Off-site story and poetry contests

[Naomasa298]

It helps to know who's behind a competition. I'd never post, or suggest the Writers of the Future competition. Some people find it useful, but I don't really care. It's associated with L. Ron Hubbard. Unless you're hoping to earn yourself a place on the mothership when it arrives, I wouldn't touch it.

 

[Naomasa298]

Publishers are actively incorporating AI into their submission and evaluation processes at the expense of human editors. To what degree, I have no idea, but I wouldn't hang my hat on that. Like I've said many times here and on the OG, no for profit institution in the history of human civilization ever rejected a technological advance on moral grounds and lived to tell about it. I ain't saying AI is going to write the books of the future, but the AI assist is already reaching the mainstream.

Well, you know my stance on AI. I find it genuinely useful for feedback and critique, but it's easy to misuse., and just get it to confirm what you already think. That's why I started that AI thread in the first place, I was trying to show people how not to misuse it. "Misuse" is a loaded term though, what I call misuse might be outright abuse to some people, it might be not going far enough with AI to others. It's all down to your personal stance on it.

Yeah, I'm one of those people who says "I would never get AI to write something for me", and I stand by that. You still have to use your judgement as to which part of its feedback you agree with or not, just like you have to in the workshop.

I see plenty of workshop entries (not here) where the only feedback people get are some line level edits, or someone saying "read this craft book! It'll make you a super duper writer!". That ain't better than what an AI will tell you, and actually damaging, especially when the person giving it doesn't understand the advice they're parroting. "Show, don't tell" my arse.

<RANT MODE OFF>

 

[Trish]

I resisted touching AI at all for a long time. Then I tried to have it evaluate work and it's been hit or miss (even with the suggestions in that thread), but it has given some helpful points overall. The few occasions where it tried to write for me before I figured out how to make it stop were horrific, lol.