Memories morphed into thinking about the writing process. Until I began, I didn’t know the process was so demanding, how much thought and care went into crafting each word, sentence, and chapter. This week I read about another author who was accused of using AI to write his book, and about the issues swirling around this case. Against the backdrop of what AI can do, I ask: have we forgotten human ability?

Despite many edits, I just didn't know how to write yet, so didn't avoid common pitfalls that befall first-time writers: wordiness, "telling" not "showing", character head hopping, misuse of dialogue tags, misplaced modifiers, forgetting the timeline (or bouncing around in time), and the dreaded passive voice. They let me know what I needed to do to get my book back on track. I am truly indebted to them for their time and expertise.