creativity

I Used AI To Write This Blog Post, And The Results May Surprise You

/ Stuart Danker / 70 Comments

A cyberpunk robot in a city

Artificial intelligence is changing everything, from how we perceive the world to the way we get our lunch. In this episode, we’ll explore just how well AI can write, and what that means for us as writers. Think I wrote this intro? Think again.

I’m actually worried about my future. In fact, by actually using AI to write this post, I’m effectively watching my own career’s downfall because if you can’t tell which parts of this articles were written by a robot and which were written by me, then you should be afraid too.

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Why Using Pencils To Write May Be More Eye-Opening Than You Think

/ Stuart Danker / 125 Comments

Person holding a sharp wooden pencil

As much as I avoid romanticising the writer’s life, I do find myself fascinated by famous authors’ creative processes. And what better way of fuelling this fascination than by gawking over their tools of creation?

To be honest, the only reason why I have a LAMY 2000 is because Neil Gaiman used one to draft his novels. I’ve also written with Vim to emulate George Martin’s preference for Wordstar.

But now that I’ve decided to stop blindly going down the path of tool-collecting, I’ve found myself gravitating towards simpler and cheaper options. Enter the pencil.

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Sick And Tired Of Writer’s Block? Then Try These 6 Quick Writing Tips.

/ Stuart Danker / 74 Comments

Someone typing on a brown classic typewriter

I don’t believe in writer’s block. That’s right, I said it, the words of an ex-journalist that had this term banished straight from his soul through the involuntary administering of deadlines.

Editor just gave you a one-hour assignment? You better have the finished product by then, even if it includes quotes and facts from people you haven’t called.

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Discover Your Story (Painlessly) With This Writing Technique

/ Stuart Danker / 58 Comments
A woman writing on post-its with a marker

Photo: Magnet Me

You know the ‘write a shitty first draft’ advice? It’s actually connected to a host of other practices—do your morning pages, keep a journal, use the Pomodoro technique—and today we’re going to explore another related technique.

I’m sure this technique already exists with a different name, but for the sake of this post, I’ll christen it the Hunter Gatherer Method™, because that’s what you’ll essentially be doing, and that’s going out into the literary savannahs and bringing back the food that is your writing ideas.

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Why Even Bother Staying Disciplined?

/ Stuart Danker / 41 Comments
Woman exercising on ab-wheel

Photo: Jonathan Borba

You know how you always wish for a windfall? Something like a promotion, winning the lottery, or accidentally rubbing shoulders with an angel investor that suddenly sees fit to pour in two million dollars into your business?

These manifestations of luck sound sweet and all, but are you really ready for them?

Are you good enough at your job to handle the added expectations from an investor? Can you handle the extra digits in your bank account if you’re currently struggling with your personal budget?

What about your personality? Do you think you’ll be able to lead a team just because you got that swanky new promotion?

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