I Wrote an Entire Book with AI. This is What Happened.
TLDRThe author shares their experience of writing a book titled 'Heirs of Dracula' using AI, with a focus on the five biggest takeaways from the process. The first takeaway is that while AI did not save significant time, it did reduce the mental effort required for writing, particularly beneficial for those struggling with burnout or conditions like ADHD, depression, or autism. The second insight is that Claude 2.0 was the most effective AI model for writing fiction, but the author plans to use tools like Novel Crafter for a more seamless writing experience in the future. The third takeaway is that AI excels at compensating for the writer's weaknesses while enhancing their strengths. The fourth point is that the book turned out shorter than expected, leading to reflection on whether additional scenes are needed. Lastly, the author expresses emotional satisfaction at completing a novel after a long period of burnout, attributing much of this achievement to the assistance of AI, which helped overcome the fear of the blank page and the physical reaction to writing after burnout.
Takeaways
- 📚 The author used AI to write a book titled 'Heirs of Dracula', which turned out well and was satisfying to complete.
- ⏱️ Contrary to expectations, using AI did not save significant time in the writing process but rather reduced mental effort.
- 🧠 AI was instrumental in overcoming writer's block and reigniting the author's passion for writing after a period of burnout.
- 📉 The final word count was shorter than anticipated, leading to reflection on whether additional scenes were needed to enhance the narrative.
- 🚀 AI proved particularly adept at handling parts of the story the author felt were not their strong suit, such as writing dialogue for the character Sherlock Holmes.
- 🔍 Claude 2.0 was identified as the best model for writing fiction at the time, but the author suggests a hybrid approach for future works, using AI to continue from a short, manually written section.
- 📉 The author found that AI filled in for their weaknesses while still allowing them to focus on and enhance their strengths.
- 📈 AI helped to raise the baseline quality of the writing by compensating for areas where the author was less skilled.
- 🎉 Completing the book was an emotional and significant achievement for the author, who had not finished a novel in years due to burnout.
- 🤖 The author emphasizes that despite using AI, the finished book is very much their own, with substantial editing and personal input.
- 📈 The use of AI helped to prevent the 'blank page syndrome' and the associated dread that often comes with starting a new writing project.
Q & A
What is the title of the book the author completed using AI?
-The title of the book is 'Heirs of Dracula'.
What genre is the book 'Heirs of Dracula'?
-The book 'Heirs of Dracula' is a Gothic fantasy.
What was the author's first big takeaway from using AI to write the book?
-The author's first big takeaway was that using AI did not save a significant amount of time compared to writing the book without AI. However, it did save mental effort, which was particularly helpful for the author who had experienced burnout.
Which AI model did the author find to be the best for writing fiction at the time?
-The author found Claude 2.0 to be the best model for writing fiction at the time.
What was the author's second biggest takeaway from the experience?
-The second biggest takeaway was that writing the entire chapter in one go with AI was often difficult to edit. The author suggests using a tool like Novel Crafter, which writes one section at a time, might be a better approach.
How did AI help the author with their weaknesses and strengths in writing?
-AI helped the author by filling in for their weaknesses, allowing them to focus on their strengths. For example, the author found that AI wrote the dialogue for the character Sherlock Holmes better than they could have, while they were able to improve upon scenes where the AI's writing was too dramatic.
Why was the final word count of the book shorter than the author expected?
-The final word count was shorter than expected because the story primarily had one viewpoint character, which typically results in a shorter novel. The author was considering whether to add more scenes to flesh it out.
How did the author feel when they finished the book?
-The author felt emotional and accomplished upon finishing the book, as it had been a long time since they had completed a full-length novel due to previous burnout.
How much time did the author spend outside of live streams on the novel?
-The author spent about two to three hours outside of live streams working on the novel.
What was the author's approach to writing the novel with AI?
-The author's approach involved writing the story beats themselves, then giving them to Claude 2.0 to write the entire chapter, followed by the author editing the chapter.
What was the author's plan for the next book they write?
-For the next book, the author plans to write the first 500 words themselves and then allow AI to continue from there, hoping for a more seamless match of their writing style.
Will the completed book be available for purchase?
-Yes, the book will eventually be available for purchase commercially through regular outlets such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Outlines
📚 Completing a Book with AI: Experience and Takeaways
The speaker discusses their experience of writing a book titled 'Heirs of Dracula' using AI, with some personal editing. They share the cover, which is a commissioned artwork, not AI-generated. The book is a Gothic fantasy set in the author's world and turned out well. The author admits that contrary to expectations, using AI did not save much time, but it did save mental effort, which was crucial for overcoming writer's block. The author emphasizes AI as a mental effort saver rather than a time saver, highlighting its role in helping them write again after a period of burnout.
🤖 Claude 2.0 for Fiction Writing and Editing Challenges
The author found that Claude 2.0 was the best model for writing fiction at the time but noted its imperfections. They initially wrote entire chapters in one go, which proved challenging to edit correctly. With the release of CLA 2.1, the author faced difficulties, prompting a return to Claude 2.0. They suggest a new approach for the next book, using tools like Novel Crafter to write in sections, which they believe will better match their writing style. The author also plans to write the first 500 words of a chapter themselves before letting AI continue, aiming for a more seamless integration of AI assistance.
🧠 AI's Role in Balancing Writing Strengths and Weaknesses
The author highlights AI's effectiveness in compensating for their writing weaknesses while allowing them to focus on their strengths. During editing, the author found that AI improved sections they felt were lacking but also excelled in areas they would have struggled with, such as writing dialogue for the character Sherlock Holmes. This collaboration between AI and the author raised the baseline quality of the writing and permitted the author to polish the parts they were naturally good at. The author also discusses the unexpected brevity of the story, coming in at 50,000 words instead of the anticipated 75,000, which led to a reconsideration of the story's pacing and completeness.
🎉 Overcoming Burnout and Completing the Novel
The author expresses a deep emotional response to finishing the novel, a significant achievement after a period of burnout. They reflect on the emotional impact of completing a full-length novel and how AI helped them overcome the fear of the blank page and the physical reaction associated with burnout. The author emphasizes that while AI did not save much time, it saved them from the mental strain of writing, allowing them to edit heavily and claim the finished book as their own work, with AI contributing to sections like Sherlock's dialogue.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡AI
💡Editing
💡Burnout
💡Mental Effort
💡Claude 2.0
💡Novel Crafter
💡Story Beats
💡Show, Don't Tell
💡Point of View
💡Dialogue
💡Blank Page Syndrome
Highlights
The author completed a book titled 'Heirs of Dracula' using AI and editing.
The book is a Gothic fantasy set in the author's world and is not yet published.
The cover art was commissioned and is not AI-generated.
AI did not save significant time in the writing process as expected.
AI was instrumental in overcoming writer's block and burnout.
AI is more of a mental effort saver rather than a time saver.
Claude 2.0 was identified as the best model for writing fiction at the time.
The author encountered difficulties with the release of CLA 2.1.
The author plans to use tools like Novel Crafter for the next book, writing one section at a time.
AI was effective in complementing the author's weaknesses and enhancing strengths.
The final story was shorter than anticipated, with just over 50,000 words.
The author experienced an emotional moment upon finishing the book, a significant personal achievement.
The book, despite being AI-assisted, is heavily edited and remains the author's own story.
The author will likely leave sections like Sherlock's dialogue mostly unchanged due to AI's superior writing in those parts.
The author emphasizes that AI helped overcome the fear of the blank page and the dread associated with writer's block.
The book will be available for purchase commercially on platforms like Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
The author's experience with AI writing was overall positive and transformative.