The key to creative breakthroughs (This week in books)

This week! Books!

Last week I brought you news of Sudowrite’s new service that will help you write a (seemingly) terrible draft thanks to AI, and in a very 2023 news story, a fictional sex act created by the Omegaverse fandom has resulted in the the AI service being caught plundering material. Yes really.

Penguin Random House parent company Bertelsmann’s CEO Thomas Rabe raised many an eyebrow when he told the Financial Times he sees AI as “very positive provided we stay on top of it and understand its potential and threats.” He says he asked ChatGPT “what the impact of ChatGPT or generative AI is on publishing. It prepared a phenomenal text. Frankly, it was pretty detailed and to the point.”

I also asked ChatGPT what the impact of ChatGPT or generative AI on publishing will be, and you be the judge:

And the latest entry on the vibes being off in book publishing is brought to you by Chuck Wendig, who cites the pandemic, a decline in hardcovers, advance spirals, and, of course, AI.

What’s the key to creative breakthroughs? Hint: it’s not magic.

Who doesn’t love a story about a plucky author who made it big? KC Baker profiles flight attendant-turned-thriller novelist T.J. Newman.

And the BBC took a crack at the 100 greatest children’s books of all time, which, in my opinion, is extremely heavy on old classics and largely bypasses the recent golden age in children’s publishing.

This week in bestsellers

Here are the top five NY Times bestsellers in a few key categories. (All links are affiliate links):

Adult print and e-book fiction:

1. Only the Dead by Jack Carr
2. Happy Place by Emily Henry
3. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
4. It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover
5. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Gamus

Adult print and e-book nonfiction:

1. The Wager by David Grann
2. Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
3. The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
4. Spare by Prince Harry
5. Outlive by Peter Attia with Bill Gifford

Young adult hardcover:

1. Solitaire by Alice Oseman
2. Five Survive by Holly Jackson
3. Painted Devils by Margaret Owen
4. Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley
5. I Have Something to Tell You by Chasten Buttigieg

Middle grade hardcover:

1. The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro
2. Wonder by R.J. Palacio
3. Refugee by Alan Gratz
4. The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers
5. The Swifts by Beth Lincoln

This week on the blog

In case you missed them, here are this week’s posts:

• How to write a killer one sentence pitch (or logline) for novels and memoirs
• Give your protagonist something to do (page critique)

Don’t forget that you can nominate your first page and query for a free critique on the blog:

• Nominate Your First Page for a Critique on the Blog
• Nominate Your Query for a Critique on the Blog

And keep up with the discussion in all the places!

• Follow me on Twitter
• Follow my page on Facebook
• Join the Facebook Group
• Check out the Bransforums

And finally, particularly as someone who grew up with the original Legend of Zelda, I really enjoyed this interactive feature by Zachary Small and Rumsey Taylor on the franchise’s legacy.

Have a great weekend!

Need help with your book? I’m available for manuscript edits, query critiques, and coaching!

For my best advice, check out my online classes, my guide to writing a novel and my guide to publishing a book.

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Photo: The Huntington Library, San Marino, CA. Follow me on Instagram!