Blog Post No. 535
Every artist is being told to fear the coming onslaught of artificial intelligence. It’s already an issue with visual artists, especially digital artists. Even with the looming threat, the biggest issue I have is that people are calling these amazing programs artificial intelligence when they are more like really sophisticated machine learning. (The difference being an artificial intelligence can make their own decisions and machine learning just follows complicated if, than instructions). What these programs can do seems like magic and it’s really scary as a person who’s dedicated a lot of his adult life to a creative, artistic endeavor like writing, but thankfully, for now, these AI are more of a nuisance for writers than doom and gloom.
In two days I will be at the third annual Adventure Worlds Press Summit. Actually, I’ll be at the first summit and it will be the first time the Press is on the end of the name, but it will be the third writer’s retreat! I can’t wait. Over the last couple years, a small group of writers associated with Adventure Worlds has gotten together to rent a cottage for a weekend so we can focus on writing. It’s been a pretty successful endeavor and a lot of fun, but those trips have nothing on this year. Since Adventure Worlds is a press now, we are taking the same event and adding a couple extra components onto it. We have a few books coming out this year and a few things roughly planned for this year, but the Summit will give us a chance to really break it all down, schedule it properly, and plan out the coming year’s (and a bit) projects. 
Over the last few months, I found myself in a situation where I had to push my writing in order to reach my goal. It was my fifth (or eighth?) goal of the year for the same project, but I was determined to get the first draft of Pilot done before 2017 started. The result was a continued increase in my writing productivity. I was feeling pretty good about it. I went from churning out a pathetic five to eight thousand words over the previous few months to a respectable ten thousand (plus) words in October, November, and December. I even made a last day thirty-five hundred word push to get the first draft done. It was the icing on the cake, even thought it was way over my initial plan (in time and word count). The consistency and increase in volume, even at the end of the year, helped get me on the right path. then January happened. Cliff Hanger! 
I suppose a more accurate title for this post is how do I right, but I made the title based on a question I’ve received many times at many events over last year (and a few times before that). Also, I have to contend with Christian’s blog now, and he did a post about his writing, so I felt I had to one-up him some how. I’m going to do that by doing the same thing he did and hope that somehow works for some reason. Also, I’m going to talk about other things, because it’s my blog and I fell like it. Besides, I’m in a rotten mood because I was rear ended on Monday and I am once again fighting some illness. The disappointing thing is that I was having a good day otherwise. 
We’re still a couple days out, but it’s nearly 2017 and a whole host of folks can’t wait. Personally, I’m a bit intimidated. There isn’t anything inherent about the year itself and I’m not expecting some sort of tragedy or end of days scenario. I’m not even terribly concerned with the life or death of various celebrities. Sure, this year was a massacre (as everyone continues to drone on about) but the death of someone I don’t know does not really effect my life. Sure, I feel for their family and friends, and some of those artists were still producing great stuff that I’m sure I’ll miss, but it happened, and it’s over. Poor Jimmy who loved so-and-so in a movie they saw as a kid is going to have to find a way to be alright on his own. 
So, Christmas is imminent. It’s a couple days away, and there is nothing I can do to stop it. At this point, there isn’t much point in trying. Most of the crap stuff is over and the actual day isn’t the issue (for me). I quite like spending time with my family, and Christmas is as good a time as any. Plus, I get fed like a champ and get to hang out with my nephew. Never not good. Before I get too far into this post, I want to point out that I have no intention of trivializing those who actually suffer over the holidays. I’m actually a pretty happy guy who has a close, supporting, loving family. While there are parts of Christmas that drive my crazy, I’ve really got it easy. 
Hey! If you are reading this on Thursday, Dec 15th, tonight is your last chance to get a signed copy of No Light Tomorrow before Christmas! Christian and I will be at 
I’m about to hit the end of the first draft of my first novel, and I’ve been inclined to look back on the whole thing. It’s the season for looking back (being the end of the year and all) and I’m coming up on a whole year of writing this thing, so a look back seems fitting. I’ve been consciously not looking back for most of the year, as I didn’t want to be sucked into doing an edit before I actually finish (slipping into a cycle that prevents me from finishing and consumes my mortal soul). I’m getting really close now though, so I think it’s safe to take a peak at one element of the story—the protagonist. While I’ve admitted it before, I fight against the reality that my main character isn’t the most original. 
I don’t want to jump the gun with that title. I don’t expect to have another update until January, but if you’ve spent any time reading this blog, you know I can’t be trusted. The fact is, I’m getting so close to finishing the first draft of Pilot that I don’t know if I it would be worth doing another update of it. While I’ll be thrilled that I finished (long than planned, but here we are) and I’m sure I’ll want to share it with the world, if it’s too close to now, it would feel weird. Maybe? But I’ve been holding off on an update and I don’t think I can’t wait much longer, so I don’t want to just wait until I’m done. (Even thought I probably just should). I’ve gone too far now anyway, so I’ll just keep plugging forward! Tally Ho! 
I love road trips. Even taking a two-hour jaunt to London (Ontario) for a day sounds like a good idea for me. I love driving, I’m cool being a co-pilot, and I’ll even rock the back seat. I just enjoy the trip. Not sure if it’s the movement, or the moving, or what, but it’s a good time. Bookapalooza was my second out-of-town event ever and (it being in Whitby) the furthest one to boot. Needless to say, I was looking forward to the trip (even if I had to share a room with Christian). 
Ben Van Dongen 