My Dance with AI in Book Writing

writing ai

Hey there, fellow adventurers in the content jungle!

Ever wonder what happens when you throw your lot in with AI to write a book? Well, buckle up, because that’s exactly the rollercoaster I hopped on. It’s a story of pixels and prose, and a little bit of personal madness – the good kind, I promise.

The First Step: Teaching AI My Tango

So, where do you start when you’re teaching a machine to dance to your tune? For me, it began with pouring my heart into this digital brain. I fed it my blogs, my late-night musings, even those emails I wrote but never sent. It was like handing over a diary and saying, “Here, read my mind.” A bit scary, but hey, what’s life without a little thrill?

The Starting Point: Feeding the Machine

It all began with an open heart and a digital diary. I fed the AI a smorgasbord of my writings:

Blogs: From professional insights to personal anecdotes, each blog post was a piece of me.
Late-Night Musings: Those thoughts that keep you up at night? They’re gold for teaching AI your reflective, introspective style.
Unsent Emails: Ever written an email and then thought better of it? These are great for showing AI your more candid, unfiltered side.

It was like telling the AI, “Here, walk a mile in my digital shoes.”

Content Styles and Tools

Different content styles can teach AI various aspects of your voice:

Professional Articles: Use these to teach formal, structured writing. Tools like Grammarly can help refine this content before feeding it to AI. Use tools like Link Reader and have a chatbot scan your curated content in seconds.
Personal Blogs: Great for a conversational, intimate tone. A tool like Hemingway Editor ensures clarity and simplicity. Plugins to help you are Linkreader, access link and talk with docs. All are available as plugins in ChaptGPT pro.
Social Media Posts: Perfect for short, snappy, engaging content. Tools like Hootsuite or Buffer can help analyze which posts perform best, giving you insights into what to feed the AI.
Video Transcripts: If you’re into vlogging, transcripts of your videos can teach the AI your spoken language nuances. Tools like Descript can transcribe videos accurately or you can use tools inside ChatGPT such as Voxscript, Linkreader, and Access link as well.

5 Great Prompts for “Training” AI

To effectively train AI in your writing style, consider these prompts:

“Write a blog post in my style about [Topic].” This prompt helps AI understand how you tackle specific subjects.
“Rewrite this paragraph as I would, maintaining a conversational tone.” Useful for teaching AI about your informal style.
“Create a professional email response to [Scenario] as I would.” This shows AI how you handle formal communication.
“Draft a social media post announcing [Event] in my style.” Teaches AI your social media voice.
“Summarize this video transcript in my writing style.” Helps AI learn how you condense spoken words into written form.

The Art of Outlining with AI

Then came the outline. Picture this: you’re in a bustling café, napkin in hand, scribbling down the bones of what could be your magnum opus. That’s how it felt, brainstorming with AI. It threw ideas at me, and I molded them with a personal touch. We were like two artists: one human, one not, collaborating on a masterpiece.

Creating a book outline is akin to drawing a map for an uncharted territory. It’s about laying down the paths your narrative will wander, the peaks it will climb, and the valleys it will explore. Here’s how I, with my AI sidekick, navigated this crucial step:

Setting the Scene: First, I defined the core idea of my book. Was it a business guide? A personal memoir? A futuristic novel? This set the stage for the entire outline process.
Brainstorming Chapters: AI and I brainstormed potential chapters. I threw in my ideas, and the AI, like a seasoned brainstorming partner, suggested its own, based on the content I had fed it. It was a back-and-forth dance of suggestions and refinements.
Structuring the Flow: The next step was to arrange these chapters in a logical flow. The AI helped by suggesting a structure based on common narrative arcs or successful books in similar genres. But, of course, I had the final say, rearranging chapters to best fit the story I wanted to tell.
Detailing Each Chapter: For each chapter, I jotted down key points, anecdotes, or data I wanted to include. The AI contributed by reminding me of relevant content from my past writings or suggesting new ideas to explore.

Helpful Plugins and Tools

While crafting an outline, certain plugins and tools can be incredibly helpful:

Mind Mapping Tools: Tools like XMind or MindMeister can help visualize the structure of your book, making it easier to see how your ideas connect.
AI Writing Assistants: Plugins like Jasper or Writesonic can offer suggestions for chapter titles or content, based on your writing style and the theme of your book.
Research Assistants: Tools like Evernote or Notion are great for organizing research and notes that can be incorporated into your outline.

The Magic of Collaboration

The beauty of this process was in the collaboration. The AI didn’t just spit out a ready-made outline; it provided a starting point, a spark. From there, I added my creativity, my insights, and my personal touch. It was a dialogue, a creative conversation between human intuition and AI efficiency.

Embracing the Process

Remember, outlining a book is not just about getting from point A to point B. It’s about enjoying the journey of creation, of seeing your ideas take shape, chapter by chapter. With AI as your co-pilot, this process becomes not just easier, but also more exciting.

Breathing Life into Each Chapter

Now, this is where the real magic happened. I took each chapter and each idea, and breathed life into them. It was like having a conversation with an old friend – the AI knew my style, but I added the soul, the emotion, and the real human experience. Each paragraph was a step in our dance: sometimes graceful, sometimes stepping on each other’s toes, but always moving forward.

Conversing with AI: The Heart of Each Chapter

Imagine sitting down with an old friend who knows your stories but pushes you to tell them better. That’s how it felt working with AI on each chapter. Here’s how I used AI to not just write, but to elevate my writing:

Questioning for Value: I frequently asked AI, “How can I add more value here?” or “What’s missing that my readers need to know?” This prompted the AI to analyze the content and suggest areas where I could deepen my insights or provide additional information.
Structural Analysis: I used prompts like, “How can I structure this chapter for maximum impact?” The AI would then propose different layouts or sequences, helping me find the most compelling way to present my ideas.
Identifying Weaknesses: To strengthen my arguments, I asked, “Where are the weaknesses in this chapter?” The AI, with its vast database, could point out logical fallacies or gaps in reasoning that I might have missed.

Juicy and Creative Prompts for AI

To get the most out of AI in this creative process, consider using prompts like:

“What are three unexpected twists I can add to this chapter?” This prompt encourages AI to think outside the box and suggest novel ideas or plot twists.
“How can I make this character/idea more relatable to my audience?” Useful for adding depth and relatability to your characters or concepts.
“What historical or contemporary examples can I include to strengthen my argument?” This helps in adding credibility and depth to your narrative through relevant examples.
“Can you suggest an emotional climax for this chapter?” Great for identifying the peak emotional moment in a chapter and how to build up to it.
“What questions might the reader have at this point, and how can I address them?” This ensures that your content is both engaging and comprehensive.

The Dance of Creation

Each interaction with AI was a step in our creative dance. Sometimes, we moved in perfect harmony, ideas flowing seamlessly. Other times, we stepped on each other’s toes, disagreeing on direction or content. But that’s the beauty of it – the push and pull, the give and take, that’s what breathes life into your writing.

Embracing the Magic

Remember, using AI in writing isn’t about replacing your creativity; it’s about enhancing it. It’s about taking your unique voice and amplifying it with the power of technology. So, embrace this dance with AI. Let it challenge you, inspire you, and ultimately, help you create something truly magical.

The Art of Refinement

Editing was like refining a diamond. I dove into research and fact-checking, polishing every sentence. The AI suggested, I decided. It was a partnership, a give and take that ensured the heart of my narrative beat with authenticity and clarity.

The Diamond Cutter’s Approach to Editing

Editing, my friends, is akin to a diamond cutter shaping a raw gem. Each sentence, each word, is a facet that needs to be examined, shaped and polished. This is where the AI became my co-cutter, suggesting edits and pointing out rough edges. But, like a true artist, I had the final say in chiseling each word to perfection.

The Dance of Research and Fact-Checking

In this phase, research and fact-checking were my guiding stars. Diving deep into the sea of information, I sought truths and facts to anchor my narrative. The AI was a helpful navigator, but the responsibility of ensuring accuracy and authenticity was mine alone.

The Philosophy Behind Each Decision

Every edit was a philosophical decision. It was about preserving the essence while enhancing the clarity. It was a delicate balance between maintaining my voice and ensuring the narrative was comprehensible and engaging.

The Partnership of Minds

This stage of refinement was a true partnership between human intuition and AI efficiency. The AI suggested, but I, with my human touch, decided. It was a dance of minds, where technology met artistry.

Embracing the Art of Refinement

So, embrace this phase, dear creators. Relish in the art of refining your work. It’s in this meticulous process that your narrative finds its true shine, its undeniable clarity, and its deepest impact.

Wrapping It Up

So, what’s the takeaway from my tango with AI in book writing? It’s that AI can be a partner in our creative journeys, pushing us to explore new territories in storytelling. It’s a reminder that in the vast, wild content jungle, sometimes the most unexpected collaborations lead to the most beautiful creations.

Keep exploring, keep creating, and who knows? Your next partnership with AI might just be your best adventure yet.

Adrienne Greenwood

Adrienne Greenwood is a seasoned global executive publicist, founder of a bespoke PR Agency and author of Unleash The Hidden Titan, Publicity Secrets For Modern Business Leaders.

My Dance with AI in Book Writing