On em dashes
Anyone who’s read this blog for any time knows I don’t have an issue with AI. It doesn’t bother me that all my traditionally published work — and I do mean all, in case you’re wondering — has been used as training data for various LLMs. It doesn’t bother me when people use AI assistance to write their work. Nothing about AI bothers me at all because those who use it for less-than-terrific purposes are far fewer than the rest of us.
I use Grammarly regularly. I use ProWritingAid to edit my books. I brainstorm with AI, use AI to point out issues with my draft pages, and employ AI to make covers. Very little in my process, from beginning to end, doesn’t incorporate some degree of AI. And that’s my business, not that of anti-AI fanatics. And if you have a serious issue with the technology, feel free to find someone else to read.
These people are so unhinged that they’ve decided to attack the em dash. The mere presence of em dashes is enough to cause an uproar, even though you can look at my work from fifteen years ago and find em dashes. That’s just how it is. I like em dashes, I’ve used them for decades, and I don’t intend to stop now.
If you fancy yourself a human AI detector, please know that you’re not. You’re just a jerk who can’t leave others alone to work as they like. Please give it a rest.