Creating another Supporting Characters Set with ChatGPT
Write a Novel with me using ChatGPT — Part 6!
In yesterday’s installment, I developed my A-Story set of characters, including two helper characters and a co-antagonist for my horror novel.
Now, I’ll dive right in and create a set of B-Story characters along with portraits to help my protagonist fix that nasty shard of glass
Here are the characters we have so far:
B-Story Characters
Those characters are linked to the internal conflict. While they are not directly involved in the main conflict, their presence and support are there to heal the shard of glass at the center of the protagonist. They enrich the main storyline and are a great tool to make an otherwise unlikeable main character likeable.
- Daniel Carter introduces a romantic subplot and serves as a supportive ally to Emily. His role as a journalist adds a different dimension to the unraveling of the mill’s secrets and offers a potential for personal growth and connection for Emily.
- Rebecca “Becky” Saunders offers a social and emotional support system. Her café acts as a central meeting point, facilitating interactions and discussions that might not happen in the main storyline but are crucial for character development and exposition. She is Emily’s exact opposite: bubbly, sociable and happy.
- Lucas Grant introduces a subplot involving the future of the mill, providing a counterpoint to Emily’s focus on the past. His intentions to redevelop the mill add urgency to Emily’s quest to uncover its history and defeat the malevolent spirit.
Additional Character:
- Sarah Richardson (Emily’s late sister)
- Age: Would have been 25
- Description: She bore a striking resemblance to Emily but with softer features and a happy, carefree attitude.
- Occupation: Elementary school student (at the time of her passing).
- Link to Conflict: Sarah’s memory and the circumstances of her death are a driving force in Emily’s personal journey and her connection to the theme of the story.
Since I am happy with this set of character, I won’t change anything. I also like that Becky and Sarah (protagonist’s deceased sister) are approximately the same age and I will give them similar personalities.
Also, because everyone likes a good portrait and writers are no different, I will be asking DALL.E to produce a portrait for each of these characters for future reference.
Daniel Carter
Age: 30
Description: Athletic build, short sandy hair, and an easy smile. He has a casual, laid-back style and friendly green eyes.
Occupation: Local journalist and photographer.
Link to Conflict: Dan is intrigued by Emily’s research and offers to help, seeing it as a potential story. Their partnership in uncovering the town’s secrets deepens into a romantic attraction. His presence and the budding romance between them will drive Emily to open up and give up her otherwise lonely life, thus healing her shard of glass.
Becky Saunders
Age: 26
Description: Petite and lively, with short pixie-cut blonde hair and expressive blue eyes. She has an energetic, upbeat personality.
Occupation: Café owner and barista.
Link to Conflict: Becky provides a social hub for Emily and Dan, offering insights into the town’s community and gossip. She’s a supportive friend to Emily.
Lucas Grant
Age: 35
Description: Medium height, slim, with meticulously styled black hair and a constant, calculating gaze. He dresses sharply.
Occupation: Local real estate agent.
Link to Conflict: Lucas is interested in purchasing and redeveloping the mill, which puts him at odds with Emily’s desire to preserve its history.
Sarah Richardson (Emily’s late sister)
Age: 11 at the time of her death, would have been 25 at start of story
Description: She bore a striking resemblance to Emily but with softer features and a bubbly, carefree demeanor.
Occupation: 6th grade student at the time of her passing, she is now a ghost in Emily’s mind and perhaps also in the story.
Link to Conflict: Sarah’s memory and the circumstances of her death are a driving force in Emily’s life and her connection to the mill’s history as well as her personal connection to the theme of the story.
Conclusion
So, for the first time since the beginning of this experiment I must say I am starting to see the limits of AI in terms of real creativity. It took be over 50 tries to get the portrait of a real estate agent with the description entered and no matter how many times I asked, changed parts of the description or even gave the bot a reference image to work with, it seemed to go back to this generic handsome version of a man. There’s also a number of small imperfection in those images, and it seems like the bot circled around instead of fixing them when I asked it to.
It’s fine, because those images are for reference only, but it shows that true imagination resides in the mind of humans, not computers. I’m sure I could dive more deeply into AI art and produce images that are true to what my mind sees, but this is not the purpose of this experiment.
This sums up all the important characters in my novel. In the next installment, I will be using ChatGPT and DALL.E to refine the monster of my story and create a believable setting.
