also, so far, I don't like the way it writes yet. I don't care how many newsmagazine reporters lose their shit that a robot knows who Raymond Carver is. (I agree that we could get to a point where the ethical/metaphysical issues become more intense but to me...maybe we're getting a look at what's in the monkeys-with-typewriters' wastebaskets.) It's just, sort of off. Like a fake phishing e-mail from the bank that almost has you going, but then, mis-spells your name or is all crooked. It's not like I'm some kerning expert, but they get to a point where I think "No bank would send things that look like this."

cereal: Kind of a disembodied feeling to write something, set it somewhere you've never been as a lark and then need research when you don't even know if anyone will read it but you.

Looking for a synonym for "punking out" that isn't homophobic, but not as bucolic as "chickening out" I could just go with "being a coward", I guess, but I'm kind of hoping someone here has something cooler for me.

Hmmmm.

Wimp out. Duck out. Wave off. Turn tail. Tuck tail and run. Flee. Scamper. Scuttle off. Collapse. Flinch. Cringe. Avoid and evade.

OK, some decent options...not sure which I, or my character, might spark to, but I have some time to think about it.(I think it's hard to do submissions in August.)

I've been catching up on One Story's craft lecture series(so far a decent value) and today's installment was writing about objects, so I picked one that's kind of defining. [link]