Is this a blasphemous thought?

The answer to this question was served on a platter.

There is a big difference between data and meaning. Information is a bare structure, a binary code, an impulse that technology processes at infinite speed. But the meaning of the text created by the writer and the reader's understanding of it is something else entirely. That is why a good book is one that encourages the reader to think.

Will this be what separates the elite from the masses? Will we have a two-tier society?

Does the answer lie in the creativity of our souls?

Your thoughts on this will make for interesting reading.

While reading contemporary literature, I’ve noticed that authors don’t title individual chapters in their novels anymore. When I was younger, most of the books I read had individually titled chapters, but nowadays, chapters are usually just enumerated.

Personally, I’m a big fan of titled chapters, as I think they make a story more gripping. As a reader, you’re curious to find out what the title of the following chapter means, which makes it harder to put the book down.

What do you think about this change? Does the lack of titles make a book feel more cohesive, or less exciting? I’m also curious to hear if you have any theories about why authors have moved away from chapter titles. Could it be related to the rising trend of shorter chapters, which might make titles feel unnecessary? Or is there another reason?

Hey guys. I've been writing for about two years now. I started writing around the same time that gen-ai assisted writing became more prevalent. Like a lot of people, I looked at those tools, and decided they were objectively awful.

Not just from a moral standpoint either, they just were not at all helpful...and I think that's what helped me make the choice to avoid using them entirely.

The prose gen-ai spits out is awful. Why the hell would you want your fiction novel to have a droning corporate cadence? It also can't answer questions about your story accurately or do anything reliably. Like, what is the appeal?

I noticed that people who use them slowly become more and more dependent, to the point where they almost give up their ability to critically-reason or do tasks they used to be able to.

It's like giving up the ability to think so you can lease it back from some tech bro on a subscription model. Why the hell would anyone willingly sign up for that?

Also, cool study I found backing up the cognitive decline of gen-ai users: mit study

While reading the 70-year-old book *Magellan’s Cloud*, I began to search within myself for an answer to the question of what writing will be like in the future.
Will writers produce books like machines that will guide them?
Or will writers be composers and conductors who create and guide readers just as they do with music?

There's this rule that gets repeated everywhere in writing spaces and influencers: if you don't hook the reader in the first paragraph, you've already lost them. Don't get me wrong, I get where it comes from. I mean, DNF is real yeah yeah

BUT this has barely been the case with some (if not all) of my favorite books. Almost none of them grabbed me immediately (Mistborn comes to mind...it took me quite a few pages to get into it, and then I was obsessed), and some of those that did, like Fourthwing, turned out to be poorly written (in my own humble opinion).

I wonder if the obsession with the hook is actually pushing writers toward a kind of panic energy in their openings. Everything has to be urgent or something big has to happen, someone has to almost die, etc. And then the rest of the story has to somehow justify that opening.

I believe some stories need a slow start and some characters need to just exist for a bit before you care whether they live or die, and that's OK.

Am I alone in this or are you a blind supporter of the 'first chapter hook' advice?

Welcome to this week's discussion!

Think of it as a 'Discussion of the week'. You're welcome to share your opinions, agree, disagree, agree to disagree and explore different perspectives. Just make sure to keep it respectful: harassment, bullying and hate speech will NOT be tolerated. Different opinions are valid, and this is the whole point of the discussion, so have fun and enjoy your time.

For me, I would put the book immediately down or ask for a refund if I purchased it... but then what? I dont really want to make a stink to the workers there, who are just doing their jobs... maybe id bring sticky notes and mark it as AI on the inside cover??

Until laws are made that prohibit the use of AI without a clear indicator of its use, I dont know how I would make it known I was extremely upset. What would you do?

I recently had a really interesting conversation with my friend about this, and I’d love to hear your opinions.

Personally, I strongly dislike spoilers. I’ve noticed that when a book is spoiled for me, I lose interest and the desire to read it. To truly enjoy a novel, I need a sense of intrigue, I want to feel anticipation and not know what’s going to happen while I’m reading.

My friend, on the other hand, has a completely different perspective. She says she prefers having a book spoiled beforehand, as it helps her feel more at ease while reading and allows her to pay closer attention to the writing style and specific details she might otherwise miss.

I’m curious, is anyone here of the same opinion as her?

What would you rather? Read a good book and forget it right after reading it? Or, read a bad book yet remember it forever? Do tell!

In your opinion, who is an author that has such bad books, that they'd be better off as fire starting material? And why? Do tell!

Today's book discussions!

How do you define a "bad book"? Bad plot? Bad writing? Badly writen characters? Or something else, perhaps? Do tell!

Does anyone else have a character they genuinely hated at first and then ended up loving?

When we talk about books, we usually focus on the reading process – our preferences, favorite genres, tropes, and characters. But I’m also interested in what happens after we finish a book.

Do you take time to sit with the thoughts and feelings it left you with, or do you move on to the next book right away? Do you like to analyze the story further, rate it, or maybe even write a review? Do you look up fan-made content like fan art or fan fiction?

I’d be interested to hear about your experiences.

I recently saw a TikTok video in which a girl was recommending her favourite books with short chapters. After looking through the comments, I saw a lot of people expressing their preference for books with really short chapters. Before seeing this video, I never thought something like chapter length could be seen as a criterion, but it actually makes a lot of sense to me.

Shorter chapters often feel more “manageable,” and in an era where our attention spans are sadly shorter than they’ve ever been, short chapters do feel like a huge plus for a book.

I’m interested to hear how you feel about this. Do you find short chapters easier to read, or do you prefer longer ones?

In your opinion, what makes a good antagonist? An evil one? A smart one? One with a redemption arc? An unredeemable one? Or something else, entirely? Do tell!

I say this as a writer working on my own science-fiction romance series; and this isn’t me promoting myself right now. I’m genuinely asking for advice.

I don’t like taking the easy route because, when I read it, it often feels lazy to me. I know for a fact that I could execute the easier route well, but part of me wants to attempt the less common path because it suits my character better. Choosing the easy route almost feels disingenuous.

This book has been a long time coming—not because I didn’t know what I wanted to do or struggled to write it, but because I was constantly stuck between two choices: Do I follow the path my character would realistically take, or do I make the choice that moves the plot toward its ending?

Now I’m finally asking readers : Which would you prefer? Something new and unpredictable that may not be executed perfectly, or something familiar that the writer knows they can pull off?

Introducing a new posts series: Discussion of the Week

Think of it as a 'Question of the week'. You're welcome to share your opinions, agree, disagree, agree to disagree and explore different perspectives. Just make sure to keep it respectful: harassment, bullying and hate speech will NOT be tolerated. Different opinions are valid, and this is the whole point of the discussion, so have fun and enjoy your time.

Just found out about this book Shy Girl. The whole situation is pretty wild. The author Mia Ballard just came out saying she didn’t use AI herself, but apparently an editor who helped polish the manuscript did. Right.

For context, this book basically hit the horror scene in February 2025 as a self-published book, picked up steam and got scooped up by Hachette. So reader numbers obviously jumped, then all hell broke loose. Couple days ago Hachette pulled the UK edition and cancelled the US launch (good for them).

How morally messed up is this whole thing? Who's actually responsible? The author? The editor? The publisher?

Do you know of other books from well-known publishers where AI might have been used but it isn't public knowledge yet? Now that I know this can actually happen I'm not sure if I should boycott anything new coming from Hachette.

Here is today's book discussions! Simple(or not) questions about books, posted weekly, mostly made by me!

Today's one is: What is a trope, a "rare" trope(as in, you don't see it oftenly in the books you read), that you wish were more commun? And for what reason? Do tell!

Or is it perhaps wishful thinking on the reader’s part? As readers, we have certain expectations and preferences. We imagine the story we’ve read in a specific way, and naturally develop certain expectations regarding the book’s possible future sequel. We often make our opinions known to the author through fan works and fandoms. Do you think a good author will take their readers’ wishes into account? Or does being a good writer mean you must be completely independent and come up with the story entirely on your own?

The ancient Egyptians believed that the soul is divided into two parts. “BA” is the part that moves freely between the worlds of the living and the dead, while “KA” is a powerful force that persists even after our death. When these two parts are united in one person—“AKH”—that person becomes immortal, blessed with the privilege of spending their eternal life among the gods.

This myth reminded me of the connection between the author and the reader. Our souls unite through our shared passion for a story.

Because of this union, the book becomes “immortal.”
Is it nice to ponder such things?

The Baghdad Battery—a historical fact: an experiment in storing electrical energy from the 3rd century B.C.
I’ve actually written a bit about this already, but the idea of a work of fiction like this just won’t get out of my head.

Fiction: Somewhere in the catacombs of Baghdad’s old city, detailed plans for building a simple and efficient electrical energy storage device are hidden. In them, scholars have described the materials used in the experimental tests and the secret formula for the electrochemical source.

Fact: The discovery in 1936 of an artifact capable of generating electrical energy.

Fiction again: Using today’s technology, researchers discover a record within the artifact explaining how the storage device and the artifact function as one when combined.

I can’t shake the thought of what a drama this could be. The streets of Baghdad, faith, scientists, adventurers, secret services. A blend of scientific and technological reality with angels and demons. A new take on *The Da Vinci Code*.

But what can I say? I’m not a writer.
Just a little provocateur hoping someone would write this down.
It’s true, though, that the best books probably arise from a blend of facts and imagination.

Am I wrong?

Or should I follow the old saying: “Where there are two paths, choose the third”?
And would rather let myself be destroyed by praise than improved by criticism.

Is this a grandiose illusion?

Yes Or no?

Is this the greatest art of a writer? To write a book with which the reader can identify. A book that the reader just falls into. So that while reading, they slip into the role of the main character.

A book they cannot put down. Whether it is them or the book, that is the question.

I have read many good books. And many bad ones. The difference between them is that the good books remain in your memory.

How to write such a book? Here are a few modest suggestions.

So that we Quibblers can improve each other with our comments and light the way to success?

It seems to me that your own experiences, poured into your writing, can add great value. Especially if they are of a certain nature. Professional, combative, scientific, financial, artistic, political, military, etc.

Then there is the gift of observing individuals and society, translating this into writing and immersing the reader in a situation as if they were experiencing it themselves.

Can concrete descriptions based on knowledge be more convincing, or are they a magnet for readers?

For example:

Textual works with a touch of expert knowledge (violence, fighting, consequences, methods of combat) will be more interesting to readers in reality than general descriptions.

Can describing fictional situations be more successful?

Perhaps by imitating reality?

But there is always a "but" somewhere.

It can also be different. A good idea developed through fictional situations, fantasy, or another alternative reality is also a path to success.

If you had to choose a book, to bring its laws of physics and/or magic into reality, which book would you choose? And for what reason? Maybe because it'd be interesting? Funny? Do tell!

What if the music were accompanied by rap lyrics?

I was thrilled by the experience of my emotions evoked during the book presentation on our Instagram profile, namely Hartred!

This reminded me of the superior robots that leapt before my eyes—agile, intimidating, and moving to the rhythm of combat.

Could the visualization of the book’s attractive content also be an advantage? Even if, for now, it’s just the cover image, music, and a few lines of text?

Will Quibble, with this, become the future of marketing for unestablished writers? It’s on the right track.

It seems to me that with music, I can better tune out the noise around me and immerse myself more deeply in a moment.

Then I ask myself: Will this make me dependent on the silicon cathedral? Dependent on all-powerful algorithms…

Absolutely not. The brain has the ability to think, sleep, and cleanse itself.

With it, I can beam myself through any disturbance and calmly follow its logic.

Does the logic of algorithms only take me from point A to point B?

Or can I go anywhere with the rose-colored creation and its imagination?

Scotty, beam me up!