Backwoods Boy

Hell, Michigan, USA

isthmus

injured party

I missed this discussion when it started, and just read through the many well-thought-out comments. Though it won't add to the substance, I'll toss in my own unusually-definite opinion, based on experience. Over the few years I've been trying to write in this arena, strictly as a retirement hobby, I've gone 180 degrees on this topic. At first I wrote a chapter and posted it immediately - I just couldn't wait to get it out there and get a minuscule amount of email feedback, hopefully encouraging. But then I discovered a few things. (1) The stories were riddled with spelling and grammatical errors (no editor back then, and limited online tools). (2) Not being compelled to plan, I wrote stories I couldn't end. (3) I created a "history" I was stuck with. (4) While many elements of reader input are extremely helpful, they can well be applied to the next story rather than the next chapter. (5) Content suggestions should be filtered carefully. I was far more "successful" when I stuck to what was in my heart and mind - I found it to also be in the hearts and minds of others. I'm a slow learner, and it took a while for the tide to turn, but at this point, there isn't a snowball's chance in hell I would post a word until the story is finished, edited, and proofread multiple times. Those with better planning skills might take a different approach, and I wish them well. As for frequency, my opinion is not so definite, but I think it depends on story length. If stories are simple and only a few chapters, daily seems to work well. For longer complex stories, a few days to absorb what has been read can be very helpful.

Well Terry, since you've taken the brave step of humanizing AI with an emotion, I'll add what I was thinking earlier - that it has a sense of humor - somewhat warped - as demonstrated by @Myr's creation. And I'll repeat an earlier sentiment - it may be the "mistakes" that make the best story prompts

application form

sexy

turquoise

Neah Bay, Washington

Nisqually Indian Community, WA I'd never heard of Electron, which isn't too far from the above town, whose occupants apparently have had a long and contentious history with the Electron Dam, one of the earliest in the state, and still functioning, it seems.

Well, that didn't quite go the way I had expected, but the surprise reappearance was wonderful. When he gave his name as "Michael", I suspected he was an angel. And at that point, in a way he was - an angel who becomes real. A great Christmas story.

Another excellent story-from-a-picture, Ivor. You're always very creative with those. One might have wished for a happier ending for the others, but that would not have fit with the plot well. Besides, stories, like life, don't always have 100% happy endings. Looking forward to more of your creativity, soon, I hope

There's a story here for sure, since it has already been written. But there's always room for another sequel. The prompt was the lyrics to Jefferson Airplane's, White Rabbit As the Cheshire Cat would say, 😁

An excellent ending to an excellent story, Craig, and I too will be looking forward to the epilogue. I particularly enjoyed the human touch - and the extensive detail, which adds so much to a story. Keep up the good work

When it comes to comedy, I think it's hard to beat @Refugium. Two not on the list are satirical poems that had me laughing so hard I nearly wet my pants: https://gayauthors.org/story/refugium/bible-sex-laws-an-exploration-in-limericks/ https://gayauthors.org/story/refugium/if-dr-seuss-had-written-leviticus/

Excellent! That was an attention-grabbing beginning to a story that I know will continue to be riveting - which I hope happens soon

Thanks, Terry. "Raven" has long been the voice that speaks to me in the woods. I'm sure, were I Native American, Raven would be my spirit guide. I have a Sue Coleman "Raven" picture in every room of my house. I can put words together sometimes, but have absolutely no artistic talent, so a tool to feed text to and get a painting out is marvelous. I'm afraid I've been spending far too much time playing with it for the last month or so - a good way to get through the season of greed and gluttony. Time to get back to other things

Probably not a candidate for a story prompt, but another experiment was the world of Canadian Northwest-Coast First Nations art. Sue Coleman, who does paintings of animals with their native equivalents, does things like this. Here's the prompt: "A Raven perched on a branch of a Cedar tree looking at its Northwest-Coast First-Nations totem-pole equivalent carved into the bole of the Cedar tree, in the style of Sue Coleman. Oil painting." This particular example didn't follow the prompt exactly, but again it turned out to be the best of the several I produced.

I need to find an organization called Image Creators Anonymous However, I got to playing around with sepia-tone photos from the 1930s as an offshoot of earlier gas-station-attendant examples. I was playing around with city tenements and possible socialization therein when I got this one, which had little to do with the prompt but has turned out to be my favorite. It might even be worthy of a story

Good thing I buy house-brand tissues. I just looked at my crystal ball, and it told me Michael becomes a caregiver (temporarily, at least) and Charlie will soon be driving a Mini Cooper. How am I doing? The question is rhetorical, of course, as the answer is

You do an excellent job with complex human relationships, Craig, and you have demonstrated that again in this chapter. How you managed that with a group of six boys is awesome. As a computer scientist, I was aware of Alan Turing and his contributions to that field. It was only in recent years that I learned "the rest of the story". Another homophobic travesty of the era, but not one they mentioned in school. Not part of the expected "ticky-tacky" that was supposed to make us all come out the same.

Another great chapter, Craig and Terry. Definitely nothing ticky-tacky. I'm behind in my reading, as you see. However, like Dan, I cued in on that song and had to take five minutes to find a recording to listen to it once again. When Pete Seeger was making the song famous, a certain eighteen-year-old had just graduated from high school and was on the way to the university intending to measure success by not being made of ticky-tacky and not coming out the same. I think I succeeded

Well, I found another appendage problem this morning. It seems that the application which screens the AI-produced pictures for morality isn't foolproof, as evidenced by one this morning. Above the hand stuck in the pants pocket was another appendage sticking out, and it wasn't a finger. And to make sure I noticed it, one of the other boys in the photo was pointing at it. Needless to say, I'm not going to post the picture.

A bit of snow around here today, even more at higher elevations. As to writing, I hope winter gets me going again. I'm looking forward to more fun.

Great story, Craig. I like how each character is a distinct individual, and all are human, including pulling pranks and Jason talking with his mouth full. Charlie is adapting to his new home well. Looking forward to more.