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How to Write a Short Story in 20 Minutes (ChatGPT + Claude)

Education


Introduction

Writing a short story can be a daunting task, but with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), it becomes much easier and faster. In this article, we will guide you through the process of using ChatGPT and Claude to write a compelling short story in just 20 minutes.

Step 1: Using ChatGPT to Generate Ideas

To start, we will use ChatGPT to generate ideas for our short story. We begin with a superhero-related prompt and ask ChatGPT to provide us with 20 ideas for a superhero short story. We specifically request ideas with a single protagonist, a clear dilemma, a decision, a climax, and an outcome. We also add a clever twist and a clever world-building feature to make the prompt more interesting.

After receiving the ideas from ChatGPT, we select one that catches our attention. We choose the idea of a protagonist named Tim, who can see 10 seconds into the future and repeatedly sees his own death during a superhero battle. Tim must make multiple changes to avoid his fate, but no matter what he does, he keeps seeing his death repeatedly. The climax of the story is yet to be determined, leaving room for creative development.

Step 2: Creating a Super Prompt with Claude

Now that we have a basic idea for our short story, we move on to creating a super prompt using Claude. A super prompt combines various elements, including the story prompt, character profiles, style instructions, and chapter beats, to guide Claude in generating the desired story.

First, we create an outline using the Lester Dent Pulp Fiction short story formula. This formula consists of four sets of 1,500 words, totaling around 6,000 words for the entire story. We input this outline into Claude, which generates detailed story beats for each chapter.

Next, we define the writing style we want for our story. For this example, we choose a first-person present point of view from the perspective of Tim, the protagonist. We emphasize show, don't tell, realistic dialogue, and the use of stronger verbs for a more engaging narrative.

To further shape Tim's character, we request Claude to generate a detailed character profile, including Myers-Briggs and Enneagram personality types.

Finally, we provide a sample chapter that matches the desired style and ask Claude to create a story of 50,000 words based on the instructions and information provided.

Step 3: Iterating and Fine-tuning the Story

Once we have our super prompt ready, we input it into Claude and run it to generate the story. It may require multiple attempts to achieve the desired length and quality. In our example, the first attempt didn't fully meet our expectations, so we ran the prompt again, taking care to place the instructions at the top to ensure they were read first.

Once Claude generates a chapter, we review and edit it as needed. In this process, we maintain consistency with the story beats provided and focus on developing each beat fully rather than rushing to new plot points. This iterative process continues for each chapter until we have a complete short story.

Keywords:

Short story, AI writing, ChatGPT, Claude, Super prompt, Story beats, Character profile, Writing style

FAQs:

  1. How does AI assist in writing short stories?

    • AI models like ChatGPT and Claude can generate ideas, outlines, dialogues, and even entire chapters, making the writing process faster and more streamlined.
  2. Can AI write a complete short story without any human input?

    • While AI can generate story elements, it's important for writers to provide direction, style instructions, and make edits to ensure coherence and personal investment in the story.
  3. How long does it take to write a short story using AI?

    • With the aid of AI, you can write a short story in as little as 20 minutes. However, the editing and fine-tuning process may require additional time and effort.
  4. Can AI replace human creativity in storytelling?

    • AI can assist in the storytelling process, but the personal touch and emotional connection that human creators bring to their work are irreplaceable. AI should be seen as a tool to enhance creativity, not replace it.
  5. Where can I learn more about AI writing?

    • There are many resources available online that delve deeper into AI writing techniques and tools. From tutorials to forums, you can explore the topic to find what best suits your needs.