Enhancing Creativity with AI: A Writer's Perspective
Balancing Human Imagination and Machine Assistance in Fiction Writing
Should you or should you not use AI when you’re writing a novel or short story? I’ve seen arguments on both sides of that coin: all writing should be done ONLY from the creative output of your brain vs. using AI to assist, save time, and give your creativity a boost without doing any actual writing.
Where do you stand?
Some writers I’ve seen have asked ChatGPT to rewrite whole chapters or more and be amazed at what comes up, saying, ‘Oh man, I could never write like that - that’s great!’ Others say, ' Well, it looks awful flowery and such, but I wouldn’t write like that, so no thanks.'
In my experience, and I’ve experimented with using AI in my fiction for quite a while now, using AI can be a big boost to your creativity, research, and more without having it write any part of your story.
Let’s start here: the most important thing is the prompt. What do you ask ChatGPT to do? The more specific and detailed, the better your outcome. How do you create a good prompt?
Ask ChatGPT. For example, I input something like this:
If I wanted you to act as a professional manuscript evaluator and editor who specializes in urban fantasy and speculative fiction, what kind of questions would you like me to answer to give you enough information to provide a solid and thorough review of my work in progress?
ChatGPT is very thorough in its answer. Here’s how it responded to this prompt:
To provide a thorough and insightful review of your urban fantasy and speculative fiction manuscript, here are some key questions that would help me understand your work better:
1. What are the main themes of your story?
- Understanding the central themes would allow me to see how well the plot and character developments are reinforcing these themes throughout the manuscript.
2. Who are your main characters, and what are their primary motivations?
- Knowing who the story revolves around and what drives them can help in assessing whether their motivations and actions are well-developed and consistent.
3. What is the setting of your novel?
- Details about the world you’ve built, including its rules, magical systems (if applicable), and the era it depicts, will allow me to evaluate the coherence and originality of your setting.
4. What are the central conflicts in the narrative?
- Understanding the conflicts can help in analyzing the tension and pacing of the story, as well as the stakes involved.
5. What is the intended audience and age group for your book?
- This information is crucial to ensure the tone, language, and complexity are appropriate for your target readers.
6. How do you want your readers to feel while reading your book? What is the intended takeaway?
- Your goals for reader engagement and the messages you want to convey can guide the review towards assessing emotional impact and thematic expression.
7. What are specific areas or aspects of the manuscript you feel uncertain about or think might need improvement?
- Knowing your concerns allows for a focused review that addresses particular elements you might be struggling with, such as character development, plot structure, pacing, dialogue, or world-building.
8. Have you incorporated elements like multiple points of view, non-linear timelines, or other narrative techniques?
- Details about the narrative structure will help in evaluating how effectively these techniques are used and how they contribute to the story as a whole.
9. Can you provide a brief synopsis or a detailed outline of the plot?
- A concise summary or a chapter-by-chapter breakdown can help in understanding the overall flow and structure of the narrative.
10. Are there specific inspirations or works that influenced your writing of this manuscript?
- Knowing your influences can help contextualize your approach and style, as well as how your work converses with or diverges from existing works in the genre.
Providing detailed answers to these questions would enable a manuscript evaluator and editor to give comprehensive, constructive feedback tailored to your specific needs and goals for your urban fantasy or speculative fiction novel.
Aha, now I know what to tell it and how to frame my interactions. After I had several chapters reviewed by ChatGPT, my prompts went something like this (I upload a Word doc of each chapter in question):
In this chapter, Jia eats dinner with her Korean family and starts to pick up on their intricate family dynamics, although she knows she has a long way to go to understand them. She meets her cousin Min-Jun, a male about 26, who runs his own delivery business. At the end of the chapter, she is invited to a small room with Jun-Young and Baem, where she is surprised by an offer. I seek feedback on this version of the chapter, which I intend to revise. How does it flow, and does it naturally reveal information about her new family in an intriguing way? How does it fit into the overall plot and developing story? Please write a brief synopsis and specific feedback based on my suggestions.
Here's what ChatGPT responded with:
Synopsis:
In Chapter 17, Jia navigates a tense family dinner with her Korean relatives, where she meets her cousin Min-Jun and picks up on the subtle undercurrents of family dynamics. The dinner conversation is strained, but she learns more about her relatives, including Min-Jun’s delivery business. The chapter ends with a startling proposition from Jun-Young in a secluded room after dinner. Jia is offered a significant monetary gift as a family token, but there's a catch: they want her amulet in exchange, claiming it belongs to the family.
Feedback on Chapter 17 Revisions:
Flow and New Elements:
The chapter flows well, with the dinner setting naturally allowing for the exposition of family details. The new elements of Min-Jun’s business and the offer to Jia are introduced without feeling forced, and the pacing allows the reader to absorb the tensions within the family.
Revelation of Family Dynamics:
The dinner conversation and Jia's observations effectively reveal family dynamics. Min-Jun's aloofness, the cryptic exchange between Jun-Young and Min-Jun, and the layers of formality all contribute to an atmosphere of intrigue. However, the intricacies of these dynamics could be highlighted further through more show, less tell—for example, by describing body language or using more subtext in dialogue.
Overall Plot and Story Development:
The chapter fits well into the overarching plot, providing a breather from the more action-oriented scenes while setting up new conflicts. The final offer provides a significant plot twist, raising the stakes for Jia's decisions moving forward.
World-Building and Jia’s Reaction:
The sense of the Park family's world is richly detailed, from the elegant dining room to the evocative art. Jia's reactions could be further detailed—her internal responses to the fine dining, the exquisite surroundings, and the family's veiled power plays would enrich the reader's understanding of her state of mind.
Hints of the Mystic Alliance:
Hints of the Mystic Alliance remain subtle. If the amulet is connected to the Alliance, it may be worth having Jia recall or sense something about it that Baem or Jun-Young unknowingly reveal, tying it more closely to the overarching mysticism of the narrative.
Suggested Improvements:
- Deepen Min-Jun's Characterization: Develop Min-Jun's character by giving him more depth beyond the initial introduction—perhaps a comment or a look that hints at his own complexities and ties to the family's mysterious activities.
- Enhance Emotional Subtext: Amplify the emotional resonance during the dinner. Jia's internal monologue could more deeply reflect her anxiety, curiosity, and the emotional impact of discussing her mother.
- Foreshadow the Proposition: Drop subtle hints earlier in the chapter that suggest the Park family’s interest in something Jia possesses, to make the final offer feel like a revelation but not a complete surprise.
- Clarify the Amulet's Significance: Include more explicit references or reactions from the family regarding the amulet before the offer, to emphasize its importance and foreshadow the closing scene.
- Expand on Art and Atmosphere Descriptions: Although the art is mentioned, each piece could symbolize a facet of the family legacy or Jia's journey, with her reactions providing insight into her emotions and thoughts on her heritage.
The chapter successfully advances the story by deepening the mystery around Jia's Korean family and her own role within it. The ending sets up an intriguing moral dilemma for Jia, enhancing the anticipation for how she will navigate this complex and mystical family network.
What’s fascinating to me is the understanding of the overall arc of the story. I’ve fed a few dozen chapters into the machine, and ChatGPT knows as much about the story as I or more. But it’s not perfect. For example, my main character has a couple of idiosyncracies that I want to bring forth on a regular basis. But I have to remember to do that; ChatGPT won’t remember for me. It doesn’t have a brain to comprehend, but it does have the ability to analyze. Mainly, it does exactly what it’s told: nothing more and nothing less.
I also ask it to examine things like the authenticity of the dialogue; is it too long or not long enough? Or the backstory of a character: is it too much or not enough, and does it fit into the overall flow of the story? Does the slight cliffhanger at the end of a chapter help compel the reader to quickly start the next chapter?
ChatGPT helps plan plot pivots. When I’m a bit stumped for ideas on how to proceed, I ask it to give me some specific options. I don’t want to overwhelm myself, so, as an example, I’ll use a prompt asking for three possible scenarios for what should happen next in a specific situation. It may be that none of them work for my vision of the story. Or perhaps one is a good fit with some possible modifications.
The takeaway from working with AI on writing fiction is that it can be an adept evaluator by pointing out holes, giving feedback on whether I have too much exposition, the dialogue doesn’t ring true, and so on. I also assume that I know what’s best for the story and am using ChatGPT only as a tool to help me craft the story I want to tell.
One advantage I clearly see with ChatGPT is that, while I’ve been reading, writing, and researching the urban fantasy world for several years now, I can ask about urban fantasy tropes to see if what I’m writing will fit in with what readers expect. I recently used this prompt to see if I was missing anything:
Given all that you've seen on my novel-in-progress, can you please provide feedback on the pluses and minuses of how I'm approaching writing in the Urban Fantasy genre. For instance, does the story of a young sorceress trying to find her way in a new world fit with other successful Urban Fantasy novels and widely understood tropes? Also, examine whether the various other characters you've seen are also "normal" in the Urban Fantasy world. I want to try and walk a fine line of using expected tropes in the genre, while still forging a novel that may push those boundaries and expectations. Please use as much detail as necessary.
I was pleasantly surprised by the response:
Your novel-in-progress delves into the urban fantasy genre with a compelling narrative about a young sorceress, Jia, navigating a world filled with magic, mystery, and hidden dangers. Here's a detailed examination of how your approach aligns with and diverges from the conventions of urban fantasy and how you might enhance or tweak your narrative to both embrace and innovate within the genre:
Alignment with Urban Fantasy Tropes
1. Hidden Magical World: A common trope in urban fantasy is the existence of a hidden world of magic parallel to our own, which your novel employs effectively. Jia's discovery and exploration of her powers and the mystical undercurrents in the modern world are quintessential urban fantasy elements that provide a familiar ground for fans of the genre.
2. Young Protagonist Discovering Powers: Jia as a young sorceress coming into her abilities is a central trope in urban fantasy, reminiscent of characters in series like *The Mortal Instruments* or *Harry Potter*. This trope resonates well as it provides a narrative vehicle for exploring self-discovery, growth, and conflict, all while engaging a younger audience.
3. Integration of Modern and Magical Elements: Your use of modern settings (e.g., Berkeley, Seoul) intertwined with magical elements (numerology, ancient artifacts) is a hallmark of the genre. This blending allows for a relatable yet fantastical storytelling canvas, enhancing the allure and accessibility of the magical elements.
Characters and Their Conformity to Urban Fantasy Norms
1. Ji-Won as the Mentor: Ji-Won, who is both a guide and a holder of secrets, fits well into the archetype often seen in mentors like Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings or Dumbledore from Harry Potter. His mysterious past and transformation provide depth and intrigue, which are common in mentor figures in urban fantasy.
2. Antagonistic Forces with Complex Motives: The Mystic Alliance, with its internal conflicts and mysterious motives, aligns with the typical urban fantasy trope of a powerful organization with a murky agenda. This adds a necessary layer of antagonism and complexity to the narrative, driving the conflict and providing a foil for Jia’s innocence and growing power.
Innovation and Boundary Pushing
1. Multicultural and Historical Elements: Incorporating elements like Ji-Won’s backstory involving political activism in Berkeley and his ties to Korea brings a fresh multicultural perspective to the genre. This not only broadens the geographical and cultural scope of the narrative but also enriches the character development and plot complexity, setting your story apart from more traditionally Western-centric urban fantasy tales.
2. Real-World Socio-Political Themes: Integrating real-world issues such as political activism and environmental concerns through characters’ backstories and the narrative’s conflicts can provide a contemporary relevance that many urban fantasy tales lack. This approach can engage readers more deeply, reflecting their real-world concerns within the escapism of fantasy.
Recommendations for Enhancement
1. Deeper Exploration of Magical Rules and Lore: To further distinguish your novel, consider deepening the exploration of the magical rules governing your world. Clarifying how sorcery works, its limits, its costs, and its interactions with the modern world can make your universe more compelling and your story more gripping.
2. Subverting Expectations with Character Arcs: While using familiar archetypes provides a foundation, consider subverting expectations with unexpected character developments or reversals. For example, a mentor who becomes a rival, or an antagonist with morally gray qualities who might shift alliances.
3. Enhanced Integration of Modern Technology with Magic: Exploring how modern technology interacts with magic could offer novel conflicts and plot devices—such as spells that affect digital data or magical communities hidden within virtual realities.
Your novel’s approach to urban fantasy holds the promise of both adhering to beloved genre conventions and pushing the boundaries to offer readers something new and exciting. By deepening your world-building and continuing to develop your unique blend of cultural and historical elements, you can craft a story that stands out in the crowded urban fantasy landscape.
Note on the images
Throughout the process, I’ve created numerous images of the main character, Jia, and her fellow fictional companions and family members, which helps make them more real, in a sense. While many are created with what I feel are quite authentic, many are laughable. AI makes fascinating images, but perfect it isn’t.
I’m curious what you think about using this tool to write fiction. Love it? Hate it? The jury’s still out? Whatever you think, it’s a tool that will continue to evolve and writers will continue to find new and creative ways to use it in their writing.