7 Ways to Use AI for Creative Writing

Five years ago, you wouldn't have believed that AI can help you write an entire novel or even songs. But now this has become a reality. Just like in many other fields, AI has outdone itself in creative writing as well.

But let's clear one thing up: No, AI isn't here to replace your creativity. It doesn't understand emotions needed for creative writing like you do.

What it can do is act as a helping hand to support your creative writing process. The secret? Knowing how to use it.

So let's see how you can use it for your creative writing.

How to Use AI for Creative Writing?

It all starts with prompting.

A prompt is the instructions you give to AI. It's your well-defined order to your AI to get things done. The phrase 'well-defined' is a keyword here.

Vague prompts like, "Write me a story," will give you vague results that might be plagiarised, unoriginal, or even totally unrelated to what you had in mind.

If you want to avoid that, you need to give AI a well-structured prompt that: sets clear instructions, explains the style or structure you want and gives specific details about the content.

For this, you can follow the CREATE framework:

• Character: Define the role you want the AI to take. Example: "You are a career coach with 10 years of experience."

• Request: Clearly explain the task you want the AI to do. Example: "Write a step-by-step guide for changing careers."

• Example: Provide examples to show AI what you're looking for. Example: "Here's an outline I liked from another guide: introduction, steps, summary."

• Adjustments: Refine your instructions based on the AI's response. If it's not quite right, adjust and clarify. Example: "Make the tone more casual" or "Add more detail in step 3."

• Type of Output: Specify the format you want. Example: "List," "Bullet points," or "Short paragraphs."

• Extras: Add any final instructions that are important. Example: "Ignore earlier prompts" or "Explain why each step is important."

You can either learn how to create prompts with this framework yourself or just take a shortcut and use tools like AI prompt generator or custom GPTs to help. These tools make it easier, especially if you're just starting out.

The better your prompt, the better your results.

Keeping that in mind, let's see ways in which AI helps with creative writing:

1. Brainstorming and Idea Generation

You can use AI to speed up the brainstorming process. When you need ideas for stories, articles, poems, or scripts, AI can help you generate them quickly. It gives you suggestions based on the prompts you enter.

For example, you can ask for plot ideas in a specific genre. Try a prompt like "Give me five plot ideas for a psychological thriller set in a small town." You'll get a list you can use as-is or adjust to fit your style.

If you need characters, you can ask for full profiles. A simple prompt like "Create a character profile for XYZ" will give you a starting point that covers personality traits, motivations, and even flaws.

If you're writing nonfiction, you can use AI to generate article topics, essay arguments, or headlines. For example, you could ask "List ten blog post ideas about AI in creative industries". You'll get a list of topics to develop further.

Just make sure that when you use AI for brainstorming, be specific. The more detail you add to your prompt, the better the output. Instead of asking for "a story idea," ask for "a mystery story idea set in 1950s London involving an unsolved art heist."

Here are some AI-powered tools you can use for brainstorming:

• ChatGPT: You can just talk to ChatGPT, have conversations with it to get diverse ideas and different perspectives.

• Gemini: Similar to ChatGPT, this is also a good choice because it offers AI-powered idea generation with Google integration.

• Perplexity: You can use this AI-powered search assistant to make your research faster and find ideas more easily.

2. Overcoming Writer's Block

While writing, if you can't figure out how to start or you're stuck halfway through, AI can help you get over the writer's block.

One way is by asking AI open-ended 'what if' questions. For example, if you're writing fiction, try: What if the main character's best friend turned out to be the antagonist? What if the story's setting shifted from the present to 50 years in the future?

You can also ask AI to continue what you've already written. Paste the last few lines and ask, "What happens next?" This works for fiction, nonfiction, and even poetry. You don't have to keep what it gives you, but it can show you possibilities you hadn't thought of.

If you need to warm up before writing, use AI-generated prompts to get words flowing. Ask for quick writing exercises, something like "Give me a 10-minute writing prompt about XYZ" Set a timer and write without editing. The goal is to get past the hesitation.

For this you can use AI-powered tools like Wordtune, Writesonic, Jenni AI, etc. There are also several custom GPTs made, like the story writer by community builder to guide you.

3. Drafting Faster

It's easier to finish what you've started when you already have a basic draft to work with. AI can help you speed up the drafting stage.

There are many tools for creative writing like AI story generator, AI outline creator, AI poem generator, etc., that can help you move quickly through early drafts. They save time by giving you a starting point that you can build on. You still control the direction and make the final decisions, but AI speeds up the process.

Start by outlining what you need. For example, if you're working on a short story, you can ask AI to write an opening scene based on your idea. You'll get a draft you can revise, rather than starting from zero.

For nonfiction writing, you can give AI a basic outline and ask it to expand on each point. For example, if you're writing an article on productivity tips, ask "Write a paragraph explaining how time blocking improves focus." You can take the draft, edit it, and make it fit your tone.

Once you have a draft, it's easier to switch into editing mode. You can focus on refining your ideas instead of worrying about getting something, anything, written in the first place.

4. Polishing Sentences and Fixing Grammar

After finishing a draft, it's easy to overlook small mistakes or clunky phrasing. AI can help you spot these issues faster and suggest improvements.

Start by running your text through an AI tool like Grammarly or Quillbot that checks grammar and spelling. These tools highlight mistakes you might miss, like misused words, punctuation errors, or inconsistent tense. They also point out things like passive voice or sentences that are too long.

You can use AI to simplify complex sentences, adjust tone, or make your writing more concise. For example, if you've written a paragraph that feels awkward, paste it into AI and ask something like "Refine it so it doesn't sound awkward" and get a clearer version.

Custom GPTs are another option. You can either create one trained to match your writing style or tone. Or you can use existing ones, here are some recommendations: GrammarlyGO by swendl.com, Grammar checker by studyx.ai and Sentence improver by murad sofiyev.

5. Writing Continuation

You can use AI to help continue your writing when you're stuck or unsure where to go next. AI can generate the next part of your text based on what you've already written. This makes it easier to keep your momentum and avoid getting blocked.

Start by providing the AI with context. Paste the last few lines or paragraphs you've written. Then, ask for a continuation. For example, "Continue this scene where the main character confronts their childhood friend about a betrayal." The AI will offer suggestions for what could happen next, including dialogue, action, and emotional responses.

For nonfiction, AI can help you continue an argument or discussion. Paste a paragraph from your article and ask for the next section. If you're writing a guide or tutorial, AI can suggest logical next steps or additional points to cover.

If you have two key points but aren't sure how to connect them, ask AI for a transition paragraph. For example, "Write a transition from a discussion on time management techniques to tips on avoiding burnout."

6. Creating Scripts and Dialogues

AI is also very helpful when it comes to creating scripts and dialogues for your creative writing. If you're writing a scene and the conversation feels dull, AI can help you make it flow better. It gives you examples of how people might actually speak in different situations.

Start by giving AI the context for your scene. Include who's talking, what the tone is, and what they're trying to say. For example, you can prompt it with "Write a tense conversation between two coworkers who disagree about a project deadline." AI will give you a back-and-forth exchange that you can use as a base.

You can also use AI to rewrite dialogue you've already drafted. Paste your scene in and ask for suggestions to make it sound more casual, emotional, or direct, whatever you want.

For scriptwriting, you can use AI to help structure scenes. Ask it to create a dialogue-driven scene based on your plot outline. For example, "Write a scene where a detective confronts a suspect in a crowded café". AI will provide stage directions, dialogue, and pacing ideas you can adjust to fit your story.

Custom GPTs like Short form script writer by Community Builder and Free AI script writer and generator by Luppa.ai can help you with this.

7. Editing and Proofreading

Editing your own work manually takes a lot of time and effort. AI can provide fresh eyes on your writing, spotting repetition, weak phrasing, and areas that need improvement.

Ask AI to "Identify sentences in this paragraph that could be more concise" or "Find places where I'm telling rather than showing in this scene." There are AI tools where you don't even have to do any work, just copy and paste your text and they do all the editing and revision.

But just know that AI editors should complement, not replace, your own editorial judgment. Use their suggestions as a starting point for your revisions.

Here are some AI tools recommendations for this:

• Grammarly: The classic AI-assisted tool to check your grammar, spelling, and style checks real-time as you edit.

• ProWritingAid: It's a good choice for comprehensive writing feedback, including style, readability, and grammar improvements.

• QuillBot: You can use it to paraphrase and rewrite text, helping with content refinement and avoiding plagiarism.

So, experiment with AI, play around with your prompts, this is a great way to upskill your creative writing. Just remember, AI isn't here to take over your creative process. It's here to support it. Use it to get unstuck, speed things up, or explore new ideas.