u/Harsh_Prakash_Writes

I’ve been thinking about how AI is changing the way I write.
AI can obviously make writing faster. You can brainstorm ideas, research something, find alternative words, restructure a paragraph, or get feedback on a draft within seconds.
But recently I came across an interesting idea while reading HBR: strategic friction.
Basically, making everything easier isn’t always good for learning and innovation. Sometimes the struggle of finding an answer ourselves is part of how we develop our own understanding.
And I started thinking about this from a writer’s perspective.
Before AI, if I was stuck with a scene, I might sit with it for hours. Maybe go for a walk, read something, observe people, rewrite the scene three times and eventually find something I hadn’t originally thought of.
Now I can simply ask AI:
“Give me 10 ways this scene could continue.”
And within seconds I have 10 possibilities.
That’s incredibly useful.
But I wonder if I’m also skipping the part where the 11th idea, the one that is actually mine, would have appeared.
So I’m trying to use AI with some friction:
Think first → Write something → Use AI → Question its suggestions → Keep what helps → Rewrite in my own direction
rather than:
Idea → AI → Draft → Edit
I don’t think the question for writers is whether AI is good or bad.
For me the more interesting question is:
How do we use AI to become better writers without outsourcing the struggle that actually makes us writers?
Would be interested to know how other writers are approaching this.

Ever since I published my first novel I’ve been thinking a lot about marketing because honestly just posting “my book is available now” doesn’t seem like enough anymore.
So instead of trying to sell the book directly I’m thinking of doing it a little differently.
The idea is that someone might first come across one of my Instagram reels or a quote from the book. Maybe they watch a travel video because the novel is set in Sikkim and Darjeeling. Maybe they find one of my Reddit posts while looking for writing or publishing discussions.
If they like any of that maybe they click on my profile out of curiosity. If they still find it interesting maybe they check out the book page. If they end up buying it that’s great, if not that’s okay too.
In my head it makes more sense than throwing an Amazon link everywhere and hoping someone clicks.
I have no clue if this is actually a good way to market a debut novel or if I’m just overthinking the whole thing 😅
Has anyone here tried something similar? If you had almost no marketing budget what would you focus on first?

Ever since I published my first novel I’ve been thinking a lot about marketing because honestly just posting “my book is available now” doesn’t seem like enough anymore.
So instead of trying to sell the book directly I’m thinking of doing it a little differently.
The idea is that someone might first come across one of my Instagram reels or a quote from the book. Maybe they watch a travel video because the novel is set in Sikkim and Darjeeling. Maybe they find one of my Reddit posts while looking for writing or publishing discussions.
If they like any of that maybe they click on my profile out of curiosity. If they still find it interesting maybe they check out the book page. If they end up buying it that’s great, if not that’s okay too.
In my head it makes more sense than throwing an Amazon link everywhere and hoping someone clicks.
I have no clue if this is actually a good way to market a debut novel or if I’m just overthinking the whole thing 😅
Has anyone here tried something similar? If you had almost no marketing budget what would you focus on first?

Let’s say you discover a novel.
You genuinely enjoy reading it.
Then afterwards you find out the author used AI for grammar suggestions, proofreading and editing.
Does that change your opinion of the book?
Where is the line between using AI as a tool and AI actually writing the book?
I’m curious because everyone seems to draw that line differently.

I genuinely want to understand this.
I’m a first time self published author and over the last few days I’ve noticed something. Whenever someone posts a debut novel, there are comments saying “AI wrote this”, “AI cover”, “AI slop”, even before people have read more than a few pages.
I get that AI books are becoming more common and readers have every right to be careful. But sometimes it feels like being a new author automatically makes people suspicious.
Is this just how things are now? Or have we reached a point where it’s easier to assume AI than to give a new writer the benefit of the doubt?
I’m not trying to start an argument. I’m honestly curious how other readers and writers feel about this.
What makes you think a book is actually AI generated and what makes you believe it was written by a person?

Hi everyone!
I’m Harsh, a debut author from India, and I’m excited to share my first novel with this community.

No Call from Kanchenjunga is a literary fiction novel set across the breathtaking landscapes of Sikkim and Darjeeling.

The story follows Arya, a young management consultant whose life takes an unexpected turn after a personal setback. What begins as a journey through the Himalayas gradually becomes a search for meaning, identity, belonging, and purpose. Along the way, he encounters monks, locals, fellow travellers, and conversations that challenge the way he sees the world.

The novel explores themes of rejection, resilience, spirituality, coexistence, self-discovery, and the quiet wisdom found in ordinary moments. It’s written for readers who enjoy reflective stories where the journey matters as much as the destination.

Writing this book took me nearly two years, and publishing it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. If you enjoy literary fiction, travel-inspired stories, or philosophical novels, I hope No Call from Kanchenjunga finds a place on your reading list.
Thank you for letting me share my work with you. I’m happy to answer any questions about the book or my writing journey.

Hi everyone!

I recently finished the journey of writing, editing, formatting, publishing, and launching my first novel. Looking back, writing the book was actually the easiest part.

Learning cover design, formatting, ISBNs, KDP, marketing, reviews, and trying to reach readers took far more time than I expected.

If I could go back, I would spend much more time learning about book marketing before publishing instead of after publication.

For those who have already self-published, what surprised you the most about the process?

Was it editing, formatting, marketing, reviews, or something completely different?

I’d love to learn from your experiences.

Hi everyone!

I recently finished the journey of writing, editing, formatting, publishing, and launching my first novel. Looking back, writing the book was actually the easiest part.

Learning cover design, formatting, ISBNs, KDP, marketing, reviews, and trying to reach readers took far more time than I expected.

If I could go back, I would spend much more time learning about book marketing before publishing instead of after publication.

For those who have already self-published, what surprised you the most about the process?

Was it editing, formatting, marketing, reviews, or something completely different?

I’d love to learn from your experiences.