If students come up with their own plot outlines, should they use AI to do the rest of the novel writing? AI would handle most of the writing, but not the plot itself.
I think they should first understand why someone would even want to write a novel. Usually, it’s because the writer has a strong desire or idea they want to express through a full-length book. If they lack that, then what’s the point of having AI write it for them? Maybe this forum on worldbuilding can help.
Why would we even want to encourage this type of approach to writing? It seems like it defeats the purpose of learning the craft.
This is like asking, ‘Should science students use AI to get their hypothesis written up for a journal?’ It’s the same issue.
As someone who writes, this entire idea is just revolting to me. Writing is more than just stringing words together, it’s a personal craft.
Writing a whole novel? That’s a huge task for AI.
No way. Writing a novel should only be taught in advanced writing workshops with experienced teachers who know how to run a good critique group. Teaching something like novel writing to beginners is just not practical.
Let people play around with AI like Claude.ai or ChatGPT on their own. They’re not going to produce better novels this way. Take a look at that New York Times podcast that compares AI-written fiction with human-written stories using the same prompts—AI just doesn’t hold up.
@Jason
Why do you think it’s inappropriate to teach novel writing to beginners? My guess is that short stories are a better fit since they’re easier to manage, and novels are just too complicated without the basics, but maybe you had a different thought?
@Gia
Yeah, you’ve got it right. It’s like asking someone with no background in poetry to write a full sonnet or villanelle. Sure, it’s possible, but would it actually be good? Would the writer know how to use the tools of the craft? How would they handle feedback and improve? These are things you learn in workshops, and they’re tough to teach online or in big classrooms.
And what even makes a creative work ‘successful’? Some people say it’s if the work moves the audience emotionally or makes them think. But is any reaction a success, or are certain responses more valuable than others?
I have a friend using AI to rewrite an old novel draft. She loves it, but I’m nervous about reading it. I know I won’t be able to switch off my inner critic.
@Jason
To me, success means the work evokes the right thoughts and feelings that match what the story is trying to do. Like in my current project, the main character starts out as part of a brutal, oppressive empire but ends up becoming the hero by convincing the antagonist to change their ways instead of destroying them.
If I can get the reader to really think about the ideas of empire, nationality, and identity—and challenge those ideas—that’s a win. It’s all about whether the story can change how the audience thinks.
It’s like saying a musician should use ChatGPT to write a song for them and then be graded on it. Nope, that’s not how creativity works.
It would be more useful to have ChatGPT generate a plot outline and then let the students write scenes based on that. That way, they’re still learning how to write and not skipping the hard parts.
Teddy said:
It would be more useful to have ChatGPT generate a plot outline and then let the students write scenes based on that. That way, they’re still learning how to write and not skipping the hard parts.
Yeah, or even have the students create outlines themselves and later work on developing full chapters from them. That feels like a better approach.
This would completely miss the point of why we teach English classes in the first place. Writing should be about learning and growth, not just letting AI take over.