Scribblings #6

 If you are looking for Scribblings #5 I apologise, that post has been deleted.

ChatGPT and AI: Creating Magical Bedtime Stories for Kids — Part 1

A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing, Cover Designing, and Publishing a Children’s Storybook with Artificial Intelligence on Your Side
https://clydedz.medium.com/chatgpt-and-ai-creating-magical-bedtime-stories-for-kids-part-1-7a25566509e1

Writing a Memoir: How to Craft a Compelling Story

This is one of the better articles that I have found on the subject of Memoir.

·         Writing a memoir is all about learning how to tell a compelling story based on a real-life story structure that took place, but in a way that attracts the reader's attention.

https://theurbanwriters.com/blogs/publishing/writing-a-memoir

StrikeTheWriteTone.Com

This blog contains some of the best advice I have found on Memoir writing. Check out the various posts on the subject.

·        A memoir is not the recounting of stuff that happened to you. Stuff happens to everybody. A proper memoir must contain reflection. . . . No meaning, no memoir. No transcendence, no memoir. No takeaway for the reader, no memoir.

https://www.strikethewritetone.com/blog

Blogs

Visit my Blogs at – apmablog.blogspot.com  and verseandwords.blogspot.com

Algospeak

 As an old codger there are aspects of modern life that do not touch me. Listening to the Podcast The Digital Human, Series 29, the episode titled Dialogue. I had the scales removed from my eyes concerning an aspect of modern life that I have endeavored to avoid. The world of TikTok and similar fringe areas of Social Media. Aleks Krotoski in this episode discusses how Algorithms control the Dialogue on social media and how various marginal groups have developed their own form of dialogue to circumvent the demands of the Advertisers to exclude certain words, phrases and forms of communication. AI  censorship is being circumvented by the use of ingeniously composed hash tags and forms of code in what is described as Algospeak. 

Unconventional Memoir's

Generally speaking, the format of most memoirs is fairly predictable. In view of the conversation and advice offered at the Creative Creating Group I participate in, which is to stick to the conventional approach of beginning, middle and end. I knew that there were Memoirs out there that didn't comply with this convention. It set me wondering what was out there in the way of unconventional memoir formats.  I was not disappointed. A quick search revealed the usual plethora of 23 Best Unconventional Memoirs and 10 Of the most unusual Memoirs.  

One that caught my eye was Childhood by Nathalie Sarraute. A strange, rather haunting memoir written when the author was 83 years old. It looks back on her first ten years of life. The memoir takes the form of a conversation between her and her memory and the ensuing dialogue.

Excerpt

CHILDHOOD 

-Then you really are going to do that? "Evoke your childhood 

memories" .... How these words embarrass you, you don't like 

them. But you have to admit that they are the only appropriate 

words. You want to "evoke your memories" ... there's no getting 

away from it, that's what it is. 

-Yes, I can't help it, it tempts me, I don't know why... 

-It could be ... mightn't it be ... we sometimes don't realize ... 

it could be that your forces are declining... 

-No, I don't think so... at least I don't feel they are .. 

-And yet what you want to do ... "to evoke your memories" . 

mightn't that be ... 

-Oh, for heaven's sake ... 

-Yes, the question has to be asked: wouldn't that mean that 

you were retiring? standing aside? abandoning your element, in 

which up to now, as best you could.. 

-Yes, as you say, as best I could . 

-Perhaps, but it's the only one you have ever been able to live 

in. the one . 

-Oh, what's the use? I know all about that. 

For further examples explore these links Powells.com Goodreads.com

Finding Public Domain Material

 There are a number of terrific resources out there that provide public-domain content. Consider the following:

• Project Gutenberg: This site has over 60,000 public domain ebooks. And it is by far the best resource on this list. If you can't find the public domain title here, there is a much lesser chance of finding it elsewhere, with a few exceptions. It's also where I get most of my public-domain books.
• Archive.org: Another great resource with tens of thousands of public domain books, as well as a lot of other material, including magazine scans, films, audio, and more. This is where I have gotten a lot of things like original scans of a book or magazine.
• Sacred Texts: This is a site that specializes in religious works of a wide variety of religions. It's one of the best resources for public domain works that are religiously based.
• LibriVox: This isn't for ebooks or print, but does contain audiobooks of a lot of classic public domain books. While you can't go and upload these to ACX, you can include them as bonus material on your website, or in other creative ways.
• Authorama: Authorama is a site that focuses on the greatest authors throughout history. It's a good place to get the classics.
• Classic Literature Library: This site partners with Project Gutenberg but is notable for having great collections of public domain works, particularly by the more popular authors.
• Google Search: You’re likely to find what you’re looking for with the above resources, but if not, there are many other, sometimes genre specific, resources that are a Google search away. To do this well, I recommend searching for the work you're looking for, then adding something like “full text” or “PDF” to the end of your search. If you don't see it come up anywhere, then it likely doesn't exist in a digitized form. But don't necessarily let that stop you. If there's demand for the work, you could have it transcribed and make it available yourself!