AI doesn’t have to be a shortcut or a threat. In this episode, Terry models how students and writers can responsibly use tools like ChatGPT to jump-start their thinking without outsourcing their creativity. By walking through an actual story brainstorm, he demonstrates how LLMs can prompt deeper analysis, spark unexpected associations, and help you figure out what you truly want to say.

So you want to write a multi-part fantasy series? How do you get started? We hear stories about ideas coming to authors while they're on a train or walking their dog, and we imagine it's fully formed. As authors, we know that's not how it works.

In this episode, host Terry Bartley talks to Ryan Gebhart. Ryan wrote the Jewel of Life series that just released the seventh and final novel in the series, Shattered Light. So he's the perfect person to talk to about how to develop and wrap up a series.

They talk about planning vs. pantsing, creating characters, and what it is like to follow a protagonist through so many books.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tyranny of the Fey⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is now available in ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hardcover and paperback⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠eBook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠audiobook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Read my stories now on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠terrybartley.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Send requests to be a guest or comments about the episode to press@starlightkingpress.com Theme Song: Young Squire - TrackTribe, Piano track by sing2piano

In this episode, Terry shares a moment from a recent grad school meeting that hit a little deeper than expected. When his professor casually said, “Obviously, you’re a good writer,” it sparked an uncomfortable what-if:

If AI had written that assignment, who was the compliment actually for?

This episode dives into the quiet insecurities indie creatives carry: imposter syndrome, comparison traps, and the constant feeling that we need outside validation to prove we’re “good enough.” Terry talks honestly about why using AI to shortcut creative work can steal the very moments that reassure us of our own talent.

What He Talks About

• The grad school moment that triggered a creative identity check
• How AI-generated work can disrupt your relationship with your own artistry
• Why compliments matter—and why you deserve to believe them
• The unique pressures of being an indie creator
• How to use AI as a tool without letting it take ownership of your voice

Takeaway

Indie creatives already face so many reasons to doubt themselves. Don’t hand AI one more. Your work deserves to sound like you, and the praise you get along the way should belong to you, too.

Links & Extras

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Want to submit a question or topic idea? Email: press@starlightkingpress.com