Four Writers Shoot the Shit

This is scene 8 of my serialized novel, Emperor. I’ve posted 15 audio recordings on Substack, and I’d like to share the scene here. Scene 1 has the following stats: viewed 156 | Opened 100% | Total Downloads 130. Scene 7 has the most downloads (312) but only 36 views. Downloads for all audio posts total 1.85 thousand. The downloads were made in 40 countries, with the top countries including:United States, Philippines, Sweden, Ireland, Canada, and Australia. The location of 1% of the downloads is unknown. I’m pleasantly surprised that the audio podcast has significantly more downloads and a much broader reach than my video podcast. The point of all this is to expose my writing to the world. I am writing a trilogy set in America’s future, which is to say, I’m assuming America has a future. The odd-numbered chapters of Emperor take place in 2046. The even-numbered chapters start in 2019 and then expose the reader to recent events, plausible fictional events, and alarmingly plausible near-future events.

Writing a novel is hard enough—can we survive an AI takeover? This week, Alison McBain reports back from the National Summit on AI and Culture in Banff, where policymakers and creators met to decide the future of the arts. Henry, Brian, and Debra grill Alison on what she saw in the "trenches" of the summit. Is the industry moving toward a hybrid future, or are human creators being sidelined? We’re shooting the shit about:The Banff Summit: Key takeaways from the meeting between the Canadian government and the arts sector.Human vs. Machine: Why Alison’s "34 books in 34 weeks" experiment gives her a unique edge in the AI debate.The Path Forward: What fiction writers need to know right now to protect their work and their careers.Subscribe to join our weekly therapy session for the modern writer.

Shameless plugsColiseum – Henry L Sullivan IIIDeena Undone – Debra K EverySpirit of the Plain – B. Marcus WalkerThe New Empire – Alison McBain