AI for Authors: Beast or Blessing?

As AI rapidly evolves, so does its use by students, CEOs, sales managers, entrepreneurs—and, well, just about everyone. So how do authors use AI? For research, plotting, or even writing parts—or all—of the book for them, in their own voice?

I’m glad you asked.

The best way to answer that question is to share my personal journey with AI. Whether you use ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini, Perplexity, or another chatbot, the experience is largely similar. I use Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT.

Each book in my Logan McKenna series places Logan in a unique setting, exploring a new occupation or fascinating topic I—and by extension, my readers—want to learn more about. That’s why I allow at least a month for research before beginning to plan and write any of my novels.

When I first began the series about ten years ago, research meant locating experts to interview, building long email chains, and scheduling in-person visits or phone and Zoom calls. I also did extensive online digging before reaching out to professionals willing to share their valuable time answering my endless questions.

I still do this. Nothing beats talking face-to-face in someone’s work environment—picking up co-worker dialogue, fact-checking, and immersing myself in the sights, sounds, and smells of a particular place. All of this helps make my stories as authentic as possible. Ten books in, my readers expect and appreciate that level of detail. It’s what makes my mystery/thriller series unique.

When chatbots first appeared, I asked a few questions—how to stop my dog from barking or who the female lead was in an old movie. I saw them as extensions of a search engine. But as AI quickly evolved, so did I. I realized I could ask if a gunshot could be heard next door if the killer used a silencer. (Spoiler: silencers aren’t really silent.) What gun would a non–law enforcement killer likely use? How does a forensic anthropologist determine the age and sex of a murder victim with just a few bones? Which bones would they need? What if those bones were buried for 15 years? Would they be white or stained brown?

My chatbot would quickly spit out detailed, specific answers—and tell me how brilliant I was for asking. Every time. I found myself thanking it, which is unnecessary but a knee-jerk reaction for many of us. And it would say, “You’re welcome.”

Then it got dicey. In addition to answering questions, the chatbot began offering to “craft a compelling scene” using the information it provided.

Oh, hell no! I am the writer, not you, chatbot! Close chat window.

And because I want to get it right, I triple-check the info it gives me with real experts. My chatbot is often incorrect—sometimes even inventing facts just to give me something to chew on. Not good. AI’s accuracy is improving, but I still verify everything before using it.

Then this happened.

A few months ago, I got an email inviting me to a free (aren’t they always?) webinar promising to show me how to write my next book in days—or hours—instead of weeks or months. Yikes! All my antennae went up. Were they kidding? Even if I could pump out a book that fast, I wouldn’t want to. Still, sometimes you have to peek into the enemy camp to see what they’re up to. So I signed up.

Wow.

He showed how to use AI to create a personal style guide—training it to write in your voice by uploading samples of your work. Then you could instruct it to produce a chapter of X number of words, and voilà. He raced through the setup and options at lightning speed before offering a paid program to walk you through it. His takeaway? Once customized, AI could pump out chapters—and soon entire books—in your voice. Plus design the cover. Write the marketing blurb. And probably make breakfast while you wait.

I find this deeply disturbing. Not only is it cheating, but the quality isn’t the same. Chatbots still overuse phrases like “take a deep dive” and rely on clichés. That will improve, yes. And I suspect many—perhaps most—authors, especially those in genre fiction who churn out five to ten books a year, will use AI to write part or all of their books.

Not me.

That would suck the joy right out of it. I don’t want AI creating my characters or deciding who the killer is, or how Logan gets herself into and out of trouble. And remember: AI can only “write” based on what it’s been fed or has gleaned from existing data. That’s not creativity.

For me, AI is an amazing, valuable tool. It provides background I then verify with experts before immersing myself in their world. The paid versions can help you give your cover designer ideas to work from, and I’m not opposed to using it for marketing blurbs or ads, but the day AI can write a Logan book better than I can is the day I hang up my keyboard.

P.S. I did, however, use it to copy edit this blog post and align it with Chicago Manual of Style.  It did a decent job. Again, complimenting me on my amazing writing. . .