The Use of AI in my Current Book

I just watched a YouTube video on an AI scandal in the publishing industry. One of the things that struck me was the binary description of the problem: was AI used in this work of fiction or not? The question should be more nuanced than that. How did you use AI in this work of fiction? Did you have the LLM write large portions of the book, or even all of it? Or did you merely use AI as a proofreader?

There are definitely those purists out there who think that AI shouldn’t be used at all for writing fiction. While I disagree, I do absolutely believe in being honest. So, here’s the breakdown for how I’m using AI for my current book, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Resurrection.

• Brainstorming: I bounced ideas off of ChatGPT during the outlining process

• Editing: As I’m finishing a scene, I drop it in ChatGPT and ask for thoughts. I consider the suggested edits, and I write them myself if I think they’re good advice. I’ll do something similar during revision. This is crucial. If ChatGPT offers up an edited version, I reject it automatically. I’m the one doing all of the writing.

• Cover art: The book’s cover is coming from ChatGPT.

I’m using AI more freely in this book because it’s fan fiction. There’s no way I’m going to hire an artist for the cover or pay a human editor to help with revision. In an original work, that would be different.

AI isn’t the problem - dishonesty is. If you’re using AI, just say how.