u/Mercurialsunrise

Thanks all! Stay hydrated tomorrow; it’s gonna be hot!

I don’t use LLMs for my writing that I want published. But I like writing smut for myself, haha.

Gemini was doing well with generating it, but then stopped. So was Claude.

It’s annoying because Gemini and Claude will generate it fine and then suddenly will be like “I can’t generate explicit content.” Umm … you just did 🤣

Anyway, which LLM will let me write smut? All adults and all consensual.

I wrote an m/m upmarket historical fiction novel with high-heat romance and was wondering if there are other writers on here who write queer romance.

Here’s an overview of my book, which is called Not Yet Does Not Mean No:

In 1962, no one batted an eye at an Amherst professor dating a Mount Holyoke or Smith girl. 

No such luxury for Lin Miller, Amherst’s youngest professor. His armor is thick, borne from growing up as a brilliant, quiet boy in Brooklyn; being the scholarship kid at Andover; and living as a man whose very way of loving is a felony in the state of Massachusetts. 

Until Theo Hawkins walks into Lin’s English seminar. Lin is immediately drawn to the bright, charming, and sensitive heir to a Boston Brahmin fortune. Theo is enthralled by Lin, determined to win his attention. But one wrong move could hang them both –– or perhaps just Lin, as Boston Brahmin protect their own.  

One hundred and fifty miles south, in Greenwich Village, Julian Lark fights to keep faith, 14 months after the love of his life, James Dressner, left him. Julian tells his oldest friend, Lin: “I’m not grieving, and I won’t pack up James’ mug or his jeans. You grieve people who are dead. James isn’t dead. He’s just in Connecticut married to a woman named Betsy. One day he will come back, and when he does, he needs to know I haven’t moved his things.”

From the bucolic hills of Amherst College to the brownstones of Greenwich Village, Not Yet Does Not Mean No asks: How much will people risk to live a life where they are alive and not merely existing?

My debut novel manuscript is finally finished! It’s 93k words and is upmarket historical fiction with high-heat romance. It follows two closeted male/male couples. Action takes place in the early 1960s in Massachusetts and NYC.

The novel opens in September 1962, when Linus (Lin) Miller, a careful, brilliant, 25 year old Professor of English at Amherst College falls for Theodore (Theo) Hawkins, a sensitive, athletic, and charming 19 year old undergraduate from a Boston Brahmin family.

Lin initially tries to keep his distance and turns Theo down repeatedly. However, the two share not only an attraction but also a deep intellectual connection. Theo has complete agency in their relationship, and the two form an equal partnership.

The book chronicles not only Theo and Lin's love story, but the daily, terrifying task of making space for that love to survive in a world that hunts men like them: Theo gifts Lin a coded star chart with meaning only to them. Lin declares his love to Theo by assigning him love poetry by John Donne. Lin uses his prodigious intellectual prowess to stay by Theo's hospital bedside, as the nurses open doors they have no idea they are opening.

Beneath it all runs Lin's constant fear that Theo will, despite everything they have risked for each other, choose the simpler life his family can provide.

SECONDARY COUPLE: In 1956, Julian Lark, a 21 year old photographer's assistant living in Greenwich Village, walked into a coffee shop to find James Dressner -- a terrified 19 year old hunched over a typewriter, having just run from his wealthy Westchester County family.

Julian offered James a warm couch on Perry Street and they lived together for five years.

The reader meets Julian in 1962, when he is a year into keeping James' chipped mug on the counter; photographs of them on the wall of their Perry Street apartment; and James' faded Levis on a chair.

Julian tells his oldest friend, Lin Miller, that Lin is wrong; he is not grieving. "You grieve someone who is dead. James is not dead. For the past year, he has been married to a woman named Betsy and has been living in Hartford. One day, he will come home and when he does, he needs to know that I haven't moved his things."

My debut novel manuscript is finally finished! It’s 93k words and is upmarket historical fiction with high-heat romance. It follows two closeted male/male couples. Action takes place in the early 1960s in Massachusetts and NYC.

The novel opens in September 1962, when Linus (Lin) Miller, a careful, brilliant, 25 year old Professor of English at Amherst College falls for Theodore (Theo) Hawkins, a sensitive, athletic, and charming 19 year old undergraduate from a Boston Brahmin family.

Lin initially tries to keep his distance and turns Theo down repeatedly. However, the two share not only an attraction but also a deep intellectual connection. Theo has complete agency in their relationship, and the two form an equal partnership.

The book chronicles not only Theo and Lin's love story, but the daily, terrifying task of making space for that love to survive in a world that hunts men like them: Theo gifts Lin a coded star chart with meaning only to them. Lin declares his love to Theo by assigning him love poetry by John Donne. Lin uses his prodigious intellectual prowess to stay by Theo's hospital bedside, as the nurses open doors they have no idea they are opening.

Beneath it all runs Lin's constant fear that Theo will, despite everything they have risked for each other, choose the simpler life his family can provide.

SECONDARY COUPLE: In 1956, Julian Lark, a 21 year old photographer's assistant living in Greenwich Village, walked into a coffee shop to find James Dressner -- a terrified 19 year old hunched over a typewriter, having just run from his wealthy Westchester County family.

Julian offered James a warm couch on Perry Street and they lived together for five years.

The reader meets Julian in 1962, when he is a year into keeping James' chipped mug on the counter; photographs of them on the wall of their Perry Street apartment; and James' faded Levis on a chair.

Julian tells his oldest friend, Lin Miller, that Lin is wrong; he is not grieving. "You grieve someone who is dead. James is not dead. For the past year, he has been married to a woman named Betsy and has been living in Hartford. One day, he will come home and when he does, he needs to know that I haven't moved his things."

I wrote a novel. Worked hard on it. Now with the number of people losing book deals over AI accusations, I’m getting paranoid.

I put my manuscript into Pangram. 94% AI!!!! WTF!!!

It even flagged my copyright disclaimer (standard copyright language) as AI.

What is even the point of doing anything with this manuscript. I’ve gotten interest from editors who want to do editorial assessments, but if my writing appears as AI, is there even a point in trying to get it published?

I HATE THIS.

Rant over.

I’m a new romance author who finished my first book manuscript. I’m looking for an editor but wanted to see what you all think of my premise:

My book is upmarket queer (M/M) historical fiction romance with literary erotica.

The novel opens in September 1962, when Linus (Lin) Miller, a careful, brilliant young Professor of English at Amherst College falls for Theodore (Theo) Hawkins, a sensitive, athletic, and charming undergraduate from a Boston Brahmin family.

Lin initially tries to keep his distance and turns Theo down repeatedly. However, the two share not only a physical attraction but also a deep intellectual connection.

The book chronicles not only Theo and Lin's love story, but the daily, terrifying task of making space for that love to survive in a world that hunts men like them: Theo gifts Lin a coded star chart with meaning only to them. Lin declares his love to Theo by assigning him love poetry by John Donne. Lin uses his prodigious intellectual prowess to stay by Theo's hospital bedside, as the nurses open doors they have no idea they are opening.

Beneath it all runs Lin's constant fear that Theo will, despite everything they have risked for each other, choose the simpler life his family has to offer.

Theo and Lin’s story is braided with that of another couple: Julian Lark and James Dressner.

In 1956, Julian Lark, a 21 year old photographer's assistant living in Greenwich Village, walked into a coffee shop to find James Dressner -- a terrified 19 year old hunched over a typewriter, having just run from his wealthy Westchester County family. Julian offered James a warm couch on Perry Street and they lived together for five years.

The reader meets Julian in 1962, when he is a year into keeping James' chipped mug on the counter; photographs of them on the wall of their Perry Street apartment; and James' faded Levis on a chair.

Julian tells his oldest friend, Lin Miller, that Lin is wrong; he is not grieving.

“You grieve someone who is dead. James is not dead. For the past year, he has been married to a woman named Betsy and has been living in Hartford. One day, he will come home and when he does, he needs to know that I haven't moved his things."

My book showcases people who risk everything for a life that allows them to be alive rather than comfortable.

Would love to know if you think it sounds interesting!

My kid auditioned for a pre-professional program (I don’t want to be too specific) that has multiple audition dates throughout the summer.

The program serves elementary through high school kids.

My kid auditioned at the first date. They said they’d notify within 2 weeks, which is prior to the 2nd and 3rd audition dates.

They then sent out an email saying they can’t render all the decisions yet and would update us after the 2nd audition date.

I know at least one kid got in (older than my kid — in the senior division of the program). I don’t know if anyone from the first audition group got rejected.

Is this a typical way of handling these types of programs? It would seem like you’d want to wait until you see all the kids before making decisions.

Does anyone have a sense of how competitive it is to get into this program? I’m interested specifically in rising 4th graders.

The audition process seems fairly intense (aka a short period of time for kids to prep material), but I’m not sure how that translates into the actual chances of a kid getting in.

This program is in Maryland by the way.

Thank you!!

Does anyone have a sense of how competitive it is to get into this program? I’m interested specifically in rising 4th graders.

The audition process seems fairly intense (aka a short period of time for kids to prep material), but I’m not sure how that translates into the actual chances of a kid getting in.

Thank you!!

Does anyone have a sense of how competitive it is to get into this program? I’m interested specifically in rising 4th graders.

The audition process seems fairly intense (aka a short period of time for kids to prep material), but I’m not sure how that translates into the actual chances of a kid getting in.

Thank you!!

Does anyone have a sense of how competitive it is to get into this program? I’m interested specifically in rising 4th graders.

The audition process seems fairly intense (aka a short period of time for kids to prep material), but I’m not sure how that translates into the actual chances of a kid getting in.

Thank you!!

Hi all! I'm a drummer looking to learn musical theatre parts. What are some good sources for transcriptions? Specifically interested in Wicked, Hamilton, Just in Time, or In the Heights, but really I'm open to anything, as I'm looking to break into pit work and need to build out repertoire. Thanks!!

This is for a professional regional production. A youth role, so it’s double cast. Callbacks were June 15. Rehearsals start Sept 29th. Director is not local so callbacks were filmed, so the director can review them.

Just wondering when we could realistically hear back. The theatre didn’t give any timeline info and I don’t want to bug them by asking.

It’s my kid’s first professional callback, so we’re new to this. Thanks!

I know it isn’t Broadway, but it’s Groff, so it’s still relevant IMO.

Is anyone going out to England to see him in As You Like It?

I’m taking myself for my 40th birthday in October. I got front row seats and a ticket to the pre show directors talk for 90 GBP (praise those low ticket prices!!)

I’m so excited to be in international Groff waters 🤣

I’m also kind of hoping he’ll stage door out there maybe? I know RSC has a stage door culture and it’ll be less crazy than Broadway crowds. But who knows.

Just so excited to watch Groff play Rosalind 🥰

I am writing a fictional story and want some pictures to accompany it. Which LLM does the best with generating realistic pictures of people, with strict adherence to what they look like, so they look like the same people across all the photos? I also need it to have good prompt adherence in terms of my characters’ heights, personalities, etc.

Gemini has been ok with this but not great. So I’m looking for alternatives. Thanks!!