I Wrote an Entire Book with AI. This is What Happened.
TLDRThe speaker shares their experience of writing a Gothic fantasy novel titled 'Heirs of Dracula' using AI, with minimal editing. They found that while AI didn't save significant time, it reduced mental effort and helped overcome burnout. They suggest that AI is particularly useful in enhancing weak areas of writing while maintaining personal strengths, and note that their novel turned out shorter than expected. The emotional impact of completing the book after a long period of burnout was profound, highlighting the value of AI in the writing process.
Takeaways
- 📚 The author utilized AI to complete a book titled 'Heirs of Dracula', which is a Gothic fantasy set in their world.
- 🎨 A commissioned artwork, not created by AI, was used for the book's cover, showcasing the integration of human and AI efforts.
- ⏳ Contrary to expectations, using AI did not significantly reduce the time spent on writing, but it did alleviate the mental effort involved in the process.
- 🔥 AI helped the author overcome burnout and resume writing, highlighting its potential as a mental load reducer rather than a time saver.
- 🤖 Claude 2.0 was identified as the most effective model for fiction writing at the time, though it was not perfect and had its challenges.
- 📈 The author plans to experiment with tools like Novel Crafter for future writing projects, focusing on writing sections of the story in a more structured manner.
- 💪 AI写作工具能够弥补作者的弱点，同时让他们专注于自己的强项，如在对话和场景描写中的表现。
- 📉 The book turned out to be shorter than anticipated, prompting the author to consider adding more content during the editing process.
- 🎉 Completing the book was a significant emotional milestone for the author, who had struggled with burnout and not finished a novel in years.
- 🤹 The final product, despite AI assistance, is very much the author's own work, with heavy editing and personal touches throughout.
- 🛍️ The book will eventually be available for purchase through regular channels like Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Q & A
What is the title of the book that the speaker completed using AI?
-The title of the book is 'Heirs of Dracula'.
What genre does the book 'Heirs of Dracula' fall under?
-The book is a Gothic fantasy.
What was the speaker's primary reason for using AI in writing the book?
-The speaker used AI primarily to help overcome burnout and to reduce the mental effort involved in writing.
Did the use of AI save the speaker a significant amount of time in writing the book?
-No, the use of AI did not save a significant amount of time; it took almost the same amount of time as writing the chapter from scratch.
Which AI model did the speaker find most effective for writing fiction?
-The speaker found Claude 2.0 to be the best model for writing fiction at the time.
How did the speaker plan to use AI for their next book?
-The speaker plans to write the first 500 words of each chapter themselves and then allow AI to continue from there, to better match their style.
What role did AI play in improving the speaker's writing process?
-AI helped fill in the speaker's weaknesses and allowed them to focus more on their strengths, improving the overall quality of the writing.
Was the final word count of the book what the speaker expected?
-No, the final word count was shorter than expected, with the book being just over 50,000 words instead of the anticipated 75,000.
How did the speaker feel after completing the book?
-The speaker felt emotional and accomplished, as it had been a long time since they had finished a full-length novel.
What was the speaker's main takeaway from using AI to write the book?
-The main takeaway was that AI helped overcome the fear of the blank page and reduced the headache associated with starting to write from scratch.
Where will the book 'Heirs of Dracula' be available for purchase?
-The book will be available for purchase at regular places like Amazon and Barnes & Noble where ebooks are sold.
Outlines
📚 AI-Assisted Writing Journey and Key Takeaways
The speaker shares their experience of writing a Gothic fantasy novel titled 'Heirs of Dracula' using AI, with minimal editing. They discuss the time investment and the process, including the creation of a commissioned cover artwork. The speaker emphasizes that AI did not save as much time as anticipated but was instrumental in overcoming writer's block and mental effort, highlighting the importance of AI as a mental saver rather than a time saver.
🤖 Insights on AI Writing Models and Techniques
The speaker delves into the specifics of using AI for writing fiction, noting that Claude 2.0 was the most effective model for their novel. They describe their approach of writing story beats and then letting AI expand on them. The speaker also shares their trials with the release of Claude 2.1, which was less satisfactory, leading to a return to Claude 2.0. They propose a new method for the next book, involving writing the first part of each chapter themselves and then handing it over to AI for a seamless style match.
🚀 AI's Role in Enhancing Writing Strengths and Weaknesses
The speaker reflects on how AI helped to elevate the quality of their writing by improving upon their weaknesses and accentuating their strengths. They give examples of how AI successfully captured the distinctive voice of Sherlock Holmes, while they were able to refine areas where the AI's portrayal was too dramatic or colorful. The speaker appreciates AI's assistance in raising their baseline quality while still allowing them to excel in areas of personal strength.
📉 Unexpected Length and Storytelling Considerations
The speaker discusses the final length of their novel, which turned out to be shorter than expected at just over 50,000 words. They consider the implications of this and ponder whether additional scenes are needed to enrich the narrative. The speaker notes that the story's focus on a single viewpoint character might have contributed to the shorter length, and they see this as acceptable for the story's scope.
🎉 Emotional Reflection on Completing the Novel
The speaker shares a personal and emotional account of completing the novel, highlighting the significance of this achievement after a period of burnout. They express gratitude towards AI for helping them overcome the fear of the blank page and the physical reaction to starting writing. The speaker concludes by asserting that despite the use of AI, the finished book remains their own work, with substantial editing and personal input throughout.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡AI
💡Editing
💡Commissioned Artwork
💡Gothic Fantasy
💡Mental Effort
💡Burnout
💡Claude 2.0
💡Novel Crafter
💡Weaknesses and Strengths
💡Word Count
💡Emotional Impact
Highlights
The author completed a book titled 'Heirs of Dracula' using AI with some editing.
The book is a Gothic fantasy set in the author's world and is not yet published.
The author used techniques discussed on their channel, which resulted in less editing than expected.
AI did not save as much time as anticipated, but it saved mental effort.
The author overcame burnout and started writing again with the help of AI.
Claude 2.0 was found to be the best model for writing fiction at the time.
The author plans to use a tool like Novel Crafter for their next book, writing sections one at a time.
AI helps to fill in the author's weaknesses while they focus on their strengths.
The AI wrote dialogue for Sherlock Holmes exceptionally well.
The final story was shorter than expected, with the book ending up just over 50,000 words.
The author's emotional response to finishing the book after a long period of burnout.
AI prevented the author from experiencing blank page syndrome and the associated dread.
The author is pleased with the final book, which is heavily edited and mostly their own words.
The book will be available for purchase at regular platforms like Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
The author's experience with AI writing was a significant and emotional milestone in their career.
The author's live stream playlist documents the entire writing process.