The first step to writing the book is a brainstorming session where I tell the AI what I want, adding context and descriptions of how I envision the final product. The goal is to create a beginner’s guide to AI prompting, focusing mostly on the needs of writers.

There has been lots of talk about AI writing whole books and I want to actually try it out and prompt it to write a book. Being a book about AI it is a master in the subject matter and the factual approach it uses is ideal for a text book format.

However, the guide itself is the first to warn that it is not the purpose of the AI to get writers to abdicate their creativity. It is primarily a tool, aiding in brainstorming, structuring and circumventing writer’s block.

When it comes to creative writing, human input is essential, with our knowledge of human nature and our unique perspective to life. Having said that, in this case it produced an outline in a few seconds, which, in my opinion, is pretty thorough and expansive.

This structure covers the essential aspects of AI prompting for writing (first working title) without delving too deeply into technical details. It focuses on practical guidance and application.

The book starts with an introduction to AI in writing and gradually progresses to more advanced topics. It emphasises hands-on techniques, ethical considerations, and the development of personal prompting skills. Let’s have a look:

AI Prompting for Writers: A Beginner’s Guide

Introduction

• What is AI and how can it assist writers?
• Brief overview of popular AI writing tools
• The importance of effective prompting

Chapter 1: Understanding AI Writing Assistants

• How AI language models work (in simple terms)
• Capabilities and limitations of AI in writing
• Ethical considerations when using AI for writing

Chapter 2: The Basics of Prompting

• What is a prompt?
• Components of an effective prompt
• Common pitfalls in prompt writing

Chapter 3: Crafting Prompts for Different Writing Tasks

• Creative writing prompts (stories, poetry)
• Non-fiction writing prompts (articles, essays)
• Business writing prompts (emails, reports)

Chapter 4: Advanced Prompting Techniques

• Using context and examples in prompts
• Iterative prompting for complex writing tasks
• Combining multiple prompts for larger projects

Chapter 5: Editing and Refining AI-Generated Content

• How to critically evaluate AI-generated text
• Techniques for blending AI-generated and human-written content
• Using AI for proofreading and style suggestions

Chapter 6: Overcoming Writer’s Block with AI

• Brainstorming techniques using AI
• Generating outlines and story structures
• Using AI to explore different perspectives and ideas

Chapter 7: AI as a Research Assistant

• Prompting AI for fact-checking and information gathering
• Using AI to summarize complex texts
• Limitations and verification of AI-sourced information

Chapter 8: Developing Your Personal Prompting Style

• Finding your voice in AI collaboration
• Creating prompt templates for recurring tasks
• Building a prompting workflow that enhances creativity

Chapter 9: The Future of AI in Writing

• Emerging trends in AI writing technology
• Potential impacts on the writing profession
• Staying adaptable in an AI-enhanced writing landscape

Conclusion

• Recap of key prompting strategies
• Encouragement for ethical and effective AI use in writing
• Resources for further learning and practice

Appendix

• Glossary of AI and prompting terms
• Sample prompts for various writing scenarios
• Recommended AI writing tools and platforms

Not bad as a first outline, don’t you think? It is a structure which we can work with, a rough plan to which we can later add or subtract material as we see fit.

There are many aspects to publishing a book. Besides the writing part you need to create an awareness that it exists. It is useless writing the best book in the world if no-one gets to hear of it and read it.

As we go along we shall discuss some of the different facets of book publishing, things like cover design, branding, marketing, social media and monetisation. Always with the help of our AI assistant naturally 🙂