Discovery Writing with ChatGPT: AI-Powered Storytelling: Three Story Method, #6

By J. Thorn

Are you a discovery writer, a free spirit who thrives on the thrill of uncharted narrative seas?

Do you feel like the AI revolution in storytelling is leaving you adrift?

Cast away your fears, for "Three Story Method: Discovery Writing with ChatGPT" is here to chart your course.

This groundbreaking guide is your compass to navigate the vast ocean of AI-powered storytelling, where you and artificial intelligence collaborate to create narratives of unparalleled depth and complexity. It's not about replacing the author with AI, but forming a powerful alliance where human creativity meets AI efficiency, like a seasoned captain and his loyal crew.

Bestselling author J. Thorn, shares his voyage of co-authoring with ChatGPT. He unveils his proprietary techniques and strategies, the "treasure maps" that have guided his thrilling journey with AI. Thorn introduces you to the "pre-prompt" approach, a unique AI training regimen that ensures a coherent, fluid narrative that mirrors your vision.

In this comprehensive guide, you'll discover:

• How to guide ChatGPT to flex its forward-thinking capabilities, planning for unexplored narrative islands.
• Techniques to instruct ChatGPT to craft captivating "teasers" for back cover blurbs, social media posts, promotional materials, and more.
• Strategies to overcome the AI's limited memory using the "AskYourPDF" ChatGPT plugin, like a trusty logbook keeping track of your narrative journey.
• Methods to exploit ChatGPT's unparalleled ability to role play, adding an intoxicating level of intrigue to your narrative.
• And much more!

This book is not a rigid nautical chart but a star to guide your journey. It's an invitation to fellow discovery writers who enjoy the thrill of the open narrative seas, who revel in the joy of unexpected plot twists and turns.

Whether you're a seasoned discovery writer looking for a competitive edge or a novice ready to embark on the grand voyage into the future of storytelling, this book is your ticket to a brave new world of AI-powered writing.

Embrace the future, empower your storytelling, and transform your writing process with "Three Story Method: Discovery Writing with ChatGPT."

Set sail on the revolution in storytelling—purchase your copy today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: J. Thorn
• Release date: Jul 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223564690

Book preview

Three Story Method: Discovery Writing with ChatGPT

AI-Powered Storytelling

J. Thorn

Thorn Publishing LLC

Three Story Method: Discovery Writing with ChatGPT (AI-Powered Storytelling)

Copyright © 2023 by J. Thorn

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Contents

About the Book

The Big Ideas

Introduction

Introduction to Collaborating with AI

AI Ethics & Copyright Issues

F.A.Q. About AI for Authors

Misconceptions About AI

Three Story Method: Writing Scenes Review

Three Story Method + Save the Cat!

Planning with ChatGPT

Episode 01 Prompts

Episode 02 Prompts

Episode 03 Prompts

Episode 04 Prompts

Episode 05 Prompts

Episode 06 Prompts

Episode 07 Prompts

Episode 08 Prompts

Episode 09 Prompts

Episode 10 Prompts

End of Season Prompt

Introduction & Conclusion Prompts

Interview with ChatGPT

Midjourney Prompts

Title Change Conversation

Publishing

The Reader’s Guide

What’s Next?

My Thoughts on AI, July 2023

BONUS - The Scene Rubric

Get the Resources!

About Me

About the Book

Are you a discovery writer, a free spirit who thrives on the thrill of uncharted narrative seas?

Do you feel like the AI revolution in storytelling is leaving you adrift?

Cast away your fears, for Three Story Method: Discovery Writing with ChatGPT is here to chart your course.

This groundbreaking guide is your compass to navigate the vast ocean of AI-powered storytelling, where you and artificial intelligence collaborate to create narratives of unparalleled depth and complexity. It’s not about replacing the author with AI, but forming a powerful alliance where human creativity meets AI efficiency, like a seasoned captain and his loyal crew.

Bestselling author J. Thorn, shares his voyage of co-authoring with ChatGPT. He unveils his proprietary techniques and strategies, the treasure maps that have guided his thrilling journey with AI. Thorn introduces you to the pre-prompt approach, a unique AI training regimen that ensures a coherent, fluid narrative that mirrors your vision.

In this comprehensive guide, you’ll discover:

How to guide ChatGPT to flex its forward-thinking capabilities, planning for unexplored narrative islands.

Techniques to instruct ChatGPT to craft captivating teasers for back cover blurbs, social media posts, promotional materials, and more.

Strategies to overcome the AI’s limited memory using the AskYourPDF ChatGPT plugin, like a trusty logbook keeping track of your narrative journey.

Methods to exploit ChatGPT’s unparalleled ability to role play, adding an intoxicating level of intrigue to your narrative.

And much more!

This book is not a rigid nautical chart but a star to guide your journey. It’s an invitation to fellow discovery writers who enjoy the thrill of the open narrative seas, who revel in the joy of unexpected plot twists and turns.

Whether you’re a seasoned discovery writer looking for a competitive edge or a novice ready to embark on the grand voyage into the future of storytelling, this book is your ticket to a brave new world of AI-powered writing.

Embrace the future, empower your storytelling, and transform your writing process with Three Story Method: Discovery Writing with ChatGPT.

Set sail on the revolution in storytelling—purchase your copy today!

The Big Ideas

This book is a treasure trove of techniques and strategies I’ve painstakingly curated in my thrilling dance with AI—these are the proverbial diamonds, the big ideas, as I like to call them, which illuminate the path I’ve tread. Believe me when I say, the nuggets of wisdom you’ll unearth here are worth every penny you invested in this book, and then some.

ChatGPT, isn’t simply a text generator—it’s an award-winning actor waiting for its cue. Imagine a stage, if you will, where every character, whether major or minor, springs to life with the power of AI. ChatGPT possesses the potential to adopt the persona of any character, adding unparalleled depth and complexity to your narrative. The paradigm shift is profound—you’re no longer merely writing a story; instead, you’re conducting a symphony of performances.

I’ll introduce you to a proprietary technique, the pre-prompt approach, an AI training regimen of sorts. This approach imparts my unique writing style to ChatGPT, ensuring it generates a coherent, fluid narrative that mirrors my vision. No more are there sudden, unrelated tangents or eccentric detours into uncharted narrative territories. And the beauty of this approach? It’s flexible. I’ll walk you through the process of subtly tweaking your pre-prompt, scene by scene, enhancing the quality of your unfolding narrative.

You’ll witness how I guided ChatGPT to flex its forward-thinking capabilities, to plan for the impending chapters. This is not plotting—far from it. Instead, it’s about fertilizing your creative landscape with fresh, tantalizing ideas for your next drafting session.

I’ll let you in on a little secret: how to instruct ChatGPT to craft captivating teasers, handy little gems that you can repurpose for back cover blurbs, social media posts, promotional materials, and more.

In the journey of co-authoring with AI, one quickly encounters an inherent hurdle—the AI’s limited memory. Fear not, for I’ve found a workaround: the AskYourPDF ChatGPT plugin. Through the power of this digital marvel, the entire story remains loaded into the AI’s memory, enabling a smooth, uninterrupted flow of narrative. I’ll guide you through the process of how I managed to keep the entirety of the novel at the AI’s digital fingertips.

I exploited ChatGPT’s unparalleled ability to amalgamate dialogues from diverse sources, resulting in the birth of a cryptic character that added an intoxicating level of intrigue to the narrative. You’ll get a front-row seat to this innovative performance, and who knows, it might just inspire you to devise your unique writing tactics.

I’ll demonstrate how to employ ChatGPT to craft an engaging introduction and a satisfying conclusion to your story—essential narrative bookends that you can share with your readers, or keep as a personal reference. These sections are instrumental in framing your reader’s journey, setting the stage for the adventure to unfold, and then seamlessly tying up all the loose ends.

Those are just a few examples of some of the groundbreaking strategies I’m going to share with you. Now let’s take a moment and talk about specifically how you’ll use this book.

Introduction

Ghosts. Every good story starts with ghosts.

Sure, one could argue that the likes of Kurt Cobain or Dave Grohl are the voice of Generation X. But, in my book, it’s all about Trent Reznor.

Stick with me. I promise this is going somewhere.

Reznor, the brains and the talent behind the iconic industrial rock band, Nine Inch Nails, has been an unstoppable force of innovation since the late 80s. I could probably fill a whole book just talking about Trent.

In 2008, Nine Inch Nails rolled out the first of the Ghosts records. Reznor described Ghosts as a soundtrack for daydreams, but let me tell you, it’s got a knack for soundtracking nightmares as well.

The tracks bear the unmistakable mark of Reznor, but they’re more atmospheric and instrumental than the rest of Nine Inch Nails’ discography.

What’s more, Trent’s marketing approach also deviated from the norm. He tossed the traditional copyright rules out the window and licensed all the Ghosts records under a Creative Commons license (BY-NC-SA). This means you can use or remix the songs from Ghosts for personal, non-commercial projects.

Cut to a few years ago. I’ve just hit 50, and I’m waking up in the middle of the night. Falling asleep wasn’t a problem, but about 4-5 hours later, I’d be wide awake, struggling to return to dreamland.

I could bore you with the litany of techniques I’ve tried to silence my buzzing brain and coax my body back to sleep, but there’s one reliable sleep aid every night: Ghosts.

You see, I can’t nod off to songs with lyrics because I’ll either start humming along or end up lost in thought. That’s why Ghosts is my lullaby of choice. Its moody, dark, instrumental tunes are just what the Sandman ordered.

Over time, whether awake or asleep, I began to visualize myself dwelling in this liminal state between day and night. Ghosts soon became a Pavlovian bell of sorts, inducing this suspended reality.

Since this is a guide on using AI to write fiction, I won’t delve further into this bizarre half-awake, half-asleep state induced by Nine Inch Nails. All you need to know is that it stirred up a story idea in my mind.

Awakening in a world where dusk is eternal, a man with no memory finds himself in a race against an everlasting sunset. Guided by a strange voice in his head, he ventures into the desolate terrain of Hass Machina—a realm where redemption is shrouded in fear and mystery.

Just like that, I had a story that was begging to be written.

Around the same time, I’d been toying with ChatGPT. I came up with a method to co-author a novel with it, which I shared in a book you might have already read.

You can check it out here: https://books2read.com/chatgpt01

Inspired by my own sleep troubles and entranced by the mystique of Ghosts, a wild thought occurred to me: What if I could weave ChatGPT into the fabric of this story? What if I could bring the story to life, not just on paper?

Once I figured that the enigmatic voice guiding my protagonist should be ChatGPT, everything clicked into place.

This book is a chronicle of my journey into the world of Hass Machina, a world brought to life by Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails.

About the title: The working title was Hass Machina. But when it was time to hash out the categories, keywords, and sales copy, I discovered, with a little help from ChatGPT, that Hass Machina wasn’t quite nailing the genre. I’ve included the conversation I had with ChatGPT that led to the title being changed from Hass Machina to Ghosts: Desolation Descent.

This book will take you through why I decided to use ChatGPT in this way, where I used AI and where I didn’t, how I transformed the overarching concept into a serialized saga, and the happy surprises you can stumble upon when you venture beyond your comfort zone.

Unlike my first book on cowriting with ChatGPT, this is not a recipe or lock-step system. It’s more of a voyage of discovery, an invitation to fellow discovery writers, free spirits, and pantsers who enjoy being as surprised by the story as their readers are.

Remember, there isn’t one correct way to write. I’m as comfortable with this approach as I am with plotting. It’s akin to asking me if I prefer a hammer or a screwdriver—different tools for different jobs.

For the discovery writers out there, you’ll relish the chance to peek over my shoulder, picking up snippets and commands that you can weave into your own narrative tapestry.

If you’re more of a plotter, you’ll find it intriguing to see what can transpire when you loosen your grip on control and let unexpected delights unfold.

And if you’re a creative professional—someone who writes sales copy or crafts marketing materials—you’ll be amazed at ChatGPT’s capacity for role-playing. It’s a game-changing, time-saving tool for anyone seeking to sketch out a customer archetype.

Before we dive in, let’s sort out a few basics:

To enhance readability, I’ve bolded my contributions in the conversations with ChatGPT.

When we’re acting out the scene, I’ve italicized ChatGPT’s dialog.

Ghosts treads the line between speculative fiction and dark fantasy, blending elements of horror and science fiction. But fear not, even if that’s not your cup of tea. There’s nothing excessively violent or graphic in the story. There’s no profanity, either. So, while Ghosts may give you a chill, it’s always in good taste.

The transcripts featured in this book are first drafts. This means I polished each episode with a revision or two before making it public. If you want to immerse yourself in Ghosts as a reader, head over to my website at jthorn.net.

I expect that my collaboration with ChatGPT will continue to evolve. As such, I plan on releasing a guide for authors (like this one) for each new season of Ghosts. To stay in the loop, make sure you’re subscribed to my AI newsletter for professional creatives, aptly named Creative AI Digest. When you subscribe, you’ll also gain access to all the bonus content and extras I mention in every Three Story Method book about AI that I publish. Subscribe at: https://theauthorlife.com/aistorytelling/

Lastly, I’ve included a few chapters from Cowriting with ChatGPT, my first book on collaborating with AI.

If you’ve already read that book, feel free to skip ahead. However, revisiting these chapters could serve as a useful refresher as they form the backbone of my Three Story Method approach to working with AI.

The chapters from the previous book include:

Introduction to Collaborating with AI

AI Ethics & Copyright Issues

F.A.Q. About AI for Authors

Misconceptions About AI

Three Story Method: Writing Scenes Review

Three Story Method + Save the Cat!

Tap here to leap ahead to the fresh content in this book or use the Table of Contents to navigate to Planning with ChatGPT.

Alright then! Let’s talk to some ghosts!

Introduction to Collaborating with AI

REMINDER: This section was originally published in Cowriting with ChatGPT.

Tap here to leap ahead to the fresh content in this book or use the Table of Contents to navigate to Planning with ChatGPT.

It’s important to note that I’ve collaborated with ChatGPT in a manner quite similar to my collaborations with previous co-writers. We’ve worked together on this project, with some passages penned by ChatGPT, some by myself, and others being a combined effort. I have no intention of obscuring this fact.

In the course of creating this book, I had to confront an honest question, keeping you—the reader—at the forefront of my mind. What did you value more? Was it my seasoned and distinctive authorial voice that you sought to appreciate, or was it to grasp the most direct, efficient way to collaborate with AI?

I opted for the latter, confident that you’d concur with this decision.

We’re navigating a new paradigm, and your experience with this book is likely to become standard practice, especially in the realm of nonfiction. You’ll be able to say that your first encounter with such a book was with J. Thorn and ChatGPT!

I’ll remind you of this offer throughout the book.

If you’d like a free, live version of my AI resources for creatives, simply go here and I’ll email you the complete list, updated in real time:

https://theauthorlife.com/aistorytelling/

*Everything in this book pertains to ChatGPT4, May 2023.

The Big Question

Are you a writer or a storyteller? Is there a distinction, and should it concern you?

This is the metaphorical elephant in the room amidst the numerous debates unfolding online today.

The distinction between a writer and a storyteller chiefly resides in the mediums and techniques employed to convey a narrative. Both roles undeniably revolve around the creation of stories. However, a writer typically constructs narratives through the medium of written text, while a storyteller can exploit a range of different mediums, spanning visual, auditory, and even kinesthetic forms of expression, to captivate their audience.

Storytelling is an expansive concept that encompasses the art of communicating a narrative in any given form. In contrast, writing is merely one specific method within the broader spectrum of storytelling techniques.

In essence, the advent of artificial intelligence is accelerating the obsolescence of labels that have been in use for decades, perhaps even centuries. This shift encourages us to reconsider our understanding of these roles and the evolving landscape of narrative creation. In other words, AI is accelerating the demise of labels we’ve used for decades, possibly centuries.

Jason Bateman and Ozark

Let’s talk about Jason Bateman and the TV series Ozark as an example of the distinction between a writer and a storyteller.

Ozark is an outstanding example of storytelling because it effectively engages the audience through various elements, such as compelling characters, intricate plotlines, and a suspenseful atmosphere. In the case of Ozark, the storytelling is not limited to the written script but extends to the visual storytelling through cinematography, acting, and directing.

As an actor and director in the series, Jason Bateman plays a significant role in the storytelling process without necessarily being the primary writer. His portrayal of the character Marty Byrde, as well as his work in directing several episodes, contributes to the overall narrative and storytelling experience. In this capacity, Bateman is a storyteller, shaping the story through his acting and directorial choices. His work brings the written words to life, translating them into a visual and emotional experience for the audience.

The difference between a writer and a storyteller can be seen in the methods and mediums used to convey a narrative. Writers create stories through written text, while storytellers can utilize various forms of expression, including writing, to share a narrative.

Jason Bateman and Ozark exemplify outstanding storytelling by engaging the audience through a combination of written material, acting, directing, and other visual elements. Bateman’s role in the storytelling process, both as an actor and a director, highlights the broader scope of storytelling beyond the act of writing itself.

Role of Storyteller

An author using ChatGPT to write a novel can be compared to Jason Bateman directing Ozark in the sense that both are taking on the role of a storyteller, guiding and shaping the narrative through their creative decisions. In both cases, the primary focus is on crafting an engaging, compelling story, utilizing the tools and resources available to them.

1. Collaboration: Just as Jason Bateman works closely with the writers, actors, and crew to bring the story of Ozark to life, an author using ChatGPT collaborates with the AI to create their novel. The author provides prompts, guides the AI’s responses, and edits the generated text to ensure it aligns with their vision for the story.

2. Adaptation and Interpretation: Bateman interprets the Ozark script, making directorial choices to enhance the storytelling. Similarly, an author using ChatGPT adapts and interprets the AI-generated content, molding it to fit the story’s structure and desired tone. The author has the final say in shaping the narrative, just as Bateman makes critical decisions in presenting Ozark.

3. Enhancing the Story: Both Bateman and an author using ChatGPT contribute their unique perspectives and skills to enhance the story. Bateman’s acting and directing expertise bring depth and nuance to the show’s characters and plotlines, while an author working with ChatGPT leverages the AI’s capabilities to generate ideas, dialog, and descriptions that enrich their novel.

4. Creative Problem Solving: In directing Ozark, Bateman encounters and solves various creative challenges, such as working with a limited budget or finding ways to depict complex emotional states visually. An author using ChatGPT also faces creative challenges, such as steering the AI to produce desired outcomes or refining the generated content to maintain coherence and consistency.

5. Embracing Innovation: Jason Bateman’s work on Ozark showcases a willingness to embrace innovative storytelling techniques and push boundaries. Similarly, an author using ChatGPT demonstrates openness to exploring new technologies and methods in their creative process, pushing the boundaries of traditional writing.

Let’s not get hung up on labels and titles. Writing won’t mean the same thing in a few years, the same way the definition has changed since the invention of the printing press. What really matters is that we become storytellers who collaborate with others, adapt and interpret content, enhance our stories through our unique skills, solve creative challenges, and embrace innovation. In each case, the focus is on crafting a compelling narrative that engages and captivates the audience.

Process Over Prompts

While AI prompts are currently in vogue, it’s crucial to understand that a prompt, in isolation, won’t magically yield a stellar novel or a compelling screenplay. A prompt is simply a tool. Its effectiveness ultimately hinges on the skill, creativity, and adeptness of the craftsperson employing it.

My journey in crafting Three Story Method, a collaborative storytelling framework co-created with Zach Bohannon, spanned several years of rigorous research and writing. This effort culminated in a book that documented our collective endeavor and went on to become my best-selling work of all time, amassing the highest average reviews on Amazon. While reading Three Story Method isn’t a prerequisite for this book, it serves as a valuable resource for those interested in delving deeper into a proven storytelling methodology.

Prompts are undoubtedly advantageous. However, they alone are not sufficient. My objective is to demonstrate how to employ prompts anchored in an established and thoughtful framework. This approach, I believe, will unlock extraordinary potential in your AI-powered storytelling, leading to narratives that are not just engaging, but also meaningful and well-structured.

Let’s dive in…

We live in an age of breathtaking advancements and dazzling innovation, where the once-impossible is now within reach, and the world of writing is no exception. Enter the brave new world of AI-assisted authorship, a realm where creativity and technology intertwine to create a tapestry of endless possibilities.

Whether you’re an old hand at the writing game or a bright-eyed newbie, this book is your gateway to