Using AI to Plot Your Next Novel: A How-To Guide

Coming up with a compelling plot for your next novel is no easy feat. You likely have a vision for key characters and events, but stringing them together into a cohesive storyline can be tricky. This is where AI plotting tools can help take your writing to the next level.

In this post, we’ll explore the key benefits of using AI tools to plot your next book and provide a step-by-step guide to get you started.

Why Use AI to Plot Your Novel?

AI plotting tools provide a host of advantages over trying to outline your next book manually:

• They can generate an abundance of unique plot ideas customized to your genre, character types, settings, etc. No more staring hopelessly at a blank page!
• The AI looks at plot tropes and narrative arcs to ensure plausible, logically-consistent event sequencing. No more worrying about plot holes!
• You maintain full creative control to pick and choose the suggestions that inspire you and align with your vision. The AI merely aids and enhances.
• The iterative nature of AI plotting allows you to provide feedback to refine the storyline direction. You guide the plot where you want it to go.

Clearly, AI can provide invaluable support for developing the backbone of your next novel. Now let’s dive into the step-by-step process:

How to Use AI for Plotting Your Book:

1. Specify Basic Parameters

Start by feeding the AI key details about your planned book: genre, target word count, protagonist/antagonist traits, setting, time period, desired themes/mood etc. This gives the plot generator guardrails to work within.

2. Build Out Character Profiles

Provide more comprehensive profiles of your main characters, including their backstories, motivations, flaws and character arcs. This will allow the AI to incorporate their goals and development more organically into the plot structure it creates.

3. Identify Key Plot Points

While you want plenty of flexibility from the AI, also give it 3-5 major plot points to hit – e.g. inciting incident, act breaks, climactic confrontation. This ensures the essence of your envisioned story remains intact.

4. Generate Initial Plot Overview

With the inputs provided, the AI will churn out a broad plot overview including chapter breakdowns and a loose sequencing of main events. Think big picture storyline arcs rather than granular scene details.

5. Provide Feedback & Adjust Course

Review the computer-generated plot critically. Are cause-effect relationships logical? Does the progression of events feel natural or forced? Mark areas that need tweaking or fleshing out and feed this back to the AI to output an improved second draft that builds on your guidance.

6. Iterate Until Satisfied

Treat the AI like a plotting apprentice – continue providing constructive feedback on each iteration, sculpting the narrative and dynamics closer to your creative vision. It may take 3-5 rounds, but the AI will continually enhance and customize the plot flow based on your direction.

7. Start Your First Draft

With a uniquely tailored plot in hand, shaped by both AI and human creativity into a compelling page-turner, you’re ready to hit the ground running on draft one! Follow the outline and let it guide you smoothly from beginning to end.

The Power of Human-AI Collaboration

AI plotting tools represent an invaluable asset for fiction writers when used strategically. Lean on automated generative capabilities for big picture narrative development, then apply your own editorial polish. This human-AI symbiosis is key to crafting your next masterpiece!

Hopefully this gives you a blueprint for leveraging AI’s untapped potential at the outlining phase. Ditch writer’s block and breathe new life into your book idea. With the right combination of machine creativity and human insight, your next novel is sure to have readers hooked from start to finish!