battling my old nemesis: The Last Fucking Line Of A Oneshot

Book of poems by me, Jesus Apollo 🌞🌙

I did not plan this

me: this is just chapter 1

also me by chapter 3:
– identity crisis
– mirror symbolism
– Lucifer getting slammed into a pillar
– Alastor smiling like a freak

help

🔗 https://www.wattpad.com/story/405985588-static-and-fire
#HazbinHotel #Fanfic #WriterProblems

Had a dream that started with seeing a white horse and ended with kissing a guy who may actually have been the horse? And flirting with a guy I thought was the horse’s owner but might have been his lover? And now I have a mfm horse shifter story idea in my head.

Don’t Be Scared of AI: A Message to Writers

AI writing has become somewhat of a bogeyman in the writing community—and for good reason. With how prevalent AI is nowadays, how can we cope with its presence? What can individual authors do?

First, let’s talk about what writing is—then what AI really is under the hood.

Today, there are 150 million unique books in the world—and 3 million books are printed and published every single year. Archiveofourown.org has over 15 million fanfics published. If you sat down and read every fanfic 24/7 (without stopping), it would take you 8,500 years to read them all. And those were written for free. 

Writing is how we humans express ourselves. It’s how we communicate, love, breathe, and cry. Open any book written in the last year, or a hundred years ago, and you’ll see everything the author did, as if you were right there next to them. Even if the author’s been dead for 200 years. Writing connects us across space and time.

Unfortunately, companies like OpenAI (creator of ChatGPT) threaten that sacred connection. The threat? Stealing our work.

“Because copyright today covers virtually every sort of human expression – including blogposts, photographs, forum posts, scraps of software code, and government documents – it would be impossible to train today’s leading AI models without using copyrighted materials.“

—OpenAI

And not only are they stealing our work—but they bastardize it. Despite a net worth of $500 billion, and despite combing through incomprehensible amounts of data, their AI can only churn out bland, soulless word salad. In online communities, anything written or drawn by AI is known as "AI slop”. Although, calling its process “writing” or “drawing” is a stretch—those are things humans do.

But I digress; as much as we dislike AI, it’s here to stay. And some believe it poses a threat to us creatives. So, how do you cope when AI seems… undefeatable?

First of all, let’s make one thing crystal clear:

AI is not as smart as you think.

We are not living in a sci-fi movie right now. We might not see anything like Skynet in our lifetime, if that’s even a possibility. What we’re up against isn’t even real “AI”. That’s just a trendy keyword the AI-bros use to attract investors. Large Language Model isn’t quite as sexy.

So what is a Large Language Model (LLM)? It’s an algorithm that absorbs a ton of data and calculates which words are most likely to come next. It’s like your iPhone’s autocorrect—on steroids.  And that’s not to say ChatGPT isn’t a powerful tool; just that it’s not a smart one. So stop worrying about a Skynet-esque takeover. AI won’t come up with the next Harry Potter any more than your iPhone’s autocorrect can.

So to make my first point: ChatGPT isn’t as smart as you think it is.

Now my second point: Humans prefer human connection.

It only makes sense. I mean, really think about it.

Writing is a reflection of our thoughts, our desires, and our suffering. These aren’t just concepts; these are things we actually feel. Even if (and that’s a big “if”) AI was smart enough to write for us, it wouldn’t hit as hard. AI simply cannot express what a human experiences because it cannot feel, think, or mourn.

And again, we’re not dealing with “real” AI. We’re dealing with LLMs (fancy autocorrect, remember?) so all that doom-and-gloom is for nothing. Real AI isn’t here. We might not even live to see real AI.

Now let’s look at the cold hard facts. Not theories, but actual statistics.

Do people actually care about human writing?

Short answer: Yes.

Long answer: Very much so, yes.

I’ve been asking questions and running polls in many writing communities—Tumblr, Reddit, Substack, Discord, etc—and the results were shockingly identical. Across the board, readers and writers prefer human-written content. They don’t like AI, and they really don’t like being tricked into reading it.

My first poll asked: “If you found our your favorite fanfiction was AI-generated, what would you do?” The poll received 140 anonymous votes.

Disclaimer: I will be rounding to the nearest whole person since I can’t use this analogy in decimals. Let’s go with 138 people.

Out of 138 people, 60 of them would be not just be disappointed, but angry. 66 of them would be silently disappointed, enough to where they’d stop reading. Even if the fanfiction was good. That’s a huge win—readers have standards.

Out of 138 people, only 7—yes, 7—would continue reading an AI-generated fanfic. 

And of course, reblogs were quite vocal about their decision.

Agreed, my friend.

My second poll turned to writers now, asking;“ Do you use AI in your writing?”

Out of 110 votes, these were the results:

Out of 110 writers, 83 of them were not using AI and never would. 7 writers admitted to using AI as a technical tool for fixing grammar, punctuation, etc—but most of the fanfic was human-made. 4 voters use AI for some creative brainstorming; however, most of the work was theirs. 

None of these writers use AI to do any writing for them. The fanfiction they write and post is proudly theirs, and more power to them. This is what we should be doing.

And to note, I did not post these polls in a biased community. This is the writers community of Tumblr. 100% anonymous, so there was no backlash if they did use AI.

And I’ll admit that 250 votes is a small pool. However, it can’t be discredited. AI enjoyers appear to be the minority. They still exist, of course, but they don’t speak for us writers. Writing at its core is about people, and I’m glad we seem to understand that.

And this is only the beginning; AI is still in its infancy. As it invades more of our treasured spaces, the anti-AI sentiment will only grow. Look at subreddits like r/AntiAI, with over 71k active members and 200k visitors a week. Medium, one of the largest publishing platforms in America, have recently banned AI-articles from its Partner Program. 

Subreddit forums have started banning AI content because it’s spammy and unoriginal. Some of these subreddits have hundreds of thousands of members, and when an AI ban is announced, the comments are overwhelmingly supportive.

All of this to say: humans prefer real writing. This is never going to change no matter how big AI gets.

In conclusion: 

How do you cope with AI writing?

You write.

Write for your own sanity. Write to help others laugh. Write because it’s fun. 

Since the dawn of time, lazy people have lurked in the background—people who are lazy, shallow, and validation-seeking. They’re the type of person to trace your art and claim it as their own. Or the type of person who copes your fanfic, word-for-word, but they change the setting and names.

AI is just another way for these people to keep being lazy.

Do not waste your time with them. Spend that precious time writing, drawing, and doing what you do best: being human.

This post was proudly written without AI assistance.

Heyyy I’m Brainstreams (AKA: Adrian). If you like this article, feel free to follow and support me! My mission is to create consistent, authentic writing without burnout! 

LOVE when Word tries to “fix” something I don’t want fixed. like oh sorry did you think this was an essay? no, this is straight up smut for 5 paragraphs, okay. stay in your lane.

Guess who’s back from the dead?

Disclaimer: this is just a personal update about some rather dramatic life events, told in a very unserious, slightly sarcastic way. Proceed at your own risk (popcorn recommended).

Yep, me. Against all odds. And against every survival instinct that said: “Do not, under any circumstances, post your own face on the internet.”
…So here’s my face. Updated version. Handle with care (and photoshop).

First of all, sorry for vanishing for two months without a word. My inbox has been looking like a search party lately: “Where are you? Did you die? Are you writing? Are you abducted by aliens?” Short answer: none of the above. Long answer: grab popcorn.

So. Four years ago I divorced my husband. Applause, curtain call, happy ending? Ha-ha, no. A year of co-parenting later, I met a guy who turned out to be a scammer, emptied my pockets, and broke up with me on my birthday. Because apparently “Happy Birthday” now comes with “I love someone else.”

In a tragic lapse of judgment (a.k.a. my soft heart mixed with soft brain), I reconciled with the ex-husband. Two years of domestic cage life later, I realized nothing had changed. Same jealousy, same drama, same passive-aggressive speeches about how he does everything for the family while I literally paid for everything — including the roof, the car, and his ability to sulk in comfort. Spoiler: this did not end well.

Fast-forward: separation 2.0, but this time with full boss-level abuser mode unlocked. Screaming, threats, theft, changing locks, even surveillance cameras. Yes, I had my own reality show, except no Netflix deal and no laugh track. Only police reports.

Oh, but the drama didn’t stop there. After the breakup I did try seeing someone new — a guy who, for a short while, reminded me I was still attractive, desirable, and very much alive. Confidence boost? Check. Reality check? Double check. Because the “professional hockey player” I thought I was dating turned out to be a very mediocre footballer who’d been overselling himself like a bad car ad. Not the end of the world, but not exactly inspiring either.

And then my ex hacked into my private notes — basically my substitute for therapy sessions, where I dump my feelings, analyze events, and occasionally play detective (yes, that’s how I pieced together the Great Hockey-to-Football Scam). He screenshot everything, sprinkled insults on top, and tried blackmail. Spoiler #2: it’s illegal. Also, it didn’t work. But boy, did it add a whole new level of circus to my summer.

Meanwhile, real life kept happening: my kid started school in September, I lost my editor, and my writing mojo went into hiding under the couch. But — good news! — I’m slowly crawling back. I’ve got drafts nearly finished (yes, Caleb’s story is alive), new ideas brewing, and even a dangerous itch to write for my old fandoms (Harry Potter, Call of Duty — don’t judge me).

So here I am. Tired, slightly traumatized, definitely funnier than before — and, if you thought my angst-writing had range before, buckle up, because real life just handed me a whole new expansion pack. Thank you for waiting, thank you for poking me in DMs, and thank you for not forgetting I exist.

Moral of the story? Men are not always wolves in sheep’s clothing. Sometimes they’re just… sheep. Very loud, entitled sheep. Choose wisely.

Am I a DM?

Am I an elder god?

Am I a fantasy writer?

Idk, but either way I have the word “phylactery” programmed into my phone’s dictionary.

(So it’s probably all of the above!)

re the previous post a couple weeks ago ian asked what was on my mind two times a couple hours apart and both times i said gundam (was specifically thinking about char getting railed both times but just saying gundam was simpler. anyway) and he was like “how are you STILL thinking about gundam??? i don’t think i could stand thinking about one thing for that long??????”

and i was like babe. my beloved. this is why im a writer. it’s because sometimes The Characters get stuck in my head and torment me with visions and i go a little bit insane about it until i can write it down

Draft three - chapter two

Chapter one edits have been reviewed, and new notes made. Only eleven more chapters to go, and I couldn’t be happier <3

Draft three begins

121k words, ~480 pages.

Setting up my kanban board to track all my issues for draft three. Should have done this for draft two!

And here I am, staring at a blank page, desperately trying to channel the magic of those ancient scripts, while my muse is probably off having a coffee and reading a self-help book.

speaking as a fic author with a long running wip - I understand if you’re excited for where the story is going and want to let me know you’re eager to read more, but comments that just bluntly say “update” are rude as hell.

I am not a machine. I do not respond to commands.

i’ve gotten several comments like this recently (“update im curious” or “love it update please”) and i just don’t understand why people think it’s acceptable to be this rude and demanding to a stranger. Like… do people genuinely not know how aggressive and demanding they sound??

“but i never know what to say/i’m bad at words/english isn’t my first language/etc!!!”

that’s fine. if you need a template, try this:
“loving the story so far! can’t wait to see where it goes!”

You’ll notice that my example communicates roughly the same information, but in slightly more words and in a less demanding tone. If you want you can even add specific things you’re excited about! or things you’re curious about! little things like that will change your comment from “aggressive demand” to “probably making the author’s day”

my desire to actually update my fic goes down every time i get a blunt “update” comment. so if you’re invested in actually getting more updates. maybe stop doing that. :)

—

addendum - if you’re nervous about commenting in english when it isn’t your first language, then you should know i got an entire paragraph comment in Spanish the other day. I don’t speak Spanish well so I had to use google translate to read it, but the commenter’s excitement came across loud and clear. It made my day. i responded as best i could in Spanish despite not having used my Spanish since high school. Comment in your language! I promise you authors wont mind!!! they will probably be thrilled that people around the world can enjoy their work!!!

Looking back on my old fics and having to force myself not to re-write them because it shows that I’m improving I HARD

I slandered so many characters in my old kotlc hc / quote book and it’s even passing ME off now. The Fitz slander was unnecessary (I hated him because he reminds me of myself).. UGH I WANT TO SO BADDDD

Relatable writing scenarios

Some days I write 5,000 words in one sitting, and other days I stare at the god-damn computer like, ‘What’s a verb again?’

Relatable writing

When you finally write 3,000 words and reread it the next day, realizing it’s just 3,000 words of pure nonsense…

Misadventures in editing

It’s 23oC in my office, there is no A/C.

Page 133 of 455 of first draft, editing.

Thinking to myself, “Next time I’m going to write a shorter book”

A jorjeous message for the day:💀

ALT

Necromancers. 💀

As long as I could remember, I’ve found the undead unappealing.

Something about the zombie apocalypse that makes me curl my toes.

I mean it has got to disturb a person watch a human as a luncheon option?

In some cultures and religious traditions, backbiting or gossip is attributed to consuming human flesh.

ALT

No one, absolutely no one:

Writers: So, random death match/ wish anyone?

Viva la Revolution! 😝

ALT