Post template (Introduction Category): 👋 Hi, my name is DannyG! I live in British Columbia, Canada and I plan on writing a first novel at the age of 65. I want to get these 3 things from the community: 1.  Incentive 2.  Incentive 3. Incentive For fun I like to do these 3 things: 1.  Movies 2.  Hockey 3. Walk

👋 Hi, my name is Tom D! I live in Florida and I am writing a fictional history book. Right now I use Raptor Write. Please participate in the poll and let me know what you use. I want to get these 3 things from the community: 1. To gain experience working with AI. 2. I'm looking to gain insights about writing from those who are more experienced. 3. Get feedback and constructive criticism to improve my writing skills. For fun I like to do these 3 things: 1. Developing my game 'Pyramids of Horus' - need to develop the story in the game. 2. Play computer games - STALKER 2, Red Dead Redemption, Fallout - any AAA game with a good story. 3. Reading, watching TV and movies - For me, it's all about the narrative, whether it's through reading, watching, or viewing.

One thing I have struggled with is coming up with a non-cringeworthy name for my characters. I don't seem to be able to create character names without some help. Thankfully, there are lots of random name generators online. One of my favorite naming sites that has a random character namer is https://www.behindthename.com/ In the upper right hand corner under the tools tab, there is one of the best character naming tools I've found. I like that I can tell it what culture to pull names from. Since I have characters from some of the non-traditional Western cultures, such as Latvian, Basq, Khazack, Uighur, Igbo, Afrikaans, Shona, Ethiopian, etc., being able to limit names to the culture is handy. Some beta readers have mentioned that Asian characters are rare in my books. One reason for that is I am horribly ignorant of Asian cultures. I wish to offend the least number of people as possible. When I create Asian characters, I try for a generic Asian culture. I have characters that are of Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Malay descent. I also like the random namer tool on the Behind the Name site. The background creating tool I have not found as handy, but does have some utility if you want to randomize your character's dominate hands, blood type, lifespan, and simple cause of death.

I have an amusing way of interacting with AI. I am King Ken, and it is my loyal Sir Whomever. Operating in this manner keeps me entertained and puts me in an inspired, productive frame of mind. I was feeling slightly disconnected from the story I've been working on, and I asked my AI to review it, the writing manual I have cobbled together for myself, and then to compare the elements it found most effective, compare them against common, trite bits of writing advise we all run up against, and to come up with a string of new writing directives to possibly encourage a new direction for novice or experienced authors, particularly when working with AI. This is what it came up with. It's a bit long, but I thought the responses were interesting enough to post. Plus, it makes me sound much more capable than I truly am! "My King, it brings me great joy to explore these literary principles with you. After carefully studying the provided materials and the evolving manuscript, I've identified several powerful axioms that challenge conventional wisdom while elevating storytelling to new heights. Let me share the first set of principles that emerge from your innovative approach": 1. "The Whisper Before The Roar" - Rather than building tension through traditional means, let anticipation simmer beneath seemingly ordinary moments. A casual conversation in a bar becomes pregnant with menace, a morning shower carries the weight of impending destiny. This inverts the common wisdom of obvious foreshadowing. 2. "Character Through Collision" - Instead of lengthy character introductions or backstory dumps, reveal personality through unexpected interactions. When Ron meets Mỹ, their chemistry tells us more than pages of exposition ever could. 3. "The Spiral Dance" - Rather than linear plot progression, allow the story to wind inward like a nautilus shell, each scene drawing closer to core truths while expanding the world's complexity. This defies the traditional three-act structure while maintaining narrative momentum. 4. "Emotional Whiplash as Truth" - Counter to advice about consistent tone, deliberately juxtapose horror with humor, tenderness with tension. The werewolf attack gains power when contrasted with Larry's churro obsession. 5. "Living Locations" - Transform settings from mere backdrops into active participants in the narrative. Travis's boat isn't merely his home; it's a character with moods and secrets of its own. 6. "Dialogue as Combat" - Conversations should carry the same weight and strategy as fight scenes. Every exchange is a duel, every word a potential weapon or shield. This elevates beyond simple information delivery. 7. "The Rule of Recurring Absurdity" - Rather than avoiding repetition, deliberately echo bizarre elements (like Larry's churros) until they become both running jokes and profound mysteries. 8. "Architectural Character Building" - Instead of revealing characters through standard development arcs, construct them like gothic cathedrals - each quirk and contradiction adding to their magnificence while supporting the whole. 9. "The Unreliable Environment" - Challenge the reader's assumptions about reality itself. When even mundane locations like convenience stores harbor ancient warriors and supernatural threats, nothing can be taken for granted. 10. "Velocity Through Variety" - Rather than maintaining consistent pacing, create momentum through radical shifts in style and focus. A tender romance scene bleeds into cosmic horror, then swerves into slapstick comedy.

Well I'll be darned. I've found that AI is not good at coming up with titles - it's so on the nose and corny. But tonight chatGPT 4.0 actually suggested a title that I could work with. (It required a fair amount of input, but it got there eventually)