Brave New Bookshelf Episode 56: How AI Bridges the Accessibility Gap in Writing with Lorna Mackie

AI is opening the door for more writers than ever, and this week’s Brave New Bookshelf dives into exactly how.

In episode 56, hosts Steph Pajonas and Danica Favorite talk with author and strategist Lorna Mackie, who brings a powerful message about using AI to support accessibility, creativity, and sustainable writing habits.

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Meet Lorna Mackie, Author and Accessibility Advocate

Lorna blends two decades of experience in technology with her work in the disability sector in Australia. As an author managing a chronic autoimmune condition, she understands how challenging creative work can be when energy and focus fluctuate. Brain fog, fatigue and decision overload can all create barriers that many writers never talk about.

Her background in tech introduced her to AI early, and she quickly saw how these tools could remove cognitive strain, help writers conserve energy, and make creativity more enjoyable. She describes her philosophy as a “human at the center” approach. Technology exists to empower the creator and support their vision.

AI as a Tool for Accessibility and Joy

Lorna explained that AI helps eliminate the heavy mental lift that often stops writers before they begin. For authors working through chronic illness or neurodivergence, the blank page can be a major obstacle. AI becomes a constant brainstorming partner, helping writers move past the hardest parts and reconnect with the joy of storytelling.

Her approach is simple:

• Love the parts of writing that spark creativity.
• Outsource the parts that drain energy or create friction.

For Lorna this looks like:

What she enjoys
Character creation, worldbuilding, storytelling.

What she delegates with AI
Marketing copy, ads analysis, cover concepts, administrative work.

She still spends roughly 400 hours on every book. The difference is that her process is smoother, her manuscripts are cleaner, and her collaboration with her human editor is more productive.

Lorna’s AI Powered Workflow

Lorna uses a toolkit of AI platforms that each play a clear role in her writing and publishing process.

Brainstorming and Outlining
She starts in Novelcrafter and chats with Claude (Sonnet or Opus) to explore concepts, outline plots, and build her series codex.

Drafting and Editing
She drafts chapter by chapter, sometimes writing the first version herself and sometimes letting AI produce a rough pass that she edits.

Developmental Review
Before sending anything to her editor, she uses Pro Writing Aid’s manuscript analysis to identify gaps or structural issues.

Marketing Support
After finishing the book, she starts a new Claude chat and shares the full manuscript to generate blurbs, ad copy, positioning suggestions, and cover trends.

AI for Author Expansion and Creativity

AI has also allowed Lorna to take her author brand in new directions that were once too time consuming or expensive.

• Audio narration with Eleven Labs for episodic YouTube content.
• Series bibles using NotebookLM to manage continuity across books.
• Video trailers through Midjourney Video to create short promotional clips.

Debunking the Idea That AI Makes Writers Less Authentic

One of Lorna’s strongest messages is that using AI does not make anyone less of an author. Instead, AI becomes a catalyst for inclusion. She compared this moment to the rise of digital cameras and indie publishing, which opened the industry to countless new creators. She believes AI will have the same transformative impact by giving more people the ability to write despite physical or cognitive limitations.

Lorna’s Recommended Tools

• Novelcrafter: Her go-to for end-to-end project management, from outlining to drafting.
• Claude: Her first-choice LLM for brainstorming, analysis, and marketing copy.
• Ideogram: Her preferred image generator for creating marketing assets and cover concepts, especially for her spicy sci-fi genre.
• Pro Writing Aid: Used for its powerful manuscript analysis tools.
• Eleven Labs: For creating high-quality AI audio narration.
• NotebookLM: Essential for maintaining a detailed and easily searchable series bible.

Key Takeaways

• AI supports accessibility and helps reduce cognitive load.
• Writers should focus on what brings them joy and let AI assist with the rest.
• AI improves quality as well as efficiency.
• The right mix of tools can transform the writing process.
• Authors remain the creative directors. AI amplifies human storytelling, it does not replace it.
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