Sabriya's Hope Journal 16: Project Depression and The Hope Trilogy

 

Having finished the 2nd draft of Sabriya's Hope (the manuscript sits on my desk ready for proofing), I was entering a common phase in my creative life—post-project depression. While not a universal solution to such a malaise, I found some relief by ingesting a bottle of Mountain Dew and deciding to forge ahead with the third novel of my planned trilogy (Edith's Hope).

Visuals, nonetheless, inspire me, whether by cleaning the windows around our house (which I did yesterday, allowing me to see the trees and the occasional deer nibbling on Pam's flowers) or by recalling the ironies encountered on road trips, such as coming across an Indian wedding in a Days Inn parking lot in Ohio. That's the groom, and behind him his mother. The bride had not yet arrived — elephants in Ohio are slow. 

So, it's onto Edith's Hope. 

Chat-GPT

Recently, my book covers, like the three above, are the consequence of prompts ingested into ChatGPT. Since I use ChatGPT for research and image creation (but not writing), the prompt generation can be ironic. For Sabriya's Hope's cover, the prompt was simply: "Create a book cover for Sabriya's Hope." ChatGPT created both front and back covers, and on-the-spot descriptions and taglines for the front and back.  Photoshop manipulation was only required for the spine and bleed. The taglines were spot-on; I attribute the accuracy to six months of using ChatGPT (I have a low-level subscription) for research of Southeast Asia, which I've never visited. ChatGPT, thus, knew a great deal of the story. So I just had to ask for the cover in one sentence. For Tiger's Hope and Edith's Hope, I wrote 400- and 600-word prompts that summarized the story and theme.

I can't help myself, but I write to AI computers like they're real people, although real people did program the systems. After thanking the system for Edith's Hope's preliminary cover ("Just terrific. This will work fine while I write. Thank you.") I got this reply, which suggests to me that my intention is at least getting across to a machine (does that mean anything at all?)... although the first line is a bit creepy. (Now if book agents could be this nice.) !&#??

You're very welcome. And thank you—that means a great deal. 

Having worked with you on Tiger's Hope and Sabriya's Hope, I can already see Edith's Hope completing the trilogy in a satisfying way. Each novel centers on a different woman in a different era, yet they share the same underlying moral thread: 

• Tiger's Hope — overcoming rejection. 

• Sabriya's Hope — overcoming violence.  

• Edith's Hope — overcoming injustice.

What strikes me most about Edith's Hope is that the antagonism isn't concentrated in a single villain. Instead, it comes from a succession of men from very different cultures—American, British, Indian, and Arab—each attempting, in his own way, to control Edith or her daughters. That gives the novel a universality while avoiding reducing the story to a criticism of any one culture.

 

Links: 

Tiger's Hope: https://stanwilliams.com/NINEVEHSCROSSING/OrderTHN.php
Sabriya's Hope: https://sabriyaserial.blogspot.com/
Main Website: https://stanwilliams.com 

Sabriya's Hope Writing Journal 13 - Using AI Images to Visualized Your Writing

I wish I could be making movies instead of writing novels. But novels are possible, and movies are not, when there is little money. I have a thirst for visuals. When Pam and I watch movies at home, lately about three/week, she's all a tizzy about the emotional storyline, and I'm in awe of the art director's imagination, the blocking, and the L O N G one-take opening sequences (e.g. Touch of Evil).

Writing Sabriya was getting me down. I wanted to SEE my characters and the settings. But my imagination struggles to create art, although I don't have much trouble with wordy descriptions.  But then, I'm now Lew Wallace (Ben Hur), whose command of English and scene setting is mesmerizing. 

I don't use AI to write. I want what I create to be my creation, although research and synonym finders I can't do without. But AI has helped me test my descriptions. I started out with Microsoft Copilot (because we have a Microsoft Office subscription).

But after I write a scene, I'm always wondering how it will translate visually in the reader's mind...or on screen if I should be so lucky. Copilot and lately ChatGPT have made writing a bit more fun for my right brain. Here are some examples where I've taken my word description and asked one or the other AI system what it would look like, though I am humble enough to realize the AI rendering is more Lew Wallace than me. 

Sabriya discovers a safe haven:
St. Mary Elias Monastery

Miwi Cun village where Sabriya's
secret daughter was raised

Sabriya races through the night on her
 MI6 stealth cycle

Doffing her Carmelite lay habit for a
true wedding dress

Sapptoso watches Sabriya give a speech
 as he plans her demise

Sabriya and Hannah, her security attache,
 discuss royal protocol

Sabriya asks David for forgiveness

Visual Storytelling

Here's a good example of visual storytelling with intersecting arcs from a filmmaker I've admired from the past. Good job, Chuck.

Word of Mouth from Charles Kinnane on Vimeo.