Category Archives: Lauren

Don, Guest Interview, In-Person, Lauren, Sarah, WOWI Session

Retreating to Write with Barbara Wolf Terao

Audio September 27, 2023 Lauren Flake 1 Comment

Hello WOWI fans! This is my first blog post for the show! Thank you for allowing Sarah and me to step in as new co-hosts in the wake of Tom’s departure. We are both very excited to be a part of the show and to be given the opportunity to meet so many incredible writers on the island.

With that said, we recently had an amazing guest come and share her extraordinary experiences writing here on Whidbey. For many, the island can be considered a getaway or an oasis retreat for their art, craft, or even a simple family vacation. But for those of us who live here and seek the solitude of island life, this place can offer so much more.

Barbara Wolf Terao dives deep into her time here on the island. The personal battles that she has fought and the journey that she has overcome to be the person she is today. Her book, “Reconfigured: A Memoir“, is a personal milestone in which she captures the depth of human tragedy and the heights of humor. She shares the wisdom that only comes through trial and adversity while freely giving love and compassion back to the world around her.

In this session, Barbara shares her love and passion for writing and her lifelong goal of writing a book as well as the beautiful truths that she has learned in her time on Whidbey. Under the shades of South Whidbey Park, she truly came to light as passion, hope, and life flowed from her words. I hope that you enjoy our conversation as much as we did!

~ Lauren

Writing On Whidbey Island (WOWI) Episode 47
Retreating to Write

Links

Reconfigured is now available at bookstores and online

OfTheBluePla.net

BarbaraWolfTerao.com

Don, Lauren, Online, Sarah, WOWI Session

AI Okay? V Oh No!

September 21, 2023 BiscottiDon 1 Comment

As you have surely heard by now, there are a few changes coming up with Writing On Whidbey Island. One chapter has come to a close, and a new chapter is beginning … with a little time off in between. Tom Trimbath has moved on from WOWI, giving the show (the joy and all of the responsibility that comes with it) to me, and the “show must go on!” While re-debut of WOWI is planned for Fall 2023 … an interim podcast session was recorded in June where the question was asked, “Is AI-OK?”

Tom and I recorded our last WOWI session together on 15April2023. Following the show, we discussed some ideas for the show going forward. We had discussed several ideas over the past 3+ years while producing and hosting the show together. These ideas are in the works – and Tom gave me a few new ones. Soon after I recruited three former guests – some of my favourites – Sarah, Lauren, and Daniel. Really to say, I prayed to The Podcasting Gods and got lucky! Sarah, Lauren, and I got to talking about things to come … and it became clear that we should get together for an in-between podcast session.

We wanted to discuss a current and rather hot topic – the use of Artificial Intelligence software in the creative arts. What is it and what can it do? Where is the technology at and were is it going? What are its strengths and weaknesses? How are artists using it? Most importantly … what are the moral aspects within the industry?

Coupeville WA Washington Library — The Coupeville Library

We met at the Coupeville Library. This was Sarah and Lauren’s first time on the host side of the mic – this AI topic proved to be spirited and incredibly fun. What was planned to be a 40 minute session turned out to be 73. Meeting with these two not only made for a magnificent session, it helped affirm that I was right in seeking them as new WOWI hosts and that the show’s future looks bright!

I even learned a new-to-me AI-related term with this recording session – Uncanny Valley!

So where is this recording?

Spring and summer is a doubly busy time for me. It’s the busy time in the bagpiping world, and I do seasonal work as a SCUBA diver. Taking on the whole of WOWI came at an awkward time. Historically, Tom did the heavy lifting during this season – so this constituted the show taking a break. The plan has been – and still is – for the show to re-launch this Fall. And this “Is AI-OK?” session launches … NOW!

~ Don

Writing On Whidbey Island (WOWI) Episode 46
AI Okay? V Oh No!

The new movie “The Creator” is intended to open on 29September2023 — an AI system has taken over the earth … oh yeah, it’s on people’s minds!

Elle Cordova – The Day The Robots Rise — a fun little parody song … or a warning

“AI Has Reached A Tipping Point, The World Is About To Change Forever, And My Head Hurts”

When AI writes an obituary, it gets the job done! Well …. sort of.

Announcement, Lauren, Sarah, Upcoming WOWI Session

Praying to The Podcast Gods – Initial Results

June 12, 2023 BiscottiDon 1 Comment

star wars unlimited power sith jedi — This is the picture taken when Tom gave his 1/2 of the show to me … ghesh … I really need to moisturize!

RECENTLY ON WOWI
Tom has departed from WOWI because he’s a busy guy …
The podcast has become mine, and I intend to continue the show after a brief hiatus (because I too am a busy guy) …
and …

I prayed to The Podcast Gods
and they have shared their grace!

three podcast broadcast gods — If anyone ever learns about The Podcast Trinity, it will probably be a discussion presented as a downloadable audio file

After Tom took his leave, I thought about who might make good new co-hosts. Long story short, 3 of my favourite former WOWI guests have gotten on board with the show. Just in the past 2 months, there’s excitement in our emails — and I’m thrilled about what’s to come! As we spoke, it seemed that we should meet face-to-face and record a ‘trial podcast session’ — also since a hot topic in the writing scene came up between us.

So …

!!!SURPRISE!!!

Lauren Flake, Sarah McCarthy , and I met this past Saturday at the Coupeville Library. First, I talked about where WOWI is at and what’s to come. Then, after introducing each of them, we dove head-long into our topic — the use of Artificial Intelligence in writing and the creative process … is it good, bad, or outright evil!!!

If you are not already familiar, Lauren is a writers group founder and fantasy novelist. Sarah has authored several physics and fantasy books. And long-time listeners of course know me as a WOWI podcast founder, along with being a recipe and music history book author.

Interestingly, I went into this session understanding that we each had different levels of understanding as to where this technology is currently at in development. I though I had a decent level of awareness — and I am comfortable in admitting that I knew considerably less than I thought. Similarly, I knew that we had 3 different positions about the acceptability of A.I. in commercial arts — making the prospects for this conversation nothing short of dynamic. In the process of the discussion, and upon learning where my perspective falls within the spectrum of opinion, I am potentially more in support of A.I.’s use than I thought!

Our conversation about authors’ use of A.I. ranged from ‘Is this legitimate creativity?’, to ‘Who holds what amount of the copyright?’, dipped into ‘How will this put people out of jobs?’, and even into ‘Where is this at now and what possibly could the future hold?’ It was a charged conversation, also full of laughter — it was the sort of thing I had hoped for in working with WOWI’s new co-hosts. YES — I prayed to The Podcast Gods, and the initial results look … GOOD!

And there were no fist-fights!

This first meeting with Lauren and Sarah was nothing short of GREAT! Hands down, it has me thoroughly excited for WOWI going forward. When Writing On Whidbey Island gets back into full swing around Fall 2023, I will be pleased to reintroduce poet Daniel Edward Moore as the 3rd new WOWI co-host (he’s also a busy guy).

As for our conversation on A.I. — the podcast should be posted in the coming week. As for now and the until-Fall WOWI-hiatus … maybe there will be other ‘surprise’ podcast sessions — so keep your eyes & ears here!

~ Don

PS — Thank you to Sarah for producing the preceding images using A.I. along with the “podcast gods” prompt. Here are the others she and it created…

Friends don’t let friends
let A.I. write obituaries …

Following the recording session, the three of us continued to talk. Among other Artificial Intelligence produced graphics, Lauren shared with us this A.I. generated obituary. Look closely at the photo and writing, and you will see where AI seems to presently imitate what we do but doesn’t yet seem to quite get things right.

Don, Guest Interview, In-Person, Lauren, Tom, WOWI Session

Lauren Flake – Laughing Into Her Lapel – Fantasy novelist and writers group founder

November 25, 2022 Tom Trimbath

Laugh into your lapel. Laugh into your lapel as if you were covering a cough or a sneeze, but laugh into your lapel because you don’t want to be embarrassed by laughing so hard, or at least she did. Our interview with Lauren Flake was fun; but maybe we were laughing as we tried to keep warm as the room heated up. Lauren was nice enough to meet us at South Whidbey Commons on a chilly Saturday morning to talk about her work developing a fantasy novel, as well as her efforts to start a writers group. Digressions and detours occurred.

Lauren may be at the resurgence of writers groups on the island. This blog/podcast has somehow been seen as a possible source of news about writers groups. Thanks, but that’s probably more from a lack of options rather than from any obvious expertise. Coincidentally, the previous two days also included renewed interest in writers groups, so naturally we took the hint and talked about what could happen, what might already be happening, and some of what has already happened. Without a writers association writers groups lost a repository or at least a directory of various groups. Maybe something could be coordinated with Sno-Isle (or maybe leveraging the Foundation Grants to Individuals (GTI) database) or Whidbey Island Arts Council (and joining WIAC does Not require an invitation.) Maybe all it takes is someone like Lauren. Listen in to hear about her approach using Facebook.

Naturally her main goal is to develop, finish, and publish her fantasy novel; which could also become a series. She talked about world building, inspirations, and progress. Books don’t have to be developed as a solid block of work with no preliminaries. She’s using short stories to explore her world and the characters within it. There are advantages to taking small bites.

Her work in progress is one motivation for finding or, if necessary, creating the right writers group because a writer develops their writing as they write; but that kind of development does not have to be done in isolation.

So where does the laughing into lapels happen? For that you’ll have to listen to the podcast.

Writing on Whidbey Island (WOWI) episode 41 – Lauren Flake – fantasy novelist and writers group founder

Contact:
Lauren Flake on Facebook
Lauren Flake on Instagram
or via laureneflake@yahoo.com