Me Vs. AI

 Like many writers, I have read much, in recent weeks, about AI vs. Human-generated writing. Before I say anything else, my main conclusion is that AI-generated material might work for technical writing. But, in the world where I live, fiction and creative nonfiction writing, I do not see AI becoming a go-to way to accomplish a project.

In my years teaching high school kids, it was easy to tell when someone got too much help. AI stands out like that. I have not read thousands or hundreds of pages written with an AI program. But, I have read several dozen pages, mainly in the form of short historical articles.

Comparison - Here is a short historical story about Wyoming legend Jacques La Ramee. The writing prompt I used was – Write a story about why  Jacques La Ramee was famous in Wyoming.

My, written in less than 10-minute report.

Mine - Jacques La Ramee is more of an enigma than a real person to most Wyoming people. Fort Laramie is only a few miles from where we live. The Laramie River, Laramie Range, and Laramie Peak are all nearby. I retired from my teaching job in 2012 at Laramie High School in the city of Laramie. Interestingly, Laramie is in Albany County, not Laramie County, which borders Albany and is the home to Cheyenne, our state capital.

So who was this man that so much was named after? He was a French-Canadian mountain man and trapper born in Montreal in the early 1780s who lived, worked, and died in Wyoming. His travels, adventures, and life have been passed on, primarily through oral history, and may be as much fiction as fact.

La Ramee was undoubtedly well acquainted with eastern Wyoming, where so much is named after him. He may have also traveled west through South Pass, where he could have been the first or certainly one of the first non-native people to enter the Yellowstone area. He led a life that was likely as eventful, surprising, and scary as the legends portray.

 

AI-generated report – after I typed the prompt, it was up in a few seconds.

AI - Jacques La Ramee was a name that was synonymous with Wyoming. He was famous for being a trapper, trader, and mountain man in the early 1800s. His exploits in the Rocky Mountains were legendary, and his adventures were the stuff of folklore.

Jacques was a French Canadian who was born in Montreal in 1784. He arrived in the Rocky Mountains in the early 1800s and started trading with the Native American tribes in the region. He quickly became an expert in the ways of the wilderness and was soon known for his incredible hunting and trapping skills.

Jacques was not just a trapper and trader; he was also an adventurer. He explored the Rocky Mountains extensively and was the first white man to cross the Continental Divide by way of South Pass. He was also one of the first white men to see Yellowstone National Park, which he described as "the place where the hot water came out of the earth."

Jacques was known for his toughness and resilience. He survived numerous attacks by hostile Native American tribes and even survived a grizzly bear attack that left him badly injured. Despite these setbacks, he continued to explore the Rocky Mountains and trade with the Native American tribes. Jacques La Ramee's legacy lives on in Wyoming. He is remembered as a legendary figure in the history of the American West and a true pioneer of the Rocky Mountains. His name is synonymous with adventure, exploration, and the spirit of the American frontier.

My Thoughts – AI sounds more like a Wikipedia article, factual but not fulfilling to read. The article also seems to have mixed in some information from other mountain men. Unfortunately, this one sounds like most history textbooks. Textbooks are probably more responsible for kids not liking history than anything else. On the other hand, although written quickly and without research or editing, mine has some personal touches that make it a bit more interesting, at least to me.

What do you think?

 

Today's Photos – All from places named Laramie

Back in the Saddle - Writing Update

 We are nearing the middle of June. I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the warmer weather.

 

I have been hard at work gardening, writing, and walking.

 

Writing

Most of my writing time is spent on three separate projects, two non-fiction for senior readers and the other a historical mystery. (For Western lovers)

I managed to write over 3,000 words in the past ten days. That may seem slow for many writers, but it is pretty fast for me. The Western mystery is finished, but why not one last go-over? The other two, one finished and one about 70%, still have a way to go – fun times.

 

Edits

I love writing first drafts. Often the time seems to fly by with the creative juices flowing. Edits are another matter. Like many writers, I am not a fan of editing, but it needs to be done, so we all do it. I usually limit myself to about an hour and a half for a session for editing.

 

Health Update

The neck is feeling great, and I am gradually gaining more and more movement, left, right, up, and down. Six-month post-surgery appointment tomorrow, If all goes well, I may be playing golf again. I could also see an easing of many of my restrictions. Fingers crossed on this.

 

Writing Quote of the Day

“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.”     Louis L’Amour

 

 Photos

From some of our June walks

Enjoy the week! And, keep on writing. 

 

A Busy Writing Week

 This has been a busy week of writing - Here is what kept me busy, edits on two finished books and two new essays in my soon-to-be-finished fourth book for seniors. Interesting that I’m working on a fourth, and one of the two books I am still editing is the third. Oh Boy!

 

Let’s See – I believe those three books will put me at 16. At my age (rather advanced), I still see 20 or so.

 

Hey Mr. Older Adult - Speaking of advanced years, Grammarly did not like me using the term old man as I edited my latest Blade Holmes western mystery. It suggested I use older adult or older man instead. I don’t know, but to me, it is not disrespectful or culturally inappropriate to use old man. I have always disliked the saying, “It is what it is,” but I’m 75 – an old man. It doesn’t hurt my feelings one bit. I am happy to be alive and in good health well (mostly) and an old man at three-quarters of a century.  

 

It feels so good to be back writing - I don’t want to belabor the point, but when I was unable to write due to health issues (see previous posts), it felt like a new beginning as I, once again, tapped away on my laptop.

 

Word Count – Page Count – An excellent week of writing and rewrites pushed me to almost 2,500 words, which is not bad for me. I also edited 60+ pages.

 

More on Word Count – I never wrote the number of words many writers do, but most years, I wrote and published over 200,000. Some writers go a million words a year – now that’s a lot of seat time. Because of my photography and gardening habits, ok, along with walking/hiking, jeeping, and watching the backyard birds, I'm one busy guy. 😊

 

Writing Quote of the Day – “Every year, there’s a few more things I’m not sure of. I’ve decided that a wide-ranging uncertainty is the mark of the true maturity of man.”     Lawrence Block

 

That’s It for today - I will be back soon. Have a great day and a super week.

 

Today's Photos – Were all shot this week, one in our backyard and two in the Laramie Range west of town.

 

Writing In the Hot Days of Summer

 Writing

I spent a fair amount of time writing this week – pretty good for me. I no longer set daily or weekly word count goals, but 3,000+ words is a decent week. Mostly I am cleaning up two finished yet unpublished books. I also found the time to work on a newer project I started a couple of months ago. That project stands at about 7,000 words, getting close to halfway. All of my Senior books fall between 18,000 and 25,000 words. All my senior books are nonfiction life lessons and lessons learned, filled with humor and ideas to make growing old easier. I like to keep these books short enough to read in a few hours. I keep them shorter because these books have extra room between lines and nice large print. Many of my senior readers prefer books to Ebooks, and I do not want them to be so large as to be unmanageable to older readers. My arthritic hands struggle with books over an inch and a half thick - good thing I like Ebooks.

Westerns

Wendover, the third in my Blade Holmes western mysteries, is almost ready. I finished the book nearly two years ago but never liked the first chapter. At last, I believe I have figured out what it needs. If I like the results – out to my first reader, and we will see.

 

Final Note

We watched the mini-series Dark Winds this week and loved it. (Prime TV) This series is based on the great Tony Hillerman's novels and is well worth watching. Terrific story and acting. I have read all of Hillerman's works, most more than once. If you love westerns, he is a must-read.

Meanwhile, Keep on reading, and for you writers – keep on writing.

 

Photos

Today's photos are from one of my favorite places – the Castle on the North Bluff at Guernsey State Park. 

 

 

Writing and Walking Into August

 I am back to taking my morning walks. They are shorter than last year, but, hey, for an old duffer like me, a couple of miles each morning is pretty good. It is nice to watch nature again as I walk in the country. Also nice to be able to take some photos from places other than through the open window of my Jeep.

My writing is starting to look up. By that, I mean pick up. I am back to working/rewriting mostly two projects I last worked on in February. This blog might start looking like my old writing site again if that happens. Hopefully, I will post more next time with lots of good news on my works-in-progress.

Today's photos – Are from this week's morning walks.

Wyoming History -  Two sites near our little town of Guernsey, Wyoming, are renowned Palio-Indian dig sites. One at Hell Gap has been an ongoing dig for years. The other in the old mining town of Sunrise, is newer but very active and now with a claim to fame as finding the oldest signs of habitation by humans in the Americas. Exciting times for history lovers.

Another Note –  (or as Columbo used to say – "Just one more thing.”)    My typing skills have diminished quite a bit since my bout with covid. The problem is that I have lost much of the feeling in my fingertips. A bit disconcerting unless I look at my fingers and the screen a little more often. Feels like it's 1964, and I am back in typing class. 

GOAT – Writers & Books

 GOAT – Writers & Books

I often see lists, lots of lists. Most are a top ten or bottom ten of something. America's ten best or ten worst fast food items or places. The best football or basketball player of all time. The greatest writer or book of all time. Fortunately, all of these lists are fantasy. Can we compare Mickey Mantle to Babe Ruth or players in modern-day – different times and circumstances?

One of my favorites (favorites to be irritated by) is the ranking of Presidents of the United States by IQ. These are often drawn up by someone pushing a particular political party. And what IQ test did all of them take?

Lately, we have invented the acronym GOAT, or greatest of all time. Who knows? You get the point: Tom Brady, Michael Jordan, John Lennon, Joan of Arc, Catherine II., Shakespeare, Hemmingway, Twain.

But, what we can do is say who our favorites are, and here are a few of the writers that got me started reading westerns, and to this day, I still love reading and writing them.  

1. Elmer Kelton – I have read almost all of his westerns. Not sure I may have read them all. My two favorites – The Time It Never Rained and The Good Old Boys

2. Louis L'Amour – Some love him, others can't stand him. Some of his books seem a bit formulaic and flat, but others are some of my favorites. The Quick and the Dead, Hondo,  and Silver Canyon are favorites of mine. L'Amour sold over 200 million books, and they are still selling, leading me to believe there must be a lot of good reads among his works.

3. William W Johnstone – Johnstone wrote in many genres, but I have read only his westerns. I enjoyed his early works, with Preacher and Smoke Jensen, two of my all-time favorite fictional characters. The Last Mountain Man is my favorite of all the mountain men books I have read.

4. James Michener – Not everyone considers Michener a western writer, but he is one of the best to me. Centennial might be my favorite piece of fiction, and his novels Alaska and Journey are beautiful reads.  

5. Noel Gerson – This might seem an odd pick as Gerson wrote under nine different pseudonyms, including Donald Clayton Porter (the White Indian Series) and Dana Fuller Ross (The Wagons West series. When I read those two series many years ago, they were most enjoyable. The Wagons West series was continued by another terrific writer James Reasoner.

 

There you have it. A few writers and books to add to your reading list.

Here is a link to my books on Amazon – take a look and enjoy!

Keep on reading and keep on writing.

Photos – From our recent trip to warmer weather. 😊

 

 

A Time to Regroup

 Two weeks of Covid, a week or more of recovery, and then what we felt like was a well-deserved vacation. And that, my friends and readers, is what we have been up to lately.

I didn't get much writing done during the past month. It seems I spent two weeks sleeping or trying to, and then two weeks regaining my strength and enjoying a trip through New Mexico and Arizona. 

The Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico

I did see sites and hear some stories that could find their way into my writing at some time in the future. I wanted to spend time hiking, photographing, and experiencing the desert near Tucson.

Flicker on a Saguaro Cactus

It was all we hoped it would be – loved it. 

We spent several terrific days hiking in Saguaro National Park

Sometimes taking time away is a good thing – I hope that is my case.

 

A man working the river in the Gila Wilderness New Mexico

"It is a good thing for everyone who can possibly do so to get away at least once a year for a change of scene. I do not want to get into the position of not being able to see the forest because of the thickness of the trees."    Franklin Roosevelt

Best Books of 2021

 Confessions of a Writer of Westerns

February 7, 2022

It’s that time of year again. Oh, and what time is that? When politicians, actors, and other famous people list all their favorite books of the year. I often take these lists with a grain of salt, as in, I doubt they read many if any of the books listed. Lucky for all you readers, I am not going to glean from their lists and come up with a must-read list of my own. Today, I will mention a few of my favorite reads from this past year.

Instead of listing everything I read or the number of books I read in 2021 (I have no idea if I could make an accurate list). Here is my favorite, fiction, nonfiction, just for fun, and writing book of the year.

 

My favorite fiction read of the year was C.J. Box’s Dark Sky,

another in his best-selling Joe Pickett series. I have read them all, and if you have not read any, take a look. All of them are terrific reads. These books are modern-day western mysteries all set mainly in Wyoming.

My favorite nonfiction read of the year is now on my list of all-time favorite nonfiction books. This book, Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis, written by Timothy Eagan, has been out since 2013. Surprised I had not gotten around to it until last year. This one feeds my love of history and photography and gives readers a look at one man’s passion for a lifelong project. This book is a terrific read that includes many famous Curtis photos.

Each year I read a fair number of, what I call, just for fun books. My favorite in 2021 was Steve Hockensmith’s – Holmes on the Range. This one is just what it sounds like, a lover of Sherlock Holmes solving cases in the old-west like Holme’s did in far-off London.

Lastly, my favorite writing book of the year was – Ta-da! Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition: How to Edit Yourself Into Print, by Renni Browne and Dave King. This one has been around for almost twenty years. Not sure how much earlier the first edition came out. I see this book as a must-have for all writers, whether traditional or self-published.

There you have it- my list of favorite books I read in 2021.

 

Reading – Still working my way through a couple of books I started two weeks ago. I did read through Gurney’s Seed & Nursery Co’s spring 2022 seed catalog. That is a sure sign that I am now officially anxious for spring.

Writing Tip – “The very best thing you can do for good dialogue is never, ever to explain it.” (from Self-Editing for Fiction Writers)  Oddly if I were to edit the above line, I would take out very and ever to. Neither makes the sentence stronger. Now that’s pretty strange. Still a good tip. 😊

Weather – Another great week here in east-central Wyoming. A few days in the 50s are coming soon. I Might get out on the golf course sometime this week. It definitely will be an excellent week to go out with one of my cameras.

Quote of the day – It’s none of their business that you have to learn to write. Let them think you were born that way.” Ernest Hemingway

 

Today’s Photos – From my walks over the past few days

 

 Click the link to see all of my books on Amazon

 

Have a great week. Keep on reading, and keep on writing!

 

 

Reading Lawrence Block & A Finished Book

 Confessions of a Writer of Westerns

January 31, 2022

Most of the time, life can be good, even at 73. It's the last day of January, and it's 51 degrees. Right now, I'm sitting in the bright sunshine of our enclosed on three sides deck. I'm not sure what the temperature is as I type away facing the southeast direction, but it is hot. Guessing it might be above ninety here in my little favorite writing spot.

I had a pretty productive writing week, putting down about 4,000 words. I also managed to finish editing my next Senior Citizen book, which, God willing, I will publish in February. This week I plan to complete the second edit of the third book in my Blade Holmes, western mystery series. I had to move some things around in this one and had a couple of gaps I had to fix. Besides changing how I wrote the ending, everything seems to be rolling smoothly along.

I also spent some time shooting photos and videos this week, which always seems to make my life more fun. I also got in five good walks, down from the typical six or seven I shoot for each week.

Since I finished one book this past week, I am also in the planning note-making stage of the fourth of my series for seniors. Maybe this week will be when I get some writing done on the fifth in the series of my children's chapter books.

 

Reading – Telling Lies for Fun & Profit – A Manual for Fiction Writers by Lawrence Block

There is lots of fun and information in this writing, how-to, book. Block is a master storyteller, and it shows through in this terrific collection of writing advice essays. Every chapter is timeless and told in the unique, down-to-earth, and often humorous way that only Block can do. A fine read for anyone who has hope of one day becoming a writer or better writer.  

Writing Tip – "Write to please yourself." Lawrence Block

That is always good advice, and if it just happens also to please a broad audience – even better. 😊

Weather – Another great week here in east-central Wyoming. It looks like snow is coming in the middle of the week, that's ok by me, we can use it, plus I have nowhere to go.

Quote of the day – "The more you look, the more you find." John E. McIntyre – from, The Old Editor Says

 

Today's Photos – Are from a drive through our local state park (Guernsey State Park) this past weekend.

 Click the link to see all of my books on Amazon

Have a great week. Keep on reading, and keep on writing!

 

Oh What a Week

Confessions of a Writer of Westerns

 January 24, 2022 

What a week. My wife, Jan, had some outpatient surgery on Monday. Anything, at our age, with the word surgery in it, is troubling even when it is outpatient. I had a crown placement (no, not that kind - this one was on a tooth). Now that, usually, is not much of a dental appointment – in and out, no shots, no discomfort. The problem was I had been having a painful time with another tooth – yep, another broken tooth. Another crown is coming, and still not one for my head. Then the dentist said, "Might as well fill this small cavity we've been watching." Not sure who we are, but I never watch my cavities. The good news is my mouth does not hurt anymore. At least for a few days, weeks, or hopefully years. Disclaimer - My dentist, is the greatest ever, he is so good I sometimes even like going to see him. Oh - I forgot to mention, he is also my son.

But the past week was not all bad. We took a trip to Colorado to watch one of our grandkids play basketball. Now that was fun. I also got in several pleasant walks. All and all, I didn't get much writing done, nor did I do much editing. But some weeks are like that. Hopefully, this week will be better.

Reading – Slowed down here also, but I am trying to finish up a couple of previously mentioned, on this site, books. I did go back to re-read some pages from two different favorite writing books. For me, those old writing books are relaxing. 

Writing Tip – Find a great spot to do your writing. "I wish one time in my life I could do what other writers do . . . get me a villa in Spain and go there to write a book." Lewis Grizzard Sounds good to me. 😊

Weather – Pretty nice January week - We had a couple of inches of snow this week. That new snow brings us to 36 inches for the season. I hope we get another two or three feet, just not all at the same time.

Quote of the day – "In truly good writing, no matter how many times you read it, you do not know how it is done. That is because there is a mystery in all great writing and that mystery does not dis-sect out. It continues, and it is always valid. Each time you re-read, you see or learn something new." Ernest Hemingway.

Today's Photos – From one of our many trips west of town. We love that drive and make it about twice a month. 

Click this link to see all my books on Amazon

Have a great week. Keep on reading, and keep on writing!