by AI. So helpful, but I like to scroll right on down to the original source. At least AI is using footnotes -- for now.

So to return to the original question: Should we disclose our use of AI, my response is simply if we do not -- if we do not use integrity to show the sources of our work, what will AI become as it learns from our actions? Is our own original work safe? I already don't think so and at times, I'm grateful to be OTA (older than average), for these issues will continue to dominate how we research, write, and express our creativity as well as how we make it available to others. 

Persevere in your unique writing and may this Fall 

bring you new insights, more words, and courage to face the future. 

I'm looking forward to reading your post! 

ABOUT IWSG: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day when about 80 IWSG followers can choose to respond to this month's question. Special thanks to Melissa Maygrove for challenging us to think about AI and to Alex Cavanaugh for continuing to lead us. Please visit others in our group CLICK HERE and connect with your fellow writers. Try for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting!

The awesome co-hosts for the October 7 posting of the IWSG are Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Liza at Middle Passages, JH Moncrieff, and Jemima Pett! Why not visit them as well?

September lingers . . .

I know snow is coming. Maybe not until November, but these days echo that beautiful transition from summer to fall. Brilliantly red and yellow leaves color the landscape. My favorite place for a quiet walk is simply exploring the Japanese garden at Manito Park.

Update on the writing: Still excited about September's launch of Honeymoon in Egypt and looking forward to hearing from readers. 

Just started drafting Threads, The Quiltpatch Murder Club, inspired by my weekly meeting with Stitchers. Yes, I'm a quilter. That 'hobby' creates a nice balance between writing and sewing. I truly enjoy making quilts to give away.  My other brand new writing project comes along very slowly as I work on family history. It's fun to dive into the past and imagine what life was like in other times and places.

Other challenges. I've been spending far too much time updating covers, but it has been fun to see what new covers bring to older stories. Along with a 'few' edits that took longer than expected. But writers persevere, yes?

What I'm reading: Almost finished reading Frank Zafiro's The Quick of the Night, a compelling police procedural set in River City (a kind of pseudonym for Spokane). Tasked with ending a string of car thefts, Officer Katie MacLeod faces more than one challenge. It's fun to read about a female who must work hard to be taken seriously. Kind of reminds me of those good old days when I was working full-time. You can check The Quick of the Night out HERE.                                                             

Meanwhile, may you enjoy this lovely fall season that this week has temperatures still hovering in the 70's. 

IWSG: It's All About Celebrating . . .

Today we are celebrating! For on the first Wednesday of the month, Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) day, we check in with other writers, offer support, and cheer on our various writing projects. But this month, we are celebrating the 15th anniversary of IWSG!  Thank you, hosts for the September 2 posting! Please visit Kate Larkinsdale, SE White, JS Pailly, Olga Godim, and Natalie Aguirre and try to visit at least 12 others. You can visit the IWSG home page here.

So, I'm wondering how many years you have been here, checking in with other writers and posting thoughts on your writing and your life. I've been blogging since 2005 and learned about IWSG sometime in 2015, an amazing 16 years a part of this online writing community, such a rich resource that balances out the necessary quiet as we sit before our keyboards, pondering and creating.

IWSG's September 2 question is: Do you have a favorite character archetype you tend to gravitate toward in your writing? That's perhaps too easy for me to answer. All my books involve the hero/heroine struggling against seemingly insurmountable odds to achieve justice of some kind, most likely related to my childhood (and that's a story for another time!).

And here's another reason to celebrate. This week, Honeymoon in Egypt went live! 

Just before retiring from teaching English at Linn Benton Community College in Oregon, I went on Sabbatical to Egypt. Allen and I had such an amazing time there, spending a month exploring and researching Egyptian culture -- from the museums to the pyramids, the bustling streets of Cairo, and visiting quiet cafes to sip hot mint tea.

That experience inspired Honeymoon in Egypt.

Sandra and Neil, yes, you might remember them from The Seventh Tapestry, travel to Cairo on their honeymoon. As a favor to Neil's boss, they stop at the Egyptian Museum to meet the Director. Imagine their surprise when the Director asks them to look into what might be causing missing priceless artifacts.

Here are two early reviews that may convince you to go take a look!

----I've often heard friends joke that they should travel to some exotic location for vacation and then write a book about it so they can "write it off"... like that somehow makes it free, or like writing a book is SO easy. There's only one problem: not many of them, if any, can write like Beth Camp.

Camp weaves together a mystery with a mastermind criminal, the wonder and tension of traveling in a foreign country, the thrill of discovering culture and history, and the satisfaction of doing it all with a life partner. All of these threads are equally important in real life and she treats them as such in this novel.

What stood out above and beyond all else was her ability to convey a sense of place. The components of the mystery might have been able to work anywhere but they had a special edge to them in the ancient place that is Egypt, and Camp made me feel like I was right there, sweating and discovering, investigating and surviving. That's what you want in a good novel -- to believe and be transported. Highly recommended. --Frank Scalise

----I had the lucky opportunity to beta read Honeymoon in Egypt. It is a superb continuation of the Art Crimes Mysteries that began with The Seventh Tapestry by Beth Camp. Investigators Sandra and Neil find themselves embroiled in the theft of Egyptian artifacts while on their honeymoon in Cairo. Due to the size and quantity of missing artifacts and numerous unexplained deaths invading their not-so-peaceful getaway, the stakes have never been higher. Until – Sandra is kidnapped and buried alive in an Egyptian tomb.

The settings and characters captured me from the first chapter. Brilliantly told and marvelously described, the story of the two newlyweds’ honeymoon cruelly interrupted by their own personal Moriarty, Cochrane, is a must read.

Pack your bags, grab your passport, and be prepared for a scenic transport to Egyptian pyramids and cultural museums. When you arrive, take a quick moment for a cup of tea and a croissant. Excitement and adventure await. --Kevin Hostbjor

Want to read more?

Just click HERE: Honeymoon in Egypt!

And please let me know what you think!

May your writing -- and these first precious days of fall -- bring you joy. 

August IWSG: Up in flames . . .

 Wish I could tell you August began with just another hot day.

Source: View from bird feeder of Spokane fire

If you've seen the news, even the national news, you know that three wildfires have broken out in northern and western Spokane. One was purposefully set. The result? About 10,500 acres currently afire. Some 65,000 people evacuated. Over 700 structures destroyed.

The news is devastating, but people have rallied immediately. Firefighters and police from over 12 states and Australia. Community members and groups gathering resources -- from diapers to food to places to stay. Our mayor assembled a team of federal and state people, all committed to helping those displaced. For now, the fires are contained.

So, I haven't been writing. I live in south Spokane, some 15 miles from the disaster area. But my friends are affected, and I feel helpless. Because I really can't do much. Phone calls and e-mails, yes. Groceries, yes.

Temperatures are heating up later this week. The winds today are quieter. But the rest of August looms, bringing more fire danger to all.

My own writing is stalled. If I were to give an update, it's brief: Honeymoon in Egypt is in final review. A new story, The Cozy Quiltpatch Murder Club, is at the early draft stage, relatively untouched.

Today is officially Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) day -- that monthly opportunity to check in with other writers, offer support, and cheer on our various writing projects. What I'm looking forward to is reading what other writers are doing, a true distraction, for even writing this post is stressful. Yes, my worries about others reinforces my sense of helplessness. Yes, my daughter and family are safely at the Oregon coast. But, still.

Thank you, hosts for this month. Please visit them and comment! Shannon Lawrence, Diedre Knight, Liza, and Pat Garcia!  

To comment on other IWSG writers, visit the IWSG home page here.

If you wish more information or want to help, check out this page set up by the City of Spokane. Meanwhile, be safe. May your writing -- and the rest of the summer -- go well.

July IWSG: Write as an ongoing commitment . . .

Summer? Really? This week, the temps are still in the 60s, but I have hope. By next week, we should be up in the low 80s. Every day, blue sky. A few clouds. But sunshine. Just what we need.

Earlier today, I went to honor a friend who had passed away. This very informal gathering seemed to be more about sharing her quilting fabric than remembering who she was, her laughter, her wild sense of humor. She was a California girl, passionate and loving. 

So July's question for IWSG (Insecure Writer's Support Group) doesn't really resonate with me. Is there anything I'd like to see changed, added, and/or rearranged about the book publishing industry? Today, I'm just not thinking about publishing or marketing. Rather, my focus is simply on the four seasons, the passage of time, those mornings for now that begin with writing -- unless real life intervenes.

None of us know how much time we have here, not even simply to write.

Yet something draws us back to that blank page -- or blank screen.

Perhaps characters show up in our dreams. Or, a newspaper article reminds us of something far away or long ago. A line of poetry may echo in our hearts, yet unheard. Or someone simply asks: What are you writing now?

My current writing project, Honeymoon in Egypt, is out to beta readers, with feedback hopefully back to me in July. This art crime mystery needs maybe one or two more editing passes and then -- hopefully -- out to the world.

I wish you quiet time to write this summer, whether it's early or late. Still time to explore, to hone, and perhaps to share.

This little cartoon made me smile. Now I'm wondering how many of us are introverts?

Thank you, IWSG and Alex Cavanaugh, for creating this platform so we writers can stay connected. Why not visit one of IWSG's wonderful hosts for July: Rebecca Douglass, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Cathrina Constantine, and Jacqui Murray!  Find other writers in the online IWSG community at our website HERE.

June IWSG: Just hanging in . . .

 If you are familiar with these monthly posts inspired by the Insecure Writers Support Group, then you're ready for my response to the June 3 challenge question:  Do most of my story ideas come from one place (the news, dreams, etc.), or do they hit from all over the place.

I'd love to have an inspirational answer for you, but these last two months, I've been more focused on taking care of my husband whose recovering slowly from severe back pain. His walking is improving. He can now walk for up to 5 minutes several times a day. Hooray! And the pain has dropped to manageable levels. So I'm happy. Actually, very happy.

But that doesn't mean I've been writing. Usually, I write every day, but just now I'm skipping a day or two or three and, hopefully, will get back on track.

So, where do my story ideas come from? Mostly travel. Places we've been that I want to revisit with a story (example, Honeymoon in Egypt, the current wip). History that appeals to me. Jumping back in time to explore The Seventh Tapestry (London/Paris). I'm not writing poetry or short stories, just novels that take me about 3 years to finish.

And about IWSG, I truly am just hanging in there. You'll notice I'm down around 74 on the current list, even though I've been posting for IWSG over ten years! That's because real life intervenes and I don't always post every month or I post a few days too late. Here's an IWSG post from 2016 about writing with focus, if you want to have a look.

Meanwhile, thank you to those IWSG writers who have become online friends! And, thank you to this month's hosts: Drop by, see what they're up to, and leave a comment, if you wish!  Victoria Marie Lees, Sarah Foster, Natalie Aguirre, and C. Lee McKenzie!

This is a Blog Hop!

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1. Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh	2. Adventures In Writing: One Woman’s Journey
3. Liza at Middle Passages	4. Tyreans Writing Spot
5. Spunky L. Diane Wolfe	6. Susan Says
7. Arlee Birds Tossing It Out	8. C Lee McKenzie Books
9. Em-Musing	10. Jennifer Lane Books
11. Sandras Blog	12. Elizabeth Seckman
13. Carrie-Annes Magick Theatre	14. Shannon Lawrence
15. The Faux Fountain Pen	16. This Writers Growing
17. WordDreams	18. J. Q. Rose, Author
19. Constantine	20. Toi Thomas
21. Loni Townsend - Squirrel Talk	22. Writing Wings
23. Olga Godim writing	24. Balancing Act
25. Fundy Blue's Standing Into Danger	26. Shout with Emaginette
27. Jemima Pett	28. I Love Space (by J. S. Pailly)
29. Writing in Wonderland	30. Sandra Ulbrich Almazan: Spec. Fic. Author
31. Stories I Found in the Closet	32. Were All Mad Here!
33. Everything Must Change	34. Pensive Pens Post
35. Paving My Authors Road	36. Lynn La Vita
37. Rebecca M. Douglass - The Ninja Librarian	38. Ronel the Mythmaker
39. Literary Rambles	40. Michael Offutt
41. Write On - Rosemary Johnson	42. Sherry Ellis
43. A Far Out Fantastic Site	44. Jean Davis
45. Fiction and Film	46. The Girdle of Melian
47. A Writers Revelations	48. J Lenni Dorner
49. Melissa Maygrove	50. Living the Dream
51. Falling Forever	52. Yvonne Ventresca
53. MotherOwl's Musings	54. East of the Sun, West of the Moon. . .
55. PJLs Write Life	56. Donna K. Weaver
57. Glittering Black	58. Jamie of Uniquely Maladjusted but Fun
59. H. R. Sinclair	60. SquarePeg Books
61. SE White Romance	62. Kalpanawrites - Paperback Writer
63. Rosie's Reverie - Rosie J. Potter	64. Fiction Writer
65. Jenni Enzor, Kidlit Writer	66. Nick Wilford, Speculative Author
67. PJ Colando, Author	68. Crystal Collier -- Author, Composer, Cheese Lover
69. tara tyler talks	70. Miffie Seideman, On We Merrily Stumble
71. Jan Morrison This Crazy Writing Life	72. Janet Alcorn
73. Yvette Carol, Author	74. Beth Camp
75. Readers Roost	76. the road to being a published writer
77. Tanya Miranda - Urban Fantasy & Romance Author

May IWSG: Just Checking In . . .

The Insecure Writers' Support Group (IWSG) question for May 6 asks writers to share their thoughts:  What was the most inspiring feedback you received from readers, including agents, editors, and beta readers?

Not sure I can answer the IWSG question this month. April and May have been chaotic. My hubby has serious, debilitating back pain, and the insurance companies and the doctors are scrabbling over paperwork. This morning, I got a call that his appointment to have that badly needed steroid shot had been cancelled. The rest of the day went down the rabbit hole, trying to figure out why and how to fix it. My first reaction was simply to break out in tears. I feel helpless because I can't do anything to ease his pain.

Usually I tell myself each decade brings us new challenges, and we need to face into them, learn and grow. But I'm thinking the years ahead are not going to get easier.

Okay, so I'll try to answer the IWSG question. I was headed to a quilt guild meeting a few years back and suddenly one of the quilters I really didn't know stopped me and said, "Oh, you're the one who wrote those 'stones' books. I love them." She was talking about my Standing Stones historical fiction trilogy. Her reaction warmed my heart in an unexpected way. So there are readers we may never meet, but we do make an impact on their lives with our words.  

May your own writing -- and all else -- go well.


Thank you to Alex Cavanaugh for hosting the Insecure Writer's Support Group. You can go to the home page for IWSG for more information about this very helpful online writing community. And, here's the link so you can visit the dedicated co-hosts for this month's posting: Jenni Enzor, Jemima Pett, Jamie of Uniquely Maladjusted but Fun, and Kim Lajevardi!  

Why not visit a few of these IWSG writers to see what they're up to this month!