I Used Notion’s AI To Outline My Novel and It Changed The Way I Write
How a few minutes with an AI bot changed my storytelling life
I was a hesitant adopter of any sort of AI bot. I’m a firm believer in authenticity and creativity that comes from the heart — not a bot knowing the ins and outs of the formulas we use.
“All good ideas start out as bad ideas, that’s why it takes so long.” — Steven Spielberg
However, once I saw more and more people using it as a tool, I got curious and decided to try the Notion AI bot as an assistant writer for my novel. I’ve been in limbo for a while, stuck between the story I have and the story I want to have.
This is the book I’ve been working on since my freshman year of high school — safe to say, seven years later, I need some fresh ideas.
So here’s how it went…
Step #1: I gave the bot what I had
Having a bot tell me my story back to me was incredibly helpful — more than I thought it was gonna be.
While what it gave back to me was incredibly cheesy and simple, it was cool to hear it in other words, simplified down to what sounds like a back cover or a movie description.
“In the end, Reese was faced with a difficult decision when her biological father offered to take her back after having given up his rights. Despite the temptation to return to her old life, Reese looked him in the eye and firmly said no. She knew that she was meant to be with her new family, the ones who had loved and supported her through everything.
And so, Reese continued to grow and thrive, living each day with hope and determination. She knew that her journey wasn’t over yet, but she was excited to see where it would take her next.”
Oftentimes, in the middle of writing our stories, it’s hard to believe that anyone else will ever care for our characters as we do. We get stuck in the wormhole of writing a story and fear it won’t ever see the light of day.
“One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.”
— Jack Kerouac, The Dharma Bums
I found it really helpful to have the AI bot give back to me a summary of my story, adding notes here and there about where it could go. It reminded me of how real the story is to me, and how real it could be to others when I get the chance to share it one day.
Step #2: I let it help me flesh out my characters
This was the help I didn’t know I needed. After writing the same characters for so many years with so many minor adaptations over time, it was helpful to have a finalized character list that didn’t take hours and hours to write down.
Respect your characters, even the minor ones. In art, as in life, everyone is the hero of their own particular story; it is worth thinking about what your minor characters’ stories are, even though they may intersect only slightly with your protagonist’s. ― Sarah Waters
I simply gave the important details and the AI went to work. Here’s what it gave me for the foster parent in the story:
“Philip is a foster parent who works as an emergency room doctor. He has a kind and gentle demeanor, which makes him a natural caregiver. Philip has a special talent for connecting with children who have experienced trauma, and he is able to create a safe and supportive environment for them to heal.
Despite the long hours he spends at the hospital, Philip is always there for his foster children when they need him. He is patient, understanding, and willing to listen to their concerns. In his free time, Philip enjoys spending time with his foster children, taking them on adventures and exploring new places together. He is a firm believer in the power of family, and he works hard to create a sense of belonging and love in his home.
Overall, Philip is a compassionate and dedicated foster parent who is committed to making a difference in the lives of the children in his care.”
Suddenly, he feels like a real person and not just someone I made up in my head. I was also able to ask the AI to write a scenario where Philip went through something difficult, and it continued on, in character, telling me more about him and what he might go through on a given day.
While I wouldn’t use such a canned scenario for my story, it was a helpful example to base another scene on.
Using the AI helped me see this character as the “real person” in my mind that I know and love — and I can already tell it will help me flesh him out on the page and throughout the story at large.
Step #3: I used it to help me fill in the gaps and flesh out my outline
Through messing around with the AI tool, I found some really helpful methods that allow me to quickly work through my writer’s block and find some new ideas and strategies for advancing my story forward.
“A word after a word after a word is power.”
— Margaret Atwood
I simply asked, “How do I make my story more interesting?” and the AI delivered.
“One way to make your story more interesting is to add more conflict and tension. For example, you could introduce a new character who challenges Reese and her friends in unexpected ways, or you could have Reese face even greater obstacles and setbacks as she tries to overcome her personal challenges.
Additionally, you could explore more complex themes and ideas, such as the role of family and community in shaping our identities and experiences, or the ways in which our past experiences and traumas can impact our present and future. Finally, consider experimenting with different narrative techniques, such as flashbacks, multiple perspectives, or non-linear storytelling, to add more depth and complexity to your story.”
Wow. I love it when an AI word processing system tells me what to do.
And suddenly, I don’t feel so alone in writing my story. This prompt gave me some genuinely useful and actionable advice I’ll for sure take into my next writing session. While this wasn’t necessarily new information or ideas to me, it was helpful to have it all concisely put there in a coach like and simplified format. I didn’t have to scour the internet for help with. what to do next ,it was all right there.
I’ve been struggling with how to wrap up the story, so I decided to ask the AI about that too:
“…You could also consider ending the story on a hopeful or optimistic note, leaving the reader with a sense of possibility and potential for the future.
In the context of “I Love You Tomorrow,” you may want to show how Reese has overcome her personal challenges and grown as a person. This could involve reconciling with her past, finding a sense of purpose or direction in her life, or strengthening her relationships with her friends and family. You could also consider ending the story with a powerful or memorable image that captures the essence of the story and leaves a lasting impression on the reader.”
$10/month is certainly worth it for my own personal writing coach if you ask me…I can definitely see myself continuing to use this tool to flesh out my story, come up with new scenes, add new details, and come up with more detailed background characters to make the story more legitimate.
AI can do wonders if you know how to use it — and work creatively to find ways to let it positively influence your work. I really enjoyed my experience and would highly recommend using some sort of AI to help you write your next story.
Onto my second draft, officially!
