By Bonnie Vanak
I still
remember the sound of dial-up internet on America Online. I’d sit there at the
computer, hearing the static grumble of the phone line connecting to the modem
and see the little man run across the screen (well, it was more like a
leisurely stroll compared to today’s lightning speed). There was a sense of
excitement knowing a door to a new and information-laden world opened for me.
Back then it
was fascinating to watch an emerging technology. I was a fledgling writer
itching to get published with a New York publisher and research was key to my
historical romance novels. I used the internet to research Egypt and Arabian
horses for my Khamsin Warriors of the Wind series, books that were eventually
published by Dorchester Publishing. But, as a friend warned me back then, the
“internet is a bathroom wall. Anyone can write anything on it.”
Never have I
forgotten that advice. These days of another emerging technology – artificial
intelligence – her advice is still valid and wise.
A few months
ago, I became aware of using AI to write. I work for a large company as a
copywriter and we were told to use an AI program in our work. This edict caused
me to research it for my own personal work as an author. I started asking
questions. A couple of friends who work in IT told me they had been using AI
for years.
That was the
day when I started exploring AI to see if I could utilize its benefits.
First, let me preface
this by saying I am aware of AI’s potential for damage for creatives. AI can
nudge aside artists and creatives and those using it could fail to give those
creators fair compensation. It’s a new technology and what’s to prevent someone
from taking another’s work, using AI to manipulate it and sell it as their own?
That being said, I
decided to use it for my own benefit in writing books to see if I can write
faster through AI’s brainstorming capabilities.
For those who
don’t know, Open AI’s ChatGPT launched the end of 2022 and became available to
the public. Open AI describes it this way: “We’ve trained a model called
ChatGPT which interacts in a conversational way. The dialogue format makes it
possible for ChatGPT to answer followup questions, admit its mistakes,
challenge incorrect premises, and reject inappropriate requests.”
ChatGPT scours
the internet for information. It’s free. You create an account, and plug into
the prompt bar what you wish the program to write. It can be anything. Except
sex or murder. ChatGPT refuses to write that and if you keep trying it will
shut you down. That’s okay with me. Since I write romantic suspense, I like to
be innovative with sex and killing someone.
I use AI to
help sketch out scenes. I do not write a book with AI produced words. My work
is my own and original. Instead, I use AI as an electronic brainstorming
partner. I regard it with a healthy dose of skepticism and take from it what I
can use.
It isn’t always
accurate, so I do not use it for research. I’m also wary of plagiarism.
But it’s fast,
so fast that if you use it the right way, it can help you write quicker. I
could never write a book only using AI because I’m known for writing books that
are dark, sexy and have heart. AI is not dark, not sexy and it certainly has no
heart.
Perhaps the
best way to explain ChatGPT is to give you this example. I logged into my free
account, and entered this into the prompt bar: Make yourself a best-selling romance author and write a short scene in
which Jase, an FBI agent working undercover in a dangerous motorcycle gang,
goes to his seedy apartment to relax and finds out someone has broken into his
home. He is worried and wonders if his cover has been blown. [My current
WIP for Harlequin romantic suspense’s line is about Jase]
Here’s what AI
wrote:
Jase stepped out of his unmarked car and
entered the dimly lit hallway of his rundown apartment building. The stench of
stale cigarettes and cheap liquor assaulted his senses, reminding him of the
less-than-ideal cover he had adopted for the past year. He ascended the
creaking stairs, his heart pounding with a mix of exhaustion and anticipation.
Unlocking the door to his cramped
apartment, Jase paused for a moment to take a deep breath, ready to let go of
the burdensome persona he had worn all day. But as he stepped inside, a cold
shiver ran down his spine. Something wasn't right. The air felt heavy with a
palpable tension, and the eerie silence only deepened his concern.
The sight that greeted him sent a wave
of adrenaline rushing through his veins. His small, cluttered living room was
in disarray, furniture upturned, and personal belongings scattered haphazardly
across the floor. The sense of violation washed over him, threatening to
shatter the fragile sense of security he had built.
Not bad.
However, it’s too simplified. Jase is a biker. He doesn’t drive a car. Also,
the writing doesn’t take into account Jase’s personality. He’s an FBI agent and
former Army Ranger. He’s dealt with danger before and he’s undercover. He HAS
no “fragile sense of security” because he’s aware that his cover could get
blown. Paranoia keeps him alive!
Here’s how I
rewrote those paragraphs and added to them to make the scene longer:
Jase pulled his bike into the assigned
parking spot and scanned the area as always. Tension rode his neck muscles as
he pulled off the black helmet and placed it on his bike. This place was a former
Florida motel in the heydays of pink flamingoes and signs advertising COLOR
TELEVISION and AIR CONDITIONING, but it was a dump even then. More of a dump
now. Still, it was safe for this assignment. Most tenants never spoke to one
another and minded their own business. He dismounted and trod up the stairs,
avoiding the rusty iron railing that wobbled with each touch. Landlord didn’t
care about repairs, only the rent getting paid.
A tingle rushed down his spine as he
neared his apartment. Jase stopped, scanned the area again. No one around. Not
even the stray cat that chased away the rats snacking on the garbage
overflowing the dumpster. He inched closer, muscles knotted and his body ready
for action.
His door stood slightly ajar. Perhaps a
crack. Jase removed the Glock tucked into his waistband and chambered a round.
With the tip of one steel-toed boot, he
kicked the door open. Son of a … The postage stamp studio looked like someone
dumped the contents into a blender and spat them out. Frayed sofa torn open,
stuffing spilling out. Same with the old armchair he’d found at a thrift shop.
Coffee table broken and lying in pieces.
Weapon cupped in his hands, he advanced.
It took less than a minute for his head to assure him “all clear” and tuck away
the Glock. He studied the refrigerator standing open, the eggs spilled onto the
floor and the bread smashed. Inching closer, he saw the clear indent of a biker
boot on the store-bought loaf. Yeah, no surprise here. Lance sent his crew to
upend Jase’s place to search for the stolen jewels. He peered at the fridge’s
wire shelves and shook his head. Beer was gone as well. No surprise there,
either. The gang never wasted a beer, not even when they wrecked someone’s
place.
You can see
what I wrote is nothing like what AI produced. Then why use the program?
I use it to visualize
the scene quicker so I can rewrite in my voice and add depth to the scene and
the characters to advance the plot. I added more color to the setting so the
reader would get a sense of exactly what kind of apartment building Jase calls
home for this assignment. I added Jase’s personality, his caution and coolness in
an emergency.
AI is a
guideline that helps me brainstorm and “see” the scene almost as if someone
else were talking about it.
We’re entering the
artificial intelligence technology age. Like all tools, AI can be beneficial or
dangerous, depending upon its use. Whether you choose to use it wisely or not,
or simply ignore it, is up to you. But like the internet, AI is here to stay
and will likely be the next wave of the future.
Bonnie Vanak is the author of paranormal
and romantic suspense novels. Her next book, Her Secret Protector, is out
October 2023 from Harlequin. Visit her website, www.bonnievanak.com
for more information.
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