How To Write A Novel With Ai: An Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide

Once upon a time… What’s next to write? That’s the million-dollar (or few hours) question, isn’t it? The thing that separates writers from wishful thinkers.

Most people will never write a book. Out of a thousand, only three will finish. Some will quit after the first chapter. Some will lose steam halfway through. And some—after starting and stopping a dozen times—will finally push through to “The End.” 

You can be one of those three if you know how to write a novel with the help of AI.

How to Use AI to Write a Novel: Getting Started

There are many good reasons to start a story and just as many (if not more) reasons to give up. If you’re serious about novel writing, specialized story generator AI like Talefy can help get strong narratives. Alternatively, general AI writing assistants like ChatGPT, Sudowrite, or Jasper can support various stages of the writing process.

Tip: Look for an AI that understands how stories are told, how characters are developed, and how tones can be adjusted. 

Brainstorming and Outlining Your Story with AI

Any writer assistant can help generate ideas, but it works best when given direction (or some useful details). Before you start, consider:

• Genre. Is it sci-fi/fantasy/romance/thriller?
• Premise. What’s the core idea driving your novel?
• Themes. What messages or emotions do you want to explore?

If you’re stuck, try prompting AI with:

“Give me 5 unique story ideas in the fantasy genre.”

“Create a plot summary for a dystopian novel about time travel.”

AI can help structure your novel before you even begin writing. You can:

• Generate a three-act structure
• Develop a chapter-by-chapter breakdown
• Flesh out character backstories

Example prompt:

“Create an outline for a psychological thriller with a shocking twist at the end.”

  

By outlining first, you avoid midway writer’s block and ensure your novel has a strong foundation.

Writing the First Draft with AI Assistance

So, the easiest way to write the novel is to give all your previous work to Talefy. Talefy is an advanced AI storytelling platform for writers (and all people who only want to be them). It can help you create well-written, original stories. 

Instead of starting from scratch or writing every paragraph yourself, Talefy can aid you in creating content that is both interesting and consistent with your vision. 

Talefy’s main perk is that it lets you focus solely on ideas, not on structure, grammar, or word count. 

You can focus on the story’s emotional moments (make them feel like you do) and complex characters. Talefy handles the technical details, so you develop your vision and direction. After you finish your first draft, you can start editing, knowing you have a solid foundation.

How to write a novel with AI common services? Of course, longer and more difficult, but it’s real. 

1. Start with Small Prompts

Don’t try to write a whole chapter at once. Instead, break your writing into smaller parts. Paragraphs, scenes, or even just a few lines of dialogue. It should be the most important part of your story. And no need to feel overwhelmed or bored by the need to write a lot.

For example:

“Write the opening scene of a [thriller/any other genre] where the main character [finds a mysterious letter in their mailbox/any other action].”

2. Build Your Characters Through Dialogue

Dialogue. One of the best ways to develop your character. You can prompt AI to generate exchanges between characters based on the situation you’ve created. AI doesn’t just help with narrative; it can also flesh out character personalities and voices, making your characters feel more dynamic.

3. Let AI Suggest Ideas and Plot Twists

AI can help you brainstorm ideas. Give it the novels you like and ask it to find out more solutions like these. If you need a new plot twist or a new direction for your story, just create the right input. AI gives you ideas you didn’t expect or suggests plot developments you hadn’t thought of. 

4. Write with AI in Batches

The first draft doesn’t have to be perfect. With AI assistance, focus on writing in batches—generate large chunks of content that you can later edit and refine. Set aside perfectionism for the first draft and aim to just get the words down. Later, you’ll have the freedom to go back and polish the prose.

Editing and Enhancing Your AI-Written Novel

Once AI has helped you complete the first draft, it’s time for your creative input. Read through the text and make any necessary changes to align with your original vision. AI can’t always pick up on the deeper nuances or emotional undertones of a story, so use its output as a starting point. Explain like for a child. 

What about the revision and editing? If you’re unhappy with a scene, a line of dialogue, or one word, prompt AI to improve it. For instance:

“Can you rewrite this [dialogue/any other part] to make it sound more [intense and suspenseful]?”

Do not stop on AI. Combine it with your creative instincts. And you’ll craft a story that’s both captivating and uniquely yours.

Publishing and Marketing Your AI-Assisted Novel

Once you’ve finished your first draft using Talefy or another AI tool, you can officially call yourself a novelist! But stay focused—as with any writing journey, this is just the end of the beginning. 

With your manuscript ready, decide how you want to tell everyone about yourself. How to publish a novel? Each option has benefits, but AI-assisted writing is a trick for self-publishing authors.

Self-Publishing

Platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), IngramSpark, or Smashwords make it easy to sell a novel. 

With self-publishing, you have control (it can be too difficult) and a higher percentage of royalties. You can publish your novel in eBook or print-on-demand (POD) formats and keep the rights to your work.

Traditional Publishing

If you prefer the traditional route, you can try to get a literary agent and then land a publisher. However, AI-assisted writing may raise some eyebrows among publishers, as this technology is still relatively new. Many traditional publishers value an author’s individual creativity and process, which is sometimes seen as undermined by AI. Still, if your story is strong, there’s always a chance!

The Future of AI in Novel Writing

Write the first novel. Write the tenth novel. The process is the same. So, AI is still a cool way to write in each style and genre. It’ll free up your time so you can spend more time on what really concerns you — your story. 

As we look to the future, it’s clear that AI will continue to shape the way we write. It’ll give authors some pretty cool new tools to create, publish, and share their stories with the world.