Travis I. Sivart's Blog, page 2

Partner, Not Pen: How I Use AI Without Losing My Voice

By Travis I. Sivart
Tags: #AuthorLife #AIinPublishing #IndieAuthorTools #WritingProcess #CreativeEthics

Let’s get the obvious out of the way: I don’t use AI to write my books.

Not a ghostwriter. Not a co-author. Not a digital monkey pounding out prose while I sip bourbon and pet cats (okay, I do sip bourbon and pet cats, but I’m still the one doing the writing).

But I do use AI. Regularly. Intentionally. And it’s made me a better, faster, and saner author.

1. The AI Art Angle

I use AI for art.
Not alwa...

Dismissive Doctors & Data Dives – A Hospital Stay with a Side of "WTF"

So here I am. In a hospital bed. Wires on my chest, tubes up my arm, blood pressure doing its best impression of a rollercoaster—and still, somehow, the scariest thing I’ve encountered is the parade of doctors too afraid to give a damn unless it's career-safe.

Let’s be clear: I’m not dying. Yet. And that’s the problem.

The moment you're not an emergency, some of these doctors turn into politicians—quick to offer help if it benefits their stats, but terrified of sticking their neck out in case doin...

Like a Wrecking Ball (but With More Deadlines)

Opening Snark (from the desk of Travis I. Sivart)

Let’s get real. June came in like a wrecking ball, and I didn’t even get to ride it shirtless like Miley. Instead, I got a lovely vacation to the ER, a handful of blood pressure meds, and the kind of medical mystery that makes House raise an eyebrow.

I took some time off to unravel the “Why the hell did my body betray me?” plot twist, and now I’m back, baby—swinging my metaphorical sledgehammer at the keyboard, at reality, and at a story that refus...

Seen or Safe? The Creative’s Tug-of-War

By Travis I. Sivart
Tags: #WritingLife #IndieAuthor #CreativeStruggles #VisibilityVsVulnerability #AuthorThoughts

I want my books to be seen.

There. I said it.

I want people to read them, talk about them, recommend them, argue over them, and maybe—just maybe—tattoo a quote from one onto their forearm in a fit of literary passion. (A guy can dream.)

But here's the gut-punch truth: Being seen also means being exposed. Not just to the readers who get you, but to the ones who are just scrolling for somet...

🐾 Purrella vs. the Gunsmoke Syndicate

Dear not-so-innocent bystander,

The Syndicate says I stole a cursed artifact. I say they shouldn’t leave cursed artifacts in unlocked display cases during open bar hours. We all have regrets.

This week’s Streaming Confession comes to you courtesy of a hijacked pirate radio signal, three bullets, two smoke grenades, and one very ticked-off Gunsmoke enforcer with a flamethrower arm and abandonment issues.

But fear not, kittens—I made it out with my fur intact and flair to spare. The cursed loot? Gone...

What Purrella Stole This Week

🍷 Pull up a chair, stranger…

This week, the Tavern's been buzzing louder than a bard with a brand deal. Between writing chaos, a dentist appointment threatening my ability to enunciate properly, and one sassy feline planning a heist, things are getting deliciously unstable.

You’ll love it.

🐾 Behind the Scenes:
Purrella DeVille—our feline gadgeteer and sass specialist—is about to star in her very own cyber-noir side mission, The Catnip Caper. It’s not done yet (thanks, procrastination!), but the claw...

Spotify’s Burning Bridges. I’m Giving Away Audiobooks.

Hey folks,

So here’s the situation:
Spotify’s switching distributors soon, and they’ve graciously decided to not give a damn about all the free audiobook codes I was handed as a creator. 100 codes per audiobook. Sitting in my account like digital milk about to expire.

And frankly? I’m not letting them go to waste.

So if you want free audiobooks—yes, actually free, no strings, no fake scarcity, just me flipping off an algorithm—drop me a message this weekend and I’ll send you some codes.

Here’s what’s...

Coming Soon: A Feline Felony in the Villain Us Universe

Ever wonder what happens when you mix an ancient cursed relic, a billionaire’s penthouse, and a one-meter-tall humanoid cat burglar with the attitude of a Bond villain and the wardrobe of a pop diva?

No?
Well, you're about to find out anyway.

I'm currently writing a brand-new first-person short story starring Purrella DeVille—yes, that Purrella—directly connected to my upcoming novel Villain Us: One for the Money. This side story will be completely free for my readers and fans, and it’s the perfect...

A Shining Lighthouse Illuminates the Journey's End

The Down & Dirty

Books completed, ordered, and should ship to me within a week. Then the turnaround time as I sign, pack, and ship them to everyone who supported the Kickstarter at those levels.

The Longer Tale

When we last spoke with out intrepid author he'd lost his internet and was battling his way through the climax of the series. Heh, I came out fine, creating a book of which I'm proud. I'm so glad it's done and I'm looking forward to these few final steps.

I've published all four books of The ...

Final Chapter and Internet Ruin

The great news is that I am writing the final chapter in the next few days and beginning the cleanup and editing by this weekend. Once there, things will move swiftly. I may need to create a new cover, but that's okay also.

The difficult bump in the road is that as of December 27th we've lost all internet capability that isn't directly tied to our phones. When the company who hosted out last wireless internet began slowing/throttling our internet to unusable speeds we gave up on them. You can ima...