In the previous blog I discussed the role that AI (Artificial Intelligence) can play in screenwriting. Now let’s look at it in terms of novel writing.

IDEAS: The more information you can give AI, the more on-point the feedback and suggestions will be. If the drama occurs in Miami, tell AI about it and ask for settings—anything that brings Miami to life and establishes your book as inside-baseball. An example: in my most recent novel, I wanted a number of different forces to try and derail my protagonist’s search for a protein that allows us to live to 135 or beyond. After I created my own list of possible sabotaging activities, I posed them as examples of ‘sabotage’ and asked them for more examples. They came up with three I’d never thought of.

STRUCTURE: Once your research is to the point that you want to write on that topic, make sure it has enough depth to sustain your audience (especially if you’re writing a series. The writer Elmore Leonard—who wrote great, gritty novels—had an assistant that he would deploy to the scenes of his novel, gathering activities and locations that Leonard would then make come alive.) Those of us lacking a researcher, go online and find as many sites that portray life in Miami (or wherever you’re setting your drama). AI can take all of that research, including its own past findings, and make recommendations that will impress.

OUTLINING AND STRUCTURING:  If you’ve got a great idea for a novel, use AI to make sure you’re developing it in a proven structure (3-act or 5-act). That doesn’t mean you have to be formulaic, but you’ll find that almost every great novel or movie adheres to one of these formulas. Pour your current outline into AI and watch it make suggestions on everything from settings to time to consequences. When I was writing my most recent novel, The Forever Formula, I got to the part of the book where the protagonist is having second thoughts on creating a ‘live forever’ formula. I gave AI a broad query, then did a drilldown on each of these: political; social; ecological; and ethical. That section almost wrote itself.

EDITING AND PROOFING: Ever since we’ve started using computers (and teaching our parents how to use them), the guidance we always give is that these tools are ‘dumb’, that they only do what you ask them to do. AI is like the smartest kid in class but without the gloating. Run some early chapters by AI and ask them to look for particular errors or bad habits. You’ll be surprised at how far they go in answering your question or request. The more precise your suggested categories or tools are, the better your Ai feedback.

Chapter Outlines: AI can help organize your narrative by proposing scene sequences, chapter themes, and pacing recommendations.

Beat Sheets: Breaking down scenes into “beats” (key story actions) helps manage complex plots, and AI excels at maintaining these logical structures.

3. Draft Writing and Expansion

Scene Generation: AI can co-write scenes, suggest dialogue, and flesh out transitions, often accelerating first-draft completion.Language and Style: Real-time suggestions improve clarity, grammar, and tone, helping you maintain consistency across the manuscript.

4. Editing and Revision

Content Review: AI tools catch errors in grammar, style, and plot continuity and offer alternative wording or phrasing suggestions.Objective Feedback: Some AI platforms can function as “beta readers,” highlighting clichés, weak dialogue, or pacing problems.

5. Organization and Research

Character and Plot Databases: AI-assisted platforms let you maintain centralized records of characters, timelines, and backstories, making it easier to keep details straight.Research Assistance: AI can quickly summarize historical facts, scientific concepts, or cultural references that add realism to your story.

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