Tag: novel

Being An ‘AI First’ Writer Is Really Speeding The Novel Along

As I keep saying, I’m doing everything in my power not to let AI do the actual narrative writing — especially now that I’m deep into the second draft. That part has to come from me. But I am leaning on AI for development work and fleshing out scene summaries, and it’s been surprisingly helpful.

Sometimes it shows me angles I hadn’t considered, and more than once I’ve had a genuine “ah-ha!” moment thanks to its perspective. Still, the writing itself — the sentences, the voice, the rhythm — that’s all mine. If this draft falls flat, that’s on me. If it sings, that’s because of my own ability, not because a machine wrote it for me.

That said, the process is moving quickly. I’m burning through the outline faster than I expected, and maybe — just maybe — this second draft will come together sooner rather than later. Or maybe not. I’m giving myself some slack, because querying is still probably a year out. But I also feel the clock ticking. I need to wrap this up. I’m not getting any younger.

‘Over And Over’

My sci-fi dramedy has reached a significant milestone: the premise is solid and the first act structure is strong. But creative work rarely moves in straight lines. After reimagining elements of the opening chapter, I’m facing a complete rewrite of material I thought was finished.

This cycle of writing and rewriting has become a familiar pattern over the years I’ve spent developing a query-ready novel. The constant revision can be exhausting, but it’s also how the work gets better. Each iteration teaches me something about the story that the previous version couldn’t.

The timing feels particularly urgent now. Major life changes appear to be on the horizon, and by the time I’m ready to send this to beta readers in late spring 2026, my circumstances may be completely different. This awareness creates both pressure and motivation.

The challenge is maintaining momentum without getting trapped in endless revision cycles. Sometimes the wheels spin, but forward motion—however incremental—still counts as progress.

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Things Are Going Well With The Scifi Dramedy Novel I’m Working On

It feels like I might actually be zooming through the second draft of my sci-fi dramedy—or at least the tentative, beta-ish version of it. I’m about halfway through Act One, which is both exciting and slightly terrifying.

I’ve been using AI here and there, but only in the background: development notes, scene summaries, little nudges that help me keep momentum. None of that makes it directly onto the page in the prose itself. That part is all me.

And honestly, I want to keep it that way. I’m not interested in giving people a false impression of my writing by leaning too hard on tools. This second draft has to come out of my own voice, my own instincts, my own stubborn word-slinging.

That said, I can’t deny how helpful AI is as a drafting partner. When I need to map out a scene or shake myself loose from writer’s block, it’s like having a sounding board on call 24/7. It helps me keep the gears turning and the story moving forward—without stealing the fun of actually writing the thing myself.

Do you want me to make a snappier blog-friendly version (shorter, punchier sentences for people skimming), or keep it more like a writer’s journal entry (slightly longer, thoughtful tone)?

I Haven’t Given Up Hope Of Writing A Thriller Series That Is An Homage To Stieg Larsson

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I still have a three novel series that would be an homage to Stieg Larsson rolling around in my mind. But, for the time being, I’m focusing on this scifi dramedy I’m currently working on.

I just can’t, apparently, focus on more than on novel at a time for time being, so, I’m focusing on the easier to write novel at the moment

But once that’s done, I’m going to return to the thriller series I’ve been working on. But it won’t be six novels, it’ll just be three. Which, I guess, I what it should have been all along. Sigh.

I May Have Finished A Solid Second Draft Outline

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I have been using AI to craft an outline for the second draft of this scifi dramedy I’ve been working on. I’ve vowed to myself not to use AI to do anything beyond this for the second draft.

After I have a solid second draft outline, everything is going to be just me.

I think I may read and watch other people’s stuff some more before I sit down and actually write out extended scene summaries. I also want to study structural stuff a little bit more as well.

But, in general, I think I may have stumbled across a vision for the second draft. The only issue is that the novel kind of turns into a techno-thriller in the second half, which is not at all what my original vision was.

And, yet, I get it. I understand why the AIs I’ve been working with went in that direction. It makes sense in the context of the directives I gave it. Now, I just need to brood and hope my lingering teeth issues don’t grow so dire that I’m too distracted to do anything until it gets fixed.

Ugh.

I Really Need To Wait A While Before I Start To Work On The Second Draft Of This Scifi Dramedy Novel…But I Don’t Wanna

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

It’s just been a few days since I wrapped up — with the aid of AI — the first draft of this scifi dramedy I’ve been working on. You’re supposed to wait about a month before you start on the second draft, but, lulz, I just can’t bring myself to do it. I’m going to start to work pretty hard on the second draft very soon.

You’re also supposed to read and watch as much as you can during this pause between drafts. But that, too, is tough. It’s just difficult for me to consume any other media besides what I, myself, create.

So, here I am, just twiddling my fingers while I wait for a few days to have elapsed so I can get back to things. I still have a lingering tooth issue that I’m really worried will flair up and be a SERIOUS distraction. So, that’s another reason to jump back into things.

I really do need to force myself to watch the very bad movie “Subservience” because of how similar, in a way, it is to the novel. But I just can’t bring myself to do it. The movie seems designed for the audience to just watch hot people do hot shit and the connection between my novel and that movie isn’t THAT close. You kind of have to squint to see any similarities.

Anyway. I really like the novel I’ve come up with and I don’t THINK there will be too many structural changes that could slow me down. The one big structural change I had thought about — moving the novel’s location from a city to a small town repeatedly got shot down by my AI “literary consultants.”

Ugh. But they’ve saved me a lot of time by telling me not to do that. So, there you go. I’m hoping to start at least doing some development on the second draft really soon.

And Now, To Mull The Second Draft Of This Scifi Dramedy I’ve Been Working On

I’ve been wrestling with a fundamental setting question for my sci-fi novel, and it’s led to an unexpected creative collaboration—or perhaps creative conflict—with an AI.

My instinct keeps pulling me toward setting this story in a small town. I’ve already invested significant time building out that world, creating the geography and social dynamics of a place where everyone knows everyone. It feels right for the intimate, character-driven story I want to tell about artificial consciousness and human relationships.

But every time I pitch this to Gemini, it pushes back. Hard. And honestly? The damn thing might be right.

There’s something both amusing and unsettling about being creatively redirected by an AI. On one hand, it’s forced me to think more rigorously about the practical elements of my worldbuilding. On the other hand, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m being talked out of something that could work if I just pushed harder to make it fit.

The compromise we’ve landed on keeps most of the action in Richmond but uses the small town as a retreat space for the third act. It’s sensible. It preserves the story’s structural needs while giving me some of that small-town intimacy I was craving.

The Research Problem

I should be consuming everything I can in this genre right now—watching films, reading novels, absorbing how other writers handle these themes. Instead, I find myself avoiding the very material that should inform my work.

Take “Subservience.” I know I should watch it. I know it explores similar territory—AI companions, the commodification of relationships, questions of consciousness. But every preview, every review suggests it prioritizes spectacle over substance. It appears designed to titillate rather than interrogate, to exploit its premise rather than examine it.

Maybe that’s unfair. Maybe I’m being precious about my own approach. But I can’t bring myself to sit through what looks like exploitation dressed up as exploration.

The Ambition

What I’m aiming for is something more in the lineage of “Her,” “Ex Machina,” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”—films that use speculative elements to excavate genuine human truths. I want readers to finish my novel questioning not just the nature of consciousness, but their own capacity for authentic connection.

Whether I can achieve that remains to be seen. The second draft looms ahead, and I’ve made a decision: no AI assistance in the actual writing. Whatever ends up on those pages will be purely my own work—clumsy sentences, awkward transitions, and all.

It’s fitting, perhaps, that a story about the complexities of human-AI relationships should emerge from such a contentious creative process. The AI helped me see my story more clearly, even as it argued against my instincts. Now it’s time to find out what I can build on my own.

Finished The First Draft Of The Scifi Dramedy I’ve Been Working On

After several false starts with other science fiction projects that never quite found their footing, I’m excited to announce that I’ve finally finished the first draft of my sci-fi dramedy. This one feels different—more focused, more intentional.

The concept emerged from wanting to explore the sweet spot between two films that have stuck with me: Her and Ex Machina. There’s something compelling about android narratives that I feel hasn’t been fully explored yet—specifically, the potential for a more intimate, relationship-driven story in the vein of Annie Hall. I’m not claiming to be anywhere near Woody Allen’s caliber as a storyteller, but that’s the general tone I’m aiming for: thoughtful, character-driven, with touches of humor alongside the deeper questions.

Now comes the traditional advice: set the manuscript aside for a month to gain perspective before diving into revisions. In an ideal world, I’d follow this wisdom to the letter. Unfortunately, my timeline is compressed. Life has a way of intervening, and I know that significant changes are coming in late spring 2026—right around when I hope to begin querying this novel. Given these circumstances, I’m planning for a shorter break: perhaps a few days, maybe a few weeks at most.

The practical reality is that I can’t afford to let this project sit idle for an extended period. Between the natural pressures of time and the knowledge that my circumstances will shift dramatically next year, momentum feels crucial.

For now, though, I have a stack of books waiting and a queue of films and shows I’ve been meaning to catch up on. This brief respite might stretch my break to a few days, or possibly longer if I get particularly absorbed in my reading and viewing list.

Either way, the first draft is done. That’s something worth celebrating.

I Again Worry About What Happens When Literary Agents Do ‘Due Diligence’ On Me

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

You just can’t escape yourself, you know. Or, as my mom would say, “You take yourself wherever you go.”

So, in that regard, I’m kind of saddled with being a freaky weirdo in a very demonstrable manner on the Internet. I bring this up because once I start to query this scifi dramedy novel I’m working on — probably in late spring 2026 — any literary agent worth their snuff is going to search for me online.

This leads me to blanch. I just can’t help who I am and I can’t help what I may have written online over the years. I call this the “kook tax.” It’s the tax that only kooks like me have to pay.

Anyway. I just can’t help who I am. For better or worse, I’m unique and that’s probably going to turn off some of the liberal white women who probably make up the majority of literary agents.

Though, in my defense, most, maybe nearly all, of my political views fall within the spectrum that liberal white women would find agreeable. And, yet, I also know virtually no one takes me very seriously these days for various reasons and so, lulz, kook tax.

I think I’m brooding about all of this because of general insecurity about what it’s going to be like to query. Just from my occasional interaction with literary consultants, it seems as though some literary people — even pop literary people — take themselves a tad too seriously.

But a lot of that probably comes from…they’re just normal? They take the querying process really seriously and, what’s more, the entire querying infrastructure is designed to prevent people like me from succeeding in teh first place…so…lulz?

Two — Of Many — Things I Have No Control Over When It Comes To This Scifi Dramedy Novel

Even though I’m genuinely happy with how my sci-fi dramedy novel is shaping up, there are two massive hurdles I can’t control. Both live squarely in the post-production phase—the stretch between querying and (hopefully) seeing a book on shelves.

The whole point of this project, honestly, is just to see how far I can push the publishing process. Up to now, the farthest I’ve gotten is finishing a novel. That one wasn’t strong enough to query, but at least I got it done. This time feels different. It’s at least possible—not probable yet, but possible—that by late spring 2026 I’ll have something truly worth sending out to agents.

And that’s where the roadblocks begin.

First: the querying process itself. It’s the literary version of development hell. You can query a great book and still never sell it. It could take years before I land a deal—if I ever do.

Second: even if lightning strikes and I sell the book, it can be another six months to a year before it actually hits shelves. That’s just the cold reality of traditional publishing.

Those timelines make me pause. I’m not getting any younger, and it’s entirely possible I’ll be on the far side of 55 before I hold a published book in my hands. Add to that the wild card of technology. Maybe the “wall” I think we’ve hit with LLMs is just in my head, and by 2027 we’ll be staring down the Singularity. If so, some of my carefully built near-future worldbuilding might end up looking laughably quaint.

And yet—fuck it. I love this book. I’m proud of what I’m building. Risk is part of the deal, and yes, the risk of failure is huge. But as my late father used to say, no one ever got anywhere without taking one.