Michael Gardner's Blog
November 9, 2025
AI Publishing: The graveyard of regurgitated content
Friend of Mike: “So, Mike, what are your plans for today?”
Mike: “I’m writing and publishing a book. My AI chatbot gave me a great idea for a prompt.”
Friend of Mike: “Cool. So what are your plans after your morning coffee?”
Mike: “Oh, it’ll take me all day. It’s a ten-part epic fantasy that will make A Game of Thrones look like a pamphlet.”
STOP–RIGHT–THERE. Is this the future of publishing? No, it isn’t the future, because it’s already here. Not gonna lie. I don’t like it or the implications it has for ‘the craft’, as Stephen King calls it. Here’s why, IMHO.
There are no original stories, so it’s okay to use AI, right?
According to Christopher Booker, there are seven basic plots in storytelling. They’ve all been told by many people many times. But every writer brings unique insight and perspective to their story, which is what keeps every new interpretation fresh and interesting. There is beauty in human creativity, inspiration and invention, and AI will never have these qualities. If we all stop writing and use AI to publish instead, there actually will be no original stories, only rehashed ones, and publishing will become a graveyard of regurgitated content.
Are you a writer if you use AI to create books?
No. At best, you’re an AI whisperer and an editor if you curate the content. It makes me mad that people are putting their names to AI titles and claiming the books are their work. They’re not. They’re AI-generated transformed texts from pre-trained sources. They are rehashed writings from other people’s work. AI-generated books are essentially an advanced form of plagiarism.
But, Mike, AI takes the legwork out of creating a book.
No, it takes all the work out of creating a book. Being a writer involves, you know, writing. I love the agony of reworking a sentence sixteen times until I feel I’ve got it right. “I don’t want my pain taken away. I need my pain!” to quote Captain Kirk. It brings me joy when I get one-star ratings from people because they didn’t like my story or writing style. At least it’s MY story and style, not other people’s rehashed work.
But, Mike, AI helps me overcome writer’s block.
If you need AI to overcome writer’s block, you probably shouldn’t be writing. Writer’s block is there for a reason, to challenge you to overcome whatever is holding you back from writing the next sentence. It is a catalyst for your divine human creativity, inspiration and invention.
And anyone who is using AI to cash in on ‘reinventing’ books that are no longer protected by copyright needs to have a long, hard look at themselves in the mirror. It’s still theft of intellectual property, no matter how you dress it up.
I would love it if people who ‘create’ AI books grew some balls and were honest about it in the front matter. It’s simple.
TITLE OF YOUR AI-GENERATED BOOK
BY (NAME OF AI TOOL USED)
Based on a prompt by (YOUR NAME)
Then I can avoid it.
Mike: “I’m writing and publishing a book. My AI chatbot gave me a great idea for a prompt.”
Friend of Mike: “Cool. So what are your plans after your morning coffee?”
Mike: “Oh, it’ll take me all day. It’s a ten-part epic fantasy that will make A Game of Thrones look like a pamphlet.”
STOP–RIGHT–THERE. Is this the future of publishing? No, it isn’t the future, because it’s already here. Not gonna lie. I don’t like it or the implications it has for ‘the craft’, as Stephen King calls it. Here’s why, IMHO.
There are no original stories, so it’s okay to use AI, right?
According to Christopher Booker, there are seven basic plots in storytelling. They’ve all been told by many people many times. But every writer brings unique insight and perspective to their story, which is what keeps every new interpretation fresh and interesting. There is beauty in human creativity, inspiration and invention, and AI will never have these qualities. If we all stop writing and use AI to publish instead, there actually will be no original stories, only rehashed ones, and publishing will become a graveyard of regurgitated content.
Are you a writer if you use AI to create books?
No. At best, you’re an AI whisperer and an editor if you curate the content. It makes me mad that people are putting their names to AI titles and claiming the books are their work. They’re not. They’re AI-generated transformed texts from pre-trained sources. They are rehashed writings from other people’s work. AI-generated books are essentially an advanced form of plagiarism.
But, Mike, AI takes the legwork out of creating a book.
No, it takes all the work out of creating a book. Being a writer involves, you know, writing. I love the agony of reworking a sentence sixteen times until I feel I’ve got it right. “I don’t want my pain taken away. I need my pain!” to quote Captain Kirk. It brings me joy when I get one-star ratings from people because they didn’t like my story or writing style. At least it’s MY story and style, not other people’s rehashed work.
But, Mike, AI helps me overcome writer’s block.
If you need AI to overcome writer’s block, you probably shouldn’t be writing. Writer’s block is there for a reason, to challenge you to overcome whatever is holding you back from writing the next sentence. It is a catalyst for your divine human creativity, inspiration and invention.
And anyone who is using AI to cash in on ‘reinventing’ books that are no longer protected by copyright needs to have a long, hard look at themselves in the mirror. It’s still theft of intellectual property, no matter how you dress it up.
I would love it if people who ‘create’ AI books grew some balls and were honest about it in the front matter. It’s simple.
TITLE OF YOUR AI-GENERATED BOOK
BY (NAME OF AI TOOL USED)
Based on a prompt by (YOUR NAME)
Then I can avoid it.
June 19, 2025
Gotta say...
"Has-been warmonger clinging to relevance."
Needs a writing award of some sort. Envious I didn't come up with it.
Needs a writing award of some sort. Envious I didn't come up with it.
April 18, 2020
Writer missing in action - found!
Latest News
A writer who has been missing in action has been found. He was isolated in his home, apparently having been forced to remain indoors by the New Zealand government.
He was also discovered to have written a new novella which will soon be released to the public. The alleged title of this novella is Gone Wonder Land (which seems appropriate given his situation).
Further details follow.
The Blurb
Orphaned as a child, Ernest Wright finds himself alone once more after the sudden death of the uncle who raised him. But he believes The Universe has sent him a message about what he must now do with his life. This is the story of how one man, a voyage and a lot of rubbish changes the face of the planet.
Release Date
24th April 2020
This a Friday, which we're told is significant, but the writer refuses to say why.
Goodreads book listing is here: Gone Wonder Land
Amazon book listing is here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087F1L4W9
A writer who has been missing in action has been found. He was isolated in his home, apparently having been forced to remain indoors by the New Zealand government.
He was also discovered to have written a new novella which will soon be released to the public. The alleged title of this novella is Gone Wonder Land (which seems appropriate given his situation).
Further details follow.
The Blurb
Orphaned as a child, Ernest Wright finds himself alone once more after the sudden death of the uncle who raised him. But he believes The Universe has sent him a message about what he must now do with his life. This is the story of how one man, a voyage and a lot of rubbish changes the face of the planet.
Release Date
24th April 2020
This a Friday, which we're told is significant, but the writer refuses to say why.
Goodreads book listing is here: Gone Wonder Land
Amazon book listing is here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087F1L4W9
June 20, 2019
Five years old, free for five days
Ideal Match remains my personal favourite of the Romance in Four Seasons series written and published five years ago.
To celebrate the series turning five, Ideal Match is free for five days.
Ideal Match
After her marriage falls apart, Kate tries to find true love, but her Mr Right remains elusive. Then she discovers Ideal Match, the Internet dating site with a promise she can’t ignore… ‘love is guaranteed.’
Free from Monday, June 24, 2019, 12:00 AM to Friday, June 28, 2019, 11:59 PM
The promotion runs on Pacific Daylight Time (PDT).
Download your e-book copy here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0722MGK25
To celebrate the series turning five, Ideal Match is free for five days.
Ideal Match
After her marriage falls apart, Kate tries to find true love, but her Mr Right remains elusive. Then she discovers Ideal Match, the Internet dating site with a promise she can’t ignore… ‘love is guaranteed.’
Free from Monday, June 24, 2019, 12:00 AM to Friday, June 28, 2019, 11:59 PM
The promotion runs on Pacific Daylight Time (PDT).
Download your e-book copy here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0722MGK25
March 15, 2019
Our darkest day
At the time of writing this, 49 New Zealanders are dead and 48 are reported wounded. These people were shot down in a place of peace and worship. It was a calculated, abhorrent act of hate, deliberately done to the people of a city who have already suffered so much over the past decade with two major earthquakes.
As Prime Minister Ardern said, this was our darkest day. The 15th of March 2019 is our 9/11, the day where we lost our innocence and belief that we lived in one of the safest places in the world.
When my wife told me there had been a shooting, I imagined it was like the other incidents that have speckled our past, some idiot with a gun. I had no idea of the scale of the shooting until I turned on the news.
Don’t get me wrong, I remember exactly where I was when 9/11 happened. I still feel the pain of it today. It hits hard when these acts of hate happen in your own back yard. I cried through the broadcast.
Kia kaha, Christchurch. Our hearts are with you. Continue to love one another. This is how we end hate.
As Prime Minister Ardern said, this was our darkest day. The 15th of March 2019 is our 9/11, the day where we lost our innocence and belief that we lived in one of the safest places in the world.
When my wife told me there had been a shooting, I imagined it was like the other incidents that have speckled our past, some idiot with a gun. I had no idea of the scale of the shooting until I turned on the news.
Don’t get me wrong, I remember exactly where I was when 9/11 happened. I still feel the pain of it today. It hits hard when these acts of hate happen in your own back yard. I cried through the broadcast.
Kia kaha, Christchurch. Our hearts are with you. Continue to love one another. This is how we end hate.
February 28, 2019
Goddammit, Larry!
I’m pleased to say I’ve got another short story finished. There have been plenty of projects in the works, but nothing reaching the finished stage. This one came together quite quickly, so I haven’t had much of an opportunity to promote it.
Although I’m a rabid genre-switching writer, if you’ve read any of my other stories you’ll see that this one weaves some of those threads together to become a new yarn. Lord... the word plays...
Here’s a blurb:
After falling asleep on a train, Larry walks home through an unfamiliar neighbourhood. Hoping to take a shortcut down an alleyway, he stumbles across a glitch in reality. It can only mean one thing: the world is not what he understood it to be.
Outside Inside is what happens when a writer, who can only be described as a polygamist with genres, starts a series of short stories exploring life, death and everything in between. This story is about the ‘in between.’ What is real? What isn’t? How do we crack the code? And what do we do if the code itself is cracked?
Here’s a link to the book page on Amazon.
Here’s a link to the book page on Goodreads
Finally, here’s a big thank you to all the people who have contributed to the book, which includes my wonderful Patreon supporters. My humble thanks. I hope you enjoy it.
Although I’m a rabid genre-switching writer, if you’ve read any of my other stories you’ll see that this one weaves some of those threads together to become a new yarn. Lord... the word plays...
Here’s a blurb:
After falling asleep on a train, Larry walks home through an unfamiliar neighbourhood. Hoping to take a shortcut down an alleyway, he stumbles across a glitch in reality. It can only mean one thing: the world is not what he understood it to be.
Outside Inside is what happens when a writer, who can only be described as a polygamist with genres, starts a series of short stories exploring life, death and everything in between. This story is about the ‘in between.’ What is real? What isn’t? How do we crack the code? And what do we do if the code itself is cracked?
Here’s a link to the book page on Amazon.
Here’s a link to the book page on Goodreads
Finally, here’s a big thank you to all the people who have contributed to the book, which includes my wonderful Patreon supporters. My humble thanks. I hope you enjoy it.
October 26, 2018
Promote Reading: Day Five
If you have been following, you'll know the drill.
I got challenged to promote reading by posting the covers of seven books I love or which are significant to me. No explanation, no reviews, just the covers.
Day Five
I got challenged to promote reading by posting the covers of seven books I love or which are significant to me. No explanation, no reviews, just the covers.
Day Five
October 25, 2018
Promote Reading: Day Four
The next instalment... I got challenged to promote reading by posting the covers of seven books I love or which are significant to me. No explanation, no reviews, just the covers.
Day Four
Day Four
October 24, 2018
Promote Reading: Day Three
I got challenged to promote reading by posting the covers of seven books I love or which are significant to me. No explanation, no reviews, just the covers.
Day Three
Day Three
October 23, 2018
Promote Reading: Day Two
I have accepted the challenge to post the covers of seven books I love (or which are significant to me). No explanation, no reviews, just the covers.
Day Two.
Day Two.
