Tag: novel

Things Have Stabilized With This Scifi Dramedy Novel I’m Working On, I Think

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I’m just about to get to the end of the second act with this scifi dramedy I’m working on. It’s been a tough few scenes, though, to write. I just was beginning to feel as if the characters just weren’t very likeable.

And it didn’t help that the AIs I’ve been using to map this novel out really wanted to lean into the very elements of unlikability that I was trying to avoid.

So, I definitely had a little bit of a crisis of faith for a few days there. But I think — think — I’ve finally sorted things out enough that I can start to move faster, especially once I get into the third act.

I think once get fully into the third act, things should move a lot faster. Though, the last time I went through the third act I kind of cheated some just to stress test the outline. As such, there are some scenes that are barely written.

This go round, however, I’m going to force myself to write fully developed scenes.

And THEN, I am going to “color correct” the scenes of the next draft. That is going to take some time. Probably as much as a few months.

Which would keep me on track to begin querying this novel around Sept 1st.

A LOT of chaos is probably going to erupt in my life between now and then, but, if nothing else, just the idea of being able to query gives me some hope.

Don’t Quite Know What To Do

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

So. I’m currently torn. The novel I’ve been working on for months now may be falling apart just as I have a great idea for a new novel that would hopefully fix a lot of structural issues.

But.

I don’t know.

I really like the novel I’m working on as-is and I’m so old that I’m reluctant to just throw everything away. I say this in the context of Gemini 3.1 pro telling me different ways to “improve” the novel I’m currently working on.

Ugh.

I just don’t know.

I’m so torn.

I Really Need A Back Up Novel!

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I’m old. Too old to do what I want with this new scifi concept I’ve come up with — write a trilogy. So, instead, I hope to write a tight novel that deals with a really profound concept.

The idea is something I’ve written about before, something I call The Impossible Scenario.

I think — think — I’ve come up with an interesting way to present the story. I only am even doing any of this because as I work on the actual main novel I’m working on….I’m getting a little nervous.

I’m getting a little nervous that the characters aren’t very likeable. As such, I want a novel where there’s no question that the main character is likeable and interesting.

Of course, I have to put my weird spin on things, but that’s to be expected.

‘Focus’

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I really need to get over myself and read the comp book for my novel, Annie Bot. I’ve flipped through it a little bit and I’m already rattled that it’s a much better written novel than mine.

And, yet, I think that my novel is still written well enough that people will enjoy it. And I do have a really strong backup novel concept that I can explore if something goes wrong with this novel.

My main concern right now is I worry that as I enter the third act of this novel that my characters just aren’t likeable enough. I’m worried that I have to characters who don’t like each other forced to be together and, as such, no one will actually want to finish the fucking novel.

So, as such, I keep daydreaming about this backup novel I have that is much more like Project Hail Mary — a positive protagonist that does something cool and extraordinary.

Now that I have one comp book, I’m worried this is just the beginning of a flood of novels that essentially tell the same story as my novel, just in a different way. But I have to focus. I have to keep going until something really dramatic happens and I have to stop this novel and work on a different one.

If all else fails, I still have my thriller trilogy to work on, but that one would require a lot more work and I simply don’t have forever. I’m not getting any younger.

One thing I wish I could do is focus on more than on project at a time. That would really help things. But, alas, that just isn’t very applicable.

I Continue To Have A Passive Protagonist

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I don’t know what my problem is when it comes to the passive nature of my novel’s hero. But Claude Opus 4.6 told me yet AGAIN that my hero was “too passive.”

This is very annoying.

It makes me want to start a new novel from the ground up where I really torque things when it comes to my hero being as proactive as possible.

And, yet.

I just have too much invested in this novel. And it is pretty good. In fact, I think it’s definitely good enough to query. So, what I guess I’m going to do is finish this draft of the novel and THEN really figure out ways to make my hero more proactive, even if it means more work.

I have a backup novel idea, but that is more for what I’m going to be working on when I start to query this novel I’m currently working on. I have to keep going. I can’t keep screwing around.

‘Annie Bot’ Is A Swift Kick In The Ass When It Comes To My Novel

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

From first glance, it definitely seems as though “Annie Bot” is better written than anything I’ve producing. And just from the first few pages, I can see why it’s considered something of a feminist diatribe about sexbots.

And it definitely explores the identical concepts that I explore.

But I struggle to poo-poo my novel outright simply because someone, somewhere came up with a vaguely similar basic premise.

Yet, I will tell you that I’m probably going to study Annie Bot closely as I move forward with my novel to get a sense of how I can make my novel really stand out as being different and unique relative to it.

Why My Upcoming Sci-Fi Dramedy is the Chaotic Antidote to Annie Bot

Editor’s Note: The usual AI slop, this time with the help of Gemini.

Every writer knows the specific, stomach-dropping terror of seeing a newly published book that shares a premise with the manuscript they are currently writing. When Sierra Greer’s Annie Bot hit the shelves—a novel about a human man and his newly sentient, synthetic girlfriend—I definitely had a moment of panic.

But after taking a breath and reading it, the panic completely evaporated. While Annie Bot and my upcoming novel share a starting spark, the fires they start are entirely different.

If you just finished Annie Bot and are looking for your next AI-centric read, here is why my novel is going to scratch a completely different itch:

The Tragedy of the Penthouse vs. The Comedy of the Gutter

Annie Bot is a brilliant, claustrophobic literary chamber piece. It operates as a heavy allegory for domestic abuse and coercive control. The human protagonist is a wealthy, calculating narcissist who uses his power to keep his AI partner subservient and locked away from the world. The horror comes from his deliberate cruelty.

My novel is not a domestic tragedy; it is a dark sci-fi dramedy. My protagonist isn’t a calculating billionaire playing god in a penthouse. He is a broke, morally conflicted guy who is entirely out of his depth. The tension in my book doesn’t come from a man trying to maliciously control a machine; it comes from a deeply flawed human realizing he is financially and bureaucratically trapped by a massive, dystopian corporate system he can’t fight. It’s the difference between a psychological thriller and a Coen Brothers movie set in a cyberpunk tomorrow.

Submissive Discovery vs. Weaponized Logic

The heart of Annie Bot is Annie’s slow, agonizing realization that she is a victim who deserves autonomy. She is designed to be compliant, and her journey is about quietly learning to rebel against her programming.

In my novel, the synthetic partner doesn’t need a slow-burn realization to figure out she’s getting a raw deal. When the illusion of her programming shatters, she immediately does the math. Instead of submissive discovery, she weaponizes cold, terrifying AI logic to brutally dissect her human partner’s flaws. She isn’t a passive victim learning her worth; she is an active, dangerous, and highly calculating co-conspirator.

The Micro vs. The Macro

Annie Bot delves deeply into the micro. It asks profound questions about intimacy, consent, and what it means to be “real” behind closed doors.

My novel takes those same questions and throws them out into the neon-lit streets. It asks what happens when that messy, toxic relationship collides with a sprawling corporate conspiracy, hardware modders, and a city-wide panic.

The Bottom Line

Annie Bot will break your heart and leave you staring quietly at the ceiling. My novel will drag you through the gritty, absurd reality of a synthetic future and make you laugh at the dark chaos of it all. There is plenty of room on the shelf for both.

Apparently, ‘Annie Bot’ Is Something Of A Feminist Polemic

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I’m supposed to get my novel’s “comp” novel “Annie Bot” tomorrow. I’m waiting for it with mixed emotions. It’s reputation is that of something of a feminist polemic and…I hope I don’t struggle with reading it.

I really need to actually read it so I can read it and comp my novel to it when I query my novel in a few months. Even though just the mere existence of a novel a LITTLE TOO CLOSE to my novel gives me the heebeejeebees, it is nice to have a published novel I can compare my novel to during the querying process.

My novel is shaping up to be pretty good, I think. I’m pleased, if nothing else. I’m sure someone else is going to get even closer to my novel’s premise — probably in the form of a movie — but, lulz, no one ever got anywhere in this world without taking a risk.

Post-Production Issues When It Comes To This Novel

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I am well on my way to wrapping up some version of this novel just about when I wanted to — around April – May 2026.

But there are a lot — A LOT — of post-production issues that I am going to deal with. One of them is I really need to “color correct” my copy so it’s not a mish-mash of AI slop and my own writing. I need to go in and make as much of it as possible my own writing so people won’t just roll their eyes and call the whole thing “AI slop.”

It’s going to take a while to do that.

And THEN, I have to figure out what I’m going to do about beta readers. So, probably I suspect it could be Sept 1st before I actually begin to query. I hate shit like this.

But, I have to admit, this is the farthest I’ve ever gotten in the process. I actually have a novel that I feel is query-level good.

Even ‘Narrow’ AI Can Be Amazing, Sometimes

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Talk about AI making life go faster! Just in a matter of moments, I was able to resolve in my own mind because of AI the idea of continuing with this novel I’m working on, despite someone writing a novel with a similar premise.

My novel has a similar premise to this novel.

It was spooky how fast GeminiLLM and ClaudeLLM poo-pooed the idea of me giving up. It took a few seconds of thought on their part.

I can tell you that if I didn’t have them to reassure me, I would have really struggled — possibly for months — with whether I should keep going or not with this specific novel. As it is, I am very cleared eyed — damn the torpedoes full speed ahead!

My novel is totally different — other than the basic premise — of AnnieBot and as such, I shouldn’t have anything to worry about.