The AI tsunami has hit every arena of human endeavor, so it’s no surprise that AI has also worked its way into the field of writing. Some people have apparently succumbed to its siren call and now allow AI bots to compose their emails, their work documents and even the birthday cards they send (okay, I made that last one up, but would you be surprised?).

Many creative writers are naturally concerned that AI bots will whisk them right out of a job (or at least an obsessive pastime). Now writer and writing guru Jane K. Cleland has penned a book entitled Beat the Bots – A Writer’s Guide to Surviving and Thriving in the Age of AI (Regalo Press, 2025). This book will lay to rest the worries of writers as it proves that AI is no match for the creativity contained by the human cranium.

While it might seem that Beat the Bots is focused solely on stratagems for countering AI, it is very much more than that. This is a book that not only shows that AI has feet of clay when plotting plots and characterizing characters, Beat the Bots also provides writers with a fantastic framework for storytelling. You could ignore Cleland’s points about AI and read this book solely as a set of ideas and guidelines for writing a great novel. From finding your voice to plotting to characterization to maintaining suspense to devising gripping angles for conflict that pushes a story forward, Beat the Bots is one of the best “story bibles” out there.

So, if you’re worried about AI eating your proverbial lunch, pick up a copy of Beat the Bots and let Clelend assure you that your gray matter can beat any AI’s trite confabulation.