Episode 46: [WRITING CRAFT] The NaNoWriMo Controversy

In this week’s episode of the podcast we’re talking about our decision to offer our own weekly writing sessions on Zoom for anyone on our email list rather than join or promote the offerings from NaNoWriMo. If you’ve been in the writing community for a while, you’re familiar with NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, which has occurred every year in November since 1999, and became a non-profit organization in 2006. The goal of participating in NaNoWriMo is to write 50,000 words, or a novel, in a month. Recently, there’s been a lot of buzz in the writing community from writers who have moved away from collaborating or being associated with NaNoWriMo because of their stance on the use of AI technology and allegations of allowing a known child sexual predator to join their online forums. NaNoWriMo originally stated they supported the use of AI for disabled and marginalized communities. Needless to say, there was a lot of pushback from these communities and the broader writing world online who felt this stance undermined writers and the profession. One of the big issues surrounding AI is authors discovering their books have been used to train the algorithm and they’re not receiving any royalties from the use of their books. Essentially, their intellectual property has been taken without their permission to build the databases for AI to generate ideas and content for users who choose to write a book using AI. We’re most concerned with the original stance from NaNoWriMo being ableist and classist, and the lack of attention to safety for young writers in online forums. NaNoWriMo has since replaced their statement with a new perspective that doesn’t commit one way or another, and while they sent out apologies to their audience, many writers are not impressed. The fever pitch level of disdain for NaNoWriMo has many writers creating their own writing months and communities. The decision to engage with NaNoWriMo’s activities in November is up to you, but we wanted to present our perspective for you to consider how you can join with real people who are here to encourage and support your development as a writer. We invite you to join us every Monday in November from 3pm to 4pm MST on Zoom. As a subscriber to our newsletter, you’ll automatically receive the Zoom link when it’s time, but if you know of anyone else who would be interested, please encourage them to join our email list so they don’t miss out on this opportunity to show up and write. It’s about connecting with other humans and sharing in the creative energy. The human element is what’s missing when you stand behind AI. There are certainly benefits to using generative AI, such as ChatGPT, when it comes to activities like brainstorming, or suggestions for ideas, but the actual writing of the stories needs to be from the individual.  Nothing can replace the human touch on a writing project.Every one of us has our voice, and our voices are authentic, and it’s what readers connect with when they take hold of your stories. It’s why we have this podcast and we’re working to build an online community for writers to write and learn together to improve their craft. There’s so much great writing that happens in the company of other writers. It’s been almost a year now of showing up each week for our community, and we know the value of showing up week after week dedicated to the creative process. We look forward to seeing you on Zoom in November when we’ll write together! Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the Inspired Writer Collective podcast. If you've ever felt the pull to write your truth, to shape the chaos of real life into something meaningful and to share your journey with the world, you're in the right place. We're your hosts, Elizabeth and Stephanie, writers, coaches, and entrepreneurs who believe in you and know how important it is to find a writing community to guide you on your path to self-publishing. You’re invited to connect with us by joining our Embodied Writing Experience where you’ll get a writer’s retreat directly to your inbox on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays each week. Whether you’re working on a memoir, a novel, or journaling for yourself, this is an invitation to slow down, tune in, and write with embodied intention.   Join our Embodied Writing Experience where you’ll get a writer’s retreat directly to your inbox each week. This is an invitation to slow down, tune in, and write with embodied intention.   If you missed this year's Memoir Summit, we recorded it! You can purchase the replays and get instant access to over 4 hours of memoir-specific content from Elizabeth and our amazing panelists of published memoir authors, indie presses, editors, and industry professionals!Work 1:1 with Memoir Coach Elizabeth Wilson. Book a session here.If you prefer to watch our conversations, you can find all of them on our YouTube channel.You can find us on Instagram.