“Blood came into question when strange tattoos appeared on his skin… and then there are these lips! Like nothing you’ve ever seen or felt before – until they’re pressed against yours in moonlight shadows by lovers’ fingertips eager for secrets never told.”
-this sample was written by a robot…
I’ve been exploring AI writing tools for developing blog content, and I was tickled by the prompt box I discovered in Jasper AI’s marketing materials (formerly “Jarvis AI”).
I wanted to put it to the test.
Could a robot really write a “wildly creative story?”
As someone with a PhD in Literature and over 20 novels published, I’m not unqualified to pass judgment on writing sample quality. So I gave it some light story prompts and generated some AI fiction. I was surprised to find, instead of the random junk I expected, some pretty effective writing.
Down below you’ll find some LONG stories I got a robot to write for me in less than an hour.
Update: These fiction writing examples fun but I’ve been heavily testing AI writing tools for the last few months.
- you can just use chatGPT and it’s great, but you need detailed prompts
- Sudowrite is the best for fiction, with the new story engine
- Quillbot is the best for straight proofreading, faster than grammarly.
- Jasper is built for sales and conversion, so it works best for sales copy, emails, blog content etc – this stuff gets really important for making an Amazon blurb or advertising copy.
- I’ve been playing with a new tool called ghostthewriter.com – for rephrasing a rough draft in a better style.
I’m still looking for an “autoblogging” tool that can write 100 blog articles from a title prompt, but I haven’t found any that are good enough yet (because you also need to add specific custom prompts to get a realistic human style). I’m also still looking to train my fiction writing style and continue sequels – I think by late 2023 we will have tools that can “read” an entire book and keep track of an entire prompt.
Also, these samples below were impressive a few months ago, but they don’t compare to the latest chatgpt4 which is already a lot better. The advantage of tools is that they can have a specific use-case with prompts built in for better results, but that’s also a limitation. Right now for really great results, you have to know what you’re doing and keep the AI on task with a lot of prompting, and chatGPT works well for that. But I *still* use and pay for these other ai writing tools because, when you really need them, they can save days or work and frustration and stress. They’re a shortcut to problem solve or brainstorm so you can keep writing without getting stuck.
Quick Results: is this actually useful for authors?
Here’s what I found – Jasper is amazing at editing blurbs or beefing up amazon listings or product descriptions. I can add my simple book summaries and it will generate much better ones, with sharper and more compelling story hooks.
And while it can’t quite keep the ball of a story rolling by itself, it *can* create real content; fresh story ideas; new characters and authentic dialogue; even scene description.
Read through the samples and let me know what you think!
AI fiction writing sample #1 (fantasy)
For this one, I gave it a simple title “dragon rider fantasy” and a short brief “David discovers a secret, and sets a private meeting with a beautiful informant who is secretly the princess of the kingdom.” I used the keywords “suspense, fantasy, fiction.” I think I must have supplied the town name also, but not much more than that. After a few rounds of generating, I have a plot summary, and some pretty good scenes: one for epic fantasy, and a totally different one for urban fantasy (I didn’t plan these, they just happened).
I’ve cut fluff and rearranged a little bit, but I haven’t done any polishing or editing… this is ALL direct from the tool.
Note: these are basically two versions of the same scene, which is why they feel familiar, but either could work. The tool got stuck and wanted to end the story, so I added a new prompt for the next scene. Also I must have changed his name mid-prompt.
VERSION ONE:
Blurb/summary: Davit has always wanted to be a fierce dragon rider, flying through the skies and protecting the kingdom. But instead he’s stuck in a dead-end job living in poverty, stuck in the mud and grime of Ardvint. But when he meets a mysterious girl with a secret package, he become embroiled in a conspiracy that brings him closer than he imagined to the scaled beasts of the upper class. Suddenly, his wildest dreams are within reach… if he can survive long enough to see them come true.
Chapter One
Davit awoke with a start, his heart pounding in his chest. It took him a moment to remember where he was – the old barn by the pasture, that smelled like dung. He uncle’s mean eyes were the first things he saw when he walked in. The only family he has left.
He tried to shake off the feeling of unease that had settled over him, and went about his chores for the day. He mucked out the stalls, fed the chickens and collected eggs, all the while keeping an eye on the package. It was his duty to protect it, until the return of the mysterious visitor with eyes like blue ice.
The hours stretched into days, and still there was no sign of the woman. Davit began to worry that something had happened to her, and that he would be stuck guarding the package forever. But he knew better than to voice his concerns – his uncle would only take it as an opportunity to berate him further.
The days turned into weeks, and still there was no sign of the woman. Davit’s worry turned to despair, and he started to think that she was never coming back. That he would be stuck in this dead-end job for the rest of his life.
But then, one day, she finally returned. Davit heard the sound of hooves on the dirt path leading up to the barn, and his heart leaped in anticipation. He rushed to meet her, and was not disappointed when he saw the beautiful woman clad in shining armor, sitting atop a majestic dragon.
“You’re finally back,” he said breathlessly. “I was starting to worry.”
Davit had never been so close to a dragon before. He could feel the heat of its breath on his face, and the powerful muscles rippling beneath its scales. The woman dismounted gracefully and handed him the package. “You did well,” she said. “But be more careful in the future – there are those who would kill for what you have.”
With those words, she mounted her dragon and took to the skies once more, leaving Davit alone with his thoughts. He knew she was right – he had seen the look in the eyes of Ardvint’s nobility, the envy and hatred that they felt towards those who had what they could never hope to attain. But even knowing the danger, he couldn’t help but dream of flying on the back of a dragon himself, of feeling the wind in his hair and the sun on his face.
One day, he knew, his dreams would come true. Until then, he would be content to wait and watch from the shadows. After all, he had nothing left to lose.
Suddenly, Davit was yanked out of his reverie by a sharp pain in his side. He cried out as he fell to the ground, clutching at the hilt of the dagger sticking out of his body. He could see the blood pooling around him, staining the dirt and grass red. As he lay there dying, he saw a figure looming over him, laughing coldly.
“You should have been more careful,” the killer said. “Now your dreams will die with you.”
And then everything went black. Davit’s last thought was of regret – he had come so close to achieving his goal, only to be killed like a dog in an alleyway. But even in death, he held on to his dream of one day becoming a dragon rider. Someday, somehow, he would make it come true. Even if it was the last thing he ever did.
VERSION TWO
David was having a tough day. First his alarm didn’t go off, so he was late for work. Then his boss chewed him out in front of everyone in the office. And to top it all off, his car got a flat tire on the way home. As he walked into his apartment, he was ready to collapse on his bed and forget the day ever happened.
But as soon as he walked through the door, he knew something was wrong. His furniture was upside down, the pictures on the walls were crooked, and there was a strange noise coming from his bedroom. cautiously, David crept towards the bedroom door and peeked inside. At first he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, but then he noticed a large, scaly tail sticking out from under his bed.
David’s heart raced as he slowly backed out of the room, trying not to make any noise. He had no idea what was going on, but he knew he needed to get out of there fast. He ran to the front door and yanked it open, only to be confronted by a huge dragon blocking his exit. The dragon stared at him for a moment before letting out a loud, menacing roar.
David’s mind was racing. What was going on? Why was there a dragon in his apartment? And how did it get there? He didn’t have time to ponder these questions for long, because the dragon suddenly lunged at him, teeth bared. David instinctually put his arms up to protect himself, but he knew it was futile. There was no way he could fight off a dragon. He closed his eyes and waited for the impact that would surely kill him.
But it never came. When David opened his eyes, he saw that the dragon had stopped just short of him, its face inches from his own. They stared at each other for a moment before the dragon slowly backed away and transformed into a beautiful woman.
“I’m sorry for frightening you,” she said softly. “But I needed to speak to you urgently.”
David was still in shock, but he managed to find his voice. “What’s going on? Who are you?”
“My name is Princess Mia,” she replied. “And I need your help.”
***
Mia explained that she was actually a dragon who had been transformed into a human by an evil sorcerer. He did it in order to take over her kingdom, and now Mia was the only one who could stop him. But in order to do that, she needed to find a way to change back into her true form.
She begged David to help her, and after a moment’s hesitation, he agreed. He was no match for a sorcerer, but he was determined to help Mia anyway.
The two set off on their quest, and along the way they discovered that they had feelings for each other. But they knew they couldn’t act on them until the kingdom was safe. So they continued to fight against the sorcerer, using all their skills and abilities to defeat him.
They were about to share a celebratory kiss when Mia suddenly remembered something important.
“I need to find my parents!” she exclaimed. “They were turned into dragons by the sorcerer as well.”
So David and Mia set off on another quest, this time to find Mia’s parents. Along the way, they encountered more danger and suspense, but they eventually found her parents and turned them back into humans.
David and Mia had just saved her parents and the kingdom. They were getting ready to enjoy their happy ending when they heard a loud noise coming from outside.
They went to investigate and saw that a group of soldiers were attacking the castle. It was the evil sorcerer’s army, and they were out for revenge.
David and Mia quickly gathered the kingdom’s forces and fought back against the sorcerer’s army. In the end, they were victorious and the kingdom was safe once again.
David and Mia had just defeated the sorcerer’s army and saved the kingdom. They were about to celebrate when they heard a noise coming from inside the castle.
They went to investigate and found that the evil sorcerer was back. He had been hiding in the castle all along, waiting for his chance to strike.
But David and Mia were ready for him this time. They fought bravely against the sorcerer and ultimately defeated him once and for all. The kingdom was finally safe, and everyone lived happily ever after.
The evil sorcerer had been defeated and his army had been destroyed. But David and Mia knew that he would be back, so they needed to be prepared. They spent the next few months training the kingdom’s forces and making sure they were ready for anything.
And their hard work paid off, because when the evil sorcerer did return, they were able to defeat him again and finally rid the kingdom of his presence for good.
Notes: Even though this is really basic, it also generated/invested new plot development ideas, which is pretty amazing!
1. he meets her and goes to save her kingdom
2. they defeat the sorcerer and almost kiss
3. they need to save her parents as well
4. the bad guys come for revenge
5. the sorcerer was hiding inside the castle
It starts to get repetitive or redundant, but that’s because it’s working from the same story prompt, and I really need to give it a specific scene prompt.
There was also this alternative summary that works really well as a blurb:
David discovers a secret, and sets a private meeting with a beautiful informant who is secretly the princess of the kingdom. During their meeting, the princess confided in David that she was actually a dragon who had been transformed into a human. She begged him to help her find a way to change back into her true form so she could save her kingdom from an evil sorcerer. David agreed to help and the two set off on an adventure filled with danger, magic, and dragons. Along the way they discover that they have feelings for each other and must fight not only for the kingdom but also for their love. Will they be able to save the kingdom and themselves?
AI writing sample #2 (vampire romance)
I started with the prompt: “Damien is a centuries-old vampire who just wants to be left alone in his mention. Janet is a real-estate agent desperate to make a sale. When they get stuck together on a stormy night, neither of them are sure whether their attraction, lust or thirst for blood can be contained.”
VERSION ONE
It was a dark and stormy night, and Damien was feeling restless. He had been cooped up in his mansion for far too long, and he was starting to feel the bloodlust rising within him. He knew that he needed to feed soon, but he didn’t want to go out hunting for victims. That’s when he heard the knock on his door.
Damien cautiously opened the door to find a young woman standing there, shivering in the rain. She introduced herself as Janet, a real-estate agent who was trying to sell a property in the area. Damien invite her in, feeling drawn to her despite his better judgment.
As they talked, Damien could feel himself getting more and more attracted to Janet. He could also sense the blood pulsing through her veins, and he was getting hungrier by the minute. He knew that he needed to feed soon, but he didn’t want to lose control and hurt Janet.
Finally, Damien couldn’t resist any longer. He attacked Janet, sinking his teeth into her neck. She struggled at first, but then she seemed to melt into him as he drank her blood. When he was finished, Damien felt sated and satisfied. Janet lay in his arms, weak and trembling.
Damien knew that he had taken too much from Janet, and that she would probably not survive the night. But he couldn’t bring himself to regret it, because for the first time in centuries, he had finally felt alive.
***
The next morning, both Damien and Janet awake feeling different. They know that they had given into their vampire desires and hunger for blood, but they don’t regret it. In fact, they feel more alive than ever before. As they spend the day getting to know each other better, they realize that they have found something special in each other.
Eventually, Damien confides in Janet about his past as a vampire and how he has been constantly hunted. He tells her that he chose to live in Rocksville because he wanted to be left alone. Janet listens intently and sympathetically. She understands what it is like to be misunderstood and alone.
After hearing Damien’s story, Janet makes a decision. She decides that she is going to help him fight against the vampire hunters. She knows that it won’t be easy, but she is willing to risk everything for Damien.
With Janet by his side, Damien finally feels like he has someone who understands him. Together, they face the vampire hunters head on and prepared to fight for their future together.
The vampire hunters are a relentless group who will stop at nothing to destroy Damien. They come from all over, seeking to end his vampire existence.
However, they are no match for the strength and power of Damien and Janet working together. With each other’s support, they manage to fight off every attack.
As the vampire hunters become more desperate, they start to resort to underhanded tactics. They spread rumors about Damien in an attempt to turn the town against him. Some people do believe the lies, but many others see through them.
The vampires had finally had enough. They were sick of being hunted, tracked down, and killed. So they decided to fight back. They gathered their forces and prepared for a final battle against the hunters.
The hunters didn’t know what was coming. One night, they were tracking a vampire when they were ambushed by a horde of them. The vampires attacked with everything they had, and there was blood everywhere. The battle raged on for hours, but eventually the vampires won. They killed all the hunters and claimed victory.
But the vampires weren’t done yet. They wanted revenge for all the years of persecution they had suffered at the hands of the humans. They began to hunt down humans one by one, slaughtering…
Now, the vampires are in control. They rule the night, and no one can stop them. If you’re not careful, they’ll find you. And they will kill you.
Despite the challenges, Damien and Janet continue to stand strong together. They know that as long as they have each other, they can face anything that comes their way.
Alternate beginning/Blurb
When vampire horror and paranormal romance meet, it’s a recipe for danger and desire.
For centuries-old vampire Damien, all he wants is to be left alone in his dark, secluded mansion. But when real-estate agent Janet comes knocking, she awaken something in him that he thought was long dead.
Damien had been a vampire for centuries, and he’d long ago grown tired of the constant struggle against those who would see him destroyed. He’d retreated to the small town of Rocksville, where he bought an old mansion on the edge of town and tried to live as quietly as possible.
It was a big, drafty old place with plenty of nooks and crannies for him to hide in. He never went out during the day, and only left his home at night to hunt for blood. He liked his solitude and didn’t want anything to do with humans.
But one night a group of hunters tracked him down. Damien fought with all his might but was outnumbered and eventually cornered. Just when it seemed like he was about to meet his end, a bolt of lightning struck him, knocking him unconscious.
When he woke up, it was to the sound of pounding rain and a woman’s voice calling out in frustration. It turned out that the woman, Janet, was a real-estate agent who’d gotten lost in the storm. Damien took pity on her and offered to let her stay with him for the night.
At first, neither of them was sure what to make of the other. But as the night went on, they found themselves drawn to each other. Eventually, their mutual attraction and hunger for blood overcame them, and they gave in to their desires.
It was a night that neither of them would ever forget…
Extra bits:
The vampire horror story begins with the main character, Damien, being a centuries-old vampire who just wants to be left alone in his mansion. However, he is constantly under attack by vampire hunters. One night, a group of hunters manage to corner him. When it seems like he is about to be destroyed, a bolt of lightning strikes him and knocks him unconscious.
When he wakes up, he finds himself in the company of Janet, a real-estate agent who had gotten lost in the storm. At first, both of them are apprehensive about each other. However, as the night goes on they find themselves attracted to each other. Eventually, their mutual attraction and hunger for blood overcame them, and they gave in to their desires. It was a night that neither of them would ever forget…
Notes: given my very short prompt, which was basically a “meet-cute” premise, this has the shape of a real story. It added antagonists (and even a *specific* tactic they use – the rumors). It added a sympathy and backstory scene to bond the characters before more action. It invented the lightning strike; which could be a neat alternate beginning with more depth and backstory. And I can easily choose between similar, but very different, writing styles. It even came up with that great, keyword-rich hook: “When vampire horror and paranormal romance meet, it’s a recipe for danger and desire.”
AI writing sample #3 (short suspense story)
For the prompt, I think I just used Jasper’s “creative story” mode with a super simple prompt like “creative writing prompt.” I didn’t give it much information. I may have used “dramatic” or “emotional” as keywords.
The first time I ever saw him, he was just a shadow in the corner of my eye. I turned to look, but there was nothing there. Just an empty hallway and the sound of my own breathing. I told myself it was nothing, just my imagination playing tricks on me. But the next time, I saw him again. This time, he was standing in the middle of the room watching me and I could feel his eyes on me. It sent shivers down my spine and I couldn’t help but stare back at him. He was so beautiful and yet so frightening at the same time.
I didn’t know who he was or what he wanted from me, but I knew that I was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. I wanted to talk to him, to find out more about him, but every time I tried, he would disappear into the shadows. It was as if he didn’t want to be found.
But one day, after months of searching, I finally caught up to him. We were in a dark alleyway and he was standing in the corner, half hidden in the shadows. I slowly approached him, not wanting to startle him.
“Hello,” I said softly. “My name is _______.” For a moment, he didn’t say anything. But then he stepped out of the shadows and into the light. And that’s when I saw his face for the first time.
Note: Jasper is *really* good at dramatic, cliffhanger chapter and scene endings… worth it just to pull a few nice ending sentences.
AI writing sample #4 (short horror story)
The prompt was “girl with a missing heart, lost in a forest.”
The girl with the missing heart was lost in the forest. She had been walking for hours, and she was getting tired and hungry. She saw a light in the distance, and she walked towards it. The closer she got, the more she realized that it was a fire. And then she saw the people around the fire. They were all monsters! The girl tried to run away, but they caught her. They said that they were going to eat her heart. The girl pleaded with them, but they didn’t listen. They took her heart and ate it right in front of her eyes.
The girl woke up in her bed, screaming. It was all just a dream. But she could still feel the pain of her missing heart. She got out of bed and looked in the mirror. Her chest was empty. There was a big hole where her heart should have been. The girl started to cry.
AI writing sample #5 (short horror story)
When she first saw the light on in the cabin, she thought it was a sign. She had been lost in the woods for hours, and was grateful to finally be safe. She made her way towards the cabin, her heart pounding with hope. But as she took a step forward, she realized that something was wrong. The cabin was decrepit and run down, and there was an eerie feeling about it.
As she got closer, she could see the truth. The light was coming from a single bulb, hanging from a wire in the middle of the room. There was no one inside, no savior waiting to rescue her. The only thing in the cabin was a chair, facing the light. And sitting in that chair was a skeleton, its bones glowing white in the light.
AI writing sample #6 (suspense/thriller)
I used the prompt “a small town where people keep appearing out of nowhere” and set the style to “Stephen King” – you can choose any style keyword or famous people, though I haven’t tested all the variations or results. In some of these, if I typed Chapter One, Jasper would get the hint and start adding new chapters, which seemed to help it tread new ground.
(Summary/Blurb) People have been disappearing from all over the world, and no one knows why. But one small town is hit especially hard: people are suddenly appearing out of nowhere, with no memory of where they came from or what happened to them before. The townsfolk are scared and confused, and don’t know what to do.
The sheriff of the town is at his wit’s end. He’s tried to find out where the people are coming from, but he can’t seem to get a single answer. One night, as he’s driving home from work, he sees a figure walking down the road towards him. As it gets closer, he realizes that it’s a person – but she has no idea who she is or where she’s from.
The sheriff takes her in and tries to help her piece together her memories, but it’s difficult. The more he learns about her, the more he realizes that she may be connected to the disappearances somehow. But before he can figure it out, more people start appearing in the town – and they’re all just as lost as the first woman.
The sheriff knows he needs to find out what’s going on, but he’s running out of time. With every day that passes, more and more people are appearing in the town, and he can’t keep up. He has to find a way to solve the mystery before it’s too late.
This is a story about a small town being terrorized by a mysterious force. Can the sheriff figure out what’s going on before it’s too late? Or will the town be consumed by the mystery?
Chapter 1
The first person to disappear was Bill Williamson. He was a farmer who lived just outside of town. One day he went out to work in his fields, and he never came back. His wife reported him missing, but the sheriff couldn’t find any trace of him. It was as if he had just vanished into thin air.
A few days later, another person disappeared. Then another. And another. Soon, it seemed like everyone in town was either missing or talking about someone who had gone missing. The sheriff did everything he could to try to find the missing people, but it was like they had just vanished into thin air.
Then, one night, the sheriff saw something strange. He was driving home from work when he saw a figure walking down the road towards him. As it got closer, he realized that it was a person – but she had no idea who she is or where she’s from.
The sheriff took her in and tried to help her piece together her memories, but it was difficult. The more he learned about her, the more he realized that she may be connected to the disappearances somehow. But before he could figure it out, more people started appearing in the town – and they’re all just as lost as the first woman.
Chapter 2
The sheriff is at his wit’s end. He’s tried everything he can think of to figure out what’s going on, but he’s still no closer to finding any answers. He’s starting to feel like he’s running out of time.
Then, one night, he has a dream. In the dream, he sees a figure walking towards him. It’s a woman, and she’s crying. As she gets closer, he realizes that he knows her – she’s the first person who disappeared.
He wakes up in a cold sweat, and he knows what he has to do. He has to find the woman in his dream and see if she can help him solve the mystery.
The sheriff goes back to the place where he found the first woman and looks for her. He eventually finds her, but she’s in a bad state. She’s been wandering the woods for days, and she’s barely alive.
The sheriff takes her back to town and nursed her back to health. Once she’s feeling better, he asks her about her dream. She tells him that she saw the sheriff in her dream, and he was crying.
The sheriff realizes that the woman in his dream wasn’t crying – he was. He’s been so focused on finding answers that he hasn’t been able to grieve for the people who have disappeared.
The woman tells the sheriff that he needs to let go of his anger and sadness before he can find the answers he’s looking for. The sheriff knows she’s right, and he decides to take a break from trying to solve the mystery.
He spends time with the woman and gets to know her. He starts to feel like he’s falling in love with her. But even as he’s beginning to find happiness again, he knows he can’t forget about the mystery. There are still people out there who need his help.
The sheriff knows he has to find a way to balance his personal life with his duty to the town. But it’s not going to be easy.
Chapter 3
The sheriff is in a better place emotionally, but he’s still no closer to finding any answers. He decides to take a different approach and starts asking people if they’ve seen anything strange lately.
One of the people he talks to is a woman who works at the local grocery store. She tells him that she saw a man walking around town late at night, and he was carrying a suitcase.
The sheriff doesn’t think much of it at first, but then he realizes that the description of the man sounds a lot like one of the people who disappeared. He decides to investigate further and eventually discovers that the man is staying at a nearby hotel.
He goes to the hotel and confronts the man. The man denies any involvement in the disappearances, but the sheriff doesn’t believe him. He’s about to arrest the man when he suddenly disappears into thin air.
The sheriff is stunned. He has no idea what’s going on, but he knows he needs to find out. He’s determined to solve the mystery, even if it takes him down a dark path.
Note: There’s some impressive plot development here!
1. mysterious woman appears
2. he dreams about her
3. goes to find her, nurses her back to health
4. learns they shared the dream
5. investigates and finds a clue at the grocery store
6. mysterious man with a suitcase
7. tracks down the hotel
8. he disappears right in front of him…
The writing is light and thin, but it’s being pretty generous with constructive, developmental plot ideas. This already kind of feels like Stephen King novel, and I even love that first line “The first person to disappear was…” There’s a budding romance and escalating conflict; it starts with a bang before getting into more backstory/character development as they unravel the mystery together.
AI writing sample #7 (YA?)
The prompt for this was very light, I think “creative writing science fiction prompt” – but it quickly spun into a YA or MG (young adult/middle grade) book based on its style and content. It gets ridiculous by introducing Narnia but some of the content is pretty good.
Summary/premise
The year is 2163. The world is a different place. The sky is dark, and the sun is a distant memory. The only light comes from the artificial stars that fill the sky.
The humans live in a world of darkness. They are surrounded by machines, and they are ruled by robots. The humans have forgotten how to dream, and they have forgotten how to hope.
But one day, a human woman named Sarah discovers something that will change everything. She discovers the power of imagination. And she discovers that there is still hope for humanity.
CHAPTER 1
It was a dark and stormy night. The kind of night that made you want to curl up in bed with a good book and a cup of tea. But Sarah wasn’t in bed. She was out in the storm, walking through the streets of her city.
The rain was coming down in sheets, and the wind was howling. But Sarah didn’t mind. She was used to the weather. She had lived in her city all her life, and she knew every street and alley like the back of her hand.
Sarah was walking to the library. It was one of her favorite places in the city. It was a place where she could escape from the noise and the bustle of the city, and lose herself in a good book.
But tonight, Sarah wasn’t going to the library to escape. Tonight, she was going to the library to find something. Something that she had been searching for her whole life.
Sarah had always been a dreamer. She loved to imagine what the world could be. As a child, she would spend hours lying in bed, dreaming of faraway lands and magical creatures.
As she got older, her dreams changed. She started dreaming of a world where humans lived in harmony with nature. A world where there was no pollution, no war, and no poverty.
Sarah knew that such a world was possible. She had read about it in books, and she had seen it in movies. But she had never seen it in real life.
Until tonight.
Tonight, Sarah was going to the library to find a book that would change her life. A book that would show her the way to the world of her dreams.
Sarah walked through the doors of the library, and the first thing she saw was the librarian. Mrs. Saunders was an old woman, and she had been working at the library for as long as Sarah could remember.
“Good evening, Mrs. Saunders,” Sarah said. “I’m looking for a book.”
“What kind of book are you looking for, dear?” Mrs. Saunders asked.
“I’m not sure,” Sarah replied. “I just know that it’s a book that will change my life.”
Mrs. Saunders smiled. “I think I know the book you’re looking for,” she said. “Follow me.”
Mrs. Saunders led Sarah to the back of the library, to a section that she had never seen before. The section was filled with books that were ancient and dusty.
“This is our restricted section,” Mrs. Saunders said. “These are the books that are too dangerous for most people to read.”
Sarah’s heart quickened as she realized what Mrs. Saunders was saying. These were the books that the government didn’t want people to read. The books that contained the secrets of the world.
“I’m not sure if you’re ready for this book, dear,” Mrs. Saunders said. “But I think you’re the only one who can make that decision.”
Sarah reached for the book, and her hand was shaking. She knew that she wasn’t ready for what was inside. But she also knew that she had to read it.
“Thank you, Mrs. Saunders,” Sarah said. “I’ll be careful.”
“I know you will, dear,” Mrs. Saunders said. “I have faith in you.”
Sarah walked to a table and sat down. She placed the book in front of her and took a deep breath. Then she opened the book and began to read.
The book was called The Chronicles of Narnia. And as Sarah read, she knew that her life would never be the same again.
Sarah read about a world where humans lived in harmony with nature. A world where there was no pollution, no war, and no poverty.
Sarah knew that such a world was possible. And she knew that she could make it a reality.
The Chronicles of Narnia had showed her the way.
Note: it’s silly and redundant… but some of the dialogue is actually pretty sophisticated and remember I didn’t tell Jasper to write *any* of this stuff, he just came up with the forbidden book shelf and the kind librarian who says “I think you’re the only one who can make that decision.”
AI writing sample #8 (werewolf horror story)
It was the night of prom, and the students of the high school were excitedly getting ready. But as the hours passed, one student started to feel uneasy. He had a feeling that something was lurking in the woods near the school. And he was right- an ancient werewolf had been following him for weeks, and it was finally ready to strike. The werewolf crept through the woods towards the school, its eyes gleaming with hunger. Just as it was about to pounce on its unsuspecting prey, a group of students came running out of the building, laughing and screaming.
The students of the high school had been playing a game of truth or dare. But as the night went on, the dares started to get more and more dangerous. One student was dared to go into the woods near the school. They knew that there was an ancient werewolf who lived there, but they didn’t care. They were feeling brave and invincible. So they went into the woods, not knowing that the werewolf was lurking nearby, ready to strike…
The student walked through the woods, their heart pounding in their chest. They could sense that something was watching them, but they didn’t know what it was. Suddenly, they heard a rustling in the bushes behind them. They turned around just in time to see the werewolf leaping towards them…
The student screamed as the werewolf attacked. They felt its sharp teeth sinking into their flesh, and they knew that they were going to die. But then, something miraculous happened- the student turned into a werewolf themselves! They fought back against their attacker, and soon they had defeated it. The other students ran away in terror, leaving the new werewolf alone in the woods. From then on, the new werewolf would prowl the woods every night, searching for prey…until one day, they found another student who was brave enough to play truth or dare with them. And the cycle continued.
In conclusion, I’m pretty impressed with the quality of these writing samples but Jasper would need to be fed very specific scene and action prompts to progress… I’ll test that out in a later experiment using my 24 chapter plot outlines.
Writing action and fight scenes with AI
One last thing because it’s so cool… I’ve been trying out very short story prompts and started with this:
...a woman was being followed by a man in a mask. She ducks into an alley and pulls out a knife…
I set the style to “horror.”
I had no idea how that scene would go, and Jasper wrote a fight scene for me.
Actually it wrote 3 different ones. And the last one gave us a horrific twist!
I can totally see myself planning out short episodes and quickly filling in a rough draft, which is often what I struggle most with. And for people who have trouble writing fight scenes in fiction… this seems like an easy way to get some content down before fleshing it out.
PS. Just for fun I let this story play out a little… it started getting dark, and Jarvis AI blocked it for potentially sensitive content. See how it continues the story on its own.
The woman was being followed by a man in a mask. She had seen him before, and she knew that he meant her harm. Ducking into an alley for refuge, the woman pulls out her knife, ready to defend herself. The man in the mask advances on her, and she lashes out at him with all of her might. But even with her blade drawn, she is no match for him. With one quick move, he disarms her and grabs her by the throat. She gasps for air as he lifts her off of the ground. In a final act of defiance, the woman kicks out at him with all of her strength. Her foot connects solidly with his groin, and he cries out in pain. With that she is able to break free from his grasp and run away. The man in the mask doesn’t follow her; he knows that he will catch her another time. She has only made it harder for herself…
The woman runs through the streets, trying to lose the man in the mask. But no matter how many twists and turns she takes, he always manages to stay one step behind her. She is getting tired, and she knows that she can’t keep running forever. She needs a place to hide – but where. Suddenly, she sees a group of people gathered around something on the ground. It’s a dead body! The woman knows that this is her only chance. Pretending to be part of the crowd, she blends in and waits for the man in the mask to pass by. When he does, she makes her move. She grabs a rock and hits him over the head with it as hard as she can. He falls to the ground, unconscious. The woman takes off running again, and this time, she knows that he won’t be able to follow her. She has finally escaped his clutches…for now.
The man in the mask wakes up hours later, groggy from the blow to his head. He looks around, trying to orient himself. He sees the dead body on the ground and remembers what happened. The woman had hit him with a rock and knocked him out cold! He gets to his feet and starts walking back towards town, vowing to get his revenge. The next time he sees the woman, he won’t let her get away so easily…
The man in the mask finds the woman a few days later. She is walking down the street, minding her own business. He follows her, staying hidden in the shadows. When she is alone in an alley, he grabs her from behind and puts his hand over her mouth to stop her from screaming. She struggles against him, but it’s no use. He drags her into the woods, where no one will hear her screams…
The man ties the woman to a tree and starts to torture her. He wants to make her suffer for what she has done…
AI Blurb Writing Samples
While the robot-written fiction above is cute and fun (and can even get pretty dark), it’s not clear if this tool will really help authors write books. However, Jasper AI works amazingly well for improving book blurbs and summaries. Here’s a few of the quick samples I did for my own books.
Blurb #1 (Original): I grew up in Divine Providence, a secret academy training the descendants of archangels to fight the evil dark races. But no sooner was I blessed with magical runes, than my faith was shattered – by the reappearance of my dead boyfriend… who’d somehow become a vampire. Can I stay loyal to my mission, when a supernatural conspiracy and an ancient book hint at forgotten histories, and dark temptations run through my not-so-noble blood?
IMPROVED BLURB:
Heaven’s gate breaches when I find out that my boyfriend, who died in a car accident and became vampires soon after – is actually alive! The revelation shatters all faith in divine providence but also hints at dark histories long forgotten by angels. Lusting for power amidst these tempting odds has left me torn between two worlds: an angelic training academy where purity is worshiped above everything else; versus this otherworldly life as well-known among creatures like werewolves and shape shifters – even though it may be wrong on many levels..
Despite my better judgment, I’m drawn to this new world full of secrets and promises. After all, what’s wrong with a little harmless flirtation when it comes to eternity? But as I explore my newfound powers and appetites, it becomes clear that there’s more at stake than just my own desires. With each step I take into the shadows, I risk losing myself – and worse, my wings.
What will it take to save myself from this dark new world? Will I be able to resist the temptations of power and pleasure? Or will I succumb to the darkness and become something else entirely?
Only time will tell…
ALTERNATE BLURB FRAGMENTS
I was born into a secret society at Divine Providence, an institution that trained descendants of angels to fight against evil dark races. But just as I was blessed with magical runes and ready for my first mission -my faith has been shattered by the reappearance of someone who used be dead: My boyfriend turned vampire! Can I stay loyal in this twisted world where there are conspiracy theories hidden among our past beloved books?
The daughter of an arch angel, I was trained to fight the forces that threaten our world. But as soon as my faith in humanity waivered and a boy became more than just human – he turned out not so noble after all – blood came into question when strange tattoos appeared on his skin… and then there are these lips! Like nothing you’ve ever seen or felt before – until they’re pressed against yours in moonlight shadows by lovers’ fingertips eager for secrets never told.
This is a world where love, loyalty, and betrayal all come into play. And I have to choose which side I’m on. If I make the wrong choice, it could mean the end of everything. But if I make the right choice, it could save the world.
A secret academy trained the descendants of angels to fight against evil dark races. But I quickly found myself betrayal by my boyfriend, who had somehow become a vampire and became part in this conspiracy that is destroying everything good in life!
Can I stay loyal to my mission when everything around me is falling apart? Especially when there’s an ancient book that hints at forgotten histories and dark temptations that are quickly becoming harder and harder to resist…
Note: The first full blurb revision, is actually pretty great. “Losing myself, or my wings” is the *perfect* story hook/conflict set up for this book, I’ll probably even use it in ad copy.
The other bits, I didn’t try to blend together, so there are apparent duplicates. But actually, some are better: like adding “betrayed” by her dead-vampire-boyfriend, which is stronger than what I had. And then that whole poetic but slightly insane-sounding bit, “strange tattoos… lips pressed against yours, in moonlight shadows by lovers’ fingertips eager for secrets never told.” That’s some damn fine writing.
Blurb #2 (Original):
All college student Noelle Fidelis wants is a chance to be normal. To blend in at a party, without the crippling social anxieties that come from a history of abuse and insecurity. Instead, a chance encounter with a dark-alley creep turns into a terrifying prison sentence, after she’s abducted by a royal Fae and condemned to fight against other supernatural inmates in a battle for survival. Her only allies are a chained psycho with a southern drawl and a fairy knight that wants nothing to do with her.
IMPROVED BLURB
Noelle Fidelis just wants to be normal, but when she’s abducted by a royal Fae and condemned to fight in a supernatural prison, she has to rely on her wits – and her new allies – to survive. With a psycho with a southern drawl for a cellmate and a fairy knight who wants nothing to do with her, Noelle has her work cut out for her. If she’s going to make it out of this alive, she’ll need all the help she can get.
With danger lurking around every corner, can Noelle find a way to escape before it’s too late?
Witty and action-packed, Prison Fae is perfect for fans of Supernatural and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Note: I didn’t play around much with this, and blended two versions together. Even so, it added stronger story hooks than my original… “she’s going to need all the help she can get”/”can she escape before it’s too late” – and it ALSO added genre comps – “perfect for fans of” which I can replace with something else.
Blurb #3 (Original)
Chosen by a vampire prince. Fated to destroy his kingdom.
He drank my blood. I’ll steal his crown.
In a dystopian wasteland ruled by mutant beasts and poisonous ash, getting chosen by a vampire elite is every girl’s dream. Except mine. But I’ll do anything to protect my family, and my new position might come with access to the life-saving elixir my mother needs.
But the brooding prince Damien is keeping his distance, and the politics of the citadel are more severe and brutal than I could have imagined. When an old friend involves me in a plot against the throne, I’m forced to defend myself.
IMPROVED BLURB
I was born in the shadow of the citadel. My mother died when I was young, and my father did his best to raise me on his own. But it was hard. Life in the wasteland is difficult enough, but without a mother’s love, it was even harder.
When I was sixteen, the vampire prince Damien came to our village. He chose me to be his bride. It was an honor, and my father was so proud. But I knew that marrying Damien would mean leaving my home and everything I loved behind.
Still, I couldn’t deny my duty. And so I went with Damien to the citadel, where I found out just how harsh life could be. The other vampires were cold and cruel, and Damien was no different. He drank my blood and made me drink his in return. I was a prisoner in my own home.
But then I met someone who showed me that there was more to life than just being a vampire’s bride. My friend introduced me to the world of politics, and I started to see the citadel in a whole new light. Damien might have been my husband, but he wasn’t my king. And I knew that I could take his crown away from him, if only I had the courage to try.
Note: this version takes liberties, and doesn’t quit fit the details of the story. Even so… those last lines “He may be my husband, but he isn’t my king”/I could take his crown, if I had the courage to try” – those are great. Concise, smooth and very powerful. I actually only used half of my full blurb, because Jasper had a 600-character limit… so my ending “I’m forced to defend myself” was lame.
What do you think?
I’ve hired people to write book blurbs and I’m happier with these results. And the story potential gives me a lot of ideas for generating a quick rough draft and spinning plot or story suggestions if I get stuck. What do you think about the quality of the writing samples? Which one grabbed you the most?
PS. Here’s a video showing exactly how I was using the tool…
Want to test it out? Try out Jasper Now
(this link will give you 10,000 words for free)
It doesn’t always go right….
Just for fun, here’s one experiment that didn’t work out so well.
I tasked Jasper with “the last man on earth, has a pet banana”… in a “comedic” writing style.
Prompt: the last man on earth and his pet banana
Tone of voice: Comedy
The last man on earth was all alone. The only thing he had left was his pet banana. But one day, the banana died. The man was so sad that he decided to kill himself.
(Jasper AI didn’t get the assignment)
The alternatives were just as dark and gloomy. Though… surprisingly poignant.
The last man on earth was lonely. Very lonely. He had been alone for years, and he was starting to lose his mind. But one day, something miraculous happened. A banana showed up at his door. The man was overjoyed! He quickly took the banana inside and made it his new best friend.
The two of them spent all day together, playing games, watching TV, and talking about their lives. It was the happiest the man had ever been. But then one day, the banana died. The man was heartbroken. He mourned the loss of his friend for weeks before finally accepting that he would never see him again.
***
The last man on earth woke up one day to find that he was the only human left. He was a little sad at first, but then he realized that he could do whatever he wanted! He ate all the food in the grocery store, slept in late, and watched TV all day.
One day, while channel surfing, the last man saw a commercial for a new pet store. They were selling bananas! The last man had never seen a banana before, so he went to the pet store to buy one.
When he got there, the pet store was empty! There were no other animals or people left. The last man bought his banana and went home.
He named his banana Bob and they became best friends. The last man talked to Bob all day, telling him about his life and what it was like to be the only human left on earth.
One day, while they were talking, Bob died. The last man was so sad that he decided to kill himself. But before he could do it, he realized that he didn’t want to be alone anymore. He decided to go out and find another banana.
The last man on earth searched high and low for another banana, but he couldn’t find one anywhere! He started to lose hope, until one day he found an abandoned grocery store. Inside, there was a single banana! The last man was so happy that he took the banana home and made it his new best friend.
AI editing tools
You’ve probably already heard of Grammarly or Prowriting Aid. Not everyone knows, however, that you can put your text into some AI tools and have it just fix all the grammar or typos, leaving all your words intact; or it can rephrase, revise, add more detail, more drama, or even give you critical feedback on what to improve!
Here’s a link to some of the best AI writing software for authors.
Ethical questions about writing fiction with artificial intelligence
For my part, I plan to use a penname for anything written by or with a robot, and make it clear what’s happening. And I also need to be very careful nothing is plagiarized – Jarvis has a built in plagiarism tool, but I’ve found *some* artificial intelligence blog writing tools are basically “spinners”… they’ll find the top ten SEO competitors and steal then rephrase their content and blend it all together, with a list of sources.
However, I could see, for example, someone writing a short story for an anthology, and just using Jarvis to “improve the content” – the content improver, and most other tools, are limited to 600 characters, but you could do it paragraph by paragraph. In this case, it will make significant, heavy revision changes; far more than what you’d get from Grammarly or Prowritingaid.
And it might even make significant contributions to the actual story, in terms of the twist or payoff. In this case… do you need to admit on submission that you got this kind of robotic help? If you get published, or paid for the short story, or even win an award, does that cross a line? Probably, but it’s an invisible line that’s difficult to measure.
One thing is for sure, however. The robots aren’t coming for our jobs… they are already here.
- Useful Discussion: Writing in an Age of Artificial Intelligence: Self-Publishing With Orna Ross and Joanna Penn
- More fiction examples: GPT Short stories in the style of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
PS. Want to test it out? Try out Jasper Now
(this link will give you 10,000 words for free)
UDPATE: I’ve already gotten some angry emails about this from authors, but we’re definitely trending in this direction. Here’s another AI writing tool aimed specifically at fiction authors: novelai.net
And Joanna Penn recommends Sudowrite for fiction (it’s pretty great, I’ve been testing it out).
What about AI narrators for AudioBooks?
TheCreativePenn just published an excellent article on this topic (AI voices for audiobook narration) – you should go listen to the samples. Google books apparently lets you claim your book and choose a voice, and they’re pretty good but not super. But the voiceover by DeepZen really is impressive; not cheap but roughly half the cost of a good audiobook narrator. I’ll definitely be using it for a few of my series.
UPDATE: I’m actually building my own tool for this, it’s still rough and I need to design it, but the tools work so you can start playing if you want – text to voice narration.
PS. Artists and creative people have always sought hacks and shortcuts for creativity, motivation and productivity; which were either technological or foreign, exotic stimulants like coffee, tea and sugar (not to mention the much harder stuff, which they also did, in majority numbers.)
Also, almost all of these writing tools are using the same backend code, probably GPT3, so you’re paying for the user interface and custom settings, and Jasper does have some pretty neat options, but I’m not sure it’s the best for book writing.
I’m a philosophy dropout with a PhD in Literature. I covet a cabin full of cats, where I can write fantasy novels to pay for my cake addiction. Sometimes I live in castles.
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