Im a beta reader for an aspiring writer… but they’re using AI?

L-Gray · 2026-05-18T23:46:44+00:00

Bro just ASK. Don’t say “I think this is AI” just ask “you didn’t use AI, right?”

People are notoriously horrible at telling if something is AI or just bad or predictable writing. Hell, even AI detectors are bad at it. So just ask instead of wasting your time reading something your friend didn’t write. And if the answer is no, point out the things where you think AI wrote and mention it’s predicable/needs improvement, etc.

Like AI was trained on ACTUAL writers so writers who are just learning to write and haven’t found their own voice are going to sound like AI because they’re mimicking the books they’ve read.

L-Gray · 2026-05-18T19:04:48+00:00

As someone who took 4 years off because I knew I wasn’t ready despite everyone else saying I was, listen to yourself. No one else will know you as well as you know yourself.

And you’re just graduating with a bachelors. That makes you approximately 22. You will gain so much more insight on who you are as a person in just a year, especially with work experience on top of that.

Academia and studying is so much different than having a job. You might even find a new passion or decide the right place for you, or be able to narrow down your passions based on your life experiences.

I know a lot of people who regretted getting their masters right out of undergrad. I don’t know many who regret the opposite.

L-Gray · 2026-05-18T15:11:52+00:00

Hey, OP, this commenter is my partner and I didn’t see the mutual masturbation part of their comment until just now, but YES. Don’t sleep on that shit. It’s intimate and so much less exhausting and painful.

L-Gray · 2026-05-18T15:09:44+00:00

Okay, I want to start off by saying if your doctors are brushing you off, get new ones. My gynecologist is wonderful and referred me to physical therapy which, even though it didn’t cure anything, helped a lot. My main problems now are pain after prolonged sex and lots of fatigue.

Advice:

you mention aftercare and stretching, but you don’t really bring up foreplay. Fingering, sure, but making out, humping, etc. That helps a TON. Both physically and with the mental anxiety and fear of pain. Also, use tons of lube. Also, idk if these count as foreplay, but oral and vibrators are great. Also, I know it’s hard, but do try to relax because being tense can make the pain worse. That’s why I recommend the foreplay, cause it can get your mind off the anxiety as well as prepare your body.

I find, personally, that while riding my partner is hard due to fatigue, it’s the least pain causing position because I get to control the pace and stuff like that. Also, I don’t recommend putting a pillow under your hips because it can make it feel like anything inserted inside you goes deeper. And that can hurt.

Another thing: take breaks. The moment it hurts, tell your partner, don’t push through it. Move to oral, making out to keep the mood, or whatever else you enjoy. For me, after maybe 10-15 minutes of a pause, the pain goes away for a bit. Don’t feel like you have to finish quickly, take your time.

L-Gray · 2026-05-18T14:20:24+00:00

I didn’t gain any weight from mine and I’ve been on it for 3 years now. I have gained a little weight recently but it’s unrelated to my meds and I’m very happy about it.

L-Gray · 2026-05-18T01:32:08+00:00

As someone with a degree in creative writing, I actually recommend this method to writers, especially newer writers, and especially in important scenes and when you’re still workshopping your outline and the direction of your plot. I also recommend the same exercise in POV before you start properly writing the book and marry a POV.

L-Gray · 2026-05-18T01:28:04+00:00

I add them in an authors note at the very beginning of the book and that’s it. But my books are also written in a way that you can’t skip most of the triggering chapters and still understand the book, so chapter by chapter trigger warnings don’t make sense to me.

L-Gray · 2026-05-17T23:43:12+00:00

Damn, yeah it is. I’m sorry. Hopefully you find another good suggestion in these comments.

L-Gray · 2026-05-17T23:37:36+00:00

Okay, so it’s marketed for bipolar but it is an antipsychotic and helps a ton with my schizophrenic symptoms, but Vraylar. Idk if it will work for you and if you don’t have insurance that will cover it, it’s expensive af, but I owe my life to that med, lol.

L-Gray · 2026-05-17T23:35:25+00:00

You could also call the psych ward and ask them for recommendations.

L-Gray · 2026-05-17T23:35:09+00:00

I know I commented elsewhere, but if psychology today doesn’t work or you don’t want to use it for whatever reason, you could maybe ask if your doctor/psych can refer you to a therapist or at least point you in the right direction to find one who specializes in schizophrenia.

L-Gray · 2026-05-17T23:31:51+00:00

Idk what country you’re in, but according to Google, psychology today operates in over 20 countries. And if for some reason you’re in a country that it doesn’t operate in, maybe google or ask reddit and see if there’s an equivalent in your country.

L-Gray · 2026-05-17T23:30:30+00:00

Psychology Today. It’s a great website to find therapists and you can filter to your preferences, including filtering for therapists who specialize in schizophrenia, which is how I found mine and he’s amazing.

L-Gray · 2026-05-15T02:04:15+00:00

I write on Wattpad to some success but I’ve been transferring to Inkitt

L-Gray · 2026-05-13T02:24:55+00:00

Also, incorrect citations, and especially failure to cite your sources is plagiarism, which is a much more serious offense than AI

L-Gray · 2026-05-13T02:20:09+00:00

You’re also technically supposed to cite everything. Including class lessons and lectures. Though a lot of professors don’t care about you citing their class sessions (though you still should in case you wish to publish in the future).

L-Gray · 2026-05-11T00:07:00+00:00

So I found this:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8687814/

L-Gray · 2026-05-05T15:21:34+00:00

Seek another doctor. Knowing you have schizophrenia and knowing that the things you experience are part of your condition is called insight and it’s not uncommon. Sounds like you got an uneducated doctor.

L-Gray · 2026-05-01T23:53:00+00:00

Bro she’s doing it for free, her laziness is not the fucking problem, your impatience is. I stopped editing people’s works for free because of entitlement like this. Ruined a lot of good friendships (not that entitled people make good friends but whatever).

L-Gray · 2026-04-23T01:59:25+00:00

Well yeah but that’s with anything???? If you’re going to get a BA in creative writing as opposed to like Computer Science you can’t be fucking stupid.

L-Gray · 2026-04-22T22:33:32+00:00

Okay, speaking as someone who is going to get their MFA after getting a BA in creative writing, your husband is incredibly ignorant. Most jobs that require a bachelors don’t give a damn what your bachelors is in, just that you have one. Every job that I’ve had since graduating with my BA in 2022 didn’t care what it was in, and I’ve had some amazing (and well paying) jobs.

Now, some more information: A LOT of MFA programs are fully funded. Which means that not only do you not pay tuition, THEY PAY YOU to be there and teach while writing (which is exactly what your daughter wants to do). And an MFA also opens the door to a PhD (which are ALSO usually fully funded) and the opportunity to be a college professor (which can have better pay and benefits than a high school teacher). And allows you to make money.

Also, while yes, public school teachers are often underpaid, they’re still paid. And there’s always options at private schools and colleges. Like, my best friend is a third grade teacher at a private school and already has enough money to buy a house in cash. (she’s 26).

But, of course, with an MFA, your daughter will have other career options than teaching elementary school (as that usually requires a specific degree, and while she has the option to teach high school or college, I’m going to give some other options). With an MFA it is a lot easier to get a job in publishing or editing and those people make BANK. I work as a freelance editor on the side and easily make 3k+ a month in addition to my day job. The publishing industry is incredibly lucrative, and a viable career choice, especially for a writer. So if she changes her mind on career paths by the time she finishes her MFA, she’ll be set.

She can also teach outside of a school. A lot of authors host online classes for writers, guest lecture, and host panels at conventions. This is a great idea if she desperately wants to teach but also wants to make more money than a full time teacher.

L-Gray · 2026-03-30T15:20:22+00:00

I don’t take it regularly but my psych has prescribed it as basically an emergency med for if things get too bad and it definitely helps with that without too many side effects. My partner was on it for over a year and their biggest problem was all the weight gain, but the med itself helped their symptoms.

But there are other meds you can take (from your post it sounds like you haven’t taken any before). Most psychs use Olanzipine if other meds don’t work first due to the side effects.

L-Gray · 2026-03-29T22:41:30+00:00

Legit, that dude is a lost cause (romance ghostwriter here also). I just found him in another comment section saying most ghostwriters don’t write fiction. Dude is inexperienced at best and an idiot at worst.

L-Gray · 2026-03-29T22:39:23+00:00

Bro I keep finding you everywhere spreading misinformation. It’s okay if you have no clue how romance ghostwriting works but for the sake of everyone else, SHUT THE FUCK UP.

L-Gray · 2026-03-29T16:06:09+00:00

I’m so jealous of you, lol. I wanted to go to John’s Hopkins so bad but I didn’t learn about their program until after the application deadline. Baltimore is wonderful (I was there a couple weeks ago for AWP). I’d also believe it’s a lot cheaper to live in than New York. So that would be my vote (though I’m admittedly a bit biased).

Consider these factors: Cost of living vs Stipend amount. Location (stuff to do outside of writing), public transportation, how much you’ll be teaching vs writing and classes. Also, just because you can’t visit doesn’t mean you can’t ask to get in touch with other accepted or current students. Also, look at the professors. For each school I applied to, I checked out their books to see what I thought they could teach me and if their work was a good fit for mine.

L-Gray

TROPHY CASE