Should Writers Use AI? The Truth No One’s Admitting

Are you curious about using AI in your writing? In this episode of The Storyteller’s Mission, Zena Dell Lowe shares her honest thoughts on ChatGPT and other AI tools for writers.

Discover how AI can assist in brainstorming, solving story problems, and refining ideas — without replacing your voice. Zena explains the difference between helpful uses in nonfiction versus the challenges of AI in fiction, novels, and screenplays.

She also dives into the ethical considerations every writer should know, including avoiding plagiarism and maintaining originality. Learn how to integrate AI into your workflow responsibly and creatively.

By the end of this episode, you’ll understand what AI can do for you, what it can’t, and how to make it your ally instead of a crutch.

📌 Resources & Links:

• Free training: 7 Crucial Plot Points — https://www.thestorytellersmission.com/story-structure-made-easy
• Follow Zena Dell Lowe on YouTube: https://youtu.be/FuQeOePj4c8 

Transcript

[00:00:00] One of the questions that was submitted to me recently was basically a question about AI in particular. What are my thoughts on using ai? Should you use AI to assist in the creative process? Is it wrong? What are the limits to using ai? 

[00:00:18] So where do you, draw the line and I'll tell you. Hello and welcome to the Storytellers Mission with Zena Del Love, a podcast for artists and storytellers about changing the world for the better through story.

[00:00:30] So first of all, I use chat GPT all the time, every day, all day long. I use chat GPT. Where I'm using it is I am.

[00:00:42] Brainstorming ideas. I am getting ideas. I am trying to solve story problems. I'm giving situations like, okay, I've painted myself into a corner. I don't know what are some logical things my character would do to get outta this? 

[00:00:55] Gimme some ideas. I also, I use chat GPT almost entirely now. When I write an article, I say, here's what the article's about. Based on that, can you come up with 10, gimme 10 title ideas that have a hook in 'em? But, but I'm the one that's then, you know, culling it all.

[00:01:12] I'm, I'm the one that's playing with it all for my nonfiction book. I, I tend to write a lot. In bullet points for myself, like to get the ideas. Like when I give a a podcast, I don't write scripts out for myself. I have, you know, bullet points. These are the things, and then I just kinda wing it. And so oftentimes what I'll do if I wanna convert that podcast episode into an article, or if I wanna convert it.

[00:01:38] Into, say, a chapter or whatever, I will take the transcript and I'll put it into chat GPT and say, can you turn this into, you know, this mini page thing? But then I always rewrite. I always rework it. But man, it is nice to get that first version. And I don't feel bad about that because it's still based on my ideas from the transcript.

[00:02:01] I'm not just coming up with a topic willy-nilly that I have no. Idea what the answer is, and then asking chat GPT for the answer and then pretending and passing that off as my own work. So it's still based on my thoughts, my thinking, 

[00:02:16] And most of that stuff though is for nonfiction.

[00:02:20] So for nonfiction stuff, I have no problem using it in. Every way, shape, or form possible to clarify ideas, to come to correct my stuff, to make it better. I have no qualms at all, but it's still based on my ideas. I have never used it for my novel. I'm not saying there isn't a way to do that, but for my novel that is.

[00:02:43] Based on Percy and Wilbur, to me, the writing and how I'm writing it and put the way I'm the syntax, you know, the way the the words are put together, it's just so much a part of the creative. It's really not mine if I'm asking chat GPT to write it. Now, what I might do and what I have done for my novel is.

[00:03:02] Hey, I need some name ideas or help me come up with some locations or, you know, some general story world stuff, but not the actual words that I'm writing in the novel. Now what's funny is that I tend to hold novels in a very high regard. To me, they're sort of, that's the goal, that's the literary standard.

[00:03:26] And so I have a, a great deal of risk. Spec for novels. I don't have as, even though I'm a screenwriter, to me, screenwriting isn't as precious because it's changing all the time. I mean, they're changing the words on set as they're shooting. The actors are changing it. I mean, it's just, it's a screenplay wall.

[00:03:43] It has to be beautifully written. It is never a finished document. It's only finished after the film is shot and edited and it, it's going to vary even then from the script that you submitted that they shot from, it changes. So to me it's just not as precious. So there are times where I will, and even though it's fiction, where I'll say, okay, here's what needs to happen in this scene.

[00:04:05] Can you write a a rough draft for me between these two characters? Here are some of the things they need to hit. Usually I hate it. I'm gonna be honest with you. I've tried to use it in screenplays. It's just not a very good writer in terms of really understanding dynamics. So I find that chat, GPT is limited in terms of its truly creative ability and that humans are still better.

[00:04:28] But where it's great is problem solving. However, before we get there, did you know that there are seven crucial plot points that every story must hit in order to satisfy the audience? And if you miss even one of those crucial plot points, you risk losing your audience's attention forever. This is why I've created a free training video for you where I break down exactly what these seven deadly plot points are.

[00:04:56] These are the essential plot moments that you need to hit in order to deliver a powerful, compelling page turning story. So. Be sure to check out my free training video on the seven Deadly plot points. It's going to transform your writing. Just click on the link provided in the notes, or head over to the storytellers mission.com and you can start watching this free training video right away.

[00:05:19] What should my character do next? Okay, she just got this and she's really trying to do this, but where should she go from here? Just trying to figure out story moments. Even I find that it's helpful, but the actual language, I just find it's usually not very well written, or at least not as good as I think I can do.

[00:05:37] I'm sharing what I do. I don't know that there's any. Right answer. Accept your own conscience. You have to have a clear conscience before God and you don't ever wanna be accused of plagiarizing. And here's the thing that you have to be careful of. A lot of times what you have to understand how chat GPT works 'cause chat, GPT is looking at all the other information that's available and then bringing it together.

[00:06:01] So if chat GPT isn't reworking something that you've originally written. Or spoken out like in a podcast or something. You don't know if chat GPT is plagiarizing from somebody else's piece of of material. And that's a problem because down the road you could be really sued if you try to pass that off.

[00:06:20] So not only is there an ethical consideration in terms of your clear conscience, but there's also a risk if you are not actually doing the work yourself. So I typically. rewrite everything a little bit, and not just to avoid that potentiality, but just because I find that chat GP doesn't sound exactly like me and I have my little favorite ways of saying things but I don't know that there's any one right answer for this.

[00:06:46] It's just what works best. I will say this, I think it is a fabulous assistant for the creative process, and I don't think we should shun using it. I just think that we ought to use it judiciously with wisdom and not get lazy because the other thing that I worry about is if there's too much reliance on it, our own quality and creativity will suffer.

[00:07:10] So we have to be judicious. But it's here, it's happening, and it's almost silly not to find a way to utilize this tool to better assist you in your own writing goals. 

[00:07:23] Alright. One more question on this I heard. Through word weavers. That, and I'm, I'm not sure if I've got all my facts straight, but the editors and and publishers are starting to want you to say that you haven't used chat or artificial intelligence in your writing, that it's all you. Actually sign something about that.

[00:07:44] Like I said, I'm not, I don't know about that. I will say that. Okay, so I'm a monthly contributor. I write an article a month for the right conversation with Edie Nelson. Okay. She collates that it's all me. I mean, I've written those. You know, those aren't chat GPT. I've written those articles, but I will tell you this, there have been times where I'm like, okay, I'm missing something here.

[00:08:07] Chat, GPT, what am I missing? Like, what is an element? I'm, you know, something isn't working here. Can you help me identify it? It will help solve a problem for me. So I've used it for. Feedback on it, but whatever I turn into Edie is me. It is not chat. GPT, and that's my personal. I feel like it has to be, otherwise, anybody could just type something in, like write an article on this and then, you know, like, I want it to be me.

[00:08:32] Maybe that's what they're, they're trying to make sure doesn't happen. Like, I sort of understood that it was just fiction, but I, I, maybe it is. I don't know enough. I'm sorry, Anne. I don't know, but that's, here's the thing. You can imagine the tricky position this puts people in, right? Because if they publish it, and it turns out you plagiarized because chat, GPT, whatever AI you're using has plagiarized and pulled from other people's stuff, they're on the hook.

[00:08:58] And also, are you really the writer if you've been using it, but at the same time, we should be using it. To help the writing be better. So there is a tricky nuance here and I, I can't exactly answer and I don't know what they're asking people to sign. I haven't heard that. But I would say follow that advice.

[00:09:17] 'cause I'm not in the publishing world. I can tell you in film, they don't care if it's an original idea. They don't care if you use AI to write the script. If they love it, they love it, they really don't care, unfortunately. You know, they probably should, but they don't. So that's the world I'm in. But I would say whatever Ann is.

[00:09:34] Saying, find out about that and make sure you're following whatever rules the publishing house you're trying to reach requires because you don't wanna lie either. So that's a great, great insight, Anne. Thank you for that. What about using AI for doing things like a pitch or something like that?

[00:09:54] Absolutely use it. Use it. Use it. Okay. Just remember it has limitations. You know, like it needs, you have to put your own human understanding and I mean, sometimes chat GPT takes away my magic. If I over rely on it the way I'm saying something, I know it makes sense, but chat GPT knows that it could be written better or something, but it's still not the way I wanna say it or something.

[00:10:22] And so, you know, that's why you always want to make sure that you are part of the process and not just deferring all the time to chat GPT. Your idea might be better, but Absolutely. I put together a, my pitch to get my book. Published, I used chat GPT to help me put the pitch together and I mean, I reworked it and reworked it and reworked it to make it what I wanted.

[00:10:44] But I used chat GPT for that and I got a book deal, you know, so, okay. I think you use it. I'm using it for my nonfiction book that I'm writing right now on story structure. But I am reworking it, and it's never the same as what I'm not just, it's not just like chat, GPT is spitting something out and I copy and paste it and move on.

[00:11:03] I'm constantly reworking it. 

[00:11:05] So yes, I would use, AI to help with plot points, to help break your story, to help flesh it out, to help with character names, to help with titles, to help with all those things.

[00:11:15] But to write the story. Try to write it yourself. 'cause that's what makes you a writer. Writers write. Right. Alright. Thank you for listening to the Storyteller's Mission with Zena Del Lo. May you go forth in Inspire. To change the world for the better through.