October 2, 2024 • 28 mins
Imagine enhancing your creativity while cutting down your writing time drastically. What if AI could be your secret weapon for planning an entire book series? Join me, Carissa Andrews, as I reveal five crucial mindset shifts that have dramatically transformed my writing process by leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT. Say goodbye to the myth of the solitary writer and discover how an AI brainstorming partner can revolutionize your workflow, making it more enjoyable and productive.
Modern technology isn't just a luxury; it's a game-changer. Learn how breaking down the writing process into more manageable chunks with ChatGPT can boost your creativity and reduce overwhelm. From plot structure to character development and world-building, I’ll show you how to tackle each element separately. Plus, I'll share how AI can free you from the burdens of social media content creation and marketing strategies, allowing you to focus on what you love most—writing.
Many writers resist AI, fearing it might stifle their creativity. I'll debunk this myth and show you how AI enhances your creative potential, offering new ways to brainstorm, outline, and develop your stories.
Get ready to embrace change with the "4 Books 5 Days Challenge," where we’ll plot an entire book series using AI, starting October 7th. This episode is packed with valuable insights on how AI and rapid releasing strategies can supercharge your planning and creative output. Let’s embark on this transformative journey and start your author revolution today!
Are you an author at a crossroads, feeling stuck & unfulfilled in your author career? Do you know deep down it's time for a change, but you’re unsure of the next step?
The High Vibe Author is the only transformational membership designed specifically for authors like you—those who are ready to break free from limitations & step into the abundant life they deserve. Click here to learn more.
Indie publishing wasn’t built for neurodivergent minds—so let’s change that. Inside Author Revolution on Substack, I share exclusive insights on writing, publishing, and manifestation for ND authors. Plus, explore my neurospicy romcoms & urban fantasy worlds. Want to go deeper? Get access to Manifest Differently: The Deep End, my private podcast. Follow now: 👉 authorrevolution.org/substack
Thank you for tuning into the Author Revolution Podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. For more insights and inspiration, visit Author Revolution. Don't forget to follow us on social media for updates and exclusive content:
Go forth and start your author revolution!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Carissa Andrews (00:02):
Welcome to the Author Revolution podcast, where
change is not just embraced,it's celebrated.
I'm Carissa Andrews,international bestselling author
, indie author coach and yournavigator through the
ever-evolving landscape ofauthorship.
Are you ready to harness thepower of your mind and the
latest innovations in technologyfor your writing journey?
If you're passionate aboutmanifesting your dreams and
(00:25):
pioneering new writing frontiers, then you're in the perfect
place.
Here we merge the mystical wooof writing with the exciting
advancements of the modern world.
We dive into the realms ofmindset, manifestation and the
transformative magic that occurswhen you believe in the
impossible.
We also venture into the worldof futuristic technologies and
(00:46):
strategies, preparing you forthe next chapter in your author
career.
Every week, we explore new waysto revolutionize your writing
and publishing experience, fromAI to breakthrough thinking.
This podcast is your gateway toa world where creativity meets
innovation.
Whether you're penning yourfirst novel or expanding your
literary empire, whether you'rea devotee of the pen or a
(01:09):
digital storyteller, thispodcast is where your author
revolution gains momentum.
So join me in this journey tocontinue growth and
transformation.
It's time to redefine what itmeans to be an author in today's
dynamic world.
This is the Author RevolutionPodcast, and your author
revolution starts now.
Well, hey there guys.
(01:34):
Welcome to another episode ofthe Author Revolution Podcast.
This is gonna be a fun one,because this is my first solo
episode in what feels likeforever.
I've been interviewing so manyamazing people this year that it
kind of got away from me, andI've learned so much.
I've taken on so muchinformation, onboarded so much.
(01:55):
It's been fabulous.
But now we've got something newto talk about, and if you're
anything like me, you'veprobably been taught to plan
your books a certain way Pen topaper, hours of outlining and
grinding through the whole plotholes the hard way.
Now, if you know me, you knowthat I love testing out new
(02:16):
technologies.
You know that I love trying newthings.
And what if I told you that thebiggest thing holding me back
wasn't actually the writingprocess, but it was the mindset
I was stuck in?
So today I'm going to walk youthrough five things I had to
unlearn in order to fullyembrace AI as a tool and
completely transform the waythat I plan my series.
Now, trust me, once you makethese shifts, your writing
(02:38):
process will never be the same,and by the end of this episode,
you'll understand how tosupercharge your series planning
using AI and the exact mindsetshifts I made to get there.
So, number one the first thing Ihad to unlearn was the solo
writer myth, right?
So writers are often taughtthat this process should be
(03:00):
solitary.
In fact, I just had aconversation on TikTok with an
author who is very much ananti-AI.
Brainstorming is everythingthat they should do on their own
, and if you're utilizingChatGPT, then you're not really
a whatever.
But this is just nonsense,right?
It's not us or them, it's notjust you and your imagination.
(03:21):
Ai is actually becoming anincredible tool as a writing
partner.
Now, think of AI as like yourbrainstorming buddy, helping you
refine ideas, offeringsuggestions and catching things
that you might miss.
It's been one of the mostrevolutionary tools for me to
feel less alone.
Now I'm a solopreneur, right?
Not only am I writing rom-comand I'm writing urban fantasy,
(03:44):
and I'm writing rom-com and I'mwriting urban fantasy and I'm
writing nonfiction and I'm doingauthor revolution.
I'm talking to you in thispodcast, but it's all, for the
most part, done in my home bymyself.
I mean, my husband, colin'shere too, but he's usually
running around or, you know,breaking walls or cursing
because he's hit his finger witha hammer again.
I don't know.
He does a lot of things, butthe point is like we are so
(04:09):
solitary and then we've got somany things on our shoulders
that AI is just kind of like abreath of fresh air.
I have been writing for over adecade and I have been a solo
writer for over a decade, and sohaving a tool like ChatGPT help
me to bounce ideas from andunderstand something from a new
(04:30):
perspective, or even learn howcharacters can speak, talk, walk
, think differently than myselfTotally, totally a game changer.
So, for example, you can evenuse AI to brainstorm plot twists
or develop character arcs, andI just did a class for Plot Geek
Academy for Troy Lambert, onhow to use AI to be able to
(04:52):
supercharge your characterdesign.
It's so, so freaking good.
I love it so much.
Okay, so there's just the solomyth that you have to be by
yourself doing the thing and youknow, slaving away for your
words.
Now there is a catharsis there.
There is something that getsreleased when you're doing it on
your own.
(05:12):
But if you're doing this as acareer and you've been doing it
for a long time, or if you'refeeling stuck, there is no shame
in utilizing a tool to help youbrainstorm, and not everyone
has high strategic in theirstrengths, right, not everyone
is high achiever, not everyoneis high maximizer.
Strategic isn't always a strongsuit, and there should be no
(05:34):
shame in utilizing a tool thathelps you to be more strategic
or more creative, becausesometimes, when you have these
conversations, you're able tobrainstorm in new ways.
I love it.
I love it, and so don't letother people tell you how you
can create or that you're not atrue creator, just because
you're utilizing another toollike ChatGPT, like Claude, to be
(05:57):
able to understand your storybetter.
Okay, so mindset shift numbertwo I had to unlearn the old
school writing process.
Now, what do I mean by that?
We're conditioned to think thatwriting takes a long time.
Right, especially the planningpart.
And if you're in the indiecircles, if you're, you know,
(06:18):
have been in the space for along time maybe you're on the
rapid release train, maybe youknow that you can write and plan
and publish faster, but for themajority of authors, we're
taught that good writing comesfrom hours of grueling work.
Am I right?
I know I'm right.
I've been here a while.
Right, but using AI, you canquickly generate outlines, tweak
(06:40):
your world building and solveplot inconsistencies without
wasting so much time, weeks andlots and lots and lots of effort
.
It doesn't have to be like that.
So for me, when I'm trying tosolve like tricky plot holes, I
can literally tell ChachiPT whatI'm looking for, how I'm
planning out my series, whattype of series it is.
(07:01):
I'll typically start withletting it know the genre I'm
trying to aim for.
So what type of series it is.
I'll typically start withletting it know the genre I'm
trying to aim for, so that wecan get really clear on reader
expectations, so that we can getclear on tropes, that we can
understand what it is that we'regoing to try to uncover.
And we always start from thosebig boulders.
Now I taught this in the plan.
Your series challenge as wellthat the big boulders are the
(07:23):
most important things that wehave to talk about first.
So if you know what your bigboulders are, aka the most
important pivotal moments inyour story, everything else can
kind of fall around it, and soyou don't have to go as detailed
into an outline as possible ifyou at least know your big
boulders right.
But chat gpt can help you torough out ideas, give you some
(07:45):
more plot twist, concepts,things that you're not
necessarily going to think about.
Now, let's just say yourcharacter is an Enneagram 2 and
you're an Enneagram 9.
The two of you are going tothink very differently about how
to solve a problem.
And if you have that mapped outwith ChatGPT, you could talk to
chat and say, hey, chat, mycharacter's an Enneagram 2, and
(08:09):
this is the scenario that'sunfolding.
How can I write a situation, orwhat type of situation would
they put themselves in?
How would they solve thisproblem as an Enneagram 2?
And what you're going to findis that maybe they're going to
problem solve it in a completelydifferent way from what you
would normally do it as.
And now, all of a sudden, thestory is going to feel more
(08:29):
genuine.
The characters', actions andmotivations, the way that they
handle things or say things, aregoing to be more consistent
with who they are versus who youare.
You see what I'm saying.
It's so good.
And so my mentality when I wasshifting into AI, when I was
thinking about, like, how doesthis get to work for us?
For me, obviously, the testingpart of it was never an issue.
(08:52):
I never had unlearned that,because that was something I
wasn't afraid of.
But learning how to understand,like the, the writings process
and let go of some of the oldways, definitely was All right.
So, number three I had tounlearn the fear of losing
creativity.
This is a big myth.
Right, ai is going to replacecreativity or water it down.
(09:14):
Now, here's the thing.
Here's the thing.
Listen up, clean your balls out.
Ai amplifies creativity byremoving the busy work and
helping you to think bigger.
Let me repeat that it amplifiesyour creativity by removing all
the extraneous BS and helpingyou to think bigger.
(09:35):
Now, energy flows whereattention goes, yeah, and so the
more energy you're putting onthe bigger things, the bigger
creativity, and less that you'rehaving to focus on like the
little things, the better.
So I found that AI lets mefocus on, like, the fun parts of
writing.
Right, so we're developingintricate characters, we're
creating twisting plot lines andbig emotional moments, and it
(09:58):
handles repetitive tasks likescene details, things that you
know if I'm trying to figure out, like where could this be set?
What type of mood am I tryingto bring in?
What would make sense to makethese, the readers, really
engaged here?
Okay, and it just having thatconcept.
I think this is another thingthat a lot of people talk about
too, where ai is a crutch, andthat that could definitely be
(10:21):
the case.
Now here's.
Here's a little caveat.
If you're burnt out and you'refeeling like you just don't know
what the heck you're doing, aican be a crutch because you're
leaning too much into itsknowledge versus you using your
own creativity because you're sofreaking fried.
Or if you're brand new andyou're not quite sure what
you're trying to do, ai couldalso be a crutch because you're
(10:42):
not learning to develop yourskill.
However, if you understandstory structure, if you
understand what your book'strying to become, if you
understand what you're trying tosay and you're utilizing it for
planning and brainstorming,that's a completely different
animal than having it write itfor you.
Okay, and there's nothing liketo me.
(11:03):
Guys, there's no shame inutilizing a tool like AI to help
you write your book If it'smaking you feel empowered
empowered is the key.
If you're feeling defeated, ifyou're feeling like you are
trying to pull the wool overpeople's eyes, if you feel like
you are getting away withsomething, these are all things
(11:23):
that maybe should be red flagsthat you're utilizing AI in a
way that is not so creative ornot so like in tune with who you
really are.
However, we've embraced newtools throughout the dawn of
time.
This is just one more new toolthat we're adding to our toolkit
to do our jobs, to be morecreative, to feel more in flow.
(11:45):
Since I'll give you a littlehint or a little side note.
Since I started using ChatGPT tohelp me brainstorm and plot out
my books, I've had readers talkto me Like I've always
considered myself a pretty goodplanner, right, and I am high
strategic.
It's my number two strength.
But even since utilizing chatto create and understand my
(12:07):
outlines better, I have beenable to get reviews and
testimonials from readers sayingoh my gosh, these books just
keep getting better and better.
Her writing is getting betterand better.
And that's the power of takingoff, like your brain, the things
that aren't as important andallowing you to kind of just
flow into the creativity ofwhatever's happening.
(12:27):
It's so good guys, so good, allright.
Thing.
Number four unlearn the need todo it all at once.
Unlearn the need to do it allat once.
What does that mean?
Many writers, I think, feelthis need to sit down and map
out everything at once, or it'snot real.
Planning Now, while I teach this, in four books, five days, that
(12:49):
you can plan out your series offour books in five days.
Technically, you could do it inless.
It's just that I string it outso that you can plan out your
series of four books in fivedays.
Technically, you could do it inless.
It's just that I string it outso that you're not getting
overwhelmed with all the detailsthat ChatGPT is going to throw
at you.
But AI lets you break theplanning into digestible pieces
and really focus on one elementat a time.
You don't need to plan yourentire series in one sitting
(13:10):
because you can chunk it downand just like do a plot
structure here today, characterdevelopment tomorrow, world
building after that, andespecially if you're using a
custom GPT that is dedicated toeverything that you're building
out, where it understands theplot, it understands your
characters, it understands whatyour process is going to be Like
(13:31):
.
Once it has that information inthe back end of the custom GPT,
it will help you to continue torefine and build even more into
it.
And it's just, it's been sofabulous in keeping, like the
world knowledge.
It's almost like that, thatworld building Bible right, the
book Bible that everybody talksabout, series Bible and it keeps
(13:52):
it all there to help you to beconsistent, to help you have a
tone, and then, once yourstories are finished, oh my God,
the things that you can do withit after that.
When the books are done and itunderstands what you've written
now, all of a sudden you havetools to be able to ask, like
okay, we're going to have a saleon this series.
What great tone should I bringout in my social media to be
(14:15):
able to talk about all the coolthings that are going on in this
series?
Or, like, how can I use certainhooks to be able to entice
readers who love paranormalfantasy to engage with this
particular series like the?
The way you can engage chat gptis really honestly endless and
it helps you to do so much ofthe stuff that we're doing so
(14:39):
much faster, takes, like I said,it takes so much of the brain
power off of you and puts it onto chat so that you're able to
focus on what you really like.
You know how authors are alwaystalking about, how, like
writing their newsletter ordoing their social media is not
their fun suit, right, it's nottheir fun thing.
Writing is.
Well, now you can use ChatGPTto help you do those other
(15:01):
things that are still important.
It still helps you get the wordout about your books, but you
get to focus on the writing.
See how good that is.
It's awesome, all right.
So thing number five unlearn theresistance to change.
Now, this is not typically abig one for me, right?
(15:23):
I'm pretty malleable, I guess,when it comes to change.
I like to see change, I like tolean into, but there's always
that moment.
There's always that momentwhere you're like do I have to,
though?
But when I feel the resistanceto change, or that a new
technology is coming, or I don'tknow that I want to try this
(15:45):
yet I lean into that, because Itypically find that on the other
side of it, there's somethingreally cool, right?
So the hardest shift for a lotof people, it's letting go of
what has been a thing for them.
What they've been told has tobe like the way it's always been
, and I used to think, you know,honestly, like way back in the
(16:05):
beginning, I guess I didn'tthink that writers needed any
real fancy tech.
I thought they just needed towrite.
But then, you know, the firstthing I did was go oh my god, I
hate writing in Word.
I hate it because it's all likeone big flow and I can't find
the things I want.
And I want to go back andunderstand what I was doing.
And then came Scrivener.
Oh, scrivener was amazing, butthen I can't do my layouts with
(16:27):
Scrivener very well.
So I, oh gosh, look at thisvellum.
Vellum's awesome, okay, great.
And so I'm utilizing tools, I'madding new tools as I realize
certain things are necessary orthat I need to be able to change
.
And when I started using AI, Irealized that I wasn't giving up
control.
I was actually regainingcontrol of my time and energy
(16:48):
and, interestingly enough, Irealized just how burned out I
was before that happened, beforeAI came in, because it's freed
up so much time.
And it's not that I don't wantto brainstorm my series on my
own, it has nothing to do withthat.
It's that I actually honestlyfeel more creative when
(17:09):
brainstorming with a chat bot,because AI is like guys.
There's another myth here thatI need to dispel.
Ai is not stealing your content.
Ai is not like trying toplagiarize everything you've
written.
If you feed your informationinto ChatGPT, it's not going to
rewrite it for someone else.
And now, all of a sudden,there's a copyright infringement
(17:29):
.
This is like you reading books,you reading books, they go into
your brain.
Yeah, once they're in yourbrain, they're jumbled up with
all of the knowledge, all of thebooks, all of the words, all of
the story structures you haveever incorporated into your
brain, except AI generative AIdoes this on a much bigger scale
(17:53):
and its level of understandingof story structure, of character
, development of tropes, of howto get readers excited, of how
to hit market trends, like allthe things, is going to vastly
outweigh the knowledge youcurrently have.
But when it's doing that, whenit's talking to you about how to
(18:13):
plan your series, when it'stalking to you about all the
ways to be able to organize yourthoughts, all of that stuff
it's jumbled together.
It's not trying to pick onething or the other, unless
you're telling it specificallylike I want to write this book
and I want to use the same exacttone as Sarah J Moss.
Now, whether or not it'llactually do that at this point
(18:35):
is questionable, because I knowthat there are certain things
that will flag in ChatGPT.
It might not do it.
It might be like oh, we can dosomething that's similar, but at
the same time, you have to findyour own voice right and you're
not going to do that by sayingcompletely mimic or copy someone
else, and they're not.
When it says copying, it's notgoing to be like oh, I'm going
(18:58):
to rewrite a book that isexactly the same thing that
they've already written.
It's going to be in the sametype of style, the same type of
tone and that's.
You know, it's got its ownhangups, it's got its own.
You know pluses and minusesthere.
But for you, you have to.
You have to learn how toincorporate the evolution of
(19:19):
writing tools and learn to beokay with it.
Just like Scrivener, just likeGoogle Docs, just like Vellum,
just like the typewriter and thecomputer, like all these things
are ways that we were bringingourself from one phase of
writing to another.
And AI is going to be a toolthat is going to help so many of
(19:40):
us continue to grow ourcreativity, continue to grow our
knowledge, continue to bebetter at what we do.
And the people who are thenaysayers, like this woman who
is talking to me on TikTok theseare the people who are set in
their ways and that's fine,there's nothing wrong with it.
But to assume that I'm not awriter, I'm not a creative,
(20:05):
because I'm utilizing a toolthat they're too afraid to try.
No, no, I'm sorry, that's nothow this works.
What it is is that there aretwo modalities and both are
right.
There's not one right, not onewrong, and so whatever you find
when it comes to AI, howeveryou're feeling about it, however
(20:25):
you're wanting to test it, it'sthe right way, right.
If you only want to test it, asin I'm going to see what it's
capable of in terms of writing aI don't know a recipe and not
even touch your books, hey, morepower to you, but at least
you're understanding how itworks.
If you're willing to brainstormand that's all you're willing
(20:47):
to do with it, that's fine too.
If you're willing to outline,or if you're willing to create
characters, if you're willing tohelp, let it help you create
your setting or your setup foryour chapter.
Whatever the amount ofutilization is okay, it is right
for you, and don't let anyoneelse tell you otherwise.
(21:09):
Don't be scared of these peoplewho have pitchforks out there
trying to tell you how to liveyour author life.
This, obviously, is a muchbigger thing.
It's kind of the way that Ifeel about all things in general
, because you're not going totell me I have this little bit
of a rebel thing.
Maybe that's why it's not goingto tell me I have this little
bit of a rebel thing.
Maybe that's why it's calledauthor revolution, like I have a
little bit of rebel in me whereI'm like, no, you're not going
(21:30):
to tell me how I'm going tocreate my author career, you're
not going to tell me how I'mgoing to test out new ideas,
test out new things and figureout what works best in my
particular life and situation,and so I'm not going to do that
to you.
Either I'm not going to tellyou you must do it this way or
you're going to fail.
Okay, I've never been that kindof person, and so you'll always
(21:53):
see me rooting for the peoplewho are willing to dip their toe
into something new and make apotential change, look at
transformation, see how they canbe better or shift their
perspective or try somethingthat maybe they're too scared to
try, because that's how we grow, it's how we evolve, and if
(22:13):
these people are too scared totry, well then that's fine.
Maybe they're growing indifferent ways, maybe they're
reading different books, maybethey are going to different
classes.
They're still going to belearning in their own way, in
their own capacity, right, allright.
So, to recap, here are the fivethings I had to unlearn and I
think many authors have tounlearn when it comes to AI.
(22:36):
Number one the solo writer myth.
Number two, the old schoolwriting process.
Number three, the fear oflosing creativity.
Number four, the need to do itall at once.
And number five, the resistanceto change.
So now that you know themindset shifts, it's time to put
(22:58):
them into practice.
So if you're ready to embraceAI and make a massive leap
forward in your series planning,I'm going to give you the
opportunity, if you so choose.
If you want to join me in thefour books five days challenge.
We're going to be going throughstep-by-step as I show you
exactly how to plot an entireseries of four books in less
(23:18):
than a week using ChatGPT.
Now, I launched this last year,last October, and this year
we're doing it again.
In fact, I'm reclaiming Octoberas Plottober instead of
Preptober.
I know there's a lot of peoplewho are up in arms with
NaNoWriMo.
It's fine.
I personally have always likedthe six-week writing sprint
anyway, and so, while NaNo wasmy springboard, I never really
(23:42):
utilized their platform in theway that a lot of other people
do or have in the past.
And so for me, it's time toembrace our bigger destiny, our
bigger why?
Our bigger?
Like end of the year, let's getthis stuff done, mentality
ultimately right.
And so, if you missed out onfour books, five days, we're
doing a live cohort.
(24:02):
It's going to be freakingamazing.
We're starting next Monday,october 7th, and running through
the 12th, so the five daystechnically is Monday through
Friday.
We're gonna have a mindset dayon Sunday that opens up on
Sunday, the 6th, and then on the12th we're gonna have our live
call where you can bring yourquestions about AI, about series
(24:23):
planning, about writing yourbooks, anything you wanna bring.
Bring it that day.
Now.
Remember, if you keep doingthings the same way, you're
going to get the same results.
It's time for a lot of us totry something new and I promise
once you make these mindsetshifts, you'll never want to go
back to the old way of writing.
You'll never want to go back tothe old way of writing.
(24:44):
It has like that old way hasburned up.
It doesn't exist in my brainanymore because of how
revolutionary ChatGPT has beenin my process, in the way that
I'm going to be doing thingsinto all that I am.
So if you want to get signed up,if you want to join the cohort
this year maybe you missed itlast year head over to
authorrevolutionorg forwardslash plotober.
(25:06):
That's P-L-O-T-O-B-E-R, and itwill send you right to the
signup page there.
Make sure that you use promocode plotober24.
So P-L-O-T-O-B-E-R 24.
And then you'll save on thatprocess.
It'll only be $88 instead of150.
(25:26):
So you're saving.
I think it's like 41%, guys.
So make sure you make sure youuse that coupon code.
But I want you to know there'sso much more coming.
This month we're going to talka lot about AI tools.
We're going to talk about rapidreleasing and what that looks
like for me this year and goingforward.
There's so many good nuggetsthat we're going to be talking
rapid releasing and what thatlooks like for me this year and
going forward.
There's so many good nuggetsthat we're going to be talking
(25:48):
about in Plotober and I can'twait to share them with you.
So, guys, thanks for listening.
I can't wait to see what youcreate this Plotober or whenever
with your newly superchargedplanning skills.
Head over to authorevolutionorgforward slash 255.
If you want to be able to checkout the links or download the
transcript, all of it will bethere as well.
(26:10):
I hope you're excited to try newthings.
I hope you're excited to thinkabout how AI can really enrich
your process for planning forgrowing.
It's going to be amazing andyou're going to love every step
of the way.
It is not the big scary thingso many people are making it out
to be.
It really isn be amazing andyou're going to love every step
of the way.
It is not the big scary thingso many people are making it out
to be.
It really isn't, and you'regoing to enjoy it so much.
(26:31):
All right, you know what to do.
Then go forth and start yourauthor revolution.
Thank you.
Welcome to the Author Revolution podcast, where
change is not just embraced,it's celebrated.
I'm Carissa Andrews,international bestselling author
, indie author coach and yournavigator through the
ever-evolving landscape ofauthorship.
Are you ready to harness thepower of your mind and the
latest innovations in technologyfor your writing journey?
If you're passionate aboutmanifesting your dreams and
(00:25):
pioneering new writing frontiers, then you're in the perfect
place.
Here we merge the mystical wooof writing with the exciting
advancements of the modern world.
We dive into the realms ofmindset, manifestation and the
transformative magic that occurswhen you believe in the
impossible.
We also venture into the worldof futuristic technologies and
(00:46):
strategies, preparing you forthe next chapter in your author
career.
Every week, we explore new waysto revolutionize your writing
and publishing experience, fromAI to breakthrough thinking.
This podcast is your gateway toa world where creativity meets
innovation.
Whether you're penning yourfirst novel or expanding your
literary empire, whether you'rea devotee of the pen or a
(01:09):
digital storyteller, thispodcast is where your author
revolution gains momentum.
So join me in this journey tocontinue growth and
transformation.
It's time to redefine what itmeans to be an author in today's
dynamic world.
This is the Author RevolutionPodcast, and your author
revolution starts now.
Well, hey there guys.
(01:34):
Welcome to another episode ofthe Author Revolution Podcast.
This is gonna be a fun one,because this is my first solo
episode in what feels likeforever.
I've been interviewing so manyamazing people this year that it
kind of got away from me, andI've learned so much.
I've taken on so muchinformation, onboarded so much.
(01:55):
It's been fabulous.
But now we've got something newto talk about, and if you're
anything like me, you'veprobably been taught to plan
your books a certain way Pen topaper, hours of outlining and
grinding through the whole plotholes the hard way.
Now, if you know me, you knowthat I love testing out new
(02:16):
technologies.
You know that I love trying newthings.
And what if I told you that thebiggest thing holding me back
wasn't actually the writingprocess, but it was the mindset
I was stuck in?
So today I'm going to walk youthrough five things I had to
unlearn in order to fullyembrace AI as a tool and
completely transform the waythat I plan my series.
Now, trust me, once you makethese shifts, your writing
(02:38):
process will never be the same,and by the end of this episode,
you'll understand how tosupercharge your series planning
using AI and the exact mindsetshifts I made to get there.
So, number one the first thing Ihad to unlearn was the solo
writer myth, right?
So writers are often taughtthat this process should be
(03:00):
solitary.
In fact, I just had aconversation on TikTok with an
author who is very much ananti-AI.
Brainstorming is everythingthat they should do on their own
, and if you're utilizingChatGPT, then you're not really
a whatever.
But this is just nonsense,right?
It's not us or them, it's notjust you and your imagination.
(03:21):
Ai is actually becoming anincredible tool as a writing
partner.
Now, think of AI as like yourbrainstorming buddy, helping you
refine ideas, offeringsuggestions and catching things
that you might miss.
It's been one of the mostrevolutionary tools for me to
feel less alone.
Now I'm a solopreneur, right?
Not only am I writing rom-comand I'm writing urban fantasy,
(03:44):
and I'm writing rom-com and I'mwriting urban fantasy and I'm
writing nonfiction and I'm doingauthor revolution.
I'm talking to you in thispodcast, but it's all, for the
most part, done in my home bymyself.
I mean, my husband, colin'shere too, but he's usually
running around or, you know,breaking walls or cursing
because he's hit his finger witha hammer again.
I don't know.
He does a lot of things, butthe point is like we are so
(04:09):
solitary and then we've got somany things on our shoulders
that AI is just kind of like abreath of fresh air.
I have been writing for over adecade and I have been a solo
writer for over a decade, and sohaving a tool like ChatGPT help
me to bounce ideas from andunderstand something from a new
(04:30):
perspective, or even learn howcharacters can speak, talk, walk
, think differently than myselfTotally, totally a game changer.
So, for example, you can evenuse AI to brainstorm plot twists
or develop character arcs, andI just did a class for Plot Geek
Academy for Troy Lambert, onhow to use AI to be able to
(04:52):
supercharge your characterdesign.
It's so, so freaking good.
I love it so much.
Okay, so there's just the solomyth that you have to be by
yourself doing the thing and youknow, slaving away for your
words.
Now there is a catharsis there.
There is something that getsreleased when you're doing it on
your own.
(05:12):
But if you're doing this as acareer and you've been doing it
for a long time, or if you'refeeling stuck, there is no shame
in utilizing a tool to help youbrainstorm, and not everyone
has high strategic in theirstrengths, right, not everyone
is high achiever, not everyoneis high maximizer.
Strategic isn't always a strongsuit, and there should be no
(05:34):
shame in utilizing a tool thathelps you to be more strategic
or more creative, becausesometimes, when you have these
conversations, you're able tobrainstorm in new ways.
I love it.
I love it, and so don't letother people tell you how you
can create or that you're not atrue creator, just because
you're utilizing another toollike ChatGPT, like Claude, to be
(05:57):
able to understand your storybetter.
Okay, so mindset shift numbertwo I had to unlearn the old
school writing process.
Now, what do I mean by that?
We're conditioned to think thatwriting takes a long time.
Right, especially the planningpart.
And if you're in the indiecircles, if you're, you know,
(06:18):
have been in the space for along time maybe you're on the
rapid release train, maybe youknow that you can write and plan
and publish faster, but for themajority of authors, we're
taught that good writing comesfrom hours of grueling work.
Am I right?
I know I'm right.
I've been here a while.
Right, but using AI, you canquickly generate outlines, tweak
(06:40):
your world building and solveplot inconsistencies without
wasting so much time, weeks andlots and lots and lots of effort
.
It doesn't have to be like that.
So for me, when I'm trying tosolve like tricky plot holes, I
can literally tell ChachiPT whatI'm looking for, how I'm
planning out my series, whattype of series it is.
(07:01):
I'll typically start withletting it know the genre I'm
trying to aim for.
So what type of series it is.
I'll typically start withletting it know the genre I'm
trying to aim for, so that wecan get really clear on reader
expectations, so that we can getclear on tropes, that we can
understand what it is that we'regoing to try to uncover.
And we always start from thosebig boulders.
Now I taught this in the plan.
Your series challenge as wellthat the big boulders are the
(07:23):
most important things that wehave to talk about first.
So if you know what your bigboulders are, aka the most
important pivotal moments inyour story, everything else can
kind of fall around it, and soyou don't have to go as detailed
into an outline as possible ifyou at least know your big
boulders right.
But chat gpt can help you torough out ideas, give you some
(07:45):
more plot twist, concepts,things that you're not
necessarily going to think about.
Now, let's just say yourcharacter is an Enneagram 2 and
you're an Enneagram 9.
The two of you are going tothink very differently about how
to solve a problem.
And if you have that mapped outwith ChatGPT, you could talk to
chat and say, hey, chat, mycharacter's an Enneagram 2, and
(08:09):
this is the scenario that'sunfolding.
How can I write a situation, orwhat type of situation would
they put themselves in?
How would they solve thisproblem as an Enneagram 2?
And what you're going to findis that maybe they're going to
problem solve it in a completelydifferent way from what you
would normally do it as.
And now, all of a sudden, thestory is going to feel more
(08:29):
genuine.
The characters', actions andmotivations, the way that they
handle things or say things, aregoing to be more consistent
with who they are versus who youare.
You see what I'm saying.
It's so good.
And so my mentality when I wasshifting into AI, when I was
thinking about, like, how doesthis get to work for us?
For me, obviously, the testingpart of it was never an issue.
(08:52):
I never had unlearned that,because that was something I
wasn't afraid of.
But learning how to understand,like the, the writings process
and let go of some of the oldways, definitely was All right.
So, number three I had tounlearn the fear of losing
creativity.
This is a big myth.
Right, ai is going to replacecreativity or water it down.
(09:14):
Now, here's the thing.
Here's the thing.
Listen up, clean your balls out.
Ai amplifies creativity byremoving the busy work and
helping you to think bigger.
Let me repeat that it amplifiesyour creativity by removing all
the extraneous BS and helpingyou to think bigger.
(09:35):
Now, energy flows whereattention goes, yeah, and so the
more energy you're putting onthe bigger things, the bigger
creativity, and less that you'rehaving to focus on like the
little things, the better.
So I found that AI lets mefocus on, like, the fun parts of
writing.
Right, so we're developingintricate characters, we're
creating twisting plot lines andbig emotional moments, and it
(09:58):
handles repetitive tasks likescene details, things that you
know if I'm trying to figure out, like where could this be set?
What type of mood am I tryingto bring in?
What would make sense to makethese, the readers, really
engaged here?
Okay, and it just having thatconcept.
I think this is another thingthat a lot of people talk about
too, where ai is a crutch, andthat that could definitely be
(10:21):
the case.
Now here's.
Here's a little caveat.
If you're burnt out and you'refeeling like you just don't know
what the heck you're doing, aican be a crutch because you're
leaning too much into itsknowledge versus you using your
own creativity because you're sofreaking fried.
Or if you're brand new andyou're not quite sure what
you're trying to do, ai couldalso be a crutch because you're
(10:42):
not learning to develop yourskill.
However, if you understandstory structure, if you
understand what your book'strying to become, if you
understand what you're trying tosay and you're utilizing it for
planning and brainstorming,that's a completely different
animal than having it write itfor you.
Okay, and there's nothing liketo me.
(11:03):
Guys, there's no shame inutilizing a tool like AI to help
you write your book If it'smaking you feel empowered
empowered is the key.
If you're feeling defeated, ifyou're feeling like you are
trying to pull the wool overpeople's eyes, if you feel like
you are getting away withsomething, these are all things
(11:23):
that maybe should be red flagsthat you're utilizing AI in a
way that is not so creative ornot so like in tune with who you
really are.
However, we've embraced newtools throughout the dawn of
time.
This is just one more new toolthat we're adding to our toolkit
to do our jobs, to be morecreative, to feel more in flow.
(11:45):
Since I'll give you a littlehint or a little side note.
Since I started using ChatGPT tohelp me brainstorm and plot out
my books, I've had readers talkto me Like I've always
considered myself a pretty goodplanner, right, and I am high
strategic.
It's my number two strength.
But even since utilizing chatto create and understand my
(12:07):
outlines better, I have beenable to get reviews and
testimonials from readers sayingoh my gosh, these books just
keep getting better and better.
Her writing is getting betterand better.
And that's the power of takingoff, like your brain, the things
that aren't as important andallowing you to kind of just
flow into the creativity ofwhatever's happening.
(12:27):
It's so good guys, so good, allright.
Thing.
Number four unlearn the need todo it all at once.
Unlearn the need to do it allat once.
What does that mean?
Many writers, I think, feelthis need to sit down and map
out everything at once, or it'snot real.
Planning Now, while I teach this, in four books, five days, that
(12:49):
you can plan out your series offour books in five days.
Technically, you could do it inless.
It's just that I string it outso that you can plan out your
series of four books in fivedays.
Technically, you could do it inless.
It's just that I string it outso that you're not getting
overwhelmed with all the detailsthat ChatGPT is going to throw
at you.
But AI lets you break theplanning into digestible pieces
and really focus on one elementat a time.
You don't need to plan yourentire series in one sitting
(13:10):
because you can chunk it downand just like do a plot
structure here today, characterdevelopment tomorrow, world
building after that, andespecially if you're using a
custom GPT that is dedicated toeverything that you're building
out, where it understands theplot, it understands your
characters, it understands whatyour process is going to be Like
(13:31):
.
Once it has that information inthe back end of the custom GPT,
it will help you to continue torefine and build even more into
it.
And it's just, it's been sofabulous in keeping, like the
world knowledge.
It's almost like that, thatworld building Bible right, the
book Bible that everybody talksabout, series Bible and it keeps
(13:52):
it all there to help you to beconsistent, to help you have a
tone, and then, once yourstories are finished, oh my God,
the things that you can do withit after that.
When the books are done and itunderstands what you've written
now, all of a sudden you havetools to be able to ask, like
okay, we're going to have a saleon this series.
What great tone should I bringout in my social media to be
(14:15):
able to talk about all the coolthings that are going on in this
series?
Or, like, how can I use certainhooks to be able to entice
readers who love paranormalfantasy to engage with this
particular series like the?
The way you can engage chat gptis really honestly endless and
it helps you to do so much ofthe stuff that we're doing so
(14:39):
much faster, takes, like I said,it takes so much of the brain
power off of you and puts it onto chat so that you're able to
focus on what you really like.
You know how authors are alwaystalking about, how, like
writing their newsletter ordoing their social media is not
their fun suit, right, it's nottheir fun thing.
Writing is.
Well, now you can use ChatGPTto help you do those other
(15:01):
things that are still important.
It still helps you get the wordout about your books, but you
get to focus on the writing.
See how good that is.
It's awesome, all right.
So thing number five unlearn theresistance to change.
Now, this is not typically abig one for me, right?
(15:23):
I'm pretty malleable, I guess,when it comes to change.
I like to see change, I like tolean into, but there's always
that moment.
There's always that momentwhere you're like do I have to,
though?
But when I feel the resistanceto change, or that a new
technology is coming, or I don'tknow that I want to try this
(15:45):
yet I lean into that, because Itypically find that on the other
side of it, there's somethingreally cool, right?
So the hardest shift for a lotof people, it's letting go of
what has been a thing for them.
What they've been told has tobe like the way it's always been
, and I used to think, you know,honestly, like way back in the
(16:05):
beginning, I guess I didn'tthink that writers needed any
real fancy tech.
I thought they just needed towrite.
But then, you know, the firstthing I did was go oh my god, I
hate writing in Word.
I hate it because it's all likeone big flow and I can't find
the things I want.
And I want to go back andunderstand what I was doing.
And then came Scrivener.
Oh, scrivener was amazing, butthen I can't do my layouts with
(16:27):
Scrivener very well.
So I, oh gosh, look at thisvellum.
Vellum's awesome, okay, great.
And so I'm utilizing tools, I'madding new tools as I realize
certain things are necessary orthat I need to be able to change
.
And when I started using AI, Irealized that I wasn't giving up
control.
I was actually regainingcontrol of my time and energy
(16:48):
and, interestingly enough, Irealized just how burned out I
was before that happened, beforeAI came in, because it's freed
up so much time.
And it's not that I don't wantto brainstorm my series on my
own, it has nothing to do withthat.
It's that I actually honestlyfeel more creative when
(17:09):
brainstorming with a chat bot,because AI is like guys.
There's another myth here thatI need to dispel.
Ai is not stealing your content.
Ai is not like trying toplagiarize everything you've
written.
If you feed your informationinto ChatGPT, it's not going to
rewrite it for someone else.
And now, all of a sudden,there's a copyright infringement
(17:29):
.
This is like you reading books,you reading books, they go into
your brain.
Yeah, once they're in yourbrain, they're jumbled up with
all of the knowledge, all of thebooks, all of the words, all of
the story structures you haveever incorporated into your
brain, except AI generative AIdoes this on a much bigger scale
(17:53):
and its level of understandingof story structure, of character
, development of tropes, of howto get readers excited, of how
to hit market trends, like allthe things, is going to vastly
outweigh the knowledge youcurrently have.
But when it's doing that, whenit's talking to you about how to
(18:13):
plan your series, when it'stalking to you about all the
ways to be able to organize yourthoughts, all of that stuff
it's jumbled together.
It's not trying to pick onething or the other, unless
you're telling it specificallylike I want to write this book
and I want to use the same exacttone as Sarah J Moss.
Now, whether or not it'llactually do that at this point
(18:35):
is questionable, because I knowthat there are certain things
that will flag in ChatGPT.
It might not do it.
It might be like oh, we can dosomething that's similar, but at
the same time, you have to findyour own voice right and you're
not going to do that by sayingcompletely mimic or copy someone
else, and they're not.
When it says copying, it's notgoing to be like oh, I'm going
(18:58):
to rewrite a book that isexactly the same thing that
they've already written.
It's going to be in the sametype of style, the same type of
tone and that's.
You know, it's got its ownhangups, it's got its own.
You know pluses and minusesthere.
But for you, you have to.
You have to learn how toincorporate the evolution of
(19:19):
writing tools and learn to beokay with it.
Just like Scrivener, just likeGoogle Docs, just like Vellum,
just like the typewriter and thecomputer, like all these things
are ways that we were bringingourself from one phase of
writing to another.
And AI is going to be a toolthat is going to help so many of
(19:40):
us continue to grow ourcreativity, continue to grow our
knowledge, continue to bebetter at what we do.
And the people who are thenaysayers, like this woman who
is talking to me on TikTok theseare the people who are set in
their ways and that's fine,there's nothing wrong with it.
But to assume that I'm not awriter, I'm not a creative,
(20:05):
because I'm utilizing a toolthat they're too afraid to try.
No, no, I'm sorry, that's nothow this works.
What it is is that there aretwo modalities and both are
right.
There's not one right, not onewrong, and so whatever you find
when it comes to AI, howeveryou're feeling about it, however
(20:25):
you're wanting to test it, it'sthe right way, right.
If you only want to test it, asin I'm going to see what it's
capable of in terms of writing aI don't know a recipe and not
even touch your books, hey, morepower to you, but at least
you're understanding how itworks.
If you're willing to brainstormand that's all you're willing
(20:47):
to do with it, that's fine too.
If you're willing to outline,or if you're willing to create
characters, if you're willing tohelp, let it help you create
your setting or your setup foryour chapter.
Whatever the amount ofutilization is okay, it is right
for you, and don't let anyoneelse tell you otherwise.
(21:09):
Don't be scared of these peoplewho have pitchforks out there
trying to tell you how to liveyour author life.
This, obviously, is a muchbigger thing.
It's kind of the way that Ifeel about all things in general
, because you're not going totell me I have this little bit
of a rebel thing.
Maybe that's why it's not goingto tell me I have this little
bit of a rebel thing.
Maybe that's why it's calledauthor revolution, like I have a
little bit of rebel in me whereI'm like, no, you're not going
(21:30):
to tell me how I'm going tocreate my author career, you're
not going to tell me how I'mgoing to test out new ideas,
test out new things and figureout what works best in my
particular life and situation,and so I'm not going to do that
to you.
Either I'm not going to tellyou you must do it this way or
you're going to fail.
Okay, I've never been that kindof person, and so you'll always
(21:53):
see me rooting for the peoplewho are willing to dip their toe
into something new and make apotential change, look at
transformation, see how they canbe better or shift their
perspective or try somethingthat maybe they're too scared to
try, because that's how we grow, it's how we evolve, and if
(22:13):
these people are too scared totry, well then that's fine.
Maybe they're growing indifferent ways, maybe they're
reading different books, maybethey are going to different
classes.
They're still going to belearning in their own way, in
their own capacity, right, allright.
So, to recap, here are the fivethings I had to unlearn and I
think many authors have tounlearn when it comes to AI.
(22:36):
Number one the solo writer myth.
Number two, the old schoolwriting process.
Number three, the fear oflosing creativity.
Number four, the need to do itall at once.
And number five, the resistanceto change.
So now that you know themindset shifts, it's time to put
(22:58):
them into practice.
So if you're ready to embraceAI and make a massive leap
forward in your series planning,I'm going to give you the
opportunity, if you so choose.
If you want to join me in thefour books five days challenge.
We're going to be going throughstep-by-step as I show you
exactly how to plot an entireseries of four books in less
(23:18):
than a week using ChatGPT.
Now, I launched this last year,last October, and this year
we're doing it again.
In fact, I'm reclaiming Octoberas Plottober instead of
Preptober.
I know there's a lot of peoplewho are up in arms with
NaNoWriMo.
It's fine.
I personally have always likedthe six-week writing sprint
anyway, and so, while NaNo wasmy springboard, I never really
(23:42):
utilized their platform in theway that a lot of other people
do or have in the past.
And so for me, it's time toembrace our bigger destiny, our
bigger why?
Our bigger?
Like end of the year, let's getthis stuff done, mentality
ultimately right.
And so, if you missed out onfour books, five days, we're
doing a live cohort.
(24:02):
It's going to be freakingamazing.
We're starting next Monday,october 7th, and running through
the 12th, so the five daystechnically is Monday through
Friday.
We're gonna have a mindset dayon Sunday that opens up on
Sunday, the 6th, and then on the12th we're gonna have our live
call where you can bring yourquestions about AI, about series
(24:23):
planning, about writing yourbooks, anything you wanna bring.
Bring it that day.
Now.
Remember, if you keep doingthings the same way, you're
going to get the same results.
It's time for a lot of us totry something new and I promise
once you make these mindsetshifts, you'll never want to go
back to the old way of writing.
You'll never want to go back tothe old way of writing.
(24:44):
It has like that old way hasburned up.
It doesn't exist in my brainanymore because of how
revolutionary ChatGPT has beenin my process, in the way that
I'm going to be doing thingsinto all that I am.
So if you want to get signed up,if you want to join the cohort
this year maybe you missed itlast year head over to
authorrevolutionorg forwardslash plotober.
(25:06):
That's P-L-O-T-O-B-E-R, and itwill send you right to the
signup page there.
Make sure that you use promocode plotober24.
So P-L-O-T-O-B-E-R 24.
And then you'll save on thatprocess.
It'll only be $88 instead of150.
(25:26):
So you're saving.
I think it's like 41%, guys.
So make sure you make sure youuse that coupon code.
But I want you to know there'sso much more coming.
This month we're going to talka lot about AI tools.
We're going to talk about rapidreleasing and what that looks
like for me this year and goingforward.
There's so many good nuggetsthat we're going to be talking
rapid releasing and what thatlooks like for me this year and
going forward.
There's so many good nuggetsthat we're going to be talking
(25:48):
about in Plotober and I can'twait to share them with you.
So, guys, thanks for listening.
I can't wait to see what youcreate this Plotober or whenever
with your newly superchargedplanning skills.
Head over to authorevolutionorgforward slash 255.
If you want to be able to checkout the links or download the
transcript, all of it will bethere as well.
(26:10):
I hope you're excited to try newthings.
I hope you're excited to thinkabout how AI can really enrich
your process for planning forgrowing.
It's going to be amazing andyou're going to love every step
of the way.
It is not the big scary thingso many people are making it out
to be.
It really isn be amazing andyou're going to love every step
of the way.
It is not the big scary thingso many people are making it out
to be.
It really isn't, and you'regoing to enjoy it so much.
(26:31):
All right, you know what to do.
Then go forth and start yourauthor revolution.
Thank you.
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I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com