The Modern Wordist Blog

Over the past year, the majority of editing and ghostwriting projects I’ve accepted from clients were at least partially produced by an LLM (including ChatGPT and the like). And I get it. It’s so fast . You’re imagining all the hours you’re saving. Watching an LLM output text feels dizzying. Depending on your mood, you might even feel dazzled. But, as the saying goes, all that glitters is not gold. From an editorial perspective, LLMs actually create more problems in writing.   But if you’ve been drawn in, I don’t blame you. There’s no denying tech marketing is powerful. Through the pace of change, market forces, and more, we’ve been conditioned to believe that we need apps and digital tech to do everything. And because LLMs seem magical, it's easy to overlook what, to me, is the elephant in the room: for most   writing, an LLM is actually redundant.   What , you say? From the bottom of my writer and editor heart, I’m telling you it’s true. By a mile — or several — it’s s...

I'm taking a mental health break this week — which I also call space-off time. As an editor, the opportunity to let my mind wander is a treat!  Imagine juggling writing and editing. Is it hard to finish writing anything when your editorial tendencies are bossier than your writing brain? Yep. Neither vocation is for wimps. For this week, I'll leave you with a couple of thoughts: Keep in mind that you can do things without devices. Let your brain breathe. (For guidance on how to unplug, I highly recommend Thich Nhat Hanh's book Silence .) Visit your local library. For books. Our libraries need your support: https://www.ala.org/faq-executive-order-targeting-imls I'll have a new post for you next week. Take care, Kammy

I absolutely meant to have a new post up last week. It's fair to say that last week was a lot for many of us. If you were not able to attend Saturday's protests, or you're looking for a quieter way to resist what's happening in the US, I recommend reading at least one banned book.  Here is a current list of banned books (for adults and young adults): https://pen.org/banned-books-list-2025/ A longer list of banned books recommended by Barnes and Noble ( not an affiliate link):  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/banned-books/_/N-rtm One Recommendation I really like Irmgard Keun's works. I came across her novel The Artificial Silk Girl thanks to an ebook sale several years ago. I had a feeling her work did not get the praise it deserved during her lifetime. That feeling was correct. Her later novel, After Midnight , and eventually all of her work, were a target of the Hitler regime. She was amazing. She and her writing were proof that even though we writers are a quie...