Ideate Like No One Can, Not Even ChatGPT

This week, I did a social media post talking about my 3-step writing process. Well, my 3-step pre-writing process. A thing that, for so long, I had no idea existed. Writing and rewriting, sure. But pre-writing?

Free-flow writers like me just want to be struck by an idea, build a single element in our minds— a character, a location, a message— and just write toward that magical goal-line. Usually, it’s allowing a character to tell us who they are and how they behave in the world…in this situation…and with this set of people with whom they share the trenches.

We write at their command.

It’s a little different from how we think about the muse. This is unmuddied-by-organization creative possession. We become the vessel for the soul of the story and through us it is off-sprung.

But, that can be time-costly. Having no clear story goal-posts, no clear character occupancies, no sense of rhythm and so on and so forth can cost us a finish line. Having none of these can also hinder our sense of accomplishment. We’re getting words on the page, but how do we know when we’ve gotten to something useful? How do we know if what we’re writing is or isn’t a big heap of smelly pig mess?

I love just letting it flow. But that means months and sometimes years of rewriting. With no system— there is just the way I like to write because it feels good, feels spiritual. I don’t want to lose that. But I had to do something so that my writing became more efficient. I needed to take some control of the process and be partners with those characters, locations or ideals that wanted to come through me.

Writing professionally became a goal, so I had to learn to write for deadline. For a long time, I missed most deadlines, which is a death-nail in a career. Gotta come in on time and on budget, right?

So, it was paramount that I create a process that would allow me to honor my free-flow style and have structure to both my story and my timeline. I came up with a 3-Step Pre-Writing Process for FreeStyle Writers.

Let’s take a closer look at Step One: Ideate.

But first, there’s a grizzly in the room. Duhn, duhn, GRRRR. AI. Lots of gurus tell us to use it to ideate. Ideation is simply coming up with ideas. The good thing— you don’t sell ideas. Ever. They’re not even protected under law (the intellectual property [IP] created from an idea is). This means, you can ask Chat a question and what the program will answer is simply a possible idea you can follow.

Like, ‘Chat, I’m a midlife storyteller just getting started in my career writing for glossy lifestyle magazines and I’d like you to help me create a week’s worth of Instagram posts to help tell about my journey. Can you do that?’

To this, Chat gives a seven-day breakdown. But ends with the most important suggestion—and ultimately why it cannot at this time replace you.

“Feel free to adjust the captions and themes to better fit your personal narrative and journey. Let me know if you need further customization or assistance with anything else!”

Is AI dangerous? Yes, if you fear a potential “The Terminator” future. No, if you want to stay competitive in today’s marketplace.

And no diss to my buddy, Chat, but the suggestions for each day are completely devoid of personality, panache or POV.

The truth is, regardless of technology, you never get in the door because of your worthiness. You get in by credibility. And you never sell a script. You sell your point of view.

On to the human touch.

Step One is about asking ‘wouldn’t it be cool if…’ and then checking in with our thoughts, beliefs, values, and universal instruction for life. I think about genre, subgenre, category, types, theme/premise and setting (and this is the order I set them up). I decide these upfront and by the time I get to Step Three, they are fixed.

Remember, for me, this is part exercise in efficiency/completing a project. So, I like to take my time figuring it out, but once I do… stick to it.

I’ll explain them outside of the order I set them up because I think this is the best flow for getting to know them.

What is genre? I think about genre in the classical form as defined by Aristotle in Poetics, though I think two clear genres exist—comedy and tragedy.

I think of subgenre in terms of sci-fi (my favorite), fantasy, horror, romance, etc. And types as: Thriller, a type of Horror. I also consider the combination of subgenres ie sci-fi/romance to be a type.

Categories for me are as story genre is defined in Save the Cat.

Storytellers come to our own conclusions on how to classify these ways to compartmentalize story elements. What’s important to understand is that, no matter the name we give them, each has its effect on structure and other story components.

Setting is simply time and place. For me, this is important to decide because it will inform how our characters respond to the situations they’re in as much as genre.

But the thing that makes a story you and is the element that you sell—your point of view—is theme/premise.

Theme is the wisdom of the storyteller that is stated. Premise is the wisdom of the storyteller that is demonstrated. They are similar and entwined, but not the same thing. It is your thesis statement and your proof. It is the way only you see, observe, negotiate, conclude, believe, value and move throughout the world. It is your vantage point.

It is what you need to say. It is the universal gem you impart to us. The secret you know that will save us, make us laugh, complete us, make us yearn.

This is the thing you sell. And ChatGPT ain’t got nothing on that. AI can’t even conceive of it. Because it is a culmination that no machine has—your mind, your soul and your awaked nature in this life.

Figuring these out is the first step of my pre-writing process. If it doesn’t sound easy, that’s okay. What’s not easy now will make your work so much easier later. And it will get easier with practice.

What’s your favorite subgenre? What are its usual components—what do most or all stories here have in common? What do you love about it? What happens if you blend these components with ones from another subgenre? Set out to answer these questions and more to make a fun time of your pre-writing adventures.

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Happy reading!

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