How to Write a Full Book Using ChatGPT

In this informative video, author Jason, an experienced writer with 12 published books, shares his expertise on leveraging AI, specifically Chat GPT, to assist in the book writing process. He emphasizes the importance of a step-by-step approach, starting from conceptualization to the final manuscript. Jason outlines the 'fractal method' for both fiction and non-fiction, which involves expanding a core idea into a detailed synopsis, outline, and chapter beats. He also highlights the necessity of human input and validation at each stage to ensure accuracy and alignment with the author's vision. For fiction, he demonstrates how to generate high-concept pitches and expand them into detailed stories, while for non-fiction, he suggests using one's expertise to create informative and engaging content. Throughout the video, Jason stresses the utility of AI for handling the 'grunt work' of writing but advocates for the irreplaceable value of an author's unique voice and creativity.

Takeaways

• 📚 Jason, an author with 12 published books, shares his expertise on using AI for writing books, emphasizing the importance of human input and validation at each step of the process.
• ✍️ When starting with a concept, use a progressive approach called the 'fractal method', which involves expanding from a small idea to a larger synopsis, outline, and story beats before writing the full prose.
• 🚀 For non-fiction, GPT-4 is preferred over GPT-3.5 due to higher quality and accuracy, though the latter can be used for initial drafts or by those on a budget.
• 💡 Custom instructions in GPT can be used to maintain consistency throughout the chat, which is particularly useful for remembering specific details or requirements for the writing task.
• 🖼️ GPT's latest features include image analysis, which can be beneficial for describing settings or characters in a book.
• 🤖 AI can assist with the 'grunt work' of writing, such as generating chapter outlines and action beats, but the author must ensure the output aligns with their vision and writing style.
• 🧐 The quality of AI-generated content can be improved by providing detailed prompts and being specific about the desired genre, tone, and characters involved.
• ✅ Validation is crucial; the author should review and edit AI-generated content to ensure accuracy and alignment with their intended message and style.
• 📈 For non-fiction, leveraging one's expertise or interest in a subject can lead to a more authentic and valuable book, as opposed to merely chasing market trends.
• 🔍 Tools like Publisher Rocket can assist with keyword research, which is important for SEO and discoverability but should not drive the entire writing process.
• ✨ Including engaging stories and clear, concise information makes non-fiction writing more effective, with a hybrid approach of author-written creative sections and AI-generated informational content often being the most successful.

Q & A

What is the author's name and what qualifies him to talk about writing books with AI?

The author's name is Jason, and he has written and published 12 books, making him an expert in using AI to write books.

What does Jason recommend for someone just starting out with AI writing tools like GPT?

Jason suggests starting with GPT 3.5 to understand the basics, but for better quality, one should use GPT 4, especially for non-fiction writing.

What is the 'fractal method' Jason refers to in the context of writing a book with AI?

The fractal method involves starting with a small concept for the book and then progressively expanding it to a larger synopsis, outline, and story beats before writing the entire prose.

Why is it important to validate the output provided by AI at every step of the writing process?

Validation ensures the output is accurate, represents the author's vision and style, and prevents the narrative from veering off in an unintended direction.

What is the significance of using custom instructions in the AI writing process?

Custom instructions allow the AI to remember specific details or requirements for the entire chat, which is particularly useful for maintaining consistency and depth in the writing.

How does Jason propose to overcome the limitations of AI when generating the first chapter of a book?

Jason suggests manually editing and fleshing out the AI-generated content to ensure it has action and focuses on characters, as AI tends to produce lackluster opening chapters.

What is the role of 'Publisher Rocket' as mentioned in the script?

Publisher Rocket is a tool for finding keywords relevant to an author's expertise, which can help increase online visibility and potentially rank well on platforms like Amazon.

What is the key difference between using AI for fiction and non-fiction writing according to Jason?

For fiction, AI can be used more extensively throughout the writing process, while for non-fiction, Jason prefers a hybrid approach where he writes the creative parts (like stories) and uses AI for the informational sections based on the information he provides.

What are the three qualities Jason believes every good non-fiction book or chapter should have?

Every good non-fiction book or chapter should have a hook to draw the reader in, a story to illustrate and prove the hook, and informative content that provides the details on how to apply the information.

Why does Jason emphasize the importance of authors writing about what they are experts in or genuinely interested in learning about?

Jason emphasizes this because it ensures authenticity and depth in the content. Writing about a subject one is passionate about or knowledgeable in leads to a more valuable and credible end product for the reader.

What is the potential upcoming feature in AI writing tools that Jason is looking forward to?

Jason is looking forward to the introduction of Dolly 3 to chat GBT, which may enable not only writing books in chat GBT but also designing book covers with AI.

Outlines

00:00

📚 AI Writing Books: Expert Insights

Jason, an experienced author of 12 published books, discusses the use of AI in writing books. He emphasizes the importance of using the latest AI models like GPT-4 for better quality and outlines his 'fractal method' for expanding a book concept step by step. Jason also mentions the upcoming integration of Dolly 3 with AI, which could potentially allow for book cover creation.

05:00

🚀 Starting with a Story Idea

The process of brainstorming a high-concept story is explained, with a focus on fiction writing. Jason uses a prompt to generate 30 story pitches and selects one involving a fractured reality after a physicist's experiment goes awry. He then requests a detailed synopsis using the three-act structure, emphasizing the need for validation and specificity at each step to ensure the AI's output aligns with the author's vision.

10:04

📝 Crafting a Detailed Outline

Jason demonstrates how to use AI to create a detailed outline for a story, using the 'Save the Cat' beats as a structure. He highlights the need for fleshing out the initial AI-generated outline and ensuring it includes action and focuses on characters. The importance of editing and refining each chapter's beats is stressed to avoid a lackluster narrative.

15:05

🎭 Writing the Script with Style

The focus shifts to writing the prose of a chapter with a specific style in mind. Jason illustrates how to instruct AI to write in a particular tone and point of view. He also discusses the limitations of AI in long responses and suggests a hybrid approach where the author writes the creative parts, and AI handles the informational sections.

20:07

🤔 Non-Fiction Writing with AI

Jason addresses the process of writing non-fiction books using AI, emphasizing the importance of being knowledgeable in the subject matter. He outlines a method for brainstorming book ideas based on areas of expertise and generating a comprehensive list of topics that could become chapters. The paragraph also touches on the use of tools like Publisher Rocket for keyword research.

25:09

📈 Structuring Non-Fiction Content

The approach to writing non-fiction chapters is discussed, with a focus on including hooks, stories, and informational content. Jason shares his preference for a hybrid method where he writes the creative sections and uses AI to generate the informational parts based on his input. He also mentions the effectiveness of GPT over Claude for non-fiction writing due to its accuracy and formatting capabilities.

30:10

📖 Final Thoughts on AI in Writing

Jason concludes with his views on using AI as a productivity tool in writing non-fiction. He advocates for a hands-on approach where the author is heavily involved in the creative process, using AI to assist with the writing of information-based sections. He stresses the importance of not relying solely on AI to do the work, as it won't yield the best results without the author's input and validation.

Keywords

Chat GPT

Chat GPT refers to a language model developed by OpenAI that is capable of generating human-like text based on given prompts. In the context of the video, it is used as a tool to assist in writing books, both fiction and non-fiction, by generating ideas, outlines, and prose.

Fractal Method

The Fractal Method is a writing technique described in the video where the author starts with a small concept and expands it progressively into larger components, such as a synopsis, outline, and story beats, until the entire book is written. It is a step-by-step approach to book writing that can be facilitated by AI.

AI Writing

AI Writing involves the use of artificial intelligence to aid in the writing process. In the video, the author, Jason, discusses his expertise in using AI for writing books, emphasizing the importance of human validation and input at each step to ensure the output aligns with the writer's vision.

Book Outline

A Book Outline is a structured plan that summarizes the main points or chapters of a book. In the video, the author demonstrates how to use AI to create a detailed outline for a book, breaking down the story into chapters and summarizing what happens in each one.

Story Beats

Story Beats are the significant events or turning points in a narrative that mark the progression of the story. The video discusses using AI to generate detailed action beats for a story, which are then used to write the prose of the book.

Non-fiction

Non-fiction refers to a genre of writing that presents information based on facts, real-life events, or research. In the video, the author contrasts the use of AI in writing non-fiction with fiction, noting that non-fiction benefits from the writer's expertise and validation of the AI-generated content.

Validation

Validation in the context of AI writing is the process of checking and confirming that the AI-generated content is accurate, aligns with the writer's intent, and is free from errors. The video emphasizes the importance of human intervention for validation to ensure the quality of the final output.

Custom Instructions

Custom Instructions are specific directions given to the AI to guide its output according to the writer's needs. In the video, the author uses custom instructions to guide Chat GPT in remembering certain details or requirements throughout the writing process.

Grunt Work

Grunt work refers to the routine, laborious tasks involved in a larger project. In the context of the video, the author suggests using AI to automate the 'grunt work' of writing, such as generating first drafts or basic content, while humans focus on more creative and critical aspects.

Digital Platforms

Digital Platforms in the video refer to online mediums where books can be discovered and purchased, such as Amazon or Google. The author discusses the importance of having an online presence for authors, as digital platforms are increasingly where readers find and recommend books.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

SEO is the practice of optimizing content to rank higher in search engine results. In the video, the author talks about the importance of SEO for authors to increase their online visibility and attract potential readers to their books.

Highlights

Author Jason, an expert with 12 published books, shares his insights on using AI for writing.

AI can be utilized in every step of writing, but human input is crucial for accuracy and style.

GPT 4 is recommended over GPT 3.5 for higher quality output, especially in non-fiction.

Chat GPT Plus offers extra features like image analysis, useful for writers.

The fractal method involves expanding a concept into a full novel through a progressive format.

Custom instructions can be used in Chat GPT to maintain consistency throughout the writing process.

AI can generate high concept pitches, but further refinement is needed for a compelling start.

The importance of character and world development in the writing process, even when using AI.

A detailed synopsis can be created using AI, but it requires validation and personalization by the author.

The outline method 'Save the Cat beats' can be adapted for use with AI to structure a novel.

AI-generated chapter outlines may need significant editing to ensure they align with the author's vision.

Writing style can be established in Chat GPT to influence the tone and voice of the text.

Editing AI-generated content and resubmitting it for refinement improves the final output.

Non-fiction writing with AI benefits from the author's expertise and careful validation of facts.

Publisher Rocket is highlighted as a valuable tool for authors looking to integrate SEO into their writing strategy.

The process of writing non-fiction involves a hybrid approach of creative and informative sections.

AI is best used as a productivity tool rather than a complete replacement for the author's work.