If you’ve spent any time lurking on the web recently, you’ve probably come across the intellectual debacle that is ChatGPT. It’s an AI processing tool that can generate written content in seconds, and writers are… concerned.
Is AI the death knell of human creativity? Or is it a new tool that will make our jobs even easier? Read on to learn all about this new player in the game and how to make it work for you.
What is “AI,” exactly?
First off: “AI” stands for “Artificial Intelligence.” It uses computerised technology to complete human tasks such as writing, drawing, or problem solving. An early example of AI in pop culture was Rosey the robot in The Jetsons. Unlike a standard machine, Rosey was able to think independently and make decisions.
Today, AI is usually an addition to an existing electronic device such as a computer or cell phone. Instead of keeping the house clean, AI is used to generate essays, answer questions, discover new opportunities, and create brand new content.
It’s this last ability that has people working in creative endeavours a little worried.
Why are creative industries freaking out over AI generation?
AI tools like ChatGPT have the ability to produce brand new content quickly, cheaply, and of reasonable quality. They can also mimic specific voices; you could ask ChatGPT to write a short story that “sounds like Diana Gabaldon”… and it would spit out a mediocre story that sounded disconcertingly like Diana Gabaldon wrote it. Maybe on an off day, but still.
This causes a few problems. For one, laypersons (ie. non-writers) are stirring to the idea that there’s profit to be made from this output. The science fiction and fantasy publication Clarkesworld recently had to shut down their submissions because they received a flood of AI-generated stories. A number of AI-generated children’s books recently became available on Amazon that were developed in mere hours. One of these creators said, “The idea of writing a book finally seemed possible. I thought, I can do this.”
Erm yes but what about those of us who read, trained, studied, bled all over the page for our art?
Another issue is that AI tools can only produce material based on what they’ve been trained with, ie. pre-existing work. All of these “original” stories are really mosaic compositions of other writers’ stories and other artists’ images that already exist online. While one might argue that there is no true “original” idea, and that we’re all doing this in our heads already anyways, there are concerns about plagiarism and intellectual property being exploited.
Currently, AI devices lack the emotional depth to create truly rich stories — which is good news for writers. However, this technology is in its very infant stages; it will only become more refined as time goes on.
But! It’s not all doom and gloom; AI does present some useful opportunities for writers, especially those working in a challenging genre like historical fiction. Let’s look at how you can make this sneaky tech work for you instead of against you.
Do you write historical fiction?
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How AI can enhance your historical fiction writing
Here are some of the ways AI tools like ChatGPT can make your writing process a little easier.
Research
Historical fiction writers know better than anyone how essential research is to the writing process. We might spend hours trying to deduce when zippers became common among the masses, or what sort of wages L’Oréal saleswomen made in the 1930s. Minute, accurate details are essential in bringing a work of historical fiction to life for the reader.
The challenge is that a detail that’s only on the page for a heartbeat might be the result of a days-long cutthroat battle across the desolate landscape of Google. But, with ChatGPT’s ability to smoothly answer questions in an instant, you can cut your research time down to minutes.
A caveat: As we mentioned above, AI is still in its early stages and can’t always be relied on to be 100% accurate. While it can help you move forward with a scene and feel more immersed in your world, it’s best practice to go back and double check with reputable sources once you finish your first draft. We recommend making a little note to yourself alongside these details (I scribble a little “fc,” for “fact check”).
Brainstorming
This is probably where AI tools like ChatGPT shine: coming up with ideas. You can use them to generate titles, character names, settings, or plot points to keep your writing process moving forward.
If a particular scene is giving you trouble, or if you’re not sure how to develop a relationship or turning point to get your story to where it needs to be, you can use AI as a sounding board or writing partner to give yourself some clarity. ChatGPT can also generate dialogue between characters.
Outlining
Some writers live for a detailed play-by-play outline. Others prefer living on the edge and letting their story spill out as it comes. You can use AI tools to create a pre-writing outline that’s as vague or as detailed as you like.
For instance, you could say, “Write a three-act plot outline for a novel about a poor copy boy who falls in love with Dorothy Parker.” Or, “Create a two-paragraph plot summary of a Bridgerton-inspired novel set in Tudor-era England, with mermaids.”
It helps to be as specific as possible with what you’re looking for. This can be an effective way to give your story some direction if you’re not sure where to begin.
Editing and proofreading
Grammarly, who? Another way you can use AI language tools is have them look over your prose for spelling, grammar, and syntax errors. This can be a useful way to catch niggly typos and autocorrects that slip through your notice, as well as to tighten up meandering sentences that distract from your story.
However, do be aware that AI doesn’t have the same attention to detail or understanding of story structure that an experienced editor, or even writing feedback partner, will have (and this is more good news for us humans). Tools like ChatGPT can give you a hand up and streamline your editing process, but it’s best practice to look over your work yourself at the very end rather than trusting your beautiful words to the technological void.
If you’re brave enough to give ChatGPT a spin, you can check it out here. Because it’s still in its testing stage, there’s no charge to use it; once its flaws and limitations have been ironed out, it will likely become a paid product.
How do you feel about the AI uprising? Has it been beneficial in your own writing? We’d love to hear your thoughts!
Fija Callaghan is an author, poet, and community manager of The History Quill. Her work has been shortlisted and longlisted for a number of short story prizes, and you can find her writing in publications like Gingerbread House, Crow & Cross Keys, Corvid Queen, and Mythic Magazine. When not writing or helping other writers get the best out of their work, she can be found haunting her local bookshops or watching the tide come in.
Do you write historical fiction?
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