How to Finish a Half-Written Novel with AI

In this informative video, the host demonstrates how to utilize AI to complete a half-written novel. The process involves using Novel Crafter, a tool that allows the AI to access previously written content. The host emphasizes the importance of connecting to Open AI through an API key and Open Router for seamless AI integration. The video provides a step-by-step guide, starting from copying the existing novel content into Novel Crafter, to filling out the plan tab with chapter outlines and brainstorming missing parts using the chat option. The host also discusses the significance of character profiles in the Codex for the AI to understand and write distinct characters. It is noted that the AI models, especially Claude 3 Opus, are adept at mimicking the author's writing style based on past content. The video concludes with a practical demonstration of writing a new chapter using Novel Crafter, highlighting the ease of continuing the novel with AI assistance and the minimal editing required for style consistency and error correction.

Takeaways

• 📝 Use Novel Crafter to integrate AI into your half-finished novel by connecting your account to Open AI through their API key and Open Router.
• 🔗 Ensure your Novel Crafter account is connected to Open Router by creating an account and connecting it within the Novel Crafter settings.
• 📚 Copy and paste all existing novel content into Novel Crafter, including chapters and any outline information you have.
• 💡 Utilize the 'Plan' tab in Novel Crafter to input your novel outline, and use the chat option for brainstorming missing chapters.
• 🧐 If unsure about a chapter, use the chat feature with context of your novel outline to get suggestions on what should happen.
• 📋 For discovery writers, leave chapter summaries blank but consider adding them retroactively for AI context.
• 📖 Fill out the 'Codex' with detailed character information to help the AI write consistently and distinctly.
• 🧑‍💼 Include character aliases, physical descriptions, clothing style, emotional processing, and personality types in the Codex.
• 🎨 Set a style preference in Novel Crafter to guide the AI's writing style, and edit the AI's output to match your style.
• 📈 Leverage the AI's ability to mimic your writing style, especially with models like Claude 3, which are good at continuing in the author's style.
• 🚀 Start writing the next chapter using a slash command and scene beat in Novel Crafter, and select an appropriate model for style consistency.
• ✍️ Edit and refine the AI-generated content for style, consistency, and to fix any continuity errors before continuing to the next scene.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is how to use AI to complete a half-written novel using Novel Crafter.

Why is Novel Crafter a good tool for finishing a half-written novel?

Novel Crafter is a good tool for this purpose because it allows users to input all the pieces they've generated so far, which the AI can then access when needed.

What is the first step to connect Novel Crafter to Open AI?

The first step is to ensure your account is connected to Open AI through their API key and through Open Router by setting up the connections in the settings.

How can one get an Open AI API key?

To get an Open AI API key, one needs to go to platform.openai.com and follow the instructions to set up their API key.

What is the purpose of the Plan Tab in Novel Crafter?

The Plan Tab is used to input any information about the novel's outline, such as what happens in each chapter, to provide context for the AI.

How can a writer use the chat option in Novel Crafter to help with missing chapters?

The writer can use the chat option to provide the AI with the context of the full novel outline and then ask for help brainstorming what should happen in the missing chapters.

What is the Codex in Novel Crafter used for?

The Codex is used to store information about characters, including physical descriptions, clothing, style, movements, posture, emotional processing, love language, and personality types.

Why is it beneficial to have written part of the novel before using AI to finish it?

Having part of the novel written allows the AI to analyze the writer's style and continue writing chapters in a similar style, making the process more seamless.

Which AI models are recommended for writing in the writer's style?

The Claude 3 models, Haiku, Sonnet, and Opus, are recommended as they are particularly good at identifying and mimicking the style of the writer's past writing.

How does a writer start writing the next chapter in Novel Crafter after the last one they've written?

The writer uses a slash command, hits 'scene beat', and then writes what they want to happen next in the scene.

What is the final step in the process of using AI to finish a novel?

The final step is to edit the AI-generated content to match the writer's style, check for consistency and continuity, and continue the process until the novel is completed.

Why is it important to have a style preference set in Novel Crafter?

A style preference helps the AI to write in a style that the writer likes and can include common elements that the writer finds the AI gets wrong, providing better instruction for the AI.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Using AI for Novel Completion

The speaker introduces the topic of using AI to complete a half-written novel, a common query they receive. They mention using Novel Crafter for this purpose due to its ability to integrate previously generated content. The speaker emphasizes the importance of connecting Novel Crafter to Open AI via an API key through Open Router, and provides a brief guide on setting up these connections. They also suggest copying and pasting existing novel content into Novel Crafter and filling out the plan tab with chapter outlines, using the chat option for brainstorming missing chapters. The speaker discusses the option for discovery writers to leave chapter summaries blank but recommends adding them for AI context. Lastly, they touch on character information in the Codex and its significance for the AI's understanding of the characters.

05:02

🖋️ Character Development and Style Preferences

The speaker delves into character development within Novel Crafter, using Mina Harker as an example. They explain the importance of detailed character descriptions to ensure the AI writes distinct characters. The inclusion of personality types, love languages, and other traits are highlighted as key to character differentiation. The speaker also discusses the advantages of having half of the novel written already, as it provides the AI with a style to mimic. They mention different AI models, noting Claude 3 models' proficiency in adopting the author's style based on past writing. The speaker then demonstrates how to use the AI in Novel Crafter by entering a scene beat and selecting an appropriate model for writing, emphasizing the potential need for editing the AI's output for consistency and style.

10:02

🚀 Writing Process and Model Selection

The speaker provides a detailed walkthrough of the writing process with Novel Crafter, starting with entering a scene beat and generating text using the AI. They compare the use of a fine-tuned model against the Claude 3 Opus model, noting the latter's ability to adapt to the author's writing style effectively. The speaker shares an example of generated text, expressing satisfaction with the output's style and fit with their preferences. They also discuss the need for editing AI-generated content for inaccuracies and inconsistencies, emphasizing that some manual editing is inevitable. The speaker concludes by encouraging the continuation of this process until the novel is completed, framing it as an extension of the traditional writing process with the added advantage of AI's analytical capabilities.

Keywords

AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. In the context of the video, AI is used to assist in completing a half-written novel by generating text based on the existing content and style of the novel.

Novel Crafter

Novel Crafter is a software tool designed to aid in the writing process of novels. It allows users to input their existing novel content and outlines, and then uses AI to help complete the story. The tool is highlighted in the video as a means to utilize AI in finishing a novel.

Open AI API

The Open AI API is a set of programming instructions that allows developers to access and use the capabilities of Open AI's machine learning models. In the video, it is mentioned as a necessary component to connect Novel Crafter to the AI technology that will assist in novel writing.

Outline

An outline is a structured plan for a piece of writing that details the main points or chapters in the order they are to be presented. The video emphasizes the importance of having an outline for the AI to understand the flow of the novel and generate appropriate content.

Character Codex

A Character Codex is a detailed collection of information about the characters in a novel, including their physical descriptions, personalities, and backgrounds. In the context of the video, the Character Codex is used in Novel Crafter to provide the AI with a comprehensive understanding of each character to ensure consistent and accurate portrayals throughout the novel.

Style Preference

Style Preference refers to the specific writing style that an author prefers or that is characteristic of their work. The video discusses setting up a style preference in Novel Crafter to guide the AI in generating text that matches the author's unique writing style.

Fine-Tune Model

A fine-tune model in AI refers to a machine learning model that has been further trained or 'fine-tuned' on a specific task to improve its performance. In the video, the presenter mentions using a fine-tune model for writing scenes in a way that closely resembles the author's own style.

CLA 3 Opus

CLA 3 Opus is an AI model mentioned in the video that is adept at identifying and mimicking the writing style of the author based on the text provided. It is highlighted as a useful tool for continuing the novel in a manner consistent with the author's previous writing.

Scene Beat

A scene beat is a unit of action in a story that represents a change in the dramatic direction of a scene. In the context of the video, the presenter uses the term to describe the process of moving forward in the novel writing process, with the AI generating the next part of the story after each scene beat.

Continuity Errors

Continuity errors are inconsistencies in a story that violate the chronological or causal sequence of events. The video emphasizes the need to check for such errors when using AI to write a novel, as the AI may inadvertently introduce inaccuracies or inconsistencies with the established storyline.

Discovery Writer

A discovery writer is an author who writes by discovery, meaning they do not follow a detailed outline and instead allow the story to unfold as they write. The video discusses how Novel Crafter and AI can support this type of writer by generating text that fits with the evolving story.

Highlights

Using AI to complete a half-written novel can be approached with the right tools and methods.

Novel Crafter is a tool that can integrate with AI to help complete a novel.

Connecting Novel Crafter to Open AI through an API key is essential for utilizing AI capabilities.

Open Router is a service that can be used to connect Novel Crafter to AI services.

The AI can access previously generated pieces of the novel to assist in continuation.

Chapter outlines and summaries can be inputted into Novel Crafter to guide the AI.

AI can help brainstorm missing chapters if provided with the context of the novel outline.

For discovery writers, chapter summaries can be added retrospectively to provide context for the AI.

Character information, including physical descriptions and personality traits, should be detailed in the Codex for the AI to understand.

The Codex helps the AI to write characters distinctly and in the author's intended style.

Style preferences can be set to guide the AI's writing style to match the author's preferences.

Existing written chapters serve as a guide for the AI to continue the novel in the author's style.

Claude 3 models like Haiku, Sonnet, and Opus are adept at mimicking the author's writing style.

Fine-tune models can closely match an author's style but require technical knowledge and data set preparation.

The process of writing with AI involves editing and refining the AI-generated content to fit the author's vision.

Consistency checks and continuity errors need to be addressed during the editing process.

The AI writing process is iterative, with scene beats used to continue the narrative.

AI can be a powerful tool for authors to finish their novels, especially when combined with their existing work.