Your joke made me chuckle. The AI ones were cringe.
I tend to waffle about on how I feel about AI and people using it, but mostly I get weary of both the AI fanbois and the anti-AI screechers yelling about how I should feel over it. Go outside and touch grass or something, people.
I have been on the fringes of what would become the Indie writing community since 2000 (I had to edit that because my brain doesn't want it to have been 25 years), and then up to my neck in it since 2010 when I first worked on becoming published. That worked out so well I published my own work starting in 2011 and have been doing it ever since. This sort of thing? The mobs, the cancellations, the bullies and the abuse? Have been there all along. You are taking exactly the right tack to avoid it. Don't bend, don't bow the neck (they'll just cut your head off) and don't back down.
On the other hand, there are great people in this realm. You've found some on Substack and probably on X (I'm not really active there, bad for the blood pressure, you know). I've been writing with a group of them over at the Mad Genius Club for well over a decade, with the mission of giving new writers the tools to succeed and to do their own publishing (and we've been 'canceled' for evading the gatekeepers over there, too). Helping one another out and fighting back to back against the mob. It's what we do.
Putting in the good work that actually helps people! The cancel mobs have been a thing for a long time, really true, and my first stint on Twitter (pre-Elon) was eye-opening for sure. I put up a silly writing joke, got labeled a "Narcissistic Edgelord," and had a mob giving me crap on that post for weeks. It was tame as can be, even!
And I recall all the stuff with Dragon last year too. It still comes up in conversations!
I appreciate the thoughts, all we can do is be around the great people, support each other, and tune out the drama!
Yeah, I get really flinchy when someone tells me they are nominating me for an award, or I see I am nominated. Ah, well. Awards don't sell books, and I'm here to sell books. Also, to give back by teaching others to sell books. Because winning looks like cold, hard, cash.
This was absolutely hilarious, I have to confess that I'm pretty tired of the twitter 'writing community' as I'm not allowed to market, not allowed to ask individual ones their thoughts on my books. I'm only allowed to talk about the process, and inane stuff like coffee.
It's frustrating and annoying. They'll dole out the 1 star reviews but never provide the 5 star reviews to help promote each other in the Amazon algorithm.
They also complain depending on the publisher you go with, which is irritating. So yeah despise those crabs.
It's all some form of gatekeeping, even if those gates lead to a figment of someone's imagination. Smaller groups of good people is such a better way to go. I have good friends in the writing/publishing community, good friends in the horror community, and good friends in the AI communities. All great people, all wonderful to talk to, and without any of the drama the larger umbrella "Writing Community" tends to find itself in.
Laughed my ass off with your "simple request" and taste in women. Also, asking the AI about the joke just goes to prove what nasty nagging humorless scolds the wokies who programmed that LLM are. I mean just GFY, Gemini. GFY.
It is indeed a simple request, and just goes to illustrate the fact that humor exists outside of trained LLMs. An LLM would never make that kind of simple request. ;-)
Your joke made me chuckle. The AI ones were cringe.
I tend to waffle about on how I feel about AI and people using it, but mostly I get weary of both the AI fanbois and the anti-AI screechers yelling about how I should feel over it. Go outside and touch grass or something, people.
I prefer skirting the edges, hidden in the bushes like a party Crasher who sneaks a burger and beer while feeling like I belong there
Like Bobcat Goldthwait in One Crazy Summer, sitting there in a godzilla costume in the bushes. I dig the vibe.
You do have a way with words, David!
I have been on the fringes of what would become the Indie writing community since 2000 (I had to edit that because my brain doesn't want it to have been 25 years), and then up to my neck in it since 2010 when I first worked on becoming published. That worked out so well I published my own work starting in 2011 and have been doing it ever since. This sort of thing? The mobs, the cancellations, the bullies and the abuse? Have been there all along. You are taking exactly the right tack to avoid it. Don't bend, don't bow the neck (they'll just cut your head off) and don't back down.
On the other hand, there are great people in this realm. You've found some on Substack and probably on X (I'm not really active there, bad for the blood pressure, you know). I've been writing with a group of them over at the Mad Genius Club for well over a decade, with the mission of giving new writers the tools to succeed and to do their own publishing (and we've been 'canceled' for evading the gatekeepers over there, too). Helping one another out and fighting back to back against the mob. It's what we do.
Bravo, sir. Bravo!
Hi Cedar!
Putting in the good work that actually helps people! The cancel mobs have been a thing for a long time, really true, and my first stint on Twitter (pre-Elon) was eye-opening for sure. I put up a silly writing joke, got labeled a "Narcissistic Edgelord," and had a mob giving me crap on that post for weeks. It was tame as can be, even!
And I recall all the stuff with Dragon last year too. It still comes up in conversations!
I appreciate the thoughts, all we can do is be around the great people, support each other, and tune out the drama!
Yeah, I get really flinchy when someone tells me they are nominating me for an award, or I see I am nominated. Ah, well. Awards don't sell books, and I'm here to sell books. Also, to give back by teaching others to sell books. Because winning looks like cold, hard, cash.
This was absolutely hilarious, I have to confess that I'm pretty tired of the twitter 'writing community' as I'm not allowed to market, not allowed to ask individual ones their thoughts on my books. I'm only allowed to talk about the process, and inane stuff like coffee.
It's frustrating and annoying. They'll dole out the 1 star reviews but never provide the 5 star reviews to help promote each other in the Amazon algorithm.
They also complain depending on the publisher you go with, which is irritating. So yeah despise those crabs.
It's all some form of gatekeeping, even if those gates lead to a figment of someone's imagination. Smaller groups of good people is such a better way to go. I have good friends in the writing/publishing community, good friends in the horror community, and good friends in the AI communities. All great people, all wonderful to talk to, and without any of the drama the larger umbrella "Writing Community" tends to find itself in.
I tend to think we need more gatekeeping, to keep the neurotic madmen and madwomen out.
You also agreed that people are gay. I’m triggered…..ok, I’m not. Just wanted to engage. I love your work my friend.
Always love a classic Introverted Chupa entrance ... x 100. ;-)
Crabs in a bucket. 🫤
Lots of folks can't compete, so they trash talk anyone they think of as competition. 🤷♂️Thanks for posting this, David.
Mobs. Meh. Just doing what is in their nature. Avoid them.
It's not just you Now get off my lawn
"I have this increasing GenX desire to give everyone the finger and go live in a cabin alone with a hoodie and some sunglasses."
Ain't just you, man. BOBNOG COGNOG, my friend.
Is it us? Are we old now? Have I reached my "Get Off My Lawn" years? Because I'll be honest, I was kind of looking forward to it for a long while.
BOBNOG COGNOG
😂🙏
Laughed my ass off with your "simple request" and taste in women. Also, asking the AI about the joke just goes to prove what nasty nagging humorless scolds the wokies who programmed that LLM are. I mean just GFY, Gemini. GFY.
It is indeed a simple request, and just goes to illustrate the fact that humor exists outside of trained LLMs. An LLM would never make that kind of simple request. ;-)
Could have at least given them courtesy of lubing it with turpentine. Also I'm lazy and would prefer using a table spindle sander.