Navigating the AI Revolution in Novel Writing

Finding a Quality Process

01: “Navigating the AI Revolution in Novel Writing“
02: “Finding My AI Tools for Novel Writing“
03: “A Generative AI Process Emerges“
by Bart Niedner, 23 November 2023

Change at the Speed of Chaos

I am writing this article in late November of 2023. By the time it is published, the landscape of AI tools will almost certainly have evolved. So, consider this a progress report on my creative journey.

The Allure of Creative Chaos

There’s something profoundly intimate and meaningful in the creative process for me. It’s a dance between the unfolding unknown and the pursuit of a creative vision. With its power to reshape my intentions and even myself, the chaos of creation has always been a source of fascination. However, this era of rapid development in generative AI tools has given a new dimension to this chaos. It changes extraordinarily quickly and unpredictably. It’s like trying to thread a needle while standing on an avalanche, especially when working on large-scale projects like a novel. The pace of change and the breadth of opportunities are staggering, provided one is attentive.

Beautiful Disruptive Chaos

There is a beauty to using AI to augment your writing — the thunder of the ground shifting beneath you as you work. Unexpected possibilities, changes in the way you understand your environment and your subject – the creative chaos is gorgeous! And the possibilities feel limitless. However, it isn’t a smooth experience of change. It is a lurching collision of new tools and radical changes to the tools with which you just became comfortable. And when the foundation shifts too much, it can feel very disruptive to your creative process.

Version Disruption
Take ChatGPT as a prime example. The transition from ChatGPT version 3.5, which was limited but free, to version 4, which is substantially superior but costly, illustrates the beautiful yet disruptive nature of these AI developments. The challenge here lies in maintaining consistency over time.

Balancing Technical Learning and Production

As an architect and software developer, I’m accustomed to continuous technical learning concerning my production tools. This skill has proven crucial in creative writing with AI. With the emergence of seemingly endless new generative AI tools, a contemporary novelist must navigate the myriad of possibilities when choosing the most fitting tools for content creation. This focus on tools is largely new for novelists, I believe. The fundamentals of grammar and word processing have been around for a long time. Even the introduction of new technology, such as Grammarly or Scrivener, comes at a moderate-to-slow pace. With AI, it is different – the learning curve can be overwhelming.

What Current Generative AI Writing Tools Can’t Do

AI writing tools, while advanced and useful in many ways, do have certain deficits when it comes to writing a novel. Most of these challenges are related to the scale of the text used in a prompt or chat response.

Usage Limits

All of the major generative chat tools currently impose usage restrictions. Some of these limits are due to the way chat histories are maintained within a session, but most usage restrictions are in place because the processing resources required by these systems are massive. Unfortunately, this also creates significant challenges for a novelist who is iteratively working with large texts. Even on the paid versions, you may occasionally have to switch tools midstream in order to continue your day’s efforts.

Censorship

Generative chat tools at the consumer level typically include moral guardrails that limit both the prompts they accept and the responses they generate. This is understandable because we don’t want these systems to be dangerous. However, it presents a challenge for creative writers, especially in genres like sci-fi, thriller, or fantasy, where adult-oriented content involving sexuality or violence is often integral to the narrative. Given that these ethical safeguards are non-negotiable and cannot be disabled, writers who wish to explore these common themes may find it difficult to effectively utilize these AI tools for significant portions of their work.

Lack of Consistent Creativity:

Several generative AI chat tools are capable of producing exceptional and high-quality creative content, often excelling in shorter formats like paragraphs or pages. Yet, for many of these tools, there’s a noticeable shortfall in the depth and originality when compared to that which human authors typically provide. This is a discrepancy that becomes more pronounced when dealing with longer texts like novels.

Difficulty with Deep Character Development:

Crafting complex characters with emotional depth, evolving motivations, and nuanced interactions is challenging for AI chat tools over complex or lengthy story arcs. They may not effectively capture the subtleties of human emotions and relationships at this scale.

Struggle with Complex Plot Structures: 

Maintaining complex, interwoven plot lines and ensuring they converge coherently in a novel can be difficult for AI chat tools, which often struggle with long-term plot subtleties and resolution. AI tools can be excellent at iteratively building outlines of these complex structures, but they are far poorer at grasping them in the actual text of a novel-sized project. It is not uncommon for these AI tools to take off in unpredictable and unuseful directions when working across multiple chapters in a single chat or prompt.

Consistency in Style and Voice: 

Maintaining a consistent authorial voice and style throughout a novel is a challenge for most AI chat tools. It is not uncommon for them to inadvertently shift in tone or style across a longer text, disrupting the reader’s experience.

Consistent World-Building Context: 

Creating a rich, believable world with its own rules, history, and details is essential in most novels, especially in genres like fantasy and sci-fi. AI chat tools can struggle with maintaining a consistent and detailed world at the scale of a novel.

Cultural Sensitivity and Diversity: 

Writing with cultural sensitivity and inclusivity requires an understanding of diverse experiences and perspectives, which AI might not fully grasp or represent accurately.

Despite these challenges, AI chat tools can still be valuable assistants in the novel-writing process, offering suggestions, helping with language, generating creative ideas, and iterating across relatively short portions of texts. However, the depth, emotion, and cohesiveness of a novel crafted by a human author are currently difficult to fully replicate with AI chat tools.

Choosing the Right Tools

For a contemporary novelist, staying current with the plethora of AI tools is essential. Though I have carefully experimented with scores of generative AI tools, my current tech stack includes OpenAI’s ChatGPT 4, Anthropic’s Claude 2 for writing, and Midjourney for imagery. This selection might change tomorrow, but the key is to avoid disruptions in content continuity and minimize the need for extensive rework.

Disruptive Tools
To highlight the rapidity of change, imagine Rembrandt working on "The Storm on the Sea of Galilee," capturing the miracle with a dramatic interplay of light and shadow. Suddenly, he's handed a camera instead of his oil paints and brushes. This analogy evokes the drastic shift in creative tools and methodologies brought on by generative AI.

AI Tool Integration for a Novelist

Navigating the whirlwind of AI advancements is a nuanced art in itself. Learning and integrating these technologies into one’s unique artistic journey requires time and intentionality. For me, a deliberate approach was essential. Beyond time, there’s a financial aspect to consider, with investments needed for advanced tools like Photoshop’s generative fill and ChatGPT 4. Crucially, it involves the skill to sift through the plethora of AI offerings and discern those that truly enhance your individual creative process – an insight that grows with exposure and practice.

My toolkit of AI applications might differ from yours, reflecting the highly subjective nature of creative writing. We, as writers, are fortunate to be at the forefront of AI innovation, with a vast array of tools at our disposal to enrich our storytelling. My hope for you is to discover the AI resources that resonate with your vision and to thoughtfully explore the evolving landscape of possibilities available to contemporary novelists.

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Article by Bart Niedner

Bart Niedner, a versatile creative, embarks on a journey of discovery as he delves into both novel writing and the intriguing realm of AI-assisted writing. Bart warmly welcomes you on this journey from novice to master as he leverages his creative abilities in these innovative domains. His contributions to AI-RISE and BioDigital Novels reflect AI collaboration and exploratory work – the purpose of these websites.

About Bart Niedner

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