NovelAI Review: Do NOT Purchase Before Viewing

The Nerdy Novelist
4 Jul 202315:08

TLDRThe video review discusses NovelAI, an AI-assisted authorship tool, and its effectiveness for authors. The reviewer finds that NovelAI, while offering a monthly subscription with a free tier and image generation capabilities, lacks the ability to follow specific author prompts for novel writing. Instead, it requires authors to write initial content for the AI to continue, which may not align with the author's vision. The platform's design is noted to be better than some competitors, but its functionality is deemed unsuitable for novel writing. The reviewer suggests that NovelAI might be more suitable for interactive gaming experiences rather than structured novel writing. They recommend using Pseudorite's Story Engine as a superior alternative for authors looking to create novels, as it offers a more comprehensive and user-friendly approach to story development and generation.

Takeaways

  • 📝 NovelAI is a monthly subscription service for AI-assisted authorship and storytelling.
  • 💻 The platform offers a variety of features, including a virtual companionship and a sandbox for creative writing.
  • 🖼️ NovelAI also provides image generation, with a focus on anime-style images.
  • 🔍 The service uses GPT language models, but it's unclear if it's GPT 3.5 or GPT 4.
  • 💡 Users can customize the AI to write in specific author styles or around certain themes.
  • 📈 The free tier offers 100 free text generations, with paid tiers offering more memory tokens for context.
  • 💰 The pricing structure ranges from $10 to $25 per month, with the higher tier providing more memory for context.
  • 📚 NovelAI has a 'lore book' feature for keeping track of character information and story elements.
  • 🚫 The reviewer finds NovelAI unsuitable for authors looking to write novels due to its lack of direction and control over the story.
  • 🎮 The platform might be more suitable for interactive story gaming rather than novel writing.
  • 🌟 The reviewer highly recommends using Pseudoryte's Story Engine as a superior tool for novel writing.
  • ✍️ Chat GPT is suggested as a free alternative for authors looking to use AI in their writing process.

Q & A

  • What is NovelAI and what is its primary purpose?

    -NovelAI is a monthly subscription service for AI-assisted authorship, storytelling, virtual companionship, and a GPT-powered sandbox for creativity. It is designed to help authors write fiction by continuing existing text and generating new content based on prompts.

  • How does NovelAI differ from other AI writing tools like Pseudoright?

    -Unlike NovelAI, which requires authors to write a bit of text first and then asks the AI to continue from there, Pseudoright allows for a more structured approach to novel writing. It provides a 'Story Engine' where authors can input a synopsis, character information, and other details to guide the AI in generating a novel.

  • What are the different pricing tiers for NovelAI?

    -NovelAI offers a free tier with 100 free text generations, and three paid tiers: $10/month, $15/month, and $25/month. The main difference between the tiers is the number of memory tokens, which determine how much context the AI can remember from previous interactions.

  • What is the 'Lore Book' feature in NovelAI?

    -The 'Lore Book' is a feature that allows users to input and store character information and other relevant details for the AI to remember and reference while generating text. However, the reviewer found it to be overrated and not significantly different from similar features in other tools.

  • Why is the reviewer not recommending NovelAI for novel writing?

    -The reviewer finds NovelAI unsuitable for novel writing because it lacks the ability to understand and follow a detailed writing plan or outline. Instead, it is more like an interactive storytelling game where the AI continues the story based on small amounts of text provided by the user.

  • What alternative tool does the reviewer recommend for novel writing?

    -The reviewer highly recommends Pseudoright (Pseudoryte) as a better tool for creating novels. It offers a more structured approach with a 'Story Engine' that allows authors to input detailed information to guide the AI in generating a novel.

  • How does the image generation feature in NovelAI work?

    -The image generation feature in NovelAI allows users to generate images based on text prompts. However, the reviewer noted that many of the generated images are anime-focused and that NovelAI was previously used for creating uncensored content, although it's unclear if this is still the case.

  • What is the 'Text Adventure' mode in NovelAI?

    -The 'Text Adventure' mode in NovelAI is an interactive storytelling feature where users can input prompts and make choices to guide the narrative. It is more akin to a game than a traditional novel-writing tool.

  • What are the advanced settings in NovelAI?

    -The advanced settings in NovelAI allow users to fine-tune the AI's behavior, such as adjusting phrase bias and controlling the AI's chance of generating certain words or phrases. However, the reviewer found most of these settings to be too technical and not particularly useful for their needs.

  • Why does the reviewer find NovelAI's approach to story continuation problematic?

    -The reviewer finds NovelAI's approach problematic because it requires the user to write a portion of the story first and then asks the AI to continue from there. This method does not allow for a clear direction or plan for the story, often resulting in content that does not align with the author's vision.

  • What is the reviewer's opinion on the name 'NovelAI'?

    -The reviewer finds the name 'NovelAI' to be deceptive because it implies that the tool is designed specifically for novel writing, which is not the case according to their experience. They believe the tool is more suited for interactive storytelling or gaming experiences.

  • What other tool or resource does the reviewer suggest for novel writing?

    -Apart from Pseudoright, the reviewer also suggests using Chat GPT as a good resource for novel writing. They recommend checking out their videos for guidance on how to write a novel with Chat GPT.

Outlines

00:00

🤖 Introduction to Novel AI and Initial Impressions

The video begins by addressing common questions about Novel AI, a tool for AI-assisted authorship and storytelling. The speaker shares their intent to evaluate the tool's effectiveness for authors. Novel AI is described as a subscription service that offers a variety of features, including an image generation tool with a focus on anime-style images. It's noted that Novel AI uses GPT models but does not specify which version. The speaker also comments on the website's design quality and mentions that Novel AI allows users to write in the style of famous authors or around specific themes. However, they find that the tool's capabilities are not significantly different from manually inputting author styles into other AI systems.

05:03

📝 Understanding Novel AI's Functionality and Limitations

The speaker delves into the operational aspect of Novel AI, highlighting its method of continuing existing text rather than creating new content based on a prompt. This approach is seen as problematic for authors looking to use the tool for novel writing, as it lacks the ability to understand and follow a writer's intended direction. The video discusses Novel AI's advanced settings, which are extensive but may be too complex for the average user. The speaker also criticizes the tool's 'lore book' feature, which is similar to other tools and does not provide significant added value. The limitations of Novel AI for structured novel writing are emphasized, and the speaker expresses frustration with the tool's inability to contribute effectively to the writing process.

10:05

🎮 Novel AI as an Interactive Experience vs. Novel Writing Tool

The video contrasts Novel AI with other tools, specifically 'pseudo right' and 'Story Engine,' which the speaker finds more useful for novel writing. They describe Novel AI as being more akin to an interactive gaming experience rather than a comprehensive novel-writing tool. The speaker reiterates that Novel AI is not a practical tool for authors looking to write novels due to its lack of functionality in guiding the narrative. Instead, it might appeal to gamers or those interested in a more exploratory writing approach. The speaker strongly recommends using 'pseudo right' and 'Story Engine' for novel writing, praising their ability to generate structured outlines and narratives efficiently. The video concludes with a recommendation to check out 'pseudo right' and to explore free alternatives like 'chat GPT' for novel writing.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡NovelAI

NovelAI is a tool designed to assist in fiction writing, often discussed in the context of AI-powered writing assistance. In the video, the reviewer discusses the capabilities and shortcomings of NovelAI, comparing it to other tools like Pseudoright. The term is central to the video's theme as it is the subject of the review.

💡AI assisted authorship

AI assisted authorship refers to the use of artificial intelligence to aid in the process of writing. The video explores how NovelAI offers this service through a monthly subscription, which includes features like story continuation based on existing text. It is a key concept as it underpins the functionality of NovelAI.

💡GPT

GPT, or Generative Pre-trained Transformer, is a type of language model used in AI to generate human-like text. The video mentions that NovelAI uses GPT, although it does not specify the version. GPT is significant as it is the underlying technology that powers the text generation capabilities of NovelAI.

💡Image generation

Image generation is a feature of NovelAI that allows users to create images, often with a focus on anime styles. The video discusses how this feature is utilized, particularly noting the anime-centric nature of the generated images. It is an additional service provided by NovelAI, enhancing its appeal to certain users.

💡Monthly subscription

A monthly subscription model is a pricing strategy where users pay a recurring fee to access a service. NovelAI operates on such a model, with different tiers offering various features and capabilities. The concept is important as it outlines the financial aspect of using NovelAI.

💡Storyteller and Text Adventure

Storyteller and Text Adventure are two modes within NovelAI that users can employ for different writing experiences. Storyteller allows users to start a story and have the AI continue it, while Text Adventure provides a more interactive, game-like experience. These modes are central to how NovelAI functions as a writing tool.

💡Lore book

The lore book is a feature within NovelAI that allows users to input and store information about characters and settings to help the AI remember and incorporate these elements into the story. The reviewer criticizes this feature as being overrated and not significantly enhancing the writing process.

💡Pseudoright

Pseudoright, often compared to NovelAI in the video, is another tool that aids in the writing process. The reviewer suggests that Pseudoright offers a more comprehensive and user-friendly approach to novel writing, making it a preferred choice over NovelAI.

💡Chat GPT

Chat GPT is a reference to an interactive AI chatbot that can generate text based on user prompts. The video suggests using Chat GPT as an alternative to NovelAI for authors looking for a free resource to assist in their writing.

💡Text generation

Text generation is the process by which AI systems like NovelAI create written content. The video discusses the limitations of NovelAI's text generation, particularly its inability to understand and follow a writer's specific creative direction.

💡Security

Security, in the context of NovelAI, refers to the protection of a user's written content. The video mentions security as a significant feature of the platform, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding users' intellectual property.

Highlights

NovelAI is a monthly subscription service for AI-assisted authorship and storytelling.

The service is accessible at novelai.net and is often discussed in the context of AI for fiction writing.

NovelAI offers a GPT-powered sandbox for creative writing and virtual companionship.

The website design is considered better than that of Pseudorights, another AI writing tool.

NovelAI includes image generation capabilities, with a focus on anime-style images.

Users can customize the editor and take their writing anywhere with NovelAI's secure platform.

AI modules are available for writing in the style of specific authors or around certain themes.

The reviewer finds NovelAI's AI modules to be gimmicky and not significantly different from manually setting the author style.

NovelAI has a free tier offering 100 free text generations, and paid tiers with varying memory token limits.

The tool requires users to write a bit themselves before it can continue the story, which may not be ideal for novelists.

Advanced settings allow for fine-tuning of the AI's output, but may be too complex for the average user.

NovelAI's 'Lore Book' feature is intended to help remember character information and story elements.

The reviewer believes the 'Lore Book' is overrated and does not significantly enhance the writing process.

The 'Text Adventure' feature offers a more interactive, game-like experience for story creation.

NovelAI is not recommended for authors looking to write novels due to its lack of direction and control over the story.

For those interested in a more interactive storytelling experience, NovelAI might be of interest, but other tools may offer better options.

Pseudorights' Story Engine is highly recommended for novel writing, offering a more structured and efficient approach.

Chat GPT is suggested as a free alternative for authors looking to use AI in their writing process.