Systems Update: Recovery

Hi. I’m Jason and I tell stories you might want to know about.

RECOVERY

This spring I worked every day for six, almost seven weeks on significant revisions to MASQUE and then I did it again, revising the revision for another three weeks. Every day for about ten weeks I was working away to write a book I am very proud of and know can be better with every pass. The day after finishing that second pass, I decided to rest and spend a day with my wife. 

I was tired. 

After a couple of days, I went back into the office and opened the document, preparing to dive back in.

Only nothing happened. I stared at the first chapter and – nothing. Nothing at all. No inspiration, no pleasure in reading the work. Everything was flat.

The book wasn’t bad. I recognized the good I’d done with revisions so it wasn’t that. Rather it was just exhaustion. I work a full-time job like the vast majority of writers and life and work sometimes do not align so that art can be made. It was just one of those times where I recognized that I had to have some time away.

So I ended up taking nearly the entire month of June to reset.

I have always recommended that taking time away, taking time to think, taking time to just be is important. And after a run like that, nearly 70 days continuous, it made sense to step away and think about other things.

I’m here to tell you, this really helped. For the last week or so I’ve been back at it with fresh eyes and the good work I’d already done is there waiting to be further improved. Everything is coming together. This is another significant re-write and it’s tighter for having done all the work so far. More updates next time.

Until then, every day you write you finish with more than you had before so keep writing. 

IMPLANT

My thoughts on AI are below. They’re all mine so you’re welcome to take up any issues you have with what I say with me in the comments. If you’re civil and we’re talking, great. That’s what this place is for. If you’re an asshole, you’re out the window. This is the only notification you get.

Artificial Intelligence shows promise as a tool for research. As it has been applied so far to creative endeavors, it’s a team of pickpockets working its way through a crowd with a great deal of success. The lack of ethics in the training of AI isn’t surprising given the state of society and the continuing denigration of artistic expression. 

So while I don’t, and can’t, endorse using Artificial Intelligence image generators as they exist now for anything because of the way they were trained, the concept of AI is intriguing. Also terrifying. 

Aside from how it was trained, the way artificial intelligence (and NFTs and digital currencies) servers consume power is something that should concern everyone. Server farms and data centers (different sides of the same coin) are popping up everywhere and they’re eating up a lot of electricity as well as creating terrible noise issues for their neighbors. Once again, we need to pay attention to the effects of convenience on the world around us. Faster computer chips are great! But what’s the total cost? Anyone? 

It’s important to keep the pressure on to train AI properly, with recognition, permission, and payment. If I want to learn from Haruki Murakami, I buy his books or get them from the library (which paid for it) to read and study. Same with music or movies. There are services such as Masterclass where you can learn from your choice of teachers at your own pace. The same has to be true of artificial intelligence, requiring payment to its teachers though it’ll learn much faster. (Probably eating as much electricity as the Flash does hotdogs after a big mission.) As the saying goes There Ain’t No Such Thing as a Free Lunch and these corporations developing AI should be willing to invest to do it right, not just fast.

It’s no secret that people who aren’t creative, or believe they are not creative, are jealous of those who are actively creative. It’s a mystery where art comes from, they think, and this whole push on AI is them trying to steal Jack’s magic beans before he can plant them. Let’s hold the owners and trainers of AI accountable and keep the pressure on corporations that want to take advantage of The Talent. 

SNAP OUT OF IT

The latest season of Doctor Who has wrapped up and overall I’m pretty pleased with Russell T. Davies’ return to the franchise. Some great high points and a couple of head scratchers but in general, yeah. This season was fun. I enjoyed it. 

There are some moments that stood out to me. In particular, “Dot and Bubble.” The commentary on racism was powerful as was the comment on physical isolation due to social media, and the idea of classism, too. What stuck with me was the final scene with The Doctor begging to save the characters who are doomed because of their bubble. His desperation on full display thanks to Ncuti Gatwa’s wonderful, emotional performance, The Doctor is crushed at the refusal but not surprised given how he was treated by the main character.

”I will save you if you let me!” he cries out and in that moment it struck me that there was a possibility RTD was speaking to the fandom as well. Most likely not just the trolls but everyone who has a problem with an actor, a story point, whether or not something is canon, or any of the myriad other nit-picky things that haters latch on to. “I will entertain you if you let me” is the kind of social contract that is more difficult than ever to properly execute. 

Whether it’s Star Wars, Marvel, or any other fandom it’s important that fans understand the people involved are doing everything they’ve been hired to do. If you haven’t accomplished something comparable to what you’re critiquing, be very careful about trying to sound like an expert. There are myriad challenges to making art and if you haven’t done it, you don’t know. It’s really that simple. 

If you aren’t entertained, it’s okay. Not every story is for every fan. That can feel pretty awful if you’re thoroughly engaged with the universe. Tempering that engagement is key, my friends. It’s one thing to be a fan. It’s something else entirely to be a fanatic.

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THIS IS NOT AN ARGUMENT

Here is a list of some of my favorite comicbook films. Note I don’t say these are “the best” or anything like that. This list is not in any order and is subjective to my tastes and not based on anything but what I like. So, not an argument.

Superman, the movie and Superman 2Spider-Man 2The Dark KnightWonder WomanA History of ViolenceRoad to PerditionCaptain America Winter SoldierWould You Like to Get These Updates Delivered to Your Inbox?

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AT CAPACITY

I’m overwhelmed and I’m missing some relationships that once were important to me. Work has been a lot this month and I’ve had successes I’d have loved to have shared with some folks but they aren’t in my life any more. Which is more than okay. I’m not interested in sympathy or empathy or pity. What I am interested in is staying upbeat, working on positive things, and making myself better than I was yesterday. Anyone who’s along for that ride, who wants to be with me as I do this, is absolutely welcome. I will, in turn, cheer you on with your successes and support your growth and burgeoning self-awareness.

The capacity to love is boundless if you embrace it. That’s the theme of my life, I suppose. I want to love as much as I can in all the appropriate ways I can. It feels right, though it’s weird to say it out loud or even write this way. Celebrate the good stuff, acknowledge the difficulties and work through them, then share what’s been learned with others in an effort to minimize their missteps. That’s storytelling, isn’t it?

I love you all. Stay well. I’ll see you when I see you.