You either learn your way towards writing your own script in life, or you unwittingly become an actor in someone else’s script.
John Taylor Gatto
Writing is nothing if not an act of defiance.
Every time I sit down with a black Ticonderoga Number 2 pencil to scratch a first draft of a story in my Mead composition book, or tap at the chiclet-esque keys on my MacBook Pro, or jot down a grocery list on a freebie memo pad a charitable organization gifted me, I make the ephemeral tangible, one might even argue permanent. In other words: I write to cheat death. Is that not the ultimate form of protest?
No tech bro or LLM or data center should threaten this most human of instincts and abilities. What Silicon Valley is doing isn’t progress. It’s theft, surveillance, and slavery. Their plans are pushing us to the edge of an existential precipice where we will either choose to live in full alignment with our humanity or surrender it whole to the Machine.
I believe professional writers should not only avoid the use of any AI technologies but actively resist them.
That’s why I endorse Paul Kingsnorth‘s manifesto and support the initiatives of Writers Against AI and Together Against AI.
I do all of my writing the way I always have: with an open mind, a commitment to excellence, and a desire for discovery and learning. Other than researching concepts, interviewing subjects, and making a mental outline, the rest is all me with my lapdesk on the blue IKEA couch in our sunroom, surrounded by printouts of notes, color-coded pocket folders, and my two sleeping Westies, using my brain to the point it sometimes actually hurts.
“I appreciate Amy’s collaborative approach to planning and producing our quarterly print newsletter. She takes the initiative to interview stakeholders and gather the information needed, making the process efficient and enjoyable while ensuring a polished final product.”
Dr. Michael Black
President, Lowndes County Historical Society and Museum