How Authors Are Really Using AI (It's Not How You Think)

The Nerdy Novelist
6 Oct 202319:41

TLDRThe video discusses the spectrum of AI usage in writing, from authors who rely entirely on AI for content generation to those who use it sparingly for ideation or editing. The speaker shares their personal approach, favoring manual creation of story beats but acknowledging the benefits of AI for those who dislike outlining or need assistance with specific writing tasks. They demonstrate a hybrid writing method, using AI for brainstorming and continuation of the story while maintaining a personal touch through editing and style adaptation. The video also teases future content on editing processes, comic book adaptations, and the release of a membership program with free resources for subscribers.

Takeaways

  • 🤖 The video discusses the spectrum of AI usage in writing, from fully automated content generation to using AI for brainstorming and ideation.
  • ✍️ Authors may use AI techniques differently, with some writing entire pieces and others using AI for specific parts like outlining or dialogue.
  • 📝 The speaker shares their personal preference for writing story beats themselves but acknowledges the benefits of AI for those who dislike certain aspects of writing.
  • 📚 The video provides a detailed example of how the speaker might use AI to develop a short story, including the process of editing and refining the AI-generated content.
  • 📋 The speaker outlines a hybrid writing approach, where AI is used to generate content, which is then edited and improved upon by the author.
  • 📈 The video script includes a step-by-step guide on how to use AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude to develop story ideas and write specific story beats.
  • 🎨 The speaker plans to create content around the short story, including comic book adaptations and live streams of the editing process.
  • 📖 The edited and final versions of the short story, along with the author's prompts and responses, will be made available for free to members of the speaker's upcoming membership program.
  • 🌐 The video script serves as a teaser for future content, promising more in-depth exploration of the AI writing process and various creative applications.
  • 💡 The speaker emphasizes the importance of maintaining a personal touch and style in writing, even when using AI tools to assist in the process.
  • 📹 The video is part of a larger series that aims to document and share the author's experiences and insights on using AI in creative writing.

Q & A

  • What is the main topic of the video?

    -The main topic of the video is the use of AI in the writing process, specifically how authors might utilize AI for brainstorming, outlining, and writing story beats.

  • What is the spectrum of AI usage in writing that the speaker mentions?

    -The spectrum ranges from authors who use AI to write everything with minimal editing, to those who do almost all the work themselves but use AI for ideation, and finally to those who don't use AI at all.

  • How does the speaker feel about using AI for writing story beats?

    -The speaker prefers to write story beats themselves, enjoying the process and finding it more satisfying, but acknowledges that AI can be helpful for those who dislike outlining or creating story beats.

  • What is the short story outline that the speaker is working on?

    -The short story outline is about a character named Tim, nicknamed 'the foresight,' who experiences a vision of his death during a battle against the malevolence in Metropolis City.

  • How does the speaker plan to use the AI-generated content in their writing process?

    -The speaker plans to use AI-generated content for brainstorming opening lines, continuing the story from specific points, and choreographing scenes like fight sequences, while still maintaining their own writing style and input.

  • What is the speaker's opinion on the quality of AI-generated prose compared to their own?

    -The speaker finds that the AI-generated prose is generally worse than their own, but it can be improved by editing and refining the AI's output to match their writing style.

  • What is the speaker's approach to editing AI-generated content?

    -The speaker's approach involves adding their own input, improving the prose by making it more showy, and using tools like Pseudo Right to rephrase sentences to adhere to the 'show, don't tell' principle.

  • What are the speaker's future plans for the short story?

    -The speaker plans to document the entire writing and editing process in a series of videos, adapt the story into a comic book script, and possibly create a few comic panels. The final edited version of the story will be made available for free to members of their community.

  • How does the speaker describe their writing process with AI?

    -The speaker describes their writing process with AI as a hybrid approach, where they write the first draft themselves and then use AI to help with specific parts of the story, such as dialogue or fight scenes.

  • What advice does the speaker give to authors who are considering using AI in their writing?

    -The speaker advises authors to be open to using AI for certain parts of the writing process, such as brainstorming or continuing the story, but to also maintain their own writing style and input to ensure a cohesive and personal narrative.

Outlines

00:00

🤖 AI in Writing: A Spectrum of Usage

The speaker discusses the varying degrees of AI involvement in the writing process, from authors who use AI for everything with minimal editing to those who use AI for brainstorming or idea generation. The speaker admits to writing story beats themselves but acknowledges the usefulness of AI for those who dislike outlining or story beats. The video aims to show how AI can be integrated into the writing process, using a short story outline as an example.

05:01

📝 Writing Beats and AI Collaboration

The speaker shares their approach to writing, emphasizing the importance of specific and detailed action beats. They demonstrate how AI can be used to generate story beats and brainstorm opening lines, but also highlight the value of personal input and editing. The speaker plans to show the editing process and how AI can be used to continue the story in the writer's style.

10:03

📖 Hybrid Writing with AI

The speaker explains a hybrid writing method that combines human creativity with AI assistance. They show how AI can be used to continue a story from a specific point, maintaining the writer's style and voice. The speaker also mentions tools like Pseudo and Verb, which can help with writing and editing, and suggests that AI can be particularly useful for challenging parts of writing, such as dialogue or fight scenes.

15:04

🎥 Future Plans with AI and Storytelling

The speaker teases upcoming videos that will document the editing process of the short story and explore different ways to adapt it, such as into a comic book script. They mention the possibility of live streams to showcase the editing process and express excitement about sharing the entire journey from idea to final product. The speaker also hints at a future membership program that will offer additional resources, including the short story materials and editing process.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think, learn, and problem-solve. In the video, AI is used as a tool for writing and editing, showcasing its potential in assisting authors with various stages of the creative process, from brainstorming to generating story beats and even writing entire sections of a narrative.

💡Writing Techniques

Writing techniques encompass the methods and strategies authors use to craft their stories, including structuring narratives, developing characters, and creating engaging dialogue. The video discusses how authors might adapt or apply AI-generated techniques to their own writing, suggesting a spectrum of AI involvement from complete AI authorship to minimal assistance.

💡Story Beats

Story beats are the significant events or turning points in a narrative that drive the plot forward. In the context of the video, the author uses AI to generate action beats for a short story, which are then refined and incorporated into the story to create a cohesive and engaging plot structure.

💡Chat GPT

Chat GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is a type of AI model designed for natural language processing and generation. The video mentions using Chat GPT for ideation, suggesting that it can be a resource for authors to brainstorm ideas or develop story concepts.

💡Outlining

Outlining is the process of organizing the structure of a story before writing, typically involving a breakdown of major events and scenes. The author in the video expresses a preference for writing story beats themselves, indicating that while AI can assist with outlining, some authors may find more satisfaction in creating their own outlines.

💡Editing

Editing is the process of reviewing and revising written material to improve its clarity, coherence, and overall quality. The video emphasizes the importance of the author's role in editing AI-generated content, suggesting that while AI can provide a draft, human input is crucial for refining the story to meet the author's standards.

💡Hybrid Writing

Hybrid writing refers to the combination of human authorship and AI assistance in the creative process. The video describes a hybrid approach where the author writes the first draft and then uses AI to generate additional content or to brainstorm ideas, highlighting the potential for a collaborative writing experience.

💡Pseudo Right

Pseudo Right is a tool mentioned in the video that helps with the writing process, particularly in rephrasing text to improve its quality. It is used as an example of how AI can assist with the 'show, don't tell' principle, suggesting that AI can be a valuable resource for enhancing the narrative style of a story.

💡Comic Book Script

A comic book script is a written document that outlines the story, dialogue, and visual elements of a comic book. The video teases the author's plan to adapt the short story into a comic book script, demonstrating the versatility of AI-generated content and the potential for cross-media storytelling.

💡Membership

Membership in the context of the video refers to a subscription service or community that the author is planning to offer. It suggests that subscribers will receive exclusive content, such as the short story and its various adaptations, as part of the membership benefits.

Highlights

The video discusses the spectrum of AI usage in writing, ranging from full AI authorship to AI as a brainstorming tool.

The speaker shares their personal preference for writing story beats themselves but acknowledges the benefits of AI for those who dislike outlining.

The process of using AI to generate story parts is demonstrated, including the use of prompts and responses from AI tools like Chad GPT and Claude.

The speaker outlines their approach to integrating AI-generated content with their own writing, emphasizing the importance of personal input and editing.

AI is used to brainstorm opening lines, which the speaker finds challenging to write.

The speaker suggests a hybrid writing method, where AI assists with certain parts of the writing process, such as dialogue or fight scenes.

The video provides a teaser for a future series of videos that will document the editing process and adaptation of the short story into different formats.

The speaker plans to share the entire process from idea to finished product, including the raw and edited versions of the short story.

The speaker mentions the potential for AI to match the writer's style better after seeing the writer's input.

The video highlights the use of AI tools like Pseudo Right for rephrasing and improving the 'show, don't tell' aspect of writing.

The speaker discusses the upcoming release of a membership with free access to the short story materials and editing process videos.

The speaker expresses excitement about sharing the entire creative process with the audience.

The video concludes with a promise of more content, including comic book adaptations and live streams of the editing process.

The speaker emphasizes the practical applications of AI in writing, suggesting it as a tool for overcoming specific writing challenges.

The video encourages viewers to consider AI as a collaborative partner in the writing process, rather than a replacement for human creativity.