Will AI replace Novelists? A fiction editor tells all.
AI is a part of the writing world whether we like it or not, but is it coming for all our writing jobs? I took a look into an AI generated narrative and the genre as a whole to explore what's possible (and not so possible) with AI generated creative writing.
I Edited an AI generated narrative, and here's the raw result:
What makes novels hard for AI?
Specificity and word precision:
AI often uses generic descriptions like "wreckage of buildings" instead of vivid, specific phrases like "the Fabricore Robotics office, split in two by a laser blast." Precise language makes a story. Some would argue that it is the story. Those micro-decisions a writer makes while writing add up to something more than the sum of its parts.
Building narrative and meaningful characters:
Good novels rely on characters’ decisions and actions to move the plot forward. AI struggles to create complex characters and tends to make protagonists passive observers rather than active participants in their story.
Life experience - one soul talking to another:
So, maybe I'm just being a sappy writer, but I believe readers can sense someone thinking at the "other end of the phone." While this might not matter so much when talking to a support representative or something, it does matter when it comes to exploring the truth of living.
What does AI do well in writing?
Summarize and clarify:
AI can break down complex ideas. It can take a ten zillion page novel and turn it into a few paragraphs of wrap-up. That can be a huge help for writers (and editors) trying to get a high-level view on a work.
Find grammar and spelling mistakes:
AI excels at identifying and fixing grammatical errors and typos. A few quick prompts or an input through Grammarly and project can truly level-up.
Assist writers with brainstorming and ideation:
AI can help generate ideas, suggest story prompts, or offer inspiration when a writer is feeling stuck, making it a useful tool in the creative process.
Where does AI struggle in fiction writing?
AI summarizes when it should develop scene and drama:
AI tends to condense events rather than building engaging, dramatic scenes. This can leave stories feeling flat and rushed. To build drama, we often want the play-by-play experience of action rather than a blithe and efficient summary.
Details are muddied, and details make the story:
Strong writing thrives on specific, sensory details, but AI often uses more general words and zoomed out details. For example, as a writer it's always much more effective to say "Schnauzer" than "Dog" when writing since the details pull in much more for the reader's imagination.
Can AI write non-fiction?
It excels in summary-focused articles:
AI performs well with structured content, such as summaries or how-to articles, where creativity and emotional resonance are less critical. Heck, I even used good ol' GPT to streamline the organization and writing process for THIS post.
It still needs to be fact checked:
AI won't have perfect subject matter knowledge. AI relies on whatever seed datasets it was trained on, so it can lack deep or accurate knowledge of niche or nuanced subjects.
With good prompting, AI can achieve solid results in non-fiction:
Again, creative non-fiction... that's a whole different thing, but with some good prompting and lots and lots of editing you can get a passable blog post a bit faster than normal. Be warned, however, AI will generally struggle to produce a post of greater quality than your own skill could produce. So if you're writing on a scale of 8/10, ChatGPT or Claude would only be able to achieve a 7/10 at best.
So, are all writers losing their jobs to AI?
Will AI take over fiction writing?
No. Maybe it'll help writers be a bit more efficient, but again, it'll struggle to match or exceed the prompter's skill level.
Will AI kill fiction writing?
Doubtful. Humans will always crave real stories. Until AI becomes sentient, capable of its own experiences and creativity, human writers will remain irreplaceable.
FAQ on AI and fiction writing:
Can AI create a complete novel?
AI can generate text for a novel, but it often requires heavy human editing to make the story cohesive and compelling.
What are AI’s biggest challenges in writing fiction?
AI struggles with creating specific details, building emotional depth, and constructing engaging narratives with logical progression.
How can writers use AI more effectively?
Writers can use AI to brainstorm ideas, clean up grammar, or generate quick drafts, but they’ll need to refine and add the human touch to make the work stand out.
Hope this helps you in your writing,
El Final Boss
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