AI Can’t Fake the Funk or the Fire

This episode of Write of Passage dives into the intersection of creativity, AI, and the enduring power of human imagination. Vanessa Riley reflects on her experience at the James River Writers Conference, where she witnessed writers hungry to share their stories and discussed the rise of AI in publishing. While AI promises speed and efficiency, Vanessa shares her frustrations with generic, poorly crafted marketing emails that flood her inbox, proving that technology cannot replace authentic voice or the human touch in storytelling.Vanessa explores the misconception that AI will replace writers, highlighting that the rare spark of imagination—the unique ideas, emotions, and perspectives that only humans can create—cannot be replicated by algorithms. She shares insights from her panel discussions, emphasizing that AI is a tool, not a replacement, and encourages authors to focus on their craft rather than fear technological change.Finally, Vanessa celebrates the vibrant, curious, and determined spirit of writers she met at the conference and introduces her Kickstarter project, The Story Craft Writer’s Journal, designed to help authors organize research, track beats, and craft compelling stories. This episode is a rallying call for writers to embrace their unique voices, continue creating magic on the page, and resist being fooled by AI-generated shortcuts.

Keywords:
AI in writing, creativity, human imagination, writers conference, James River Writers, storytelling, author advice, writing craft, writing journal, writing inspiration, Vanessa Riley, write of passage, author panel, marketing emails, AI ethics, writing tools, writer empowerment

Episode Notes & Extras 


Find my full show notes, behind-the-scenes thoughts, and extras on Substack → vanessariley.substack.com 

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