19 Comments
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Tabitha McDuffee's avatar

Thank you for persevering for 7+ years. I love knowing the person you have become, even in this small online way. You’re giving me the gumption I need to keep going with my own book, one—sometimes painfully—AI-free chapter at a time.

Tresta Payne's avatar

Gumption is such a good word. Thanks for encouraging me, Tabitha—I'm happy for that circle of gumption we can share.

Penny Chamberlin's avatar

Your concern about AI is the same all over the country. It is happening so fast and causes a lot of us to be skeptical at the very least; because, it is being given such a hard sell. If something is so good, why are they trying so hard to convince us? Because, there are a lot of people who will make money! They aren’t doing studies about the bad effects that will happen from AI. Teachers will have no idea if a student has a strong sense of imagination, of curiosity, of understanding, of ambition or of compassion. And that’s besides people losing jobs, people using AI to further fraud and crime. we need to pray 🙏 🙏🙏.

Tresta Payne's avatar

Well said ❤️

Anita Palmer's avatar

This, Tresta: "The circle of creation—the creator being formed by what she creates and shares, in the hopes that it forms something in another person—is broken by machines making stuff. What kind of people do we become when we hand over to a machine the good works God prepared beforehand for us to walk in?"

I never thought of it this way, and now I will evermore. (An illustration of the power of that circle of creation, huh.) Thank you.

Tresta Payne's avatar

I'm glad it stirred something in you, Anita. Thanks for sharing.

Megan Willome's avatar

I love your emphasis on how creating changes the creator: "It took so long because I was changed in the writing of it." Same with me and my books.

Cindy Fox's avatar

So true and good, Tresta! You’re absolutely right that we are being formed by the good works God has given us to do, and by the grace and fellowship with him in the process of doing them. Great post!

Tresta Payne's avatar

Thank you, Cindy ; )

Baylee Sanders's avatar

This article really connected with me. Especially this line: “What kind of people do we become when we hand over to a machine the good works God prepared beforehand for us to walk in?”

Thank you for sharing!

Tresta Payne's avatar

Glad to hear it, Baylee ; ) The good works are also hard works, sometimes, but they are worth our efforts.

Marianne Wilke's avatar

I agree with you. AI might be able to “write” quick stories that on the surface are pretty good. But… they are without the life of a human writer who puts their time and heart into their writing.

I started a novel in 2013 that I intend to finish. Life has gotten in the way and priorities higher on the list. It has been so long since I’ve worked on it it’s starting to feel impossible. If (and when) I finish it, no one will see my struggle. I could probably put my plot in some AI thing and it would write my story today! I won’t ever do that and if it gets finished it will be by me.

Thanks for sharing this post :)

Tresta Payne's avatar

No one will see your struggle but you will be changed by it! Press on, Marianne ; )

Ashlee Gadd's avatar

Amen amen amen!

Jen Rose Yokel's avatar

Wow that review is unhinged 😅 sometimes I think it was a mistake to let everybody review everything that exists…

Anyway yes. And yay you got one of JJ’s stickers!

Tresta Payne's avatar

Yeah reviews are a mixed bag, for sure! We also received one that complained “there’s nothing under a dollar on the menu”…Unhinged!

Thanks for the sticker influence ; )

Cheryl Williams's avatar

Preach Sister!!!

Tresta Payne's avatar

I got a little soap-boxy 😅.

Sarah Steele's avatar

“How about if we call this life our Creative Country Club and expect good things to take a little longer?” I’m saying the same thing over in my little corner of the Substack world, Tresta👏🏻 Thanks for your words on this important topic!