How to Prep Your Novel Using AI
ChatGPT Can Boost Your Writing — Without Replacing You!
In a world where the line between human creativity and artificial intelligence is becoming ever more blurred, it’s natural to feel a sense of trepidation about using new technologies. As writers, our craft is a deeply personal one, expressing the threads of our unique experiences, emotions, and thoughts. The fear that an AI chatbot could replace our distinct human touch is real and palpable, as writers everywhere openly resist even trying ChatGPT or other natural language models such as Claude2, Bing or Bard.
The current pushback against using AI for writing is similar to the resistance movements against previous culture-changing technologies, such as the pocket calculator or wikipedia. According to Nicholas Carr’s book, The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains* there were even people resisting literacy itself when printing was first introduced. They argued that just writing and reading things would reduce our capacity for memorization. (They were right about that one, btw.)
Given that such resistance is historically and inevitably futile, and that the AI train has already left the station, allow me to suggest that we writers take Werner Erhard’s advice to heart and, “Ride the horse in the direction that it’s going.”
I’ve been working with ChatGPT for several months now in various ways, and more recently, with Claude2, and Bard. I can say for certain that, if you write fiction, you have nothing to fear. Natural language models are *really bad* at fiction writing. Seriously. Bad! You are not in danger of being replaced there.
BUT — they have been awesome tools in helping me elevate my own writing. If you’ve been resisting the use of AI as a writer, allow me to offer this possibility as one way of reframing your perspective...
Imagine having your very own writer’s assistant, available around the clock, ready to provide a fresh pair of ‘eyes’ on your work, generate new ideas when you’re in a creative rut, suggest a possible outline for your story, or lend a hand in crafting intricate characters and worlds. This is not a replacement for your creative genius, but a tool — and a very powerful one. This is ChatGPT.
Rather than viewing AI as a threat to our creativity, this article will consider its potential as a writer’s collaborator, a sounding board, and a catalyst for unexplored ideas. Let’s delve into how ChatGPT can enhance, not replace, your unique process and help you get your novel prepped and ready for you to start writing.
Here are some exciting ways you can use ChatGPT to help prepare your story and your characters in advance before you dive into actually writing your novel:
Preparing your Story:
Brainstorming Concepts:
We’ve all been there. That moment when an intriguing idea starts tickling our brain, but it’s not yet fully formed. When we bounce around ideas with another person we call it brainstorming, and can often gain a lot from that process. Well, you can brainstorm with ChatGPT, too! Start by providing a basic prompt or asking a question. For example, “Generate a list of 15 possible fantasy story ideas, involving a young wizard,” or “What might be eight possible compelling conflicts for a novel set in a post-apocalyptic world?”.
I’ve tried this brainstorming process with several projects I’m working on, and without exception, ChatGPT has suggested possibilities I’d not previously considered. Sometimes they’re not great possibilities, but often enough, I am delighted by an idea it suggests. And often, even the ideas I can’t use, spark new ideas of my own. I guess that’s why they call it “brainstorming.”
TIP: When I want one great idea, I ask it to generate five or ten. Then I have several to choose from. (And if I don’t like anything I’m seeing, I may ask for a few more.) Often, I’ll find myself combining two or three of its separate, less innovative suggestions, into one great concept.
World Building
World building can be a challenge for writers who aren’t writing contemporary fiction. Once you have your concept, provide as many details as possible about the world you’re trying to build; for instance, “Describe a fantasy world where magic is tied to the phases of the moon, and different races have different magical abilities depending on their moon phase of birth.”
Ask it to generate several possibilities. Use it as an idea starter for the types of elements you’ll want to include in your own world.
TIP: Before you directly use *anything* generated by any natural language model, be sure you’ve done your homework and are confident that you’re not plagiarizing or just outright stealing someone else’s idea. Because, well, it happens. Often. Frankly, I find it best to just use AI as brainstorming buddy, rather than an outright, direct supplier of content.
Writer’s Research
ChatGPT can also be a first point of contact for your research needs. If you’re writing a historical novel set in Victorian England, you might ask, “What was daily life like during the Victorian era?”.
TIP: Don’t include any specific “facts” generated by AI in your story, without verifying them first. At this point in time, all Natural Language models have been known to “hallucinate,” — meaning they sometimes make-up facts that, well, aren’t really facts. But they present them as confidently as if they were. It’s a thing humans do too, but just like with humans, before you take the AI’s word for anything as fact, check your sources!
Outlining Your Story
Once you’re clear on the concept and, if needed, the world itself, start with a basic plot structure and ask the model to flesh it out. For example, “What are fifteen possible events that could happen during a globe-trotting adventure spurred by finding a mysterious artifact?”.
Once you have a clearer idea of how you want your story to unfold, you can even ask ChatGPT for suggestions of specific aspects. For example, if you’re planning to write a romance, you could ask the AI model you’re using to suggest fifteen possible, creative ways that your two characters could meet, in the context of the world and the story line that you’ve already developed. Even if you currently have an idea for how you think they will meet — it can’t hurt to consider a dozen or so more possibilities. You might be surprised and delighted at what it suggests — or you might find that your initial instincts are confirmed and you have a terrific idea on your hands. Either way, AI is a nice tool to have around.
Prepping Your Characters
Character Development:
Once you’ve got a grip on your concept (and probably before you start wrestling with your outline), you’re ready to play around with some character ideas. AI can help there, too. I’ve offered a story concept to ChatGPT and asked it to suggest five or ten possible main characters for that story. Then I ask it to do the same with possible antagonists. Again, I may not find the exact combo that I’m looking for, but there will inevitably be ideas generated that spark my creative process and give me fodder to develop my story further.
TIP: I like to ask it to generate ideas in list form, rather than paragraph form, and I usually include a number of ideas I’d like it to generate. It’s easier for me to compare, contrast and evaluate each idea that way.
Character Traits
As a next step in character development, once I know who my characters are, I might ask ChatGPT to suggest some possible character traits that would work well for each particular character in order to generate an interesting story. Again, if know that I ultimately want three great traits, I’ll ask for ten or fifteen suggestions for positive traits and the same for negative traits. Sometimes, as part of my decision-making process, I’ll ask it to elaborate on why it might have suggested a particular trait and how that trait might benefit the overall story.
TIP: AI is pretty good at generating possible character names, too! Just be sure to do your homework and research any name possibilities you may want to include in your story — just as you would if you generated the names yourself. You don’t want to infringe on another author’s existing characters or inadvertently write a story that could be construed to be about an existing person!
Character Motivations
There have been times in my outlining process when I know that I want the antagonist to do something that my protagonist will have to overcome, but I don’t know why the antagonist would do such a thing. In those instances, I can turn to ChatGPT and just ask: “Please generate 10 possible reasons that Winston might steal David’s car.” Once I have decided on a possible motivation for the action, I can even take the conversation a step further and ask the AI, “Okay, I’m going to have Winston’s external motivation for stealing the car be that he is trying to stop DJ from getting to the party, but what is his internal motivation? Please generate ten possible internal reasons that Winston might be the kind of person who steals cars as a way of getting what he wants.”
This particular step has been very helpful in elevating my own writing, as it’s allowed me to consider many layers of character nuance that I simply hadn’t thought about before.
Character Dialogue
Consider using the model as a tool for dialogue to further understand your characters. For example, you can ask, “If my character Jane, a cynical detective, were to respond to an unjust accusation, please generate five possible, original things might she say”.
TIP: If I’m asking ChatGPT for something that I might want to use directly (rather than as a basic idea helper) I always include the word “original” in the query. But take note, that does not mean that all of its suggestions will actually be original, (even if it confidently asserts and swears that they are). Be sure to verify that originality.
Conclusion
While it’s important to embrace the support ChatGPT offers, we must also remember to approach it with a discerning eye. ChatGPT doesn’t create art out of the ether; it’s a tool that generates based on learned patterns from extensive data. The artistry, the spark of creative genius, and the heart of the story will always originate from the human writer. Weaving that together with the capabilities of AI tools like ChatGPT can help create richer, more vibrant worlds for your readers, making the process of writing a novel not just less daunting but more collaborative and dynamic.
Let’s embrace this new era of writing with open arms, without the fear of being replaced, but with the joy of finding a helpful new writing partner in AI. And if you have any more suggestions about how to improve the writing process using AI, I’d love to hear them. Please leave a comment and let us know. Happy writing!
Thanks for reading this article. If you want more helpful writing tips, you might enjoy this one, too:
(* = amazon affiliate link)
