I Used ChatGPT to Write a Book. And I Published it | ChatGPT for Authors | Writing a Novel With AI
TLDRIn this video, the author shares their unique experience of using ChatGPT to write a fantasy novella titled 'Legends of the Shadow Woods,' which is inspired by Greek mythology. The author discusses the process of generating content with AI, the challenges faced, and the editing process to make the text readable while preserving the AI-generated content. They also reflect on the potential impact of AI on the future of writing and publishing, suggesting that while it may not threaten established authors, it could significantly change the landscape for midlist and indie authors. The video concludes with the author's thoughts on the accessibility of AI tools for creative endeavors and the availability of the novella on Amazon.
Takeaways
- 📚 The author used ChatGPT to write a novella titled 'Legends of the Shadow Woods', which is a collection of tales based on Greek mythology.
- 🤖 ChatGPT is a computer program capable of generating coherent and contextually relevant text, which the author utilized to create the book's content and even the blurb.
- 🎨 In addition to writing, an AI was also used to design the book cover, showcasing the potential of AI in creative fields.
- 💡 The author chose a fantasy world based on Greek mythology for the novella to leverage the vast information base ChatGPT has on the subject.
- 🔍 The creation process involved trial and error, with the author learning to refine prompts to achieve desired outcomes.
- 📈 The author found it more effective to work in smaller chunks of text, making the process more manageable.
- ✍️ An outline was created before writing each story, which was adjusted as needed, despite the AI's tendency to generate content that sometimes lacked coherence.
- ⏱️ The process of generating and editing the novella was time-consuming, with the author spending a significant amount of time on both tasks.
- 📉 The editing goal was to make the content readable rather than to match the author's personal writing style, aiming to preserve the AI-generated content.
- 🚫 ChatGPT has limitations, including content policies that restrict certain types of content generation and a tendency to produce verbose and repetitive text.
- 🔄 The AI sometimes forgets previously written details, such as character traits, which required careful editing to maintain consistency.
- ⁉️ The author ponders the future implications of AI on the writing industry, suggesting it could be a game-changer for independent authors and those new to writing.
Q & A
What was the author's initial motivation for using ChatGPT to write a novella?
-The author was inspired by a video of someone using ChatGPT to write a children's picture book and decided to experiment with the technology by writing a fantasy Novella instead.
Why did the author choose a fantasy world based on Greek mythology for the novella?
-The author believed that Greek mythology would give the stories the best chance of success because ChatGPT already has a large base of information to work off of, and the style of mythological storytelling fit well with the AI's output.
What was the process like for generating the novella's content using ChatGPT?
-The process involved asking ChatGPT for options, choosing the best ones, and then generating text in small pieces of three paragraphs or less. The author found it more efficient to work in smaller sections due to the difficulty of referring to earlier details when regenerating prompts multiple times.
How did the author approach the editing process for the novella?
-The author aimed for a readable outcome rather than perfection. The editing process included a rough edit to cut out excessive content, a detailed pass using editing software, and a final proofread. The author tried to preserve as much of the AI-generated content as possible.
What limitations did the author encounter while using ChatGPT to write the novella?
-The author found that ChatGPT's sentence structure was often clumsy and repetitive, requiring significant editing. Additionally, the AI sometimes forgot details it had previously written, such as the color of a character's eyes, and was limited by its content policy, which restricts certain types of content generation.
How did the author use AI for creating the novella's cover?
-The author used a different AI program, DallE2, to generate images for the cover. After generating several images, the author spent a few hours in Photoshop assembling the generated pictures to create the final cover.
What is the author's perspective on the future impact of AI on authors and the publishing industry?
-The author believes that AI tools like ChatGPT could significantly change the industry, especially for midlist authors and independent writers. While it could be a boon for those who want to tell stories without years of practice, it might also pose challenges and could potentially be banned by platforms like Amazon in the future.
How long did it take the author to generate, edit, and proofread the novella?
-The author started generating the novella on January 9th and completed the process by January 21st, making it a span of approximately two weeks.
What was the final word count of the novella after editing?
-The final product of the novella was just shy of 25,000 words.
How did the author handle the issue of ChatGPT repeating itself in the generated content?
-The author addressed this by carefully editing the content to remove repetitive phrases and maintain a semi-coherent narrative flow.
What is the title of the first story in the collection, and how did the AI contribute to the novella?
-The first story in the collection is called 'The Golden Feather of Friendship'. The AI not only generated the content but also named every story, every chapter, and the entire collection.
Where can readers find and purchase the novella 'Legends of the Shadow Woods'?
-Readers can find and purchase 'Legends of the Shadow Woods' on Amazon through the link provided in the video script.
Outlines
🤖 Using AI to Write and Design a Novel
The speaker reminisces about their childhood wish for a robot to do chores, which has evolved into using AI for work. They introduce a novella titled 'Legends of the Shadow Woods,' which was written using ChatGPT and is available on Amazon. The novella is based on Greek mythology and follows the hero Ajax. The AI also crafted promotional text for the book and designed the cover. The speaker discusses the potential of AI in creative writing and their process of generating and editing the novella, highlighting the challenges and learning curve involved in working with AI. They also mention the limitations of AI, such as content policy restrictions and clumsy sentence structures, and reflect on the implications of AI on the future of writing and the publishing industry.
📚 Editing and Refining AI-Generated Content
The speaker details their editing process for the AI-generated novella, emphasizing the goal of making it readable while preserving the AI's original content. They describe the process as time-consuming, particularly due to the AI's tendency to be repetitive and verbose. The editing involved cutting out excessive content, merging different versions of text, and making minor adjustments to dialogue and transitions. The speaker also discusses the limitations they encountered, such as the AI's inability to consistently remember details and its adherence to a content policy that restricts certain types of content. They reflect on the potential impact of AI on the creative industry, suggesting that it could be a game-changer for independent authors and those looking to tell stories without years of practice.
🌟 The Future of AI in Creative Industries
The speaker ponders the future implications of AI on authors and the publishing industry, drawing parallels with the impact of AI-generated artwork on artists. They express mixed feelings about the potential changes in the industry, acknowledging the opportunities AI presents for those without extensive writing experience. The speaker suggests that while established authors may not be significantly threatened, midlist authors and newcomers could see substantial shifts in how they create and publish their work. They also mention the possibility of Amazon banning AI-generated content in the future and provide a link to their website where the novella might be available if that happens. The speaker concludes by inviting viewers to check out 'Legends of the Shadow Woods' on Amazon and their other original works.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡ChatGPT
💡Legends of the Shadow Woods
💡AI-generated content
💡Greek mythology
💡Content Policy
💡Editing process
💡Clumsy sentence structure
💡Repeating phrases
💡AI forgetting content
💡Future of authors
💡Indie authors
Highlights
The author used ChatGPT to write a novella titled 'Legends of the Shadow Woods', which is available on Amazon.
ChatGPT is a computer program capable of generating coherent and contextually relevant text based on its training data.
The novella is a collection of tales based on Greek mythology, following the hero Ajax.
AI was also used to create the book's cover, showcasing the potential of AI in creative fields.
The author initially experimented with ChatGPT to understand its capabilities before deciding to write a fantasy novella.
The process involved generating text in small chunks and refining it through a trial-and-error approach.
ChatGPT was instructed to create a fantasy world, which led to the selection of a Greek mythology-based setting.
The author found that working with shorter paragraphs was more effective for generating and editing the story.
The editing process aimed to make the text readable while preserving as much AI-generated content as possible.
The final product was just under 25,000 words, with a significant amount of generated content being edited down.
ChatGPT's limitations include content policy restrictions, clumsy sentence structures, and a tendency to repeat phrases.
The author spent an equal amount of time generating and editing the novella, which was surprising given the need for extensive editing.
The potential impact on the publishing industry from AI-generated content is uncertain but could be significant for independent authors.
The author suggests that AI tools like ChatGPT could democratize storytelling, allowing more people to bring their ideas to life.
There is a possibility that platforms like Amazon may ban AI-generated content in the future.
The author's experiment with AI in writing raises questions about the future of authorship and the role of technology in creative processes.
The author invites readers to check out 'Legends of the Shadow Woods' on Amazon and their website for more original, non-AI generated work.