Stories and poems with AI
Use AI as a writing partner for ideas, characters and feedback, while keeping your own voice, and try a haiku.
AI can be a great writing partner. But the best stories still come from you. Writers sometimes get stuck. They can't think of an idea, or they don't know what happens next. A I can help with that. But think of A I as a writing partner, not the writer. You make the choices. You're the author.
How AI can help you write
It can give you ideas, when you don't know what to write about, help you invent characters and names, suggest what could happen next, and give you feedback on what you've written. Here's a brainstorming prompt. I'm eleven, and I'm writing a short story about kindness, set in Lagos. Give me three ideas, one sentence each. The chatbot gives three ideas. The writer picks one, but says, I'll write it myself. What could go wrong, to make it exciting? The A I suggests a problem for the story. The writer can use it, change it, or think of something better.
The co-writing loop
Here's a good way to write with A I. First, you write a part of the story yourself. Then ask for ideas, or feedback. You choose what to keep, and what to ignore. And rewrite it in your own words. Then repeat. A I writing can sound a bit plain, like lots of other writing it learned from. What makes your story special is you. The sounds of your street, your family's jokes, the food you love. A I doesn't know those things. You do.
New word: Haiku
Let's try poetry. A haiku is a short poem from Japan, with three lines. The first line has five syllables, the second has seven, and the third has five. Here's one. Rain on the zinc roof. Drums a song for sleepy eyes. Lagos night is cool. You can ask A I to check your syllables, or suggest words that rhyme.
Quick check
Quick check. You want A I help with a story competition. What should you do first? Check the rules. Some competitions don't allow A I at all. And if it's allowed, say how you used it. Options: Check the rules: some competitions don't allow AI; Ask AI to write the whole story; Copy a story from the internet; Enter without reading the rules.
Recap
A I can be your writing partner. Use it for ideas, characters, what happens next, and feedback. You choose what to keep, and rewrite it in your own words. And your own voice makes it special.
Key points
- AI can be a writing partner: it can suggest ideas, characters and what happens next, and give feedback. You're still the author.
- The co-writing loop: write a part, ask for ideas or feedback, choose what to keep, and rewrite it in your own words.
- Your own experiences, places and humour make your writing special.
- A haiku is a short poem with three lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables.
- Check the rules before using AI for a competition or schoolwork, and say how you used it.
Try it: Ask for writing help, not a ghost writer
Write a prompt that asks AI to help you brainstorm, while you write the story yourself.