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EP 428 - The "Author Versus AI" Project with Alison McBain

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Release Date: 08/08/2025

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Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

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Mark interviews Canadian author Alison McBain about her "Author Versus AI" project, her life in writing, and more.

Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor.

This episode's sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to Manuscript Report. Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report.

In the interview, Mark and Alison talk about:

  • The various roles that Alison has played in the creative arts
  • Wanting to be a writer since she was young and her first written story created when she was 4 years old
  • Thinking that one day she would be a teacher or a professor, but never actually taking that path
  • Alison's very first published piece of writing
  • The early days of writing that involved mailing manuscripts out and then waiting for a response
  • Alison's first book, The Rose Queen, which is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast
  • The many awards that Alison has won
  • The creative team you have working with you whenever you publish with a traditional publisher
  • The magazine (ScribesMICRO - which features stories and poems of no more than 100 words) that Alison started with a few other editors during the pandemic
  • Being surprised at how popular this magazine was and the new 100-word story award that they recent started
  • The thrill of helping discover and publish newer writers in this magazine
  • Deciding how Alison could, as one human, try to take on AI by writing a book a week for a full year
  • Completing 8 months of the challenge with a total of 34 books
  • The more than 2 dozen books that Alison has ghost-written
  • How Alison writes in numerous genres with a spirit of "why not try it all?"
  • The preparation Alison had to do in order to write those 34 novels so effectively during her challenge
  • Advise Alison would offer to authors who are thinking of doing a similar type of writing challenge
  • Having a writing space that's outside the house
  • Balancing writing with family life
  • What Alison has recently been working on
  • The coaching that Alison offers to other writers and how it can be like being a parent
  • Advice Alison would give to writers
  • And more...

 

After the interview Mark reflects on a few things that came up in their conversation.

 

Links of Interest:

 

Alison McBain’s human-created novels are the recipients of over 13 awards, including the Foreword INDIES. Her latest novella Dual took home 3rd place in the 3-Day Novel Contest. When not writing for herself, she’s a ghostwriter who has penned over two dozen books for clients, as well as an award-winning editor who has worked with both celebrity and NY Times-bestselling authors. In 2024, she pursued a project called “Author Versus AI,” where she wrote a book a week, using NO AI at all (34 books total). When not writing, Ms. McBain is the associate editor for the magazine ScribesMICRO and draws all over the walls of her house with the enthusiastic help of her kids. She lives in Alberta, Canada.

 

The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0