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About Andrea Dietrich

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Andrea Dietrich grew up in Iowa and now resides in Utah with a spouse and two cats. She has two grown children and six grandchildren. Having graduated BYU with a Spanish major/ESL minor, she has spent most of her adult life teaching. It wasn't until 2000 that she began writing in earnest and discovering her "niche" as a writer of lyrical poetry. The internet opened up a new world for her, and she has spent two decades now participating in poetry clubs, acting as a judge of poetry contests for various magazines, for the website Shadow Poetry, and for Poetry Soup.

Ms. Dietrich has won numerous awards, as well as the title Poet of the Year 2008, from the Yahoo group, Poetry For Thought. In addition, she has won prizes from the magazines Lucidity, Bell's Letters, Art with Words, Poets at Work and SP Quill, the magazine for which she wrote grammar and poetry articles as well as movie reviews and for which she acted as poetry editor for the head editor Marie Summers for six years. Many of her poems appeared in Shadows Ink, a yearly published series of chapbooks of award winning poetry as well as in numerous other anthologies. Her short stories appeared in many issues of SP Quill and much of her poetry was published in eight chapbooks (no longer sold online).

Since coming to Poetry Soup, Ms. Dietrich has been both contest sponsor and winner of numerous contests. In 2010, her poem "Cinder Girl" was first place winner of Soup's International contest (these contests are no longer held). A song was created from her lyrics "Honeymoon Serenade" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDWxc4cpHDc) and two movies have been made featuring the poetry of Andrea Dietrich: "A Tale of Fire and Ice" (a 4 min. Z-Film Fest Project, 2014) and the full length movie "Six Days of Sistine" in which 20 poems of Ms. Dietrichs serve as the thoughts of two characters played by Jamie Campbell Bower and Elarica Johnson (directed by Richard J. Perry, 2019) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7710360/

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Need Advice on AI checkers/ Please don't enter my contests with AI

Blog Posted by Andrea Dietrich: 7/25/2025 9:27:00 AM

Apparently it's all on us contest sponsors now to determine if AI is used in our contests even though Soup supposedly prohibits its use. I did a quick google search. The three AI detectors I found needed you to sign up to use them (even though they said they were free). I am really bad with technology. Can anyone give me links to good AI checkers that don't make you sign up? Does such a thing even exist? Soup has a plagiarism checker. Why not for AI?

If I can't figure this stuff out, please don't blame me if you see AI winners in my contest. Right now I only know of one for sure who uses it. My desire is to be able to just have three good AI checkers to use when I am suspicious that it's being used, and I would eliminate poetry in my contests that shows greater than 80% Ai use across the board using the three checkers. Does that seem reasonable? Ugggg, I am feeling depressed about all of this.

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Eileen
Manassian

Date: 7/28/2025 1:53:00 AM

Andrea, thanks for sharing. Let contest sponsors do what they feel is right. As to peer evaluation, obviously, you'll pick a sponsor you think is a good wordsmith, someone whose opinion you trust. It's all a matter of choice. Checking every poem with 3 checkers is tedious work and would stop me from becoming a sponsor. Never sponsored a contest... never will, especially not if it involves all this hassle. I don't usually enter, but I find some prompts fascinating and might get more involved in entering them. So, good for you for your decision to use your judgement, which I trust because I know your caliber of writing...top notch. Plus, you're a language teacher to boot. You have my vote. :)

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 7/28/2025 7:40:00 AM

Thanks for this comment and for keeping to my topic. I appreciate your kindness. And I arrived at my own solution now, so I am just not going to sweat it. You are such a a dear, Eileen.

CayCay
Jennings

Date: 7/27/2025 3:27:00 PM

I just got hit with a terrifying thought, it sent chills up my spine: someday AI will host blogs deciding what to do about humans.

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 7/27/2025 7:05:00 PM

Good one, Caycay

Tom Woody
Date: 7/27/2025 5:40:00 PM

Buwahahaha. Love it

Abdullah
Alhemaidy

Date: 7/26/2025 4:49:00 PM

I do not recommend AI checkers, because, we solve problem by another problem. In contests, let us trust each other. That's my simple view.

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 7/26/2025 5:04:00 PM

I am coming to this realization. Also we can trust that OUR own work can be just as nice, if not better and more soulful, than AI poems. I hate knowing a few dishonest poets might make my winner lists, but these "winners" can take no real pride in their work. They are pathetic.

Andrea
Dietrich

Date: 7/26/2025 2:40:00 PM

To anyone coming here late and reading this blog and comments to it: I just tested one of my own poems on a checker. It put me at 100% AI. Also I have talked to at least three people who have told me the same thing happened to them when they checked their poetry against AI. Also I tried to use an AI checker that won't even work in my contest because the poems are too short. Another checker I can't get to work for me at all. Because of all these things, I have decided not to use AI checkers. If people are cheating, that's on their own conscience (if they even have one). I'll not discount someone because of AI checker. I'll just keep judging my contests as usual, hoping people will be honest. Furthermore, my blog evolved into something I never intended. to understand what, you need to read this entire thread.

Tom Woody
Date: 7/28/2025 4:16:00 PM

I love Andrea. We just disagree a lot lol

Charlotte Puddifoot
Date: 7/28/2025 2:32:00 PM

andrea, i have no gripe with you whatsoever, i was just addressing tom and responding to a couple of things he said below, nothing more, and my second comment was just a tongue-in-cheek jokey reply to what he said about experience, trying to lighten things a bit

Tom Woody
Date: 7/28/2025 5:01:00 AM

Yep

Charlotte Puddifoot
Date: 7/28/2025 2:35:00 AM

trouble is there's a lot of people experienced in cluelessness lol

Tom Woody
Date: 7/27/2025 6:13:00 PM

@ Charlotte something to consider: just because someone is clued up on the game of baseball and may even be an expert on the game doesn't necessarily mean they'd make a great manager, or even a decent umpire. Experience is the key

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 7/27/2025 6:02:00 PM

Sick of AI worries. Tom. Not sick of contests. AIAIO

Tom Woody
Date: 7/27/2025 5:45:00 PM

I'm the only one writing about problems with contests? Let me quote your last line of your admittedly angsty blog, "Ugggg. I am feeling depressed about all of this." Nuff said. G'night folks

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 7/27/2025 12:57:00 PM

And I have to add this about the judging. Is it always fair? Of course not. Are the judges totally qualified? That's not for us to say. It's the way Soup set it up with peer judging. There is no way it would work for superior judging here to be anonymous or done by a panel. Who would be that panel? Where would Soup find unbiased folks willing to judge nearly a hundred contests a month? If people complain, they almost always do it in private, not at blogs. If I ever have questions of a judge, I just soupmai and ask them, but people learn to accept judges' decisions and to know which contests to try to enter. Nobody here is equal. All have different fortes and weaknesses. What seems "contemporary quality" to some might seem "boring" to others. What seems "just ok" to some, could seem amazing to others. The more one practices a difficult form, the better chance they might have to improve in it. We are a diverse group. And here at Soup: It is what it is.

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 7/27/2025 12:23:00 PM

To Charlotte. Of course you are correct. I don't know why you felt the need to mention people being pressured to write a lot. I certainly would not pressure people to do that. i was simply responding that for many of us here, contests are for fun, to which Tom responded (if that is so. . )"why the angsty blogs whining constantly about problems associated with these contests?" Hardly anyone is writing angsty blogs about contests except Tom. Also, Tommy, I repeat, your expectations of Soup are unrealistic. That is why I called you a broken record. You never stop with all this.

Richard D Seal
Date: 7/27/2025 11:24:00 AM

Correct on both counts, thank you Charlotte

Charlotte Puddifoot
Date: 7/27/2025 10:49:00 AM

tom, i think anyone who is clued up on what constitutes good contemporary poetry and what is currently being published is capable of judging a contest on here..and i've seen criticism levelled at those who post infrequently, but nobody should feel pressured into posting numerous poems; the quality often suffers when people do so

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 7/27/2025 10:27:00 AM

Give it a rest. Just a broken record here

Tom Woody
Date: 7/27/2025 8:21:00 AM

The primary issue is not the inspiration or prompts they create, we could all agree that's a good thing. It's the judging, of course. Or to be more precise, the judges. Here's a fair analogy: in the school system educated,qualified teachers do the evaluating and grading. We would agree that's right and proper. We would not consider it right and proper for a fifth grader to eval and grade a tenth grader's essay. Now, if we say it doesn't matter and it's all just for fun, then why the angsty blogs whining constantly about problems associated with these contests? I could go on but it's all been said before. AI is just another issue on top of many others. For now, I'll play with the toys that are available until if/when changes come about

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 7/27/2025 8:04:00 AM

Let me revise what I said to you, Tommy. You don't write for many contests. That's why the contests should not concern you. It's as simple as that. And I try to post only one poem a day. Two or three if contests are closing out and I waited too long to enter them. I average one a day but write mainly on weekend and stockpile my poems to evenly post them throughout the week. I support limits on the number to be posted per day, but just like rules of AI usage, these rules fall on deaf ears, so this will never be a professional site. It is clearly a site for fun. Quit with the whining blogs about contests or just find one of these immaculate sites you want so much for this one to be.

Rob Carmack
Date: 7/27/2025 7:58:00 AM

Tom. Remember the scope of this site. This is not a professional poetry site. So the value of the site should be determined by its scope. One value may be writing hundreds of poems. I am not prolific either, but some of the contests have inspired me to write some poems. Granted, it is a tragedy when these poems don't place :), but I remain grateful for the inspiration.

Tom Woody
Date: 7/26/2025 7:28:00 PM

Peer sponsored contests and their inherent problems have spawned many, many angsty blogs over the years. In the end, they have no real value in the poetry world. Mine included. It's chasing after the wind. There's no real satisfaction. But for those who get off on them, God bless 'em. As for hardly writing, I have 100 poems posted in my two years here (7/19/23). That's roughly one per week or four per month. I don't think you understand that in the real poetry world folks aren't writing thousands of poems per year. Do you realize that if 100 new poems are posted by poets here each day that's 36,500 per year? Most never get read or commented on. PS is a repository for a huge amount of unread poetry. I find that terribly sad and I'll never allow anyone to make me feel ashamed because I'm not more prolific

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 7/26/2025 5:10:00 PM

Also, Tommy, you need to stop putting down the contests. They are FUN for those of us who enjoy them. I do mediocre work for the contests that do not interest me much, but I feel certain sponsors bring out the best in me and I LOVE that. Also you hardly write. Don't go spoiling things for the many who don't share your opinions.

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 7/26/2025 5:07:00 PM

I only used one checker on myself but just from talking with others, I think it is too time consuming to be worrying about a few poets who or may not actually be cheating. I can be as perfect as AI. I can be BETTER than AI but never in free verse haha.

Tom Woody
Date: 7/26/2025 3:19:00 PM

PS. another reason to eliminate arbitrary and meaningless peer sponsored contests. Jus sayin

Tom Woody
Date: 7/26/2025 3:18:00 PM

Ha! Now we know how you're able to crank those bad girls off so quickly. Press a button and... (kidding, not kidding)

Constance
La France

Date: 7/25/2025 6:16:00 PM

Andrea, here are some free AI detectors to use, Quilbot, Scribbr, GPTZero, JustDone, Sidekick, Phrasily, Originaly, you can get grammarily ai detector free but they are bugging you to join, same with a few others. Hope this helps. If I get a poem that shows AI I check on several detectors to verify. I think 80% is too high, less than 50% for me. The whole thing is making me heartbroken...

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 7/26/2025 3:01:00 PM

It's that checker, Constance, called Just Done that Suzette says puts her poems at 100% and it put mine that way too. At least do not trust that one.

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 7/26/2025 1:18:00 PM

OMG. it put a short one of mine at 100% for AI. I don't think it can be trusted, Constance.

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 7/26/2025 1:15:00 PM

oh wow, just used the GPTZero and it spotted 93% I think I will do one of my poems just as a test.

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 7/26/2025 1:11:00 PM

Suzette, I just checked on one of these that Constance gives, and it says there has to be 40 words to check it.

Suzette Richards
Date: 7/26/2025 11:51:00 AM

JustDone was one I had recommended in one of my blogs some time ago. But did update it with an edit as it marks almost every one of my poems even as far back as 10 years ago as 100% AI - which it obviously could not have been. I don't recommend it (for what it is worth).

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 7/25/2025 6:17:00 PM

yes, it sickens me, Constance. I will be trying to do this stuff, but only on poems I find suspicious. I just don't have time to run lots and lots of tests.

Jan
Allison

Date: 7/25/2025 3:59:00 PM

Good luck with trying to detect AI in any contests you sponsor Andrea, it is pointless saying please don't enter AI in my contests as we know some folk are totally dishonest, ignore the rules and tick it to say they wrote it themselves and post AI and plagiarised poetry on the site. Shame admin don't impose their rule about banning poets who post plagiarised poems. It is bringing the site into disrepute - no wonder poets are leaving or no longer active:-(

Jan Allison
Date: 7/26/2025 4:41:00 AM

yeah let back in again - it beggars belief!

Lin Lane
Date: 7/26/2025 2:45:00 AM

It’s been proven, the person banned and let back in.

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 7/25/2025 6:21:00 PM

yes, the least they could do is kick of the plagiarizers. That's super easy to prove. good grief.

Tania
Kitchin

Date: 7/25/2025 1:56:00 PM

Andrea, my advice is to use at least three detectors because some will show AI and it's not accurate and vice-versa. I usually check with 3 and if 2 out of 3 show AI at least 70 percent I won't place those poems. There are members as well due to AI use and plagiarism who I will not place in my contests. It is getting discouraging to sponsor contests and I am on the fence with continuing. I am also doing more on other sites where the admins are more responsive.

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 7/26/2025 9:47:00 AM

I have not really seen the poems in my contest yet. I only scanned to see five had not followed rules. I am aware of a few poets that use AI, so I will check those out if I figure out how. Normally everyone who follows rules places with me, but AI is a snag I haven't learned how to deal with

Suzette Richards
Date: 7/25/2025 9:41:00 PM

75% is still too high a cut off point as putting it through NOTEPAD will render it 50% AI per a detector. Better still, N/A it as you obviously don't like the poem. Since when must a sponsor give a reason for not placing a poem? Much ado about nothing (to quote Shakespeare).

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 7/25/2025 6:20:00 PM

I do only one contest a month, all that I can handle. I will go with the 70% like you suggested if I use the checkers. thanks.

Suzette Richards
Date: 7/25/2025 2:46:00 PM

I'm of the same mind, Tania. I used two independent diagnostic programmes as AI detectors are unreliable. But why go to all that trouble to only be able to keep the contests going? I can do without the extra responsibility and time wasted, not to mention the data it chews like sweeties ...

Chetta
Achara

Date: 7/25/2025 12:28:00 PM

I use these three and I do not have to sign in to use them. I just go to the page and paste what I want to check into the box and click the check text box. I ignore any sign in or create account or upload program prompts. Both quillbot and scribber say 100% on the ai text I use, and 0% on the text I have written myself. Gramercy says 75% on the ai generated, and 0% on my own written text. https://www.scribbr.com/ai-detector/ https://quillbot.com/ai-content-detector https://www.grammarly.com/ai-detector

Tom Woody
Date: 7/25/2025 4:50:00 PM

AIAIAOOOO

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 7/25/2025 12:40:00 PM

maybe I am doing it right then. A person I suspected was using AI , all I was getting was 0% and I thought maybe I needed to download something. I guess this person is not cheating like i thought they were, but their poetry seems so improved over when they started here. That's why I feel confused.

Rob
Carmack

Date: 7/25/2025 12:21:00 PM

AI has made hosting a contest a real science project. Running every poem through three checkers and hoping there are no false positives. It would be nice if the site would automatically check a poem when it was entered in a contest, or, an option in which a poet/poetess could have their poems 'authorized AI free'. Once it has been authorized, a symbol would be placed after the last line of the poem. This would still be prone to problems, but it would take the burden off the host.

Suzette Richards
Date: 7/26/2025 12:52:00 AM

I meant "3 strikes and out" of being allowed to enter contests. It was once suggested that contests are limited to Premier Members, but that would not solve the problem, especially with plagiarism ... Oh, well ... A solution will present itself if we step away from the problem.

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 7/25/2025 6:19:00 PM

I like that idea you gave second, Suzette about the panel of judges to ask help of. and three strikes you are out. But will Soup want to lose the money from these members?? hmmm

Rob Carmack
Date: 7/25/2025 5:30:00 PM

Suzette - Good point concerning potential litigation. I think there is some policing already happening. I found today that a suspect placement in one of my contests this year has disappeared. Andrea, I do believe that eventually this is all futile, but we can go out fighting. What is happening here and in music will eventually happen with everything. We should never have created AI, but our species always plays the fool.

Suzette Richards
Date: 7/25/2025 1:17:00 PM

That brings me to another thought: If we can set up a panel of judges where sponsors could refer "trouble cases" to. Obviously not check each and every contest entry - that is daft - only check your shortlist (eg, top 10), and if unsure about one or two ... Then, 3 strikes and they would be banned from entering contests ... seeing as PS seems reluctant to act as they might be sued for incorrectly deleting an account ... But we need to do something to protect the integrity of the contests and take the heat off the sponsors - there are far more accurate checkers out there than the AI detectors (which are not 100% accurate).

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 7/25/2025 12:46:00 PM

the problem with that is that I am hearing of my friends trying out their own poems to see what AI says, and sometimes different AI checkers are saying 60% AI or 75%, stuff like that. I have not tried running any of my own. Anyway, Soup would have to have the 3 AI checkers in place that would automatically say a poet had "passed" the test (but at what percentage?) And what if poets like friends of mine who told me their poems were sometimes saying were AI were not able to enter because of this? I see no way out of this hell hole.

Suzette Richards
Date: 7/25/2025 12:34:00 PM

Ah, I like this idea, Rob. A bit like a pre-approval bond before buying a house.

Suzette
Richards

Date: 7/25/2025 9:38:00 AM

Free AI Checkers that actually work: Scribbr, QuillBot, GPTZero. And I have the cut off point as 50% because a 100% AI-generated poem that is filtered through NOTEPAD will only score 50% on an AI checker (see my blog, Blasphemy). Our best bet is still our own mind. :)

Constance La France
Date: 7/25/2025 6:28:00 PM

Andrea, I believe that if a poem is checked for punctuation, spelling etc using AI it will come back as an AI poem, and AI does not like overused phrases and words, so that is why I use several detectors, it takes no more time than checking for syllables once you have your detectors in place, and for example if I use 4 detetors and 3 say human and 1 says AI. I will go with the human. If I check on 6 detectors and 5 say AI, well I consider it AI ~

Suzette Richards
Date: 7/25/2025 1:04:00 PM

soup mail

Suzette Richards
Date: 7/25/2025 12:54:00 PM

As I mentioned some time ago: When a text has been corrected using, for example, Grammarly.com, it will not render it AI-generated. See my blog, Judging Guide for Sponsors. It highlights the points that a detector would regularly be alerted to.

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 7/25/2025 12:50:00 PM

Of course, but then someone inevitably comes along saying "Oh, don't you realize you just congratulated a winner who used AI?" So honestly, I can't always tell the difference. I just find it highly suspicious when someone who writes with bad grammar and punctuation is suddenly writing perfect poetry. I suppose there is nothing wrong with checking one's grammar and punctuation with AI, but do AI detectors take those things into consideration when telling us if a poem is AI or not?

Suzette Richards
Date: 7/25/2025 12:36:00 PM

The best AI detector is still your own brain. :)

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 7/25/2025 10:33:00 AM

So I just now tried your first one. But it says 0% and underneath it says " Get Grammarly" So I have to upload first to use it? this is how ignorant I am on all this new stuff, Suzette. I am afraid to upload (download) things because I keep getting viruses. I don't know what the heck I am doing. I just wish it was the year 2010 again and life was still cool but not so techno. Maybe one of my grandkids can help me later. Thanks.

Kim
Rodrigues

Date: 7/25/2025 9:35:00 AM

See, that is the problem. Sponsoring a contest should be fun. I don’t want anyone to be mad at me if an AI poem ends up on the list. I don’t want people entering with AI either! Andrea, I for one support you. Nobody should have to worry about this. Hugs ~ Kim

Andrea Dietrich
Date: 7/25/2025 10:28:00 AM

well, Someone emailed me the name of one that they said is easy to use and free but then it was asking me what plan I wanted (paid) and should I add it as an extension of Chrome. Frankly, I am illiterate on these technological things. If I can't figure out how to use the ones Suzette has shown me, I guess people will just have to lump it if they see I am giving wins to AI poems. I could swear I am seeing poems that look like AI in several recent contests, but what do I know?

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Need Advice on AI checkers/ Please don't enter my contests with AI

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