Like many of you, I’ve been dubious about using artificial intelligence (AI), especially for fiction. I felt that avoiding AI was the morally right thing to do since the big players in the AI field committed the original sin of using practically every writer’s work without their permission to train their “robots.” And if AI companies used everything on the internet to train their products, what’s to say they won’t steal your writing if they get a whiff of it?

Then there’s the whole issue of getting your work published. If I used AI just to help me write an article (not actually write the whole thing without hardly touching my keyboard), then won’t publishers reject my work?

And what about the stigma? I didn’t want anyone to think I was a lazy hack who needed a bot to write for me.

I didn’t think using AI for research was any better. I’d heard AI makes up stuff half the time and is otherwise unreliable. In January, I gave ChatGPT a try, the most well-known “language model” as they’re called, for finding book comps. It provided a list of twelve made-up author and title names. I was right! AI was crap.

Then, one of our CWC members recommended another language model for editing. Curious, I attended a few AI sessions at writers’ conferences. I took an online class on the subject and watched webinars sponsored by major writers’ organizations. They all provided recommendations for particular language models, what they excel at, and how to use them effectively. The more fellow writers I spoke with who used AI in their work, the more I realized the stigma is dissipating. I discovered that publishers are adapting to the new reality. Most balk at receiving submissions completely written by AI, but many offer clear guidelines for accepting AI-assisted work, such as parts of the manuscript that AI is used to edit.

I road-tested seventeen programs (mainly the free versions) to see what the hullabaloo was all about. I discovered right away that you can direct them to not use your writing for training or violate your privacy. So, I carried on. Some programs are designed for research, others are specifically for writing, and some do everything but clean your kitchen (and that model can’t come soon enough). Each has strengths and weaknesses.

At first, I wasn’t impressed. However, week by week, the tools quickly exceeded my expectations, some more than others. Don’t get me wrong; they have no idea how to provide the special spark and intelligence of humans and they often flatten voice as they default to a generic style of expression. And for heaven’s sake, they can’t resist using clichés as often as possible. But they can augment weaknesses and blind spots. I learned how to use AI for great brainstorming and editing results. They finally started offering me book comp possibilities that were REAL books! Caution: it’s essential to verify any information they provide and analyze feedback with common sense and an eye for artistic quality.

Begrudgingly, I had to admit that these tools can be fantastic writing buddies for any type of project. In non-fiction writing, I’ve used AI to critique my drafts of a query letter, a novel synopsis, and develop other submission package materials. I’ve had them generate images for social media and my website. I’ve prompted AI models to critique paragraphs and a chapter from my historical fiction manuscript, and was astounded by the quality of the feedback. AI models have suitably served authors as developmental, line, and copy editors, as well as proofreaders. They cannot replace the value that human critique partners, beta readers, or professional editors (if you can afford them) can offer. But why not use these tools in conjunction with other resources you have?

Their effectiveness draws heavily upon the quality of the instructions (“prompts”) you provide them. Devising the best prompts—it often requires a few attempts—is itself an exercise in effective, even creative writing, which will shape and influence the clarity, detail, and relevance of what the AI models deliver. Several AI tools allow you to provide detailed instructions and style guides in the settings, as well as samples of your writing for them to provide better responses. In addition, there are many resources on the internet, as well as good old-fashioned books, about how to use AI tools to improve your writing.

Fortunately, on June 11 via Zoom, the CWC Marin chapter is sponsoring Dan Miller, an expert in this field, to discuss copyright issues as well as the pros and cons of AI for writers. I watched him give a similar presentation to another organization, and I came away feeling less anxious about AI stealing my work. I think we are in for a real treat because Dan Miller knows an ocean more than I do about the world of AI and what it means for writers.

And as far as the original sin committed by AI companies, well, that hankie has been used and isn’t going back in the box. There’s no stopping AI from becoming infused in every aspect of our culture. Trying to live without it will be like trying to live without electricity or plastic. In my youth, I built a log cabin in the woods and attempted to live off the grid. It didn’t take me long to stop trying to forge my own tableware. Perhaps it’s time to plug in your coffee machine and laptop, and give AI a try. It’s probably safer than building your own kiln in the backyard.

[Note: The only AI tool I used for writing this blog was the free version of Grammarly.]