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 highlight that AI didn't save as much time as anticipated but significantly reduced mental effort, aiding in overcoming burnout. They found Claude 2.0 to be the most effective AI model for fiction writing and suggest a new writing approach using tools like Novel Crafter. AI proved helpful in enhancing weak areas while allowing focus on strengths, though the final story was shorter than expected. The speaker expresses emotional satisfaction on completing the book, crediting AI for making the process less daunting.
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 AI-generated, was used for the book cover, showcasing the integration of traditional and AI art.
- ⏳ Contrary to expectations, AI did not significantly reduce the time spent on writing, but rather saved mental effort.
- 🔥 AI helped the author overcome burnout and resume writing, highlighting its potential as a mental aid over a time-saving tool.
- 🤖 Claude 2.0 was identified as the most effective AI model for fiction writing at the time, though not without its imperfections.
- 📝 The author plans to use tools like Novel Crafter for future writing, focusing on writing sections incrementally for better style consistency.
- 💪 AI proved beneficial in enhancing the author's weaknesses while allowing them to focus on their strengths during the writing and editing process.
- 📉 The final word count was lower than anticipated, prompting a reevaluation of the story's pacing and content.
- 😢 The emotional impact of finishing a full-length novel after a long period of burnout was profound for the author.
- 📖 The book, despite AI assistance, remains the author's own work, with careful editing and selection of AI-generated content.
Q & A
What is the title of the book that the speaker completed with the help of AI?
-The title of the book is 'Heirs of Dracula'.
What genre does the speaker describe the book as?
-The book is described as a Gothic fantasy.
What was the speaker's first major takeaway from using AI to write the book?
-The first major takeaway was that using AI did not save a significant amount of time, but it did save mental effort.
Which AI model did the speaker find to be the most effective for writing fiction at the time?
-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 differently 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 helping the speaker overcome their writing struggles?
-AI helped the speaker overcome their writing struggles by saving them mental effort and reducing the barrier to entry, especially for those struggling with conditions like ADHD, depression, or autism.
How did the final word count of the book compare to the speaker's expectations?
-The final word count of the book was shorter than expected, coming in at just over 50,000 words instead of the anticipated 75,000.
What was the speaker's emotional reaction to finishing the book?
-The speaker felt emotional and celebrated the accomplishment, as it had been a long time since they had finished a full-length novel due to previous burnout.
How did the speaker ensure that the AI's contributions to the book were in line with their own writing style?
-The speaker heavily edited the AI's contributions and only kept the sections that were either identical to what they would write or better than their own writing.
What was the speaker's strategy for handling characters like Sherlock Holmes in the book?
-The speaker was initially nervous about writing such a beloved character but found that AI could produce excellent dialogue for Sherlock, which required minimal editing.
Where will the finished book be available for purchase?
-The book will be available for purchase at regular places like Amazon and Barnes & Noble where ebooks are sold.
Outlines
📚 Writing a Book with AI: Experience and Takeaways
The speaker discusses their experience of writing a book titled 'Heirs of Dracula' using AI, with minimal editing required. They share their five key takeaways from the process. The first takeaway is that AI did not save as much time as anticipated, but it saved mental effort, helping the speaker overcome burnout. The speaker also found Claude 2.0 to be the most effective AI model for writing fiction at the time, but noted its imperfections and the need for a better approach, such as using novel crafter for the next book. The speaker emphasizes that AI can be a mental saver, not just a time saver, for writers.
🤖 AI as a Writing Partner: Strengths and Weaknesses
The speaker shares how AI assisted in writing by filling in for their weaknesses and enhancing their strengths. They found that AI could produce high-quality dialogue for complex characters like Sherlock Holmes, but required adjustments for other characters. The speaker also discusses their strategy of writing the first part of each chapter themselves and then letting AI continue, which they believe will better match their writing style. They note that AI helped to raise the baseline quality of their work, allowing them to focus on refining their strengths.
📉出乎意料的篇幅：AI写作的意外结果
The speaker reflects on the final length of their book, which turned out to be shorter than expected. They had anticipated a 75,000-word novel but ended up with just over 50,000 words. The speaker is now considering whether to add more scenes to flesh out the story. They note that the shorter length might be acceptable given the single viewpoint character of the story, but they are still in the process of evaluating the narrative flow and overall content.
🎉 Overcoming Burnout: The Emotional Journey
The speaker shares a personal and emotional aspect of their writing journey, highlighting the significance of completing the book after a long period of burnout. They express gratitude towards AI for helping them overcome the fear of the blank page and the physical reaction of pain associated with starting to write. The speaker emphasizes that despite the challenges, the completion of the novel was a significant achievement and a source of happiness.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡AI-assisted writing
💡Editing
💡Time efficiency
💡Mental effort
💡Claude 2.0
💡Novel Crafter
💡Sherlock Holmes
💡Word count expectations
💡Emotional impact
💡Publishing
Highlights
Author completed a book named 'Heirs of Dracula' using AI and editing.
The book is a Gothic fantasy set in the author's world.
AI did not save as much time as expected, but it saved mental effort.
AI helped the author overcome burnout and start writing again.
Claude 2.0 was found to be the best model for writing fiction at the time.
The author plans to use Novel Crafter for the next book, writing in sections.
AI filled in for the author's weaknesses while allowing focus on strengths.
The AI wrote dialogue for Sherlock Holmes exceptionally well.
The final story was shorter than expected at just over 50,000 words.
The author's emotional reaction to finishing the book after a long period of burnout.
AI prevented the dread and physical reaction associated with starting from a blank page.
The author's experience shows AI can be a mind saver, not just a time saver.
The author's live stream playlist documents the entire writing process.
The author is pleased with the final product and plans to publish it commercially.
The book was written mostly in live streams, with little additional work outside.
The author found that AI models were not perfect and had their limitations.
The author's approach to writing with AI involved creating story beats and then letting AI write the chapter.