Crafting the Future: Why Writers Should Embrace AI by Keri Kruspe

 

As a writer, I love exploring and learning new things. And lately, I’ve been caught up in the AI craze, exploring what it can do for me in my writing career. But there are some of those in our community who cry foul, claiming AI will soon take over the creative process of fiction writing. Why, they say, pay a human when all it takes is a prompt in an AI software to get you the same thing?

Au contrair, mon frere. In my humble opinion, AI programs (like ChatGPT, Sudowrite, and Claude) are mere tools that help a writer, not replace them. Much like a typewriter back in the day. It won’t hinder the creative process, but instead enhance the experience. With that in mind, let’s take a quick look at what I mean.

What AI Can't Mimic

One of the most important things to remember is we’re humans… writing to entertain/inform other humans. Who, but us, has that kind of insight? Only we can tap into the unlimited variety of human emotions and the baggage we carry with us in all the complexities of being human. AI lacks this innate understanding of our behavior. That gives up the upper hand at creating characters with authentic feelings and flaws, as well as the importance of emotionally growing. Throughout our lives, we’ve wallowed in a plethora of emotions like joy, sorrow, love, coupled with an abundance of longing for something else, something different that only a human can experience.

            Another exciting example of we can do and AI can’t is our innate urge to play with language. This is our palette… what we color the world with. As a writer of SciFi romance, I love coming up with alien and diverse ways to say something. Just recently, I had to ponder what an ancient person (who traveled in time to our present) would say in an exclamation. I’m going to keep it clean here… but some modern man won’t say “Great Caesars Ghost!” (for one thing, Ceaser hadn’t been born yet). So, I had my guy shout “By Tiamat’s titties!”. And I also took a pretty common cuss word that starts with a “f” and ends in a “k” and turned it around for an alien. They say fruk instead. I love coming up with unfamiliar words and phrases for my alien characters to use.

            Another thing I do is draw inspiration from the people I’ve met and work with over the years. In fact, one of my first books is loosely based on real life. Because I felt wronged/betrayed by someone back then, I had the good guy shoot the jerk right between the eyes. Boy, I gotta tell you; that was immensely satisfying. Ah, revenge. Remember, don’t do a writer wrong, they’ll take it out on you in a novel.

Leveraging Technology Wisely

As I mentioned in the beginning, AI is a tool. While it can be used for such mundane tasks as grammar check and research, I love to use it as a writing buddy who is there whenever I need them. Especially since I wake up at the crack of almost-dawn (4:30am to get in two hours of writing before I have to leave for work). I use AI not only as a critique partner, but someone who never gets impatient with me when I ask questions I get stuck on. Sometimes more than once.

            For instance, this morning I was writing a scene in my newest novel and wondered what a tree would look like on a planet where a civilization of panther-like beings of an advanced technology lived. The AI gave me more than one scenario to choose from. So, what I did was combine what I liked best about everything it suggested and came up with something new and different.

To take it up a step, I asked it what one of those creatures would dress like on that type of planet. It came up with several wardrobe suggestions. But the funnest part (yeah, I like the word funnest) was asking it to create a picture depicting this alien.

            And here’s what it came up with:

            Cool, eh? As I planned this blog, I asked the AI to create a picture for the header (see above). When the AI was done, this is what it told me:

            “Here’s an image for your blog post. This visual aims to encapsulate the essence of human creativity and the enduring value of authentic writing in the digital age. It symbolizes the balance between traditional writing methods and modern AI technology, inviting writers to explore and assert their unique voices.”

            Can’t argue with that!

Other Benefits

Here’s an outline of some of the other benefits how an AI companion can help a writer be more productive:

• Research Assistant: AI can analyze vast amounts of data while providing insights
• Customization: With some programs, you can customize your AI to adapt to your particular writing style.
• Enhanced Productivity: It can automate repetitive tasks like grammar checks, proofreading, and formatting. 

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Last Thoughts

Will AI replace authors?

As of now, I doubt AI will replace authors any time soon. Most techies and web gurus claim artificial intelligence cannot totally replace a human writer’s insight or their creativity. There is a huge market for creative writers to put themselves out there, to share their experiences with the world.

What we should concentrate on as AI advances is we, as writers, better learn how to use this wondrous innovation. Discover how to strike a balance between automation and human creativity. Use that available technology to save time so you can set your creative juices free. Let it help you weave the magic only you can create to take your writing craft to a higher level.

While AI evolves and algorithms sharpen, remember this: you are irreplaceable. The world doesn’t need another robotic rendition; it craves your authenticity. Embrace your quirks, your scars, and your hard-earned laugh lines.

AI may be the brush, but you are the artist.