Rob Dalton

It's the 40th anniversary of one of my favorite #StarTrek films, and the strongest argument against the old "only the even-numbered ones are good" theory. In this article, I look back at how #Spock actor Leonard Nimoy got to direct #TheSearchForSpock

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In many genres, it's key to surprise the audience, yet to weave in enough foreshadowing so that it feels inevitable when it happens. In Help, the writers do just that, laying the groundwork for a second--and a third--surprise ending. More in the Buffy and the Art of Story Podcast episode S7 E4. Listen on YouTube, my author website, or in your favorite podcast app. Links in the comments. #fictionwriting #screenwriting #storytelling #writingtips #writingadvice

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Do you write with AI? I do. Here's how I use AI as a professional writer - and how I don't. I turn to AI regularly as a writer, though it's probably not how you use it. It's not because I'm good - but merely because everyone uses AI quite differently. Here's how I use it as a journalist and content writer, starting with how I don't. 𝟭/ 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗜 🔸For writing entire articles. The reason is simple: I have an idea of how I want the content, and AI can't read my mind. Sure, I could craft explicit instructions and use detailed prompts... but by then, I could have already written it myself, isn't it? 🔸For writing whole paragraphs. While AI can write coherent sentences or paragraphs, it tends to be too verbose, even for GPT-4 Turbo. Moreover, I've found that arguments don't extend across the article, which means a lot more work getting the flow aligned. 🔸To create outlines. AI tends to be repetitive or express the same point of view. Sure, you could prompt it to produce contrarian views, but it invariably ends up talking about the same things. This is especially obvious for the technical topics I specialise in. 𝟮/ 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗜 🔸For inspiration. I've found AI perfect to get the ball rolling or to plough through "micro blocks" when writing. - Opening paragraphs. - Relevant quotes or phrases. - Suggestions on what to say next. Certain words, short phrases, or even general ideas can go a long way to inspire me. I've found it rather useful for my weekly 'inspirational' content: https://lnkd.in/gSTZAVW2 🔸To rework stuff. Ever wasted time editing a sentence that just looks wrong? And which seems to get worse the more you rework it? Resolve it in a jiffy with AI. - Rephrase a sentence or paragraph. - A different way to express something. - Fill in the blank between two paragraphs. And yes, toggling between AI models such as GPT-4 or Claude 3 can help. 🔸Minding the language. Exhausted from work and making mistakes you normally won't? Clean your content up or fill in that crucial blank quickly: - Craft headlines. - Check grammar. - Find alternate words. 𝟯/ 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗵 It's too easy to relegate all our writing to AI. But writing is a crucial aspect of thinking, and it'll be a shame to rob ourselves by outsourcing everything to AI. Indeed, excessive use of AI has been shown to impact memory retention, cognitive function, and critical thinking abilities (https://lnkd.in/gxgn5CNH). Of course, the next generation of AI could well write better than I ever could. Then I'll just have to eat my words - since the cupboard would surely be bare. 👉 How are you using AI? 𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁: DALL-E 3 --- My name is Paul Mah and I write #EverydayTechStories 🌟 Need content? Let's talk: www.techstoryteller.co 👀 See my latest posts: https://lnkd.in/gapTkh5A 🙋 Follow me on LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/gu5EMKQg #writing

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Look who got her first book review on Publishers Weekly!! I love these last few lines of the review: "Temblador’s reckoning with her own blind spots sets an example for probing one’s biases without defensiveness or ego. This thoughtful guide brings clarity to a fraught topic." Thank you Publishers Weekly! #bookreview #writers #creativewriting https://lnkd.in/gRCRAupZ

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Review: A Brief History of Stuff: Science Museum *** - Illustrated articles on 50 genuinely interesting objects - but lacks a consistent feel, coming across a bit too much like a collection of extended museum labels. https://lnkd.in/enz5Ev32 #bookreview #technology #history

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As artificial intelligence plays an ever-larger role in automated systems and decision-making processes, the question of how it affects humans' sense of their own agency is becoming less theoretical — and more urgent!

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I want to share this, because I believe David Joyner has written one of the most thoughtful explorations of #GenAI that I've yet seen. As but one example of the wisdom he shares: "As both users and creators of Generative AI tools, it’s important that we keep in mind to what extent certain artifacts have value because of what they are, and to what extent they have value because of the authentic process that created them." I'll note he also offers some delightful witticisms such as: "Generative AI is like the high-fructose corn syrup of content: it’s cheap and easy to use, but doesn’t yield as good of a result and has some long-term impacts if we use it too much." But perhaps his wisest observation is this one: "Generative AI is a solution looking for problems." At the risk of sounding overly adulatory and not critical enough, I will say that I'm less of a fan of how the article wraps—I think it's become a bit of a trend to end articles about GenAI with an example of how GenAI would have written the content, and I think the arguments here are so strong and the questions so thoughtful, that the conclusion feels like a potential misstep. That said, it also potentially serves to prove David's point, so perhaps that's the intention! The GenAI version unquestionably lacks the nuance and sophistication he evidences with his own writing. (Unless this is all a trick, and the shorter version is the "real" one! In which case, game-set-match to you, David!). Mainly, this is a brilliant example of someone really thinking through opportunities and challenges associated with this new and transformative technology, and I encourage anyone interested in the topic to give this a read. David Joyner is a top-notch thinker and an important voice.

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🌱 What questions do you have about how to edit your book or major creative project? I’m making a guide specifically for people with “big picture” developmental questions. So far, based on asking folks in workshops, a question that keeps popping up is “what is the best way to edit my own work? Is there a structure to editing that is best?” It's a good question. I’ll answer in the guide. Any other burning questions? #editing #developmentaleditor #editor #book #askaneditor

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"In the overall scheme of things, with tracking pixels, it would be possible to track the audiobooks that are being checked out and to track the pages that users visit and then target the user with an ad based on their actions (preferences)." The Register This is an interesting deep dive-in-progress into the messy and purposefully inscrutable world of ad tracking, and how libraries may inadvertently be exposing data about patron activity. It ultimately raises more questions than answers about library users' privacy when engaging online, but the biggest red flag turns out not to be any of the suspected library vendors, but the library's own website and its use of Facebook and Google services. 😐 #libraries #DataPrivacy #analytics https://lnkd.in/dZ8w6SKn

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Interested in or worried about how you'll be impacted by AI? Then be sure to catch my chat with Dr. Steve Shwartz, author of Evil Robots, Killer Computers, and Other Myths: The Truth About AI and the Future of Humanity.

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"The magic in Photoshop is using generative AI to augment and accelerate your existing creative process on real photos you care about." https://lnkd.in/e6-ke3nb #ai #GenAI #GenerativeAI #Firefly #adobemax #adobe #Photoshop

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