by Jack B. Strandburg
I want to share an amazing software developed specifically for writers, QuickWrite.
All writers face obstacles, most notably that annoying pest called Writer’s Block. If you asked ten people what writer’s block means to them, you’d likely get more than one answer. Some people struggle with coming up with ideas or building on existing ones. You know the story—you’re gung-ho about starting a project, but then bam! You hit a roadblock and go blank about what to do next. Act I might sail along like a well-built racing boat, but then comes Act II, the middle, where many writers struggle.
The result might be procrastination and self-doubt. Confidence in your ability might plummet to unprecedented depths.
For me, writer’s block doesn’t exist, never has. I can always find something to write. My struggles involve having multiple projects drawing me in as many directions. Currently, my “writing plate” comprises 3 mystery novellas, 1 mystery novel, 2 short story ideas, and a non-fiction inspirational book. All in various stages of completion.
Rather than choosing one project and sticking to it, I want to work on all of them, which usually results in accomplishing nothing.
I’m a plotter at heart. I need to develop my characters and setting, and plan my story so I have at least a workable outline and know how my characters will get from A to Z. I’ve outlined, story boarded, and used Excel spreadsheets I developed to direct the story.
Writing short stories is one of my current priority goals. A bazillion prompts and ideas exist on the Internet and books, and they don’t take as long to write, which increases the chance of getting published much sooner. At least theoretically.
With QuickWrite, I’ve hit the jackpot. I’ve found my lifelong writing partner.
Yes, QuickWrite is AI-based and the perspective on using AI to write is a hot topic. Some insist using AI is cheating. You’re not creating something on your own. You’re a fraud! Point taken, but it depends on how you use AI. If a student uses one of the various AI tools available (ChatGPT comes to mind) to generate a 3,000-word essay on any topic, and turn it in as their own product, the argument has merit.
But, QuickWrite was not designed to turn writers and would-be authors into couch potatoes. The content and ideas gleaned from QuickWrite are out there, and if you spend enough time on a search engine, you’ll find what you want. Or maybe not.
QuickWrite is a tool, by far the best tool I’ve ever seen (and I’ve tried several). It will help with fiction, non-fiction, a blog, or a social media post. I don’t exaggerate when I say QuickWrite will easily save you months in both storytelling and research.
For example, I found the following prompt on a site called Squibler.
“A young boy discovers that he is the only adopted child among his four siblings. Feeling confused and betrayed, he runs away to find his birth parents. After two months on the road, he runs out of money and still hasn’t found them. Does he go home? Or does he continue his quest?”
I asked QuickWrite to generate plot suggestions. The result was a 358-word synopsis, including a title, a character name, an external goal, an internal goal, and the character’s journey to achieve those goals.
From the synopsis, I could choose my own character, use that goal or another of my own choosing, and generate ideas on how to flesh out a story. When I get stuck (which is inevitable), I ask QuickWrite for help.
QuickWrite will generate a character profile, background, backstory, a title, a unique name for setting, a story prompt, a writing prompt, all of which will help you develop your story.
The more information QuickWrite generates on the story components, the more you can brainstorm and decide what other information is necessary. If it’s a real place, adding more details can make it more realistic. QuickWrite will do it for you. Just ask.
What if nothing appeals to you? Ask QuickWrite to generate content again until something does appeal to you.
For example, I asked QuickWrite for a character description of someone born in Germany. It generated a name, age, gender, an occupation, background, and something about their personality and what drives them to succeed.
Showing (v. telling) is critical in storytelling, whether describing a character or a setting.
You can ask QuickWrite to describe how a certain person would behave in a given situation. I used Power Editor, perhaps QuickWrite’s most powerful and versatile function, to ask, “how would an irritable person act while drinking in a bar after a hard day at work?”
QuickWrite generated the following: (I edited and shortened for the sake of brevity):
After having a hard day at work, an irritable person’s demeanor and behaviors may undergo noticeable changes when they enter a bar and start drinking. Typically, irritable individuals may exhibit the following behaviors at that moment:
1. Difficulty relaxing; fidgeting, pacing, or gesturing.
2. Respond abruptly or rudely to others, becoming easily frustrated and impatient.
3. Complain, criticize, or make sarcastic remarks. Constant negativity in their tone.
4. Struggle to engage in positive and meaningful conversations, with a lack of interest in what others say.
5. Increased sensitivity to perceived slights or imagined offenses. Overreact or respond defensively.
6. More likely to create or escalate conflicts. Become argumentative or confrontational.
7. Withdraw and isolate themselves from group activities or conversations.
9. They might lash out verbally or physically.
You can choose from the above and prompt QuickWrite to create another scenario, so on and so forth. Before you know it, you have a complete story, in literally a fraction of the time done without this gem.
I need to add here; I’ve tried my best to discover what QuickWrite can’t do, but so far have come up empty.
The only possible complaint against QuickWrite, and it doesn’t qualify as a negative, is it will give you more information than might believe you can handle. The work comes in deciding what to use and how to use it, and as writers, that’s where the fun lies as we maximize the gift of our creativity.
QuickWrite will write actual scenes from the prompts and details you provide, but more likely you won’t use much, if anything, of what it generates. You won’t want to. Number one, real writers create their own work. Number two, the scenes QuickWrite generates are bare bones conversation, sprinkled with sporadic and general character reactions.
You can formulate a detailed synopsis of a scene with two characters, for example, and ask QuickWrite to generate a beat sheet, a document outlining the story from the first act to the final act. Use what’s appropriate and develop your own beat sheet.
Another useful feature is the Rewrite Content function, essentially an editor, which will rewrite text in one of four styles—General, Casual, Formal, and Convincing. It achieves more in less time than other editors such as Grammarly or ProWritingAid.
For me, QuickWrite has made writing more fun than work, and most importantly, has eliminated my complacency and given me more confidence than I’ve ever had.
QuickWrite, unlike many other software programs, does not have a free download trial, but if you’re serious about writing, perhaps stuck in a rut and need a tow, and want to save literally months in writing your material, QuickWrite is worth every penny.
Click on one of the links below for more details on the awesome power of QuickWrite.
Order now to save $200.00 off the regular price of $497.00, a 60% savings!
https://www.quickwrite.ai/fiction-home/?orid=829390 (Fiction)
https://www.quickwrite.ai/home-non-fiction/?orid=829390 (Non-fiction)
https://www.quickwrite.ai/what-do-you-write/?orid=829390 (Choose fiction or non-fiction)
Jack B. Strandburg - Author and Editor 