You’re 30,000 words into your novel and completely lost.
The plot feels tangled. Your characters aren’t behaving right. You know what you want your story to be, but you can’t figure out how to get there.
Sound familiar?
WHY MANY WRITERS GET DISAPPOINTING RESULTS FROM AI
More and more fiction writers are turning to AI tools like Claude for help. But many feel frustrated with the results.
They type vague questions like “There’s something wrong with this scene” or “My character feels flat” and wonder why the AI can’t help them.
Here’s what they’re missing: The quality of your AI output depends entirely on the quality of your prompt.
Generic prompts get generic results. But when you learn to prompt with specifics, AI becomes your most powerful writing partner.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VAGUE AND SPECIFIC PROMPTS
Let me show you exactly what I mean.
Vague prompt:
“There’s something wrong with this scene.”
Specific prompt:
“In this scene, my hero discovers her sister has been lying to her. I feel that her response to this revelation sounds phony. Please give me 5 suggestions of how she could realistically respond.”
See the difference?
The specific prompt gives AI three critical pieces of information:
- Context: What’s happening in the scene (sister’s lie revealed)
- The problem: What’s not working (response sounds phony)
- What you need: Specific, actionable suggestions (5 realistic alternatives)
With this level of detail, AI can help you solve your problem instead of offering generic writing advice.
THREE WAYS TO MAKE YOUR PROMPTS MORE SPECIFIC
- Provide Story Context
Instead of asking for a “character idea,” try: “I need a character for a mystery set in a small coastal town with a secret connected to the community’s history.”
The more context you give AI about your genre, setting, and story situation, the more tailored its suggestions will be.
- Name the Specific Problem
Instead of saying “something’s not working,” identify exactly what bothers you:
- “The dialogue sounds too formal”
- “The character’s motivation isn’t clear”
- “This scene drags and I don’t know what to cut”
Precision in your problem description leads to precision in AI’s solutions.
- Ask for What You Actually Need
Be clear about the kind of help you want:
- “Give me 3 different ways this scene could end”
- “Suggest contradictions in this character’s personality”
- “Help me identify what’s making this dialogue feel unnatural”
THINK OF AI AS A BRAINSTORMING PARTNER
The most effective way to use AI is as a collaborative partner rather than a replacement for your creativity.
AI doesn’t truly “understand” your story the way a human does. It needs your guidance. It can’t replace your unique voice or creative vision.
But when you learn to guide it with specific, context-rich prompts, AI becomes available 24/7 to help you:
- Brainstorm when you’re stuck
- Deepen character complexity
- Untangle plot problems
- Get objective feedback on specific elements
The creative decisions always remain yours. AI simply helps you explore possibilities and solve problems faster.
READY TO STOP BEING LOST IN YOUR STORY?
Learning to prompt AI effectively is just one of the techniques I teach in Get Unstuck: Writing Fiction with the Help of AI.
Every chapter addresses a specific fiction writing challenge—from character development to plot holes to dialogue that falls flat—with prompts and techniques that actually work for fiction writers.
You’ll discover how to:
- Use structured brainstorming to generate focused story ideas
- Deepen characters with contradictions and complexity
- Overcome creative blocks by looking at problems from new angles
- Collaborate with AI while maintaining your unique voice
Whether you’re stuck on your first novel or looking to enhance your existing writing process, this book gives you practical, proven strategies to work with AI as your writing partner.
Check out the Real-World AI Series: http://thewrittenlink.com