J.D. Cunegan

My stance on generative AI is clear. As is the fact that I’ve long been a supporter of National Novel Writing Month.

No more.

NaNoWriMo has picked up ProWritingAid as a sponsor, and as such, has released a statement outlining its opinion on generative AI. It’s… not pretty. What begins as an attempt to “play it down the middle” devolves into a wrong-headed and insulting attempt to paint AI critics as “classist” and “ableist.”

They claim to support “the humans doing the writing,” but NaNoWriMo’s refusal to condemn generative AI runs counter to that. Even worse is the organization’s misguided and heavy-handed finger wagging at those of us who are sounding the alarm.

For an organization that has long acted as a champion for creatives to “both-sides” generative AI is disappointing and enough for writers like myself to walk away. Disagreeing with AI critics is one thing; to accuse them of being classist and ableist is something else entirely, and I cannot abide the insult.

The challenge of writing 50,000 words in 30 days is one of the most exhilarating things I’ve ever done. But if the organization behind it is now fine with ChatGPT churning out a “manuscript” out of some bullshit commitment to “nondiscrimination,” then how NaNoWriMo truly feels about writers is clear.

Our response should be just as clear: walk away.

Because here’s a secret: you can still write 50,000 words in 30 days without NaNoWriMo. You just… do it. But we don’t need NaNoWriMo anymore.

They’ve made that clear.

About J.D. Cunegan
J.D. Cunegan is known for his unique writing style, a mixture of murder mystery and superhero epic that introduces the reader to his comic book-inspired storytelling and fast-paced prose. A 2006 graduate of Old Dominion University, Cunegan has an extensive background in journalism, a lengthy career in media relations, and a lifelong love for writing. Cunegan lives in Hampton, Virginia, and next to books and art, his big passion in life in auto racing. When not hunched in front of a keyboard or with his nose stuck in a book, Cunegan can probably be found at a race track or watching a race on TV.

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