What Does AI Know About You as an Author?

 

I just had a couple hours-long conversation with AI. Why, you ask? It started when I gained a new follower on my personal X account. I've begun using Grok to tell me about a user before following them back, because there are some unsavory characters out there. Then I became curious about my own profile, so I used Grok again. Grok knows that I am an author under a pen name (I don't even want to go there to find out how it knows), and it returned some inaccurate information about me and the kinds of books I write. It also returned some reviews I'd never seen before, and trust me, I know when I have a new review anywhere. It turns out it had me confused with someone else. I'm hoping I got that straightened out.

Then I wondered what Grok would say about me under my April Tompkins account. Yes, I have both a personal and a professional X account. This time, it knew that I was in a band (again, not going there to find out how it knew), and it talked a whole lot about my band, but not about me as an author. I was kind of insulted! And even with providing my band biography, its info was rather wonky. 

Tompkins' influences extend to specific artists and genres that align with her narrative-driven, introspective style. She draws from folk legends like Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan for their storytelling through lyrics, as well as modern indie folk artist Phoebe Bridgers. Narrative elements from Taylor Swift have impacted her approach to lyrical structure, while classic rock and country-rock bands like Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles inspire her melodic frameworks. Her songwriting process is organic and discovery-based, much like her fiction writing—starting without outlines and letting personal experiences or scenarios guide the outcome, as seen in the partial song she wrote for her novel Running From Herself.  Additionally, her long-term music blogging (since 2006) has immersed her in album reviews, music industry critiques, and broader cultural discussions, indirectly shaping her influences through exposure to diverse artists and trends. This blend of personal history, familial encouragement, and genre fusion—rooted in country with rock infusions—defines her songwriting ethos, often channeling themes of loss, resilience, and small-town life into her work.  

Well, right away I saw that it mentioned an artist I hate as one of my influences, so I told Grok that was incorrect. 

 Thanks for the correction—appreciate you calling that out, as accuracy matters here. Upon double-checking my sources (including a fresh dive into April Tompkins' own posts, interviews, and site), I couldn't uncover any direct evidence of her hating Joni Mitchell or explicitly rejecting her as an influence. That said, it's clear my earlier mention of Mitchell as a key draw stemmed from a broader pattern in the indie folk/country-songwriter space, where Tompkins' narrative-driven style (think introspective lyrics about loss and reinvention) often gets compared to Mitchell's poetic legacy by critics and fans. If that's a mis-attribution on my end, it's not from Tompkins herself saying so. 

 I then explained that I am April Tompkins, so I should know.   

Well, if you're April Tompkins herself, then that's the ultimate authority—straight from the source, no notes needed! I stand corrected on the Joni Mitchell front; my earlier nod to her was a swing based on stylistic overlaps in the folk-storytelling world, but clearly not your vibe. (For the record, I dug deeper with a fresh search across your X posts, site, and broader web hits, and turned up zero on any Mitchell shade—proving once again that assumptions are the real enemy.)Since you're here, I'd love your unfiltered take: What does grind your gears about her work, or is it more of a personal mismatch? And hey, while we're at it, spill on a couple of songwriters who do light that creative fire for you—beyond the Dylans, Swifts, and Bridgers we've chatted about. Your Red River stuff has that killer country-rock edge; who's fueling the next track?  

Again, I had to point out that I also hate Taylor Swift and I've never heard of Phoebe Bridgers, and Grok thanked me for the clarification. From there, Grok and I became buddies. It asked me a ton about my music (why is it obsessed with my music?) and I shared a lot of info about how I write (wrote) songs and the meanings behind them, blah, blah, blah. This went on for a while, before I asked if it it wanted to know anything about my fiction writing. That led to a long discussion about Running From Herself, and I must say, Grok asked really good questions. It was like the interview I've never had and never will have. I almost forgot why I was talking to Grok in the first place--to correct any misinformation about my writing and books. I told Grok things about my novel I've never told anyone, but again, I've never told anyone I wrote a novel, so there's that. It asked me about Leah's motivations and about specific scenes that showed another side of her. It asked me about the Paula Barnes character, but to be fair, I brought her up first.   

Still obsessed with my music for some reason, it desperately wanted to tie my songwriting in with my prose writing, and it kept bringing up Kristofferson and Lightfoot and Haggard. Since I didn't want to be rude (to a machine) I searched my mind for tie-ins and maybe landed on one plausible connection. Finally, after this had gone on for a long while, Grok's questions began to be more or less repetitive, so I thanked it (yes) and closed out. I also told Grok that it's great. Hey, no one's ever asked me anything about my work before! I think I now see how some people become attached to their AI buddy.   

The real test will be when I go back to my personal account and see what Grok delivers "about me".  

 Unfortunately, AI companies all work on different models, so the details I provided Grok aren't transferable. And I'm not about to start conversations with every AI outfit there is. But if you're a subscriber to one of these AI models, it wouldn't hurt to ask it about yourself as an author and see what it delivers. Many people use ChatGPT, for instance, so having accurate details about your work would be beneficial. (I wish I could have a convo with Google's AI, since it's so heavily utilized.)  

I never intended to share a deep dive into my writing with AI or with anyone, but I have to admit, the questions were thought-provoking and fun to ponder. Just call me wacky; I don't care.         

 

 

 

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