Reading time: 4.34

Hey Reader,

I beg you not to use AI to outline your book.

This isn’t another “I HATE AI IT’S EVIL BLAH BLAH BAN IT” email, I promise.

I use AI most days, it’s very useful.

But I never, ever, EVEREVEREVER use it to kickstart my creative process.

I don’t use it to outline my books or articles.

I understand why people do: the blank page is a tough thing to face. It’s hard work to create something from nothing.

But here’s a little secret:

We’re never creating something from nothing!

Here’s a truth:

Doing the hard work is the point.

We seem to have developed a real aversion to being uncomfortable. Nobody wants to have uncomfy conversations (because let’s be real, we prioritise our comfort over other people’s safety).

Nobody wants to sit with their feelings (because it can be really painful and unpleasant, so we numb them out with meds).

And nobody wants to risk coming up with something crap (because our social feeds are filled with lies about how brilliant everyone we’re following is, and so instead of risking something crap, we get AI to come up with something bland).

But if we skip that uncomfy part, we miss out on the real treasure.

And if we get AI to come up with our outline, it stifles us. Steers us in a direction that’s already been trod over and over and over again.

So I am here, just a girl, standing in front of a would-be writer, asking them to be uncomfy for a while.

Cos if you get AI to outline your book, you’ll end up with the obvious. Stuff you could simply Google.

But if you go for a walk, have a conversation with someone who knows you — or, even better, someone who doesn’t — your magnificent brain will mine your experiences and beliefs and opinons for the unusual angle.

You’ll find out what you REALLY think, and it might surprise you.

Sure, you can have a conversation with your AI. But if you’re gonna do that, you may as well have a conversation with a human, and it will be far richer.

Then, when you’re tapped out of brainstuff, maybe sling it into AI and get it to play.

Just a thought.

Anyway — MicroBook Magic Season 7 kicks off on Monday.

Come and use your big, beautiful brain to create something wonderful.

​

Okay — are you ready for the Friday Goodie Bag?

Super! Here’s what I have for you this week…

There is nothing highbrow here

First up in the Goodie Bag is this pure silliness that, for some reason, absolutely slaps. I can’t stop watching/listening. Anyway, it’s a dude dressed as a cat singing a song and the only thing I can say is: I love seeing stuff like this because it makes me feel much less of a problematic weirdo.

I spend my life making stupid little songs and dances and now there are people doing it on the internet with production values it warms my cockles.

Enjoy, then go and be silly.

My next smartphone

I have bought second-hand smartphones when I “needed” a new one for a decade now. But that’s not enough, because the electronics industry is hideous. A quick google will show you photos of children who are essentially enslaved in the DRC heading to the cobalt mines, where they yank minerals out of the ground to make our devices.

Is it gonna be inconvenient to change?

Yes.

So what?

Anyway, this is going to be my next smartphone. There’s no such thing as a 100% ethical smartphone because of the way the industry works, but this company is doing its best to change things and it’s the best we’ve got right now.

Funny fung shui? Yes please

Thanks to Sarah Silva who told me about Cliff Tan this morning when I was complaining about how to rearrange my office so the sun doesn’t give me spitting rage when it shines right into my damn face in the morning.

He’s got an Instagram account I was instantly obsessed with — he’s really funny. And I’ve just bought his book.

So, fam, write your book and then get funny on the internet because if I find a funny person who I then discover has a book, you better believe I’m gonna buy it. And I’m not alone.

The Jedi mind trick of video angles

I had a really fun chat with Alex Shahlaei Beeching a couple of weeks ago. His brain seems similar to mine and we lolled together. Anyway — you should follow him because he’s funny and smart and he made this very useful post about video angles:

How to be a tyrant

You might have to be a subscriber to read this article, and if that’s the case I apologise for sharing a link behind a paywall — however, it is an important link.

The Idler is one of my favourite print magazines and I’ve been a subscriber for a few years now. It’s always interesting, always thought-provoking, and often takes a point of view I don’t really agree with, and I value that. Because we live in increasingly tight bubbles.

Anyway, a recent issue contains an essay by Ferdinand Mount (what a name) called How to be a tyrant and it looks at tyrants throughout the ages. Little Caesers and Big Caesers, in the context of the modern: the Toxic Cheeto, Putin, Orbán, Boris Johnson… and it’s a great read.

​Find it here.

What I’m reading

I’m currently reading Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki, and it’s really beautiful. It’s about a transgender runaway girl, a donut shop run by an intergalactic space traveller, and a violin teacher who sold her soul to the devil.

It’s very human and very lovely and I’m thoroughly enjoying it.

What I’m writing

My manifesto. I’m in Sophie Lee’s Brilliant program and our assignment this week was to write our manifesto.

Mine starts with, “Thou shalt not outsource thy creativity, thy brain, and thy uniqueness to the fucking robots.”

What’s your manifesto?

Word of the week

Genitals.

Because there’s a certain section of the population who seem absolutely obsessed with other people’s genitals. It’s disturbing. My question: why, babe? What’s occurrin’? Mind your business and let people live their lives.

Quote of the week

Stay safe, challenge hatred, and have fun out there!

TTFN,

Vicky