5 Best AI Writing Tools for Fiction (+ the Combo I Use)

The Nerdy Novelist
18 Aug 202318:47

TLDRThis video discusses the top AI tools for fiction writing, highlighting five main options and a couple of honorable mentions. The speaker shares their experiences with each tool, emphasizing the strengths and weaknesses of each. Pseudorite is praised for its focus on authors and its Story Engine feature, which aids in structured writing. Chat GPT is noted for its ability to follow directions and structure output, making it ideal for outlining and brainstorming. Open AI's Playground is similar to Chat GPT but offers more customization options. Claude is recognized for its creativity and natural language, particularly useful for prose and book descriptions. Verb.ai is recommended for discovery writing, allowing authors to explore story possibilities. Novel AI is mentioned as a potentially promising tool, especially for writing not safe for work content. Lastly, Poe.com is introduced as a platform that provides access to multiple language models. The speaker's ideal scenario involves using a combination of Pseudorite for prose generation and editing, alongside a chat bot like Claude or Chat GPT for brainstorming and outlining.

Takeaways

  • 📚 The video discusses the top AI tools for fiction writing, highlighting the rapid evolution in this field.
  • 🚀 Pseudorite is currently the top choice for an all-in-one platform for authors, especially with its Story Engine feature.
  • 💬 Chat GPT is praised for its ability to follow directions and structure output, making it ideal for outlining and brainstorming.
  • 🎨 OpenAI's Playground offers customization options and a system box with no character limit, allowing for more detailed inputs.
  • 📈 Claude, with its large token context window, is a powerhouse for authors, particularly useful for in-depth tasks like summarizing character arcs.
  • 🌟 Verb.ai is recommended for discovery writing, allowing authors to explore the story one chunk at a time.
  • 🔍 Novel AI is an honorable mention, especially for writing not safe for work content due to its own model without restrictions.
  • 🌐 Poe.com is highlighted as a way to access multiple language models in one place, which is useful for those wanting versatility.
  • 💰 If budget is a concern, Claude is recommended as it is currently free for users in the U.S. or U.K.
  • 🤖 The ideal scenario for fiction writing with AI, as per the video, is a combination of Pseudorite for prose generation and editing, with a chatbot like Claude or Chat GPT for brainstorming and outlining.
  • ✍️ The video emphasizes the importance of choosing the right tool for each stage of the writing process to optimize efficiency and creativity.

Q & A

  • What is the main topic of the video?

    -The main topic of the video is discussing the best AI tools for fiction writing and providing an updated list of the top five AI tools, along with one honorable mention.

  • Why did the author update their previous video on the best fiction writing tools?

    -The author updated their previous video because the world of AI evolves rapidly, and new advancements and tools become available periodically, necessitating updated information.

  • What is the first AI tool mentioned in the video and why is it at the top of the list?

    -The first AI tool mentioned is SudoWrite. It is at the top of the list because of its Story Engine feature, which allows for structured writing of large blocks of text and is highly targeted towards fiction authors.

  • What is the pricing structure of SudoWrite that the author initially found unfavorable?

    -The author initially found SudoWrite's pricing structure unfavorable because it offers only 90,000 words for thirty dollars a month, which can be quickly used up.

  • What is the second AI tool mentioned in the video and what are its strengths?

    -The second AI tool mentioned is Chat GPT. Its strengths include the ability to follow directions, adhere to a prescribed structure, and its versatility in tasks such as data analysis and brainstorming.

  • What are the downsides of using Chat GPT according to the video?

    -The downsides of using Chat GPT include its tendency to produce more flowery prose, which may not be suitable for all writing styles, and potentially higher costs for access to more advanced features like GPT 4.

  • What is OpenAI's Playground and how does it differ from Chat GPT?

    -OpenAI's Playground is a platform that runs the same models as Chat GPT but offers a system box without character limits, allowing users to input more extensive instructions or outlines. It also provides more control over settings like maximum length and temperature for creativity.

  • What is the advantage of using Claude for fiction writing?

    -Claude has a 100,000 token context window, allowing it to remember a large amount of text. This makes it ideal for tasks like summarizing a character's arc or generating marketing materials for a book based on the entire text.

  • What is Verb.ai and how does it assist in fiction writing?

    -Verb.ai is a platform that is particularly good for discovery writing. It allows authors to input what they think happens next in a story and provides a continuation in chunks. It is useful for authors who prefer to write linearly, one chunk at a time.

  • What is the honorable mention mentioned in the video and what is its unique feature?

    -The honorable mention is Novel AI. It is known for having its own model that is particularly good for creating not safe for work content, such as erotica, without the restrictions that other models might have.

  • What is Poe.com and how does it relate to AI writing tools?

    -Poe.com is a platform that provides access to multiple language models, including Claude and GPT models. It is useful for those who want to experiment with different models without having to subscribe to multiple services.

  • What is the author's ideal scenario for using AI tools for fiction writing?

    -The author's ideal scenario involves using a combination of SudoWrite for generating and editing prose and a chat bot like Claude or Chat GPT for brainstorming and creating outlines. This combination allows for efficient use of SudoWrite's word limit and the creative capabilities of the chat bots.

Outlines

00:00

📝 Top AI Tools for Fiction Writing: An Update

The video discusses an update on the best AI tools for fiction writing since the last video, highlighting the rapid changes in AI technology. The speaker has tried numerous tools and narrowed down the list to five top tools with one honorable mention. The focus is on tools that genuinely aid in fiction writing rather than those that merely claim to do so without delivering satisfactory results. The video promises to reveal the top choices starting with the number one tool, Pseudorite.

05:01

🚀 Pseudorite's Story Engine: A Game Changer for Writers

Pseudorite is highlighted as the top tool for fiction authors, especially after the introduction of its Story Engine feature. This tool allows for structured writing of books from scratch using AI, overcoming the challenge of creating large blocks of text based on summaries. The speaker appreciates Pseudorite's attention to authors' needs, offering specific functionalities like 'show, don't tell' and the ability to add inner conflict or intensity. Despite its pricing structure, Pseudorite is considered the all-in-one platform for authors, with the speaker suggesting it can be paired with another tool for an ideal scenario.

10:03

💡 Chat GPT and OpenAI Playground: Versatility and Customization

Chat GPT is recognized for its ability to follow directions and structure output, making it ideal for brainstorming and outlining. Its main downside is a more flowery prose style, which may not suit all authors. OpenAI's Playground is also discussed, with its system box allowing for longer custom instructions without character limits, and additional settings for maximum length and temperature to control randomness and creativity. The speaker prefers Chat GPT for its additional features like code interpreter but acknowledges that Playground offers more flexibility in certain aspects.

15:04

📚 Claude 2.0: A Powerful Tool with a Long Context Window

Claude 2.0 is introduced as a powerful tool with a 100,000 token context window, allowing it to remember a substantial amount of text. This feature makes it suitable for authors to input entire books and ask complex questions about characters or summaries. While Claude is very creative, it may not follow orders as closely as Chat GPT, but its natural language and ability to produce prose make it a top choice for authors, especially for tasks like generating headlines or book descriptions.

🔍 Verb.ai: Discovery Writing and Character Tracking

Verb.ai is presented as a tool for discovery writing, where authors can input what they think happens next in their story and receive a continuation in chunks of 100-150 words. It is praised for its clean interface and character tracking feature, which allows authors to input and store information about characters for the AI to reference in the text. Although not as feature-rich as Pseudorite, Verb.ai is built with authors in mind and is suitable for those who prefer writing in small chunks.

🌟 Honorable Mentions: NovelAI and Poe.com for Diverse Access

The video gives honorable mentions to NovelAI, which is currently working on improving its prompting feature, and is known for its ability to create not safe for work content without restrictions. Another mention goes to Poe.com, a platform providing access to multiple language models, including Claude and GPT, in one place. This is beneficial for those who want to experiment with different models without multiple subscriptions. The speaker concludes with their ideal scenario for writing fiction with AI, which involves using Pseudorite for prose generation and editing, paired with either Claude or Chat GPT for brainstorming and outlining.

Mindmap

Keywords

AI Writing Tools

AI Writing Tools refer to software applications that utilize artificial intelligence to assist in the writing process. In the context of the video, these tools are specifically designed to aid in the creation of fiction, automating and streamlining various aspects of storytelling, from generating text to outlining and editing.

Story Engine

Story Engine is a feature within the Sudowrite platform that allows authors to write books from scratch using AI. It is highlighted as a game-changer for its structured approach to writing large blocks of text based on summaries, which is particularly useful for fiction authors looking to maintain a coherent narrative.

Chat GPT

Chat GPT, short for Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer, is an AI language model developed by OpenAI that is capable of generating human-like text based on user prompts. It is praised in the video for its ability to follow directions and structure output, making it a versatile tool for writers, especially for brainstorming and outlining.

OpenAI's Playground

OpenAI's Playground is a tool that allows users to interact with the GPT models developed by OpenAI. It is similar to Chat GPT but offers additional features such as a system box for storing custom instructions and the ability to adjust settings like maximum length and temperature, which can influence the model's creativity and adherence to instructions.

Claude

Claude is an AI model developed by Anthropic, which has been recently made more accessible through a chat interface. It is noted for its large token context window, allowing it to remember and process a significant amount of text, making it a powerful tool for tasks such as summarizing character arcs or generating marketing materials for books.

Verb.ai

Verb.ai is a discovery writing platform that is particularly useful for authors who prefer a more exploratory approach to writing. It allows users to input what they think happens next in a story and generates a continuation in chunks, which can then be refined or expanded upon. It is designed with authors in mind and includes features like character tracking.

Prompt Engineering

Prompt Engineering refers to the process of carefully crafting instructions or prompts for AI models to generate specific types of text. In the video, it is mentioned as a skill that authors may need to develop when using AI tools, although some platforms, like Sudowrite, aim to minimize the need for this by providing more targeted options for fiction writing.

Token Context Window

The token context window is a term referring to the amount of text an AI model can process and remember at one time. Claude's large token context window is an advantage as it allows the model to consider more text, which is beneficial for complex tasks like analyzing an entire book or long-form content.

NovelAI

NovelAI is an AI writing assistant that has its own model for creating content. It is mentioned as an honorable mention in the video, with the reviewer noting that it is particularly good for writing not safe for work content, such as erotica, due to its lack of content restrictions compared to other models.

Poe.com

Poe.com is a platform that provides access to multiple language models, including Claude and GPT models. It is presented as a one-stop solution for users who want to experiment with different AI models without having to manage multiple subscriptions. It is particularly useful for those looking to compare and contrast the capabilities of various models.

Prose Generation

Prose Generation is the process of creating written text, particularly narrative or descriptive text, using AI. In the context of the video, it is a core function of the discussed tools, with Sudowrite being highlighted for its ability to generate finished prose efficiently, which is crucial for fiction writing.

Highlights

The video discusses the top AI tools for fiction writing and provides an update on the best options available.

Sudorite is highlighted as the number one all-in-one platform for authors, with a focus on structured writing and attention to author needs.

Story Engine by Sudorite allows for writing books from scratch using AI in a structured way.

Chat GPT is praised for its ability to follow directions and structure output, making it ideal for outlining and brainstorming.

OpenAI's Playground is similar to Chat GPT but offers more flexibility with its system box and settings for creativity.

Claude 2 is noted for its 100,000 token context window, allowing it to remember more information and provide detailed insights into long texts.

Verb.ai is recommended for discovery writing, providing a clean interface and tools to help authors explore their story one chunk at a time.

NovelAI is given an honorable mention for its potential in creating not safe for work content without restrictions.

Poe.com is mentioned as a platform to access multiple language models, offering a one-stop solution for authors interested in various AI tools.

The ideal scenario for fiction writing with AI is suggested to be a combination of Sudorite for prose generation and a chat bot like Claude or Chat GPT for brainstorming and outlining.

Sudorite's pricing structure is a point of contention, but its focus on authors and customization options make it a top choice.

Chat GPT's strengths lie in its adherence to structure and data analysis, though its prose can be overly flowery for some tastes.

OpenAI's Playground offers the ability to manipulate settings like maximum length and temperature for more creative control.

Claude's creativity is both an advantage and a disadvantage, as it excels in prose but may not follow orders as closely as Chat GPT.

Verb.ai's discovery writing feature allows authors to explore their story without a predefined outline, making it useful for organic story development.

NovelAI is currently working on improving its features, particularly in prompting for results, which will be re-evaluated once the beta feature is integrated.

Poe.com provides access to a variety of language models, including Google's Palm and GPT 432k, offering a diverse set of tools for authors.

The video suggests that Claude is the best single tool for authors due to its current free availability and natural sounding language.