June 2023 archive

Outline Your Novel with ChatGPT

Did you know you can outline your novel with ChatGPT? No? Me, either. But I asked my super-smart techie novelist friend MK Swanson if she had used ChatGPT, and she said she had. Specifically, she told me that she now believes “novelists can use ChatGPT to supercharge their process. For instance, you can outline your novel with ChatGPT.” Then she offered to write a blog post for my readers showing her first-time process in doing so! 

Below, MK describes how she approached ChatGPT for outlining assistance—and the surprisingly good results she got. As you’ll see, MK first needed to get ChatGPT up to speed for the task. To do so, she first picked a specific approach to novel outlining (from the gazillion available). She chose to work with the plot clock-–which is what I use to help my clients with their outlines.

Then, based on what ChatGPT discovered about the plot clock, she had the program ask her appropriate questions to get her ideas flowing and on track. “Watching” them work together is fascinating! 

Here’s MK …  

I’m MK Swanson, a novelist who’s interested in tech.  Cute Cartoon of a female writer outlining a novel on a computer with ChatGPTI wanted to see how I might put the large language model (LLM) ChatGPT to use as a creative writing partner.  At first, I found its responses stilted and awkward. I said to myself, “This is fine if I was a middle school student cheating on a take home assignment. But I’m a real writer. It doesn’t offer me anything that I can’t do better myself.”

But I tried again. And now I think that every writer, especially novelists, can use ChatGPT to supercharge their process. For instance, it is ideal for the delicate project of outlining your novel.

How to outline your novel with ChatGPT

Create a dialogue

You want to enter into a dialogue with ChatGPT. Start that dialogue by giving ChatGPT a clear prompt.

MKS (prompting ChatGPT): You are a writing coach who uses the plot clock method to guide writers to create an outline of their novel, and I am your client. Ask me a series of questions that will give me a good outline of my novel, stopping to allow me to answer after each question. 

This prompt sets up the interaction between me and ChatGPT. I use the prompt to tell ChatGPT what perspective I want it to take (“you are a writing coach”) and what outlining method I want it to use (“the plot clock”). Finally, I set up a conversation-style interaction where it will ask me the next question fluidly.

Story starting point

ChatGPT (responding to the prompt): Of course! I’d be happy to assist you in creating an outline for your novel using the plot clock method. Let’s begin by diving into some key aspects of your story. Remember to take your time to think about each question and provide as much detail as possible. Here’s the first question:

What is the initial situation or setup of your story? Describe the world, the main character, and their ordinary life before the inciting incident occurs.

MKS: Livendra is a young woman living on the remains of the Florida peninsula in the future. The world environment has become more unpredictable and dangerous. Coastal cities have been submerged. Livendra makes a living as a pirate, stealing treasures and supplies from salvage corporations whom she blames for the state of the world. She believes that civilization is in its death throes.

Inciting incident

ChatGPT: Thank you for providing such a vivid and detailed description of your story’s initial situation. It sets a compelling backdrop for the events to come. Now, let’s move on to the next phase of the plot clock:

What is the inciting incident that disrupts Livendra’s ordinary life as a pirate and sets the main events of the story into motion? How does this incident change her perspective or force her to confront new challenges?

MKS: Livendra tries to steal a boat from a corporation, and is caught, but the man who catches her not only lets her go, he joins her. After they escape, he insists he can help her reach her most precious goal—to retrieve a sculpture her mother carved from inside the flooded borders of Jacksonville, which is guarded by a paramilitary group.

Conflicts and obstacles

ChatGPT: Excellent! The inciting incident you’ve described adds an intriguing twist to Livendra’s life as a pirate and sets the stage for new challenges and unexpected alliances. Now, let’s move on to the next phase of the plot clock:

As Livendra and her companion embark on their mission to retrieve the sculpture, what are the major obstacles or conflicts they encounter? Consider both external factors, such as the paramilitary patrols, and internal struggles that Livendra may face along the way….

ChatGPT and I continue this back-and-forth all around the plot clock, with me making up a host of other details.

You can also ask ChatGPT to help you outline your novel using the Snowflake method, the hero’s journey, a chapter-by-chapter approach, or any other outlining method you desire. And, you can ask ChatGPT to be a character in your novel, then engage it in dialogue to learn more about your character’s motivation.

Other things you can do with ChatGPT

You can use ChatGPT to outline a draft of an existing novel-in-progress in order to add complexity, straighten out a plot tangle, or create a timeline. You might also ask it to use the outline you created with it to summarize your novel, write a book jacket blurb, or come up with an elevator pitch.

If you’d like to learn from the best novelists of all time, you can even ask ChatGPT to outline novels in its corpus. It offered me a quite reasonable outline of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.

Things you can’t do with ChatGPT (yet)

Of course, there are many things ChatGPT can’t do, such as:

  • It can’t retain context in a chat window for more than a few thousand words. (If the AI model begins to lose focus, switch to a new window and give it the outline so far.)
  • It isn’t completely private. (Read the fine print.)
  • It doesn’t offer truly creative ideas. (Those come from you!)

ChatGPT might not be a magical solution to all your writing needs, but it’s not just a cheat sheet. With patience, you may find you can use it to invigorate your outlining process. And once it’s done that, what other ways will you find to make it work for you?

* I used OpenAI’s free research preview of ChatGPT for this example.

This article was written by novelist MK Swanson, who writes about tech and writing at writingdreamer.com and brasstack.net.

Trying to outline your novel? I can help!

Novel writing coach Jamie Morris, pictured smiling, can help you outline your novel. As a novel writing coach and memoir coach, I have helped scads of writers outline their stories. Let’s see if my approach can help you.  Schedule a free initial consultation with me. And also check out THE WRITER mag article Should I Hire a Writing Coach.”

Book Writers’ Coach

Why am I a book writing coach? Great question! Over the last ten years, I’ve coached writers of all types. New writers, short story writers, dissertation and thesis writers, hobbyists and journalists. But after a decade of working with a myriad of different writers, I’ve found my greatest joy as a book writers’ coach.

red book cover for book writers' coach Jamie MorrisFolks who commit to writing a book are a different breed. They’re tenacious (and sometimes hard-headed, lol).

They see the long view. They know their actions today (and tomorrow, and the next day/week/year) create their future: If they keep writing, they’ll be authors.

Me? I want to be along for that ride. Sure, there will be ups and downs. (If it were easy, everyone would write a book, right?) So when I agree to become a book writer’s coach, I’m declaring myself in it with you for the long haul.

I’ll be there to remind you about your goals, sure! But more than that, I’ll listen to your ideas and help you develop them in ways that (almost magically) transform your book into something more than you ever imagined it could be! (Believe me, I have a track record for doing just this!)

I’ll guide you to be more efficient when you need to get something—chapter, outline, query letter—done. But I’ll also encourage you to explore enticing paths that may make your work both richer for you as a writer and deeper and more meaningful for your eventual readers.

So, why am I a book writers’ coach? Because I consider it a gift and an honor to help creative people—you!—accomplish the huge task of turning your dream into a book.

It’s possible. It’s hard. It’s worthwhile. And you don’t have to do it alone.

Gearing up to write a book? A chat with a top book writers’ coach might help!

As a book writers’ coach, I have tricks of the trade to share! Book writers' coach Jamie Morris Schedule a free initial consultation with me. And also check out THE WRITER mag article Should I Hire a Writing Coach.” 

How to Write a Mystery: 10 Tips

Writing a mystery is complicated, no doubt! But, since mysteries are my favorite type of fiction, I thought it would be a fun challenge to narrow down my thoughts about how to write them effectively. The following 10 tips will help you understand how to write a mystery novel and create suspense on the page. a light shines on a closed book beneath the word "investigation." how to write a mystery

Since two heads are better than one, when considering such a complex topic, I called my award-winning mystery writer pal Elizabeth Sims. She generously agreed to allow me to pick her brilliant mystery-writing brain.

Together, Elizabeth and I settled on the following 10  tips for writing a mystery. We hope they help you find your way through the tricksy woods of your story!

10 tips for writing a mystery

How to write a mystery: sub-genres and outlines

1) PICK A SUB-GENRE: There are many mystery sub-genres. These include cozy mystery, hard-boiled detective fiction, and police procedurals, to name just a few. Job 1? choose your sub-genre and familiarize yourself with the conventions of that style.

2) READ WIDELY: Once you’ve chosen your sub-genre, read 100 (really: 100!) books of that type. While this might seem like overkill (and maybe slightly insane), reading very (VERY) widely in your genre is the single best way to absorb the rhythms of the category.

Plotting your novel with the plot clock book cover helps you know how to write a mystery3) MAP OUT YOUR STORY: Depending on your sub-genre, your story is likely to be quite intricate and complex. Allow yourself time to identify the various twists and turns of your plot. Mystery writers, even more than other writers, benefit from creating solid outlines before starting to write.

Character arcs, subplot, stakes, and settings

4) GIVE YOUR DETECTIVE PROBLEMS: Allow your main character to struggle in their personal life while trying to solve the crime. Their struggles should force them to make a much-needed inner change. This change is as satisfying to the reader as seeing the mystery solved.

5) RAISE THE STAKES! You might think the very fact of an unsolved murder provides enough motivation for the investigating detective. But acctually, stakes-wise, you’ll want your detective to have some skin in the game. Whether they’re threatened with a demotion if they don’t resolve the mystery or they are actually suspects in the case themselves, raise the stakes by giving your main character an urgent  reason to apprehend the murderer.

6) CREATE SUBPLOTS: Mysteries are meant to be, well, mysterious. If you’re driving your story down an unswerving path, your reader won’t enjoy the ride as much as if you add twists and turns—some of which can be provided by a subplot.

Perhaps you can develop one of your main character’s difficulties (above) enough that it distracts that them from solving the crime at hand. If that distraction puts the investigation in jeopardy, you’ve added an extra dollop of suspense into the subplot mix.

7) KNOW YOUR SETTING: Set your mystery in a location (or era) that you know well. Perhaps you’ve got a deep interest in Colonial Africa. Or lived in Boston in the 1980s. Wherever you set your story, be sure you know enough about it to create a faithful and familiar world for readers.

Also, involve your detective directly in that world. Perhaps they’re an investigative reporter in a small town in Alabama or a political protester in Berlin. A main character who’s actively engaged in your mystery’s location adds depth and interest to your work.

Red herrings, reversals, and reveals in your mystery

8) ESTABLISH RED HERRINGS: Red herrings are clues or information that mislead both the detective and the reader. Use them to create suspense by misdirecting the course of the investigation.

9) NAME CHARACTERS CAREFULLY: Don’t give your characters names that signal to the reader where they fall on the good-guy/bad-guy spectrum. Creating “dark” names for dark characters limits your ability to surprise your readers with a character’s unpredictable behavior.

SPOILER ALERT: Think Snape in the Harry Potter series: Learning his dark, nasty name, readers expect him to be a real baddy. But, in fact, he’s a much more sympathetic character than we could ever have imagined. Great work, J. K. Rowling, misleading readers  with a well-considered character name!

10) ADD SURPRISES TO YOUR FINAL SCENES: Twisty endings are appropriate—and necessary—in such a twisty genre. When thinking about how to write your mystery, be sure to leave some surprising reveals or reversals for the last act. You might resolve a red herring or conclude a subplot in an unforeseen way. Whatever you do (“Luke, I’m your father”!), add something unexpected to the (pre-)climactic moments of your mystery.

Writing a mystery in a moral universe

In a way, a mystery novel describes a moral universe. Someone has done something wrong—and we want to see them pay. While you may choose not to bring your antagonist to justice, do your best to create a conclusive ending of some sort.

We’re living in uneasy times. If you can restore order to even a fictional corner of the world, without compromising your artistic vision, I, for one, will be grateful.

Resources to help you write a mystery

Of course, these tips are just the—ahem—tip of the iceberg when it comes to learning to write a successful mystery novel. A search on YouTube, Amazon, or Google will yield another gazillion helpful hints. The resources that follow are particular favorites of mine. Your mileage may vary.

START HERE: When you’re considering writing a mystery—or any other book, for that matter—Elizabeth Sims’s YOU’VE GOT A BOOK IN YOU is a great place to start. Subtitled “A Stress-Free Guide to Writing the Book of Your Dreams,” Sims’s book has garnered tons of well-deserved love—especially from newer book writers.

Plot is central to writing a good mystery. My own book, PLOTTING YOUR NOVEL WITH THE PLOT CLOCK, is a small-but-mighty-tome I wrote with two fabulous co-authors. Its simple—not simplistic—approach to plot can be a game-changer. (Learn more about the Plot Clock!)

OTHER GOOD BOOKS: Larry Beinhart’s HOW TO WRITE A MYSTERY, Patricia Highsmith’s PLOTTING AND WRITING SUSPENSE FICTION, and P.D. James’s TALKING ABOUT DETECTIVE FICTION are just three of many other helpful titles for writers who want to know how to write a mystery.

ORGANIZATIONS: Mystery Writers of America is a wonderful organization. It hosts regional and national mystery writing conferences and provides many other valuable resources for members. Sisters in Crime provides support for women crime writers. And the site The Cozy Mystery Library has virtual shelves full of helpful links for those writing cozies.

Ready to write that mystery? A chat with a top writing coach could help you get started!

Discover how to get your mystery novel off to a great start. Jamie Morris is a mystery novel writing coach. Schedule a free initial consultation. And also take a look at this THE WRITER mag article Should I Hire a Writing Coach.” 

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