The Plot Dude's Rug room is usually reserved for VIP members of this community and students of the Plot Dude's Courses - but today, and today only, if you are a part of this community and you want to join us, follow the link in the comments below. 10 a.m. MST We'll talk writing, and in some cases even your projects, for one hour. Learn from peers, and of course, I will be there too. https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84008312147?pwd=iqjRBDgM00wd2gCKUZIcnQUTdGHKww.1

So there are two things that happened over the last week that have kind of opened my eyes to something all writer's do well: expose truth through telling stories. If you did not see our podcast this weekend, first of all, go watch it or listen to it on your favorite platform (links below). Stacey and I break down some travel events that really happened to us - but as a story that has a story structure, a theme, a climax, and (hopefully) a real lesson. Then I spent this last week in Dallas with one of the coolest people I have met - an amazing man with an incredible, almost unbelievable, rags to riches story. I'm helping him write it, and it's an extreme privilege to be his ghostwriter. His life, too, has a real plot arc, character arc, and some valuable lessons on business and life. That will be coming next spring, and I'll tell that story in more detail soon. The point is that real life, our lives, are also stories with meaning, lessons, and even little, one day events that happen to us provide us with story as well. It's just that reality is often stranger than fiction, and makes less sense. Happy Monday and happy writing!

The Plotter You love a good roadmap. You plan before you draft. Outlines, beat sheets, and narrative logic are your jam. When you sit down to write, you already know the ending. To no one surprise I got this lol When the next craft lab will be posted it was quite fun

I registered for the summit, and wanted to circle back around to nab Troy and Stacey's live sessions. Can't find those offerings for the life of me. Is this still an available add-on? Help!

Something is happening that is hurting authors big time, and the problem is, well, authors mostly. Some readers, but really it is the equivalent of co-workers turning on each other. And it's already gotten pretty damn ugly. Publishers are afraid. Some authors are afraid. Other authors are angry. Readers are trying to figure it out. The new era of publishing is emerging, and we have no idea what that landscape will look like. I have opinions - oh, yes, of course I do, but the primary one is this: Perfectionism has always been the enemy of creativity, especially at the drafting stage. Trying to get your first draft (which is supposed to be &@#$ anyway) to a level of perfection before writing "the end" is one of the number one reasons novels remain unfinished. Now, we have another factor. Authors are trying to ensure that nothing in their draft "sounds like" they used AI. There's nothing that will kill your creativity faster than fear. A good editor can help you, in the revision and editing process, ensure that your manuscript sounds like you, not AI. But even the classics have been flagged by AI checkers as AI - because AI detectors are horrible at what they do. What's the solution? Refuse to worry about it, especially in the early stages of your draft, unless you are actively using AI and trying to scrub that voice from your fiction. In that case, I would have different advice for you. And one more thing. It's none of your business if another writer chooses to use AI as an assistant or not. The only requirement is that a story be good, regardless of how it gets there. Now, purely AI generated slop with no human input? That's a different story. But stop with the accusation of "that author used AI in their process. They aren't a real writer." STOP. It is so easy for someone to point the finger at you or anyone else. Use the right tool, and it will tell you we have been using AI since 1910. STOP. Don't want to be a target yourself? Never, ever, label or accuse another writer. If they want to acknowledge they use AI, let them control their own narrative.