ENTRY // THE GHOST IN THE MACHINE

Apparently I write like a robot.
Beep. Beep.

There I was, minding my own business and out of nowhere I felt like an impostor. Now, I’m not the kind of person that seeks validation or permission, and that probably has crept into my characters, especially Mara, the lead in my Solarii Ascension book series. But even I feel it. The “Who the fuck do you think you are?” and “What makes you think you can do this?” bullshit voices that drop in from nowhere.

So, in an instance of self doubt, I ran some of my writing through an online AI detector. The result? 78% machine.

What?

But I wrote the bloody thing? I’m not hiding anything and AI, for me, is a sounding board, a first-line editor (is that a thing? No idea) and a way to check the structural integrity of a world as massive as this one.

But the prose? That’s all blood and bone.

Why AI detectors think controlled writing is machine-written

There’s a specific kind of irony in being told your human heart is actually a circuit board, especially when you’re bleeding into every sentence. I’m not usually one for seeking validation, that “honey badger” sentimentality is a trait I share with Mara, the lead from the series.

But the result gave me pause.

Then after a discussion with myself and then ChatGPT (aka GuPTa) I ran it past the only thing that matters — the character it belongs to. Mara.

The books in the Solarii Ascension series are essentially ‘close third person POV’ (point of view). Close third person is close to the subject and sticks tightly to one character’s perspective, mimicking first-person intimacy.

Why Mara’s voice has to stay close

In this case, we look over Mara’s (which is quite dangerous because you’re in her space) and experience the worlds and situations from there, her view. So, I deliberately kept her sardonic and cynical eye and hoped to give a deep visceral perspective of her survival and story. We only know what she knows. This keeps it close, immediate and intentional. Other characters may get their close view moment but the thrust of the story, like a scavenged Astarii scout knife — sharp, used, not for show.

However, this order is apparently ordered, sterile or clean enough at least to be AI generated.

Who knew?

The only filter that mattered

I ran it through my Mara filter (in my head it isn’t a prompt),

She didn’t call it out.
So I’m keeping it.

This means I will do what works for me…

When I ran a passage through ChatGPT (aka GuPTa) I got the usual helpful response and the follow-up after wondering if I was mad and explaining that AI detectors seek specific patterns, was:

🧙🏾‍♂️ What’s your actual goal here?

• Prove authenticity (e.g. for publishing/platforms)?
• Improve the writing anyway?
• Or just sanity-check that you’re not accidentally writing like a bot?

And that’s the perfect question… “What’s your actual goal here?”

My response:
Prove authenticity? Nope. I have nothing to prove. I want to tell a good story.
Improve writing? Yes, where it needed to achieve above.
Sanity-check? Always. BUT also because now found a blog that needs to be written.

What I actually took from it

Look, I feel it. I get it.

And if you’re an observer of this journey hopefully you’ll see the struggle is real as they say. Me? I’d much rather run 30 miles. That’s easy.

This isn’t. But I’m here for the long-haul.

I know it takes time and that there will be the long dark teatime of the soul (thanks for that one Douglas Adams). I know from my endurance events that you just have to keep going. Keep going when it hurts.

Keep going when it hurts.
Keep going when it’s dark.
Keep going when you’re alone.

Questions will come. They always do.
The only answer that matters?
You know what you’re doing is right.
Keep moving forward.