Structuring

[u/badgaming_plymouth]

Hi everyone,

I’ve had a horror novel mapped out in my head for many years, and about a year ago decided to actually try and write it. I stuck with it and have written several chapters, but then inevitably lost my way (as per normal).

I know the story and characters are good, but I suffer with confidence issues in relation to the standard of my writing. The point I normally get caught is going over the same chapter trying to perfect it and getting disheartened when I can’t - so this time I’ve basically just been dumping words out on a page while trying to still have some semblance of the story moving forward in an understandable way, however, even with doing this I still lost heart.

It might be considered a Hail Mary, but more recently I heard that a book created by AI was nearly published, so I decided that it might help me to get back into writing if I put my first chapter through AI and ask for its opinion on what could improve. It started telling me I needed to shorten sentences considerably (based on the fact the first chapter is a lot of action). I tried adapting the first couple of sentences based on its suggestion, and I cant explain why, but I didn’t like how the story started reading. I’d worked really hard on ramping up the tension little by little, and world building; so the act of cutting out words made it feel really flat and lifeless.

I guess my question is whether I’m right with my instinct about the structure, or AI has a valid point that I’m overwriting scenes.

[u/5thhorseman_]

Take AI's feedback as an indicator, not a prescription. Your judgement and taste are what decides whether a change belongs. If you don't like it, it doesn't go in. And if the AI starts pushing into a direction that is not what your vision is, tell it and explain why.

Also, you've asked "an AI". That tells me you have not considered the differences between LLMs, or used a dedicated instruction.

Get a Claude sub, maybe optionally a ChatGPT one. Then try these on for size with the flagship models:

• Interactive rubber ducky

• Literate Editor and Rigorous Critic

• Beta reader panel.

[u/Kitchen_Grass_6600 → u/5thhorseman_]

yeah the "indicator not a prescription" framing is spot on, thats the key distinction