What do you think?
Rate this book
Beat the Bots: A Writer's Guide to Surviving and Thriving in the Age of AI
Beat the Bots offers science-based creativity techniques that guide you through the writing process to unlock your imagination and create compelling stories that resonate with emotional truth in ways AI can’t match.
Even though artificial intelligence is based on a technology called “machine learning,” computers can’t learn to be creative—but you can. This book will show you the way. AI is, by definition, derivative, not creative. It can’t bring rational judgment to determine the quality or value of its work. When you bring those capabilities to your writing, your stories will touch readers’ hearts and minds.
Just as real food is better for us than processed food, and actual social interactions are more meaningful than social media, when it comes to writing your story, artificial intelligence can’t replicate your individual human intelligence, imagination, and sensibility. Technical wizardry can’t tell your story. Only you can do that. Your uniqueness is what separates you from a chatbot, and explains why you can’t be replaced by an algorithm. You’ll succeed because you’re human, not in spite of it.
Through engaging FAQs, invaluable “Pro Tips,” and “AI Weighs In” revelations, you’ll be able to apply the writing lessons and creativity tactics to all aspects of storytelling, bringing your distinctive vision and voice to your projects in ways AI simply can’t. Thought-provoking, science-based guided exercises challenge you to apply each chapter’s lessons to your own writing. Whether you’re writing a novel, literary nonfiction, or a memoir, you’ll be able to write stories that are fresh and compelling—your stories—and those are the books that publishers want and readers crave. That’s how you’ll beat the bots.
Even though artificial intelligence is based on a technology called “machine learning,” computers can’t learn to be creative—but you can. This book will show you the way. AI is, by definition, derivative, not creative. It can’t bring rational judgment to determine the quality or value of its work. When you bring those capabilities to your writing, your stories will touch readers’ hearts and minds.
Just as real food is better for us than processed food, and actual social interactions are more meaningful than social media, when it comes to writing your story, artificial intelligence can’t replicate your individual human intelligence, imagination, and sensibility. Technical wizardry can’t tell your story. Only you can do that. Your uniqueness is what separates you from a chatbot, and explains why you can’t be replaced by an algorithm. You’ll succeed because you’re human, not in spite of it.
Through engaging FAQs, invaluable “Pro Tips,” and “AI Weighs In” revelations, you’ll be able to apply the writing lessons and creativity tactics to all aspects of storytelling, bringing your distinctive vision and voice to your projects in ways AI simply can’t. Thought-provoking, science-based guided exercises challenge you to apply each chapter’s lessons to your own writing. Whether you’re writing a novel, literary nonfiction, or a memoir, you’ll be able to write stories that are fresh and compelling—your stories—and those are the books that publishers want and readers crave. That’s how you’ll beat the bots.
416 pages, Hardcover
Published August 12, 2025
12 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Jane K. Cleland
32 books355 followersJane K. Cleland writes the multiple award-winning and bestselling Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries. Her short stories are published by Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. She’s also written the bestselling and Agatha Award-winning how-to books,
Mastering Plot Twists
and
Mastering Suspense, Structure & Plot
, both from Writer’s Digest Books.
Her latest release is the craft of writing book, Beat the Bots: A Writer's Guide to Surviving and Thriving in the Age of AI from Regalo Press.
In addition, Jane presents a free monthly webinar series on the craft of writing as well as the Mystery Mastermind series—her small-group virtual writing workshops. She is also a Contributing Editor for Writer’s Digest Magazine, chairs the Wolfe Pack’s Black Orchid Novella Award, in partnership with AHMM, and is the Vice President of the Florida chapter of Mystery Writers of America.
Jane has an MFA (in professional and creative writing) and an MBA (in marketing and management). Jane is a lecturer at Lehman College where she is also the director of the Program for Professional Communications, and a frequent workshop facilitator and guest author at writing conferences and university programs.
For more on Jane, visit www.janecleland.com.
Her latest release is the craft of writing book, Beat the Bots: A Writer's Guide to Surviving and Thriving in the Age of AI from Regalo Press.
In addition, Jane presents a free monthly webinar series on the craft of writing as well as the Mystery Mastermind series—her small-group virtual writing workshops. She is also a Contributing Editor for Writer’s Digest Magazine, chairs the Wolfe Pack’s Black Orchid Novella Award, in partnership with AHMM, and is the Vice President of the Florida chapter of Mystery Writers of America.
Jane has an MFA (in professional and creative writing) and an MBA (in marketing and management). Jane is a lecturer at Lehman College where she is also the director of the Program for Professional Communications, and a frequent workshop facilitator and guest author at writing conferences and university programs.
For more on Jane, visit www.janecleland.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 15, 2025
In Beat the Bots, Jane Cleland presents practical techniques in a way that's encouraging and inspiring. The book comes with strategies that can help writers boost creativity for plots, characters, setting, and prose beyond what AI can achieve, as well as ideas for other writing elements such as increasing thematic richness and organizing story information. Fantastic. And highly recommended along with her other books on writing structure.
Displaying 1 of 1 review