iterative writing

To craft a compelling story, several essential elements are required. First, a clear and engaging idea serves as the narrative's foundation and guiding force. Second, well-developed characters—relatable and complex—drive the plot forward. Third, a structured plot should include an introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution to ensure a satisfying narrative arc. Additionally, the setting must create a vivid, immersive world that enhances the atmosphere and supports character experiences. Finally, a strong command of language and storytelling techniques is necessary to convey emotions, create tension, and engage readers. By integrating these elements, you can create a captivating story that resonates with your audience. Let's explore how an LLM can assist in these areas following The Nerdy Novelist way.

 Step 1 : Concept idea (or Pitch) 

Prompt: 

Give me [NUMBER] high-concept pitches for a bestselling [GENRE] story with a unique twist, intriguing characters, and gripping emotional stakes.

A list of [GENRES] to choose from :

 Step 2 : Synopsis 

Prompt: 

Using the following concept, write a story synopsis for a [GENRE] story: [PASTE PITCH from STEP 1]

In this step you will generate a solid synopsis of your story based on the selected Concept idea.

 Step 3 : Outline 

Prompt:

Using the following synopsis, create a detailed summary of the story, fleshing out additional details, and breaking it into parts using the [OUTLINE METHOD OF CHOICE]: [PASTE SYNOPSIS from STEP 2]

A list of [OUTLINE METHODS] to choose from :

 Step 4 : Chapters Description 

Prompt:

Using the following portion of an outline, write a detailed summary for [NUMBER] chapters of this [GENRE] novel: [PASTE OUTLINE from STEP 3]

From now on, I’m only going to be working with a small portion of the above outline as we dig deeper and deeper, getting closer to actually writing the first chapter. While the above outline is great, it doesn’t give us a good idea of how many chapters/scenes there will be. This is the step where I start to figure that out. For this stage, I only selected the first three sections of the outline above, and entered them into ChatGPT.

 Step 5 : Detailed Chapter Summaries 

Prompt:

Take the following chapter description and flesh it out with more details and individual beats for the scene: [PASTE CHAPTER DESCRIPTION from STEP 4]

 Step 6 : Chapter Writing 

Prompt:

Write 1000 words of a chapter using the following details:

Genre: [ENTER GENRE HERE]

Tone: [ENTER TONE HERE]

Point of View: [ENTER POV/TENSE HERE]

Setting: [ENTER SETTING HERE]

Key Characters: [ENTER CHARACTER DETAILS HERE]

Summary: [ENTER YOUR ABOVE SUMMARY HERE]

Conflict: [ENTER MAIN SOURCE OF CONFLICT HERE]

Make sure to have plenty of realistic dialogue, and be sure to show don’t tell, and use deep point of view. Write in a very slow pace, building the story with in-depth character development and world building.

A list of [TONES] to choose from :