Using AI to develop characters and brainstorm ideas can be a valuable tool for writers to inspire you instead of replacing you. The better your characters are written the less cliched they will be; a dead giveaway in AI writing. So go unhinged in your story and let AI help you get there.
The key to using AI ethically by focusing on suggestions and behind- the-scenes ideas that the writer can adapt, ensuring they retain control over their characters’ journey. ChatGPT and Claude are great at interacting with you with questions and ideas. Here are ten prompts designed to help writers use AI ethically to create more lived-in and accurate characters and helping you streamline your storylines
1. Character Motivation
“Use AI to list ten possible motivations for your character based on their background and setting. How would each motivation influence their decisions throughout the story?”
A character’s motivation is the backbone of their actions. By asking AI for a list of motivations suited to your character’s specific background, you gain various paths to explore. You don’t have to use them or even better yet do the opposite of AI. For instance, a character raised in a war-torn country will typically be driven by a desire for peace, revenge, or escape. Each choice opens up different narrative possibilities that have been done to death. So maybe you figure out a fourth.
2. Conflict and Growth
“Ask AI to suggest scenarios where your character faces moral dilemmas. How do these conflicts help your character grow, and how do they align with the character’s values?”
AI can generate thought-provoking situations that challenge your character’s morals and beliefs. By exploring these ethical conundrums, you can push your character’s boundaries and show their development over time. Constantly. putting your characters back against the wall is what moves the story. These scenarios act as catalysts for internal growth, revealing how the character aligns—or struggles to align—with their values.
3. Era-Appropriate Names
“Use an AI tool to find popular names from a specific era (e.g., 1920s America or 18th-century France). Consider how the name’s connotations might influence your character’s personality and societal expectations.”
Names carry weight, often reflecting the norms and values of the time and place they belong to. AI can suggest names fitting a particular era, adding authenticity to your characters. A name can influence the reader’s perception of the character’s personality and societal role, enriching your world-building.
4. Personality Traits
“Request AI to create a list of character traits that complement and conflict with each other. Choose a few pairs of traits and explore how they shape your character’s internal struggles and external relationships.”
A compelling character is always struggling with internal and external forces. AI can help generate complementary and conflicting traits, such as ambition and self-doubt, to deepen internal conflicts. How does a fiercely independent character deal with the need for companionship? These dynamics add complexity to your characters’ interactions and growth.
5. Setting-Specific Details
“Prompt AI to provide cultural, historical, or regional details relevant to your character’s setting. How do these elements impact their worldview and interactions with others in the story?”
This is Google plus. Cut down the research by 90%. By using AI to uncover intricate setting details, you can more accurately anchor your characters within their world. For example, knowing the cultural norms of 19th-century Japan can shape your character’s manners, speech, and interactions, enriching the authenticity of your narrative without employing an expert or months of time researching.
6. Dialogue Styles
“Ask AI to generate dialogue examples for characters from different backgrounds. How does their speech pattern reflect their education, social status, or personality? Use this to develop distinct voices for each character.”
Use this one cautiously. AI-generated dialogue samples can reveal nuances in speech, helping you create distinct voices for your characters. You can try to write a character and let Claude grade you. A noble character might use formal, complex sentences, while a street-smart individual might prefer slang and directness. This diversity in dialogue not only adds realism but also reflects each character’s unique background. Also, it’ll ensure you don’t use vocabulary plucked from the wrong era.
7. Ethical Challenges
“Have AI suggest ethical challenges relevant to your story’s genre. How would your character approach these challenges based on their morals and personal history?”
Ethical challenges force characters to make tough decisions, revealing their true nature. By having AI suggest dilemmas suited to your genre, you can place your character in situations that test their moral compass, giving readers a deeper understanding of their values.
Using AI ethically in the creative writing process involves leveraging its strengths to spark ideas and present options, not to dictate choices. These prompts allow writers to retain creative control while using AI to flesh out possibilities or at the very least do the detailed research. In doing so, characters become more authentic, complex, and relatable, enhancing the overall storytelling experience.
Christopher lives in Vermont with his wife, twin boys, border collie and corgi. He has owned a film production company, sold slot machines, and worked for Tony Robbins. He writes in his magical tiny house and sometimes writes in his blog at chrisrodgers.blog
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