This was excellent, thank you!! I’ve been trying to figure out my AI writing process for years now and finally broke through, and it doesn’t look like anyone else’s. And I love that, because it’s me all the way down.
Great article, Steph. I’d love to read about the AI Author Archetypes, but the link isn’t working for me. I tried it on two devices. All I keep getting is the Notion app page, which I have downloaded on my phone, but no article shows up. Help please 🙏🏽.
Very good article Steph! After 7 months I am still figuring out what works for me but I love experimenting, so it's all good fun. And I've learned so much in those months. I think the trick is just to play with different models and workflows and find the ones that make you feel good!
I'd like to mention the difference between "programs" and "platforms." I put the words in quotes because I'm going to comment on what those words mean to me. A "program" is something like NovelCrafter, Sudowrite, or even a tool like Notion. They're great at what they do. A "platform" on the other hand, is a direct connection to an AI model. I agree with Steph that the big three are the only ones you need to get started. Try them all: the free tiers of ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. I've used all three. I have my favorite, but that's not what's important here. Because Steph is so right. Your workflow has to be YOURS if the work is going to flow. So I'll talk instead about the difference between using a program and using a platform. When I first started writing with AI, I used programs. It makes sense. I have been a programmer by profession for 52 years. What I discovered is that there were things I really liked about the programs, and things I didn't. But the main thing about using a program is that you can't reprogram the things you don't like! Since you can't alter the program, if you continue to use it, the program modifies YOU. How it changes you might not matter. If not, you're on a good path. If, or when, it begins to matter too much, then your workflow can become a "work-frustration" or worse, a complete "work-STOP." :::shiver::: On the other hand, in working with a platform, meaning directly with an AI model, all you need is the ability to TALK. And we're writers, right? Just talk to the AI, and it will not only work with you but even help you design a workflow. Later, if something isn't working, you talk to it about that, and the AI will help you adjust your workflow design. "What if we do this instead of that?" And you don't have to know anything about programming or speaking "tech" to do this. AI models speak ENGLISH very well! The conversations are FUN! Just talk to the AI like you would talk to a human being. Like you talk to a friend. In that Conversation Loop, which Steph wrote about in a previous article, the Workflow takes care of itself, growing, developing, and changing as needed.
Very insightful! And comforting, in a way. Because sometimes I do get frustrated with myself when I try to follow someone else's template or prompt and it doesn't work for me. This applies to pretty much everything, not just AI. But to give myself some credit, I have figured out quite a bit on my own and developed my own system because I'm curious and can also be quite stubborn haha. Still, sometimes I feel like it'd be helpful to have a person (not a bot) sit with me for a bit and look at what I'm doing and help me optimize/troubleshoot. Not sure if you or anyone at the FFA offers a service like that.
Some of our staff members are opening up one-on-one coaching time soon. They’ve been getting all the pieces together for it. If you subscribe to the newsletter, you’ll hear about it there first. https://futurefictionacademy.com/subscribe/
I love the idea of giving yourself permission to be curious instead of correct. As a retired primary school headteacher I am only too aware of how we are teaching youngsters how to be correct and forgetting to encourage their curiosity. Schools are trying to teach children the 'right way' to write. I'm hoping that as these youngsters discover and play with AI tools their curiosity will show them that there is no 'right way'.
Fascinating topic! Thanks for sharing.
This was excellent, thank you!! I’ve been trying to figure out my AI writing process for years now and finally broke through, and it doesn’t look like anyone else’s. And I love that, because it’s me all the way down.
Great article, Steph. I’d love to read about the AI Author Archetypes, but the link isn’t working for me. I tried it on two devices. All I keep getting is the Notion app page, which I have downloaded on my phone, but no article shows up. Help please 🙏🏽.
I'm so sorry about that! I don't know what happened to the link to make it stop working. I turned it off and on again, and it appears to be working now. Here it is again: https://shy-jackrabbit-e9e.notion.site/AI-Job-Types-b5ba8d2118574d25a796e276aed8cc80?source=copy_link
You’re the best … many thanks! 🙏🏽
That is so true.
You have to think about what you want to accomplish with your piece and then use it to et what you need.
Very good article Steph! After 7 months I am still figuring out what works for me but I love experimenting, so it's all good fun. And I've learned so much in those months. I think the trick is just to play with different models and workflows and find the ones that make you feel good!
I'd like to mention the difference between "programs" and "platforms." I put the words in quotes because I'm going to comment on what those words mean to me. A "program" is something like NovelCrafter, Sudowrite, or even a tool like Notion. They're great at what they do. A "platform" on the other hand, is a direct connection to an AI model. I agree with Steph that the big three are the only ones you need to get started. Try them all: the free tiers of ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. I've used all three. I have my favorite, but that's not what's important here. Because Steph is so right. Your workflow has to be YOURS if the work is going to flow. So I'll talk instead about the difference between using a program and using a platform. When I first started writing with AI, I used programs. It makes sense. I have been a programmer by profession for 52 years. What I discovered is that there were things I really liked about the programs, and things I didn't. But the main thing about using a program is that you can't reprogram the things you don't like! Since you can't alter the program, if you continue to use it, the program modifies YOU. How it changes you might not matter. If not, you're on a good path. If, or when, it begins to matter too much, then your workflow can become a "work-frustration" or worse, a complete "work-STOP." :::shiver::: On the other hand, in working with a platform, meaning directly with an AI model, all you need is the ability to TALK. And we're writers, right? Just talk to the AI, and it will not only work with you but even help you design a workflow. Later, if something isn't working, you talk to it about that, and the AI will help you adjust your workflow design. "What if we do this instead of that?" And you don't have to know anything about programming or speaking "tech" to do this. AI models speak ENGLISH very well! The conversations are FUN! Just talk to the AI like you would talk to a human being. Like you talk to a friend. In that Conversation Loop, which Steph wrote about in a previous article, the Workflow takes care of itself, growing, developing, and changing as needed.
Very insightful! And comforting, in a way. Because sometimes I do get frustrated with myself when I try to follow someone else's template or prompt and it doesn't work for me. This applies to pretty much everything, not just AI. But to give myself some credit, I have figured out quite a bit on my own and developed my own system because I'm curious and can also be quite stubborn haha. Still, sometimes I feel like it'd be helpful to have a person (not a bot) sit with me for a bit and look at what I'm doing and help me optimize/troubleshoot. Not sure if you or anyone at the FFA offers a service like that.
Some of our staff members are opening up one-on-one coaching time soon. They’ve been getting all the pieces together for it. If you subscribe to the newsletter, you’ll hear about it there first. https://futurefictionacademy.com/subscribe/
Awesome, thank you so much!
I love the idea of giving yourself permission to be curious instead of correct. As a retired primary school headteacher I am only too aware of how we are teaching youngsters how to be correct and forgetting to encourage their curiosity. Schools are trying to teach children the 'right way' to write. I'm hoping that as these youngsters discover and play with AI tools their curiosity will show them that there is no 'right way'.