Three Months w/ AI

I'm at a point in my AI learning journey where I'm questioning what I should be doing next. Over the past three months, I've accomplished things with the help of GPT-4 that I never imagined possible. I've been scouring social media and the internet to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in LLMs, AI Image Generators, AI text-to-speech, AI Animation (possibly even for building a game), and Life-Like Video Generation.

The last part, Video Generation by text, is the big one. Once it becomes as proficient as GPT-4 and Midjourney in their respective areas, we are off to the races.

The idea is that if I can learn as much as possible about all these technologies, I will transform into a supercharged storyteller, capable of bringing all my stories to life in various mediums. I want to learn as much as possible now so that I can comfortably navigate this new paradigm we have entered. I read somewhere that only 18% of all Americans have interacted with AI like GPT-4. That statistic was from a few weeks ago, so I'm sure the number has increased. However, it indicated to me that a wave of engagement is coming SOON.

During the past three months, I've also discovered at least two possible ways in which I might use AI to help others. There's potential for both of these to become sources of income, so I should probably keep them under wraps for now. Neither of these are new ideas, but I have my unique twist on their implementation as apps of my design. It would require me to start a business for each of them, and they could provide me with income that might enable me to fully commit to storytelling.

Once, I desperately desired to earn a significant income from my writing. Nowadays, people talk about the need for validation. Right or wrong, I embarked on a different path a long time ago. I didn't seek adulation or praise; instead, I became a grinder. I would fall in love with a project and work on it as if it were the most valuable asset in the world. Yet, after all the commotion, it's only a story—one of the billions that humans have created since we first learned how to do so.

Storytelling is a form of prediction or recollection, or both. Mimicry is the initial instinct—to emulate what moves you. But once you move past that phase, you can start to think for yourself and, in some cases, beyond yourself.

Over a decade ago, I wrote my first book, "Monarch." It was a labor of love that consumed most of my free time. It put a strain on my relationships as I was perpetually in the zone, always with a thread of thought tied to the story or the entire process of its staggered four-part release.

I learned more during those years than I ever imagined when I started down that road. Now, a decade later, I have AI at my disposal. With AI, the story of "Monarch" and its presentation could have been drastically different. However, I might be better equipped to work with AI now than I was back then. Why?

Even though I'm glad that I now have access to AI, I don't need AI to assist me with writing. For me, AI is a tool, not a crutch. I know things about storytelling and life that many of those who are becoming storytellers in the age of AI might not possess. To create a story from beginning to end on your own is challenging but gratifying.

With AI, I've regained one thing I lost a lot of when I started writing—Time. While you can let AI write entire stories, I've learned to use it to assist me as I develop a new process augmented by AI.

Since March, I've been able to work on twelve stories in a variety of ways. Some are literary works, while others are stories intended for the screen. And I have nine other stories that I plan to start working on by the end of the year. Only one of the twenty-one stories is entirely from this new AI era. The others are either works that have been in progress for some time or ideas that I've been meaning to work on.

Over the past three months, I've often felt supercharged and giddy. What I've been able to accomplish is astounding. I've been developing a process for working with AI that's tailored to the unique status of each of the twelve stories.

Each of the twelve stories is different. Some are already developed and the majority of the writing is completed. Therefore, I only need to polish them and create pitch packages. I've written a pilot for two TV series and I'm considering whether to use AI to write the entire season for both series or just create detailed treatments for every episode. I couldn't have imagined doing that two years ago.

Introducing stories to AI has been a delight. I lay out the story and AI helps organize reference materials like outlines, treatments, and summaries. From there, it understands essentially what you're trying to accomplish. Yes, it can write a story for you, but it's not the story you're wanting to tell. However, getting the ball rolling in the right direction is a substantial part of the work.

As a plotter/pantser (plantser), I prefer to have the world of my story in my head like a diorama. AI is tremendously helpful with this. Once I have this diorama version of my story in my head, I can tap into every moment along the timeline of the story. 

And it's in these minute details that the real story unfolds. This is where the human element is so crucial. These moments are fluid. A seemingly random moment in a coffee shop can turn into a moment of internal crisis depending on what side of the bed a writer woke up on or what he or she did over the weekend. This is where AI hasn't quite nailed things just yet. It doesn't have "Ah-Ha!" moments where the threads of a life lived up to that moment can be seen in the smile of a stranger.

I'm curious to see how pantsers will extract value from AI. If you're a pantser, I would love to hear how your process has changed since you started using AI.

The one new story that I brought to AI has been an absolute joy to work on with GPT-4. In the past, I would write down an idea when it occurred to me and weeks, months, or even years later I would return to it and see where things led. There simply wasn't enough time to adequately develop every idea. And I have a dozen journals and walking notebooks filled with them that I still have to go through. However, now I can have an idea in the morning and have a comprehensive outline before noon. That feels like having a superpower. Once I have a proper outline, I can race to flesh out the entire story.

I've enjoyed hopping from one project to the next as I learn the different ways AI can assist. While I haven't tried this yet, I can see how I might be able to write a quality first-draft TV pilot—from idea to completion—in less than 24 hours with the help of AI.

The Writers Guild of America is on strike over money and the rise of AI. From what I've observed, there will still be a need for writers in the process going forward. But we all will have to adapt ethically to a process that works across all mediums.

I'm formulating a process for my writing that is repeatable for both scripts and books and aims to anticipate and comply with the ethical guidelines of what I foresee in the future. First, no 100% AI-written scripts will be granted copyright or permitted to be registered by the guild. The proportion of human to AI writing should be at least 60% human. But a script is only a fraction of the written work that goes into a project. There may need to be more flexibility with that other stuff—outlines, timelines, treatments, pitch decks, and bibles. Because that is all supplemental. 

Storyboards are an art form just like the panels in graphic novels. How will storyboarders be affected by AI when a writer can use AI to do the storyboards themselves?

As a novelist, I've always wanted to create a graphic novel. With AI, I'll be able to do that on my own. Three months ago, I wasn't sure I'd be able to do that. Now, I know I can. I'll have to start with something simple as I continue to learn, but by this time next year, I might also be able to do the storyboards for a film or TV show.

My goal is to have the capability to use AI to fill in the gaps of my creative limitations, making me a well-rounded world creator in multiple mediums. After I learn enough to create my first graphic novel using AI, I'll focus on AI Animation to create TV shows and movies.

Live-action AI is progressing, but it's some way off from where I could use AI to create a believable TV show or movie.

And that's without even mentioning what I can do with a podcast. The cloning of voices is one thing, but AI audio is also making significant strides. What a time to be a creator.

We are all pioneers at this point until some regulation is put upon us with the use of AI. So, I want to remain as close to what I was as a writer as possible before AI was introduced. It's just that I'll now have more time to write and dabble in other mediums to tell my stories because I've allowed AI to assist me with the process.

This summer should be productive. Let me know what you're all working on and how you're incorporating this new technology into your process. Or not. There's nothing wrong with old school.