The Article Sausage Machine

An ideal universe would enable us to churn the perfect, enlightened article from a neural bank of epiphany and musings.

A dash of sauciness and a pinch of seasonal wisdom; turn the handle and out pops a gift-wrapped, blue-ribbon article, enchanted with contemporary appeal. All shiny, new, and ready for a Vocal audience: on-the-line, in anticipation of our latest prodigy.

Is the Article Sausage Machine possible?

Would machined articles have any appeal?

Is this really a thing, or am I just dreaming? A somnolent brain, bathing in an ocean of warm, soothing intoxicants, designed for maximum comfort … but I digress.

So how do you churn-out elegant, appealing articles on a publishing platform such as Vocal?

Well, I’ve been doing this for a few years now, and have no idea!

Sometimes things work and sometimes they don’t. There’s not always logic in it. Todays viral must-read, could be last years, or even next years, dog defecation. And that’s certainly not as desirable as the-dog’s-bollocks!

Online publishing platforms, such as Vocal and Medium, can be difficult for serious writers. If you’re not writing about contemporary, politically correct ideals, feminist / transgender issues, or serialising a fan-fiction novel about a world-famous boyband; a large fan base is about as likely as an ugly icon’s chance of a quick fondling.

Well written articles and short stories can be a difficult sell, in an online, make-believe, electronic kindergarten, of instant gratification and short attention spans.

Oh, the woes of a struggling author!

So, how do you stand out in a soup of fad articles, product reviews and “on the bandwagon, soy-boy” vanilla-rama’s?

That ... is the million-dollar question.

So, let’s start with the motivation. Why did you start writing in the first place?

I started because I had thoughts and noises in my head that I needed to let out. It overtook my well-ordered life and became an obsession. So, what better way to exorcise those demons than extract the circular rumination’s, onto paper.

What started as a meditation or really a mental-health treatment, became an interest and finally a hobby. Short stories are my favourite medium. I enjoy reading them, but they are quite the challenge to write.

Packing an interesting, thought-provoking tale into a few pages, is harder than it sounds. But as with life, if it were easy, it wouldn’t be worth the effort. Hopefully, I am getting a little better with each attempt.

Each author has their own story, but I bet we have more similarities than differences. Whatever the reason for our writing, I think the fundamental reason we do it, is because we really enjoy it.

So, would we really want an AI machine automating our writing for us?

I don’t think so. Part of the creation process is the sweat and tears of the physical act. How could we possibly describe the magic of creation? I certainly don’t have the skill.

It is impossible … beyond words.

Then, again …

The physical world drifts away, loses importance and silently disappears at the “instance of inception”. Letters, words, notes, colours, sing and swirl within an ethereal cocoon above and around us. All senses are bathed in the emotions of the moment, that bears no resemblance to worldly concerns.

We are deaf, dumb, and blind to all but the vision.

Seeds become light and light becomes joy, as the genius of composition overwhelms us. Suddenly a spark is drawn from dark vacuum into neurons. From nowhere to life, in an instant.

The infant is born … and it grows.

Time slows down, or has no meaning, as the super-computer of flesh and blood analyses the shapes, lexicon, and order of, as yet orphaned elements.

Finally, or in a heartbeat …

Patterns emerge and form phrases, images, music and then prose. But the song is not yet fully formed, the notes and chords are prioritised, massaged, ordered, and harmonised, again and again … seeking perfection.

The honing make take countless iterations, but the composition is now alive, and the moment has passed.

The normality of existence has returned.

Is there anything in the world that can replace that experience?

So … now, again.

How do you stand out in a soup of fad articles, product reviews and “on the bandwagon, soy-boy” vanilla-rama’s?

With dignity, wisdom, and a plethora of patience!

Truly talented and dedicated authors will keep crafting concise, readable features and thought-provoking short stories, at the speed of creation. Regardless and despite the inverse proportionality (or not) of our desired reader’s total mass.

It’s what we do.

Sausage-machine or not!

Tim StiX May 2023

Tim StiX is The Sober Bard on Vocal