research about creative writers

Creative Writing Research: What, How and Why

• First Online: 23 July 2023

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• Graeme Harper 2  

Creative writing research is actively moving us further toward knowing what creative writing actually is—in terms of our human actions and our responses when doing it. It is approaching such things as completed literary works and author recognition within the activities of creative writing, not mostly as representatives of that practice, and it is paying close attention to the modes, methods and functions of the writerly imagination, the contemporary influence of individual writer environments on writers, to writerly senses of structure and form and our formation and re-formation of writing themes and subjects. We certainly understand creative writing and creative writing research best when we remain true to why creative writing happens, when and where it happens, and how it happens—and creative writing research is doing that, focusing on the actions and the material results as evidence of our actions. Creative writing research has also opened up better communication between our knowledge of creative writing and our teaching of creative writing, with the result that we are improving that teaching, not only in our universities and colleges but also in our schools.

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Harper, G. (2023). Creative Writing Research: What, How and Why. In: Rebecca Leung, ML. (eds) Chinese Creative Writing Studies. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-0931-5_12

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Reference books are designed to help users find factual information or gain a broad overview of a topic. Typically, they also provide citations of sources for further investigation. The list below offers some suggested research topics for writers, but it is only a starting point. Any information that helps you see the world in new ways may contribute to your writing. NOTE: Although reference books are listed in DELCAT Discovery as non-circulating, they are eligible for Library Pickup Service during the fall 2020 semester.

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The Art of Creative Research

A field guide for writers.

Philip Gerard

240 pages | 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 | © 2017

Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing

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“Many authors writing a book about research would end it once all of the tips and tricks have been covered. Gerard is to be commended for an approach that, from the very first pages, is sensitive to the fact that the point of all of this research is to produce a piece of writing. He closes the book with craft-focused advice on how to breathe life into the research one has done and translating it onto the page. Writers will find time-honored advice about including sensory details, developing narrative voice, and how to write a scene that one has not witnessed firsthand.”

Hippocampus Magazine

“Gerard fills in a missing part of our thinking about ‘creative writing’: how we inform ourselves. In nonfiction in particular, the writer can only write what she knows, and Gerard offers a map for how to get to a place of knowing. The research for artful writing must itself be artful, he says, and extend beyond Google into other kinds of archive. I love and recommend this book.”

Ted Conover, author of Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing and Immersion: A Writer’s Guide to Going Deep

“Is it wrong to use the word ‘thrilling’ for a book about research? Maybe, but as a longtime writing teacher, I am thrilled by the ideas in this book, ideas that push writers away from their small and self-conscious matter and outward into the greater world. Gerard shows us that research and creativity, far from being two opposite poles, are forever intertwined. This book is an inspiring map that leads us into the world of research, a world large enough to hold both romance and hard fact.”

David Gessner, author of All the Wild That Remains: Edward Abbey, Wallace Stegner, and the American West

“What book on research starts with a love song to its subject? This one. Gerard’s voice here is warm and closely engaged—for him, the creative part of research is captivating. He loves it absolutely. The Art of Creative Research includes poetry and fiction as well as narrative nonfiction. It’s a handbook and field guide for all genres and all tech levels, from Moleskine notebooks to smartpens and Evernote.”

Diana Hume George, author of The Lonely Other: A Woman Watching America and Oedipus Anne: The Poetry of Anne Sexton

“Gerard just flat-out gets it. The Art of Creative Research reveals the true heart of a writer’s quest for knowledge. Gerard understands that research is art and craft. He knows that a great book on research has to cover the philosophical and the practical. He covers technology and humanity, the latest software and the old-school tools. He understands that research is at its core about the human need to know. Every writer, teacher, and student out there ought to read this book. Gerard has done the rarest of things: He’s written an indispensable book.”

Joe Mackall, author of Plain Secrets: An Outsider among the Amish and cofounder of River Teeth: A Journal of Nonfiction Narrative

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On the Fine Art of Researching For Fiction  

Jake wolff: how to write beyond the borders of your experience.

The first time I considered the relationship between fiction and research was during a writing workshop—my first—while I watched the professor eviscerate some poor kid’s story about World War II. And yeah, the story was bad. I remember the protagonist being told to “take cover” and then performing several combat rolls to do so.

“You’re college students,” the professor said. “Write about college students.”

Later, better professors would clarify for me that research, with a touch of imagination, can be a perfectly valid substitute for experience. But that’s always where the conversation stopped. If we ever uttered the word “research” in a workshop, we did so in a weaponized way to critique a piece of writing: “This desperately needs more research,” we’d all agree, and then nothing more would be said. We’d all just pretend that everyone in the room already knew how to integrate research into fiction and that the failures of the story were merely a lack of effort rather than skill. Secretly, though, I felt lost.

I knew research was important, and I knew how to research. My questions all had to do with craft. How do I incorporate research into fiction? How do I provide authenticity and detail without turning the story into a lecture? How much research is too much? Too little?

How do I allow research to support the story without feeling obligated to remain in the realm of fact—when I am, after all, trying to write fiction?

I heavily researched my debut novel, in which nearly every chapter is science-oriented, historical, or both. I’d like to share a method I used throughout the research and writing process to help deal with some of my questions. This method is not intended to become a constant fixture in your writing practice. But if you’re looking for ways to balance or check the balance of the amount of research in a given chapter, story, or scene, you might consider these steps: identify, lie, apply.

I recently had a conversation with a former student, now a friend, about a short story he was writing. He told me he was worried he’d packed it too full of historical research.

“Well,” I said, “how much research is in there?”

“Uhhh,” he answered. “I’m not sure?”

That’s what we might call a visualization problem. It’s hard to judge the quantity of something you can’t see.

I’ve faced similar problems in my own work. I once received a note from my editor saying that a certain chapter of my novel read too much like a chemistry textbook. At first, I was baffled—I didn’t think of the chapter as being overly research-forward. But upon reading it again, I realized I had missed the problem. After learning so much about chemistry, I could no longer “see” the amount of research I had crammed into twenty pages.

Literature scholars don’t have this problem because they cite their sources; endnotes, footnotes, and the like don’t merely provide a tool for readers to verify claims, but also provide a visual reminder that research exists within the text. Thankfully, creative writers generally don’t have to worry about proper MLA formatting (though you should absolutely keep track of your sources). Still, finding a quick way to visually mark the research in your fiction is the least exciting but also the most important step in recognizing its role in your work.

Personally, I map my research in blue. So when my editor flagged that chapter for me, I went back to the text and began marking the research. By the end of the process, the chapter was filled with paragraphs that looked like this one:

Progesterone is a steroid hormone that plays an especially important role in pregnancy. Only a few months before Sammy arrived in Littlefield, a group of scientists found the first example of progesterone in plants. They’d used equipment I would never be able to access, nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectroscopy, to search for the hormone in the leaves of the English Walnut trees. In humans, aging was associated with a drop in progesterone and an increase in tumor formation—perhaps a result of its neurosteroidal function.

My editor was spot-on: this barely qualified as fiction. But I truly hadn’t seen it. As both a writer and teacher, I’m constantly amazed by how blind we can become to our own manuscripts. Of course, this works the other way, too: if you’re writing a story set in medieval England but haven’t supported that setting with any research, you’ll see it during this step. It’s such an easy, obvious exercise, but I know so few writers who do this.

Before moving on, I’ll pause to recommend also highlighting research in other people’s work. If there’s a story or novel you admire that is fairly research-forward, go through a few sections and mark anything that you would have needed research to write. This will help you see the spacing and balance of research in the fiction you’re hoping to emulate.

(Two Truths and a) Lie

You’ve probably heard of the icebreaker Two Truths and a Lie: you tell two truths and one lie about yourself, and then the other players have to guess which is the lie. I’d rather die than play this game in real life, but it works beautifully when adapted as a solo research exercise.

It’s very simple. When I’m trying to (re)balance the research in my fiction, I list two facts I’ve learned from my research and then invent one “fact” that sounds true but isn’t. The idea is to acquaint yourself with the sound of the truth when it comes to a given subject and then to recreate that sound in a fictive sentence. It’s a way to provide balance and productivity, ensuring that you’re continuing to imagine and invent —to be a fiction writer— even as you’re researching.

I still have my notes from the first time I used this exercise. I was researching the ancient Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang for a work of historical fiction I would later publish in One Story. I was drowning in research, and the story was nearing fifty pages (!) with no end in sight. My story focused on the final years of the emperor’s life, so I made a list of facts related to that period, including these:

1. The emperor was obsessed with finding the elixir of life and executed Confucian scholars who failed to support this obsession.

2. If the emperor coughed, everyone in his presence had to cough in order to mask him as the source.

3. The emperor believed evil spirits were trying to kill him and built secret tunnels to travel in safety from them.

Now, the second of those statements is a lie. My facts were showing me that the emperor was afraid of dying and made other people the victims of that fear—my lie, in turn, creates a usable narrative detail supporting these facts. I ended up using this lie as the opening of the story. I was a graduate student at the time, and when I workshopped the piece, my professor said something about how the opening worked because “It’s the kind of thing you just can’t make up.” I haven’t stopped using this exercise since.

We have some facts; we have some lies. The final step is to integrate these details into the story. We’ll do this by considering their relationship to the beating heart of fiction: conflict. You can use this step with both facts and lies. My problem tends to be an overload of research rather than the opposite, so I’ll show you an example of a lie I used to help provide balance.

In a late chapter in my book, three important characters—Sammy and his current lover Sadiq and his ex- lover Catherine—travel to Rapa Nui (Easter Island). They’ve come to investigate a drug with potential anti-aging properties that originates in the soil there (that’s a fact; the drug is called rapamycin). As I researched travel to Easter Island, my Two Truths and a Lie exercise produced the following lie:

There are only two airports flying into Easter Island; these airports constantly fight with each other.

In reality, while there are two airports serving Easter Island (one in Tahiti; the other in Chile), nearly everyone flies from Chile, and it’s the same airline either way. On its surface, this is the kind of lie I would expect to leave on the cutting room floor—it’s a dry, irrelevant detail.

But when I’m using the ILA method, I try not to pre-judge. Instead, I make a list of the central conflicts in the story or chapter and a list of the facts and lies. Then I look for applications—i.e., for ways in which each detail may feel relevant to the conflicts. To my surprise, I found that the airport lie fit the conflicts of the chapter perfectly:

Ultimately, the airport lie spoke to the characters, all of whom were feeling the painful effects of life’s capriciousness, the way the choices we make can seem under our control but also outside it, arbitrary but also fateful. I used this lie to introduce these opposing forces and to divide the characters: Sammy and Sadiq fly from Tahiti; Catherine flies from Chile.

Two airports in the world offered flights to Rapa Nui—one in Tahiti, to the west, and one in Chile, to the east. Most of the scientists stayed in one of those two countries. There was no real meaning to it. But still, it was hard, in a juvenile way, not to think of the two groups as opposing teams in a faction. There was the Tahiti side, and there was the Chile side, and only one could win.

This sort of schematic—complete with a table and headers—may seem overly rigid to you, to which I’d respond, Gee, you sound like one of my students. What can I say? I’m a rigid guy. But when you’re tackling a research-intensive story, a little rigidity isn’t the worst thing. Narrative structure does not supply itself. It results from the interplay between the conflicts, the characters, and the details used to evoke them. I’m presenting one way, of many, to visualize those relationships whenever you’re feeling lost.

Zora Neal Hurston wrote, “Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose.” Maybe that’s why I’m thinking of structure and rigidity—research, for me, is bolstering in this way. It provides form. But it’s also heavy and hard to work with. It doesn’t bend. If you’re struggling with the burden of it, give ILA a shot and see if unsticks whatever is holding you back. If you do try this approach, let me know if it works for you—and if it doesn’t, feel free to lie.

__________________________________

Jake Wolff’s  The History of Living Forever is out now from FSG.

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The Art of Creative Research

A field guide for writers.

• Philip Gerard
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• Language: English
• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Copyright year: 2017
• Audience: Professional and scholarly;
• Main content: 240
• Keywords: research ; observation ; exploration ; writing ; fieldwork ; archives ; imagination ; creativity ; nonfiction ; guide ; manual ; academia ; graduate school ; grad students ; authors ; journalism ; reporting ; authenticity ; information gathering ; interviews ; notes ; records ; fact checking ; memory ; conversation ; anthropology ; sociology ; folklore ; methodology
• Published: February 23, 2017
• ISBN: 9780226179940

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Layers of practice: writing a PhD alongside a public writing life

Fiona Williams is a second year PhD in Creative Writing. Her debut novel The House of Broken Bricks was published by Faber in January 2024. Here she talks to Ruth Moore about her project and her experiences as a debut novelist.  

Hi Fiona! Can you tell us about the research component of your PhD project?  

I am looking at multicultural retellings of traditional British folk tales, and how they have been influenced by social and political change and can be used to shape national perspectives of identity. I’m also looking at the current folk tale renaissance in the UK, because it’s huge, not just in literature, but also in theatre and art. I’m looking particularly at short fiction and the publishing landscape for contemporary folk literature.

And your creative work?  

My creative piece is a novel that has short stories captured within it. It will explore folklore, identity and connections to place, life in the margins and accessing marginal spaces.

What drew you to doing a PhD in Creative Writing in the first place?  

I think it was a case of feeling untethered after my MA – I loved the structure of a course, having feedback and peers to bounce ideas off. I never thought I’d be doing a PhD but now I’m here I’m very, very pleased. Deadlines really help me creatively, as does having supervisors to keep me on track. Other PhD students are a different sort of support network that you can’t get from friends and family, and you can’t necessarily get if you join a writing group. Everyone understands what you’re going through. And I love being on campus. I love that feeling of belonging.

 I’m interested how you’re finding being a ‘professional’ artist in your discipline, as well working on your PhD. How did your debut novel come about?

The debut novel came out of my MA; I think it would never have happened otherwise. Life would have gotten the way, and it would have been one of those things that I kept meaning to do, but never got round to. It all happened really quickly. I was so focused on experimenting with my own writing that I didn’t have any expectations for what would come afterwards. I had never written a novel before or anything even remotely that length.

What is at the heart of the novel?  

For me, it’s ultimately a love story; how love can come through in very different ways at different times in a family’s life cycle. It looks at love for landscape, nature and place, as well as for family and community members; how  support and tenderness can come from unexpected sources. I also wanted to explore questions around our perceptions of identity and race, those perceptions that we have of ourselves versus the those that other people have of us.

What has your experience of publication been like?

For me, The House of Broken Bricks is finished; I’m ready to put it behind me. But being caught in the publication process means I’m still having to think and talk about it all the time. It still occupies a large part of my brain, which is a bit of a challenge, as I ‘m ready to be completely focused on my PhD and next novel. But on the flip side of that, it’s been helpful having the PhD running alongside because the publication journey is really surreal. You can get completely swept up in this euphoria when the book is first launched, but it’s over quite quickly and you’re soon dropped back down to earth. A lot of debut writers talk about this fall off the edge, at the end of publicising their first book, they’re suddenly really empty and they’re sat there going, oh God, now I’ve got to write something else! Whereas for me, the PhD is helping me to frame my next novel and to shape my career as a writer going forwards.

I am really fascinated by the range of points at which people have come to the PhD; how that runs alongside their hopes for a writing life. It doesn’t seem like there’s one best way of doing it. There was a real pinch point for you this year, but the PhD is, if I’m hearing you right, giving you a momentum onwards out of your debut?  

It is. It really helps with establishing yourself as a writer. I still don’t feel comfortable calling myself a writer because I still feel very much in the experimental phase. With the PhD, it gives you a bit of shelter and more mental security than being on your own out there. I know I’ve got people I can share my work with who are supportive of me, and not from a monetary perspective, which is really different from how the publishing industry works.

You’ve taught undergraduate creative writing this year – what has that added to your PhD experience?  

I taught on the Building a Story module, which looks at the construction and purpose of short stories. I have to admit, I was terrified at the start because I hadn’t done any teaching before and it definitely took me a week or two to warm up to the whole experience. But I found it so rewarding. Teaching has helped to give me confidence and the belief that I do have something to say, with authority. Writing can be really exposing, and it was really heartwarming to watch the students develop over the weeks, and to feel the trust grow between me and them, and between themselves as a class. In terms of the PhD, it does give you more strands to pull on. There are lots of things that being a writer can mean and having teaching experience and thinking about a future in academia was something that I had never considered before. I’ve found that it’s a useful thing to help others shape their ideas, because through teaching them ways to approach their writing, you are reminded of how you too can approach your own work.

Find Fiona’s debut novel here and find out more about Fiona’s journey here

____________________________________________________________________________________

Fiona Williams holds a BSc (Hons) in Biological Sciences from the University of Westminster and an MA with Distinction in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University. She is the winner of the 2021 Bridport Prize, Peggy Chapman-Andrews First Novel Award. Originally from South-East London, she now lives with her family on the Somerset Levels. She is currently completing a PhD in Creative Writing at the University of Exeter.

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Ferdia Lennon

Ferdia Lennon was born and raised in Dublin. He holds a BA in History and Classics from University College Dublin and an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. His fiction has appeared in publications such as The Irish Times and The Stinging Fly . In 2019 and 2021, he received Literature Bursary Awards from the Arts Council of Ireland. After spending many years in Paris, he now lives in Norwich with his wife and son. His debut novel, Glorious Exploits , is published by Fig Tree in the UK and Henry Holt in the US.

On making the most of your time

Can you tell me your novel’s life story?

I studied Classical Studies in university. I’ve always been fascinated by Ancient Greece, books of mythology when I was a kid, and then reading The Iliad, The Odyssey. And then I read a passage in Plutarch’s Lives where he talks about the Athenian invasion of Sicily. It was a complete disaster, and at the end, there were so many Athenian prisoners, they couldn’t fit them in a prison, so they put them in this limestone quarry outside of the city of Syracuse. Plutarch tells us that some of these defeated Athenians survived because their Siracusan captors would give them food and rations in exchange for quotes from Euripides plays.

So that always stuck with me. I knew I’d wanted to write about that period, but suddenly the story became quite human and specific, rather than a grand historical epic, like I kind of imagined. Who were these Siracusans who were so obsessed with the poetry and art they’ll feed these prisoners of war while also dehumanizing them to the point that they’re just leaving them to die in a quarry? That contradiction was fascinating to me.

And then I sat down to write it, and the writing process is quite intuitive and mysterious and sometimes quite analytical as well. You know that famous E.L. Doctorow quote: you’re driving in the dark, at night, and you can only see a few feet ahead of you, but you can make a whole journey that way.

Did you do more research once you began writing?

Yeah. I started to write it and even though I’d studied the period, I realized I did not know enough to fully make this world come alive. I just immersed myself, for months and months, in reading everything that I could, particularly primary sources. I wanted to get an insight into the ancient Greek mentality, so I read loads of Homer, all of the plays, all of the comedies, the philosophy. I even read ancient Greek tour guides, people going, “Hey, come to Athens, and when you’re there, you should go to this café, it’s really good.”

But after I did the research, I needed to leave it aside. I think you want to do sufficient research so that you can evoke a world, but also you want to wear that research very lightly. You don’t want to be including details just because you spent weeks learning about them. And I think navigating that process of the research and the writing and how much to tell and how much to leave out actually took quite a while.

Did you write a lot of material that you then abandoned? And what do you do with pages or scenes that you cut?

I wrote over 100 pages that I had to set aside—weeks, months of work, probably, that I had to pare back. I save everything, though. I think it allows me, oddly enough, to let go. If I delete something and I put in a kind of scrapbook document, then I know it’s always there. And nine times out of 10, I’ll never go back to it, but psychologically, for me, I know that I haven’t wasted my time, because I can return to it, even if I very rarely do.

What do you do with your research? Organize it? Or just let it knock around your brain?

A mix of both. I’d put the things that struck me as the most important in a document under different headings, like the food in Ancient Greece, the architecture, the comedy. But I also kind of believe in just reading the sources—having them, as you say, knock around in my brain and, in some way, imbue the work with knowledge.

A huge part of Glorious Exploits is the narrative voice, which is very Dublin. Did it come to you, or did you choose and develop it consciously?

It came to me. Out of nowhere, I had a character—and he sounded Irish. I had to step back and think, “What’s the logic? Why does this man sound like a contemporary Dub?” And I realized that Sicily is this island that’s been colonized a few hundred years before the novel is set; Ireland is an island that’s been colonized by another maritime empire. And the Hiberno-English that we speak is recognizably English, but there are little nuances and differences, sometimes because the native Gaelic is playing underneath it. I thought that was an interesting metaphor, and I doubled down. So it was an intuitive response that I then considered, and then thought about and built upon.

Do you want your work to be read through the lens of your Irishness?

In this novel, it’s inevitable, both because of the voice and because Irish literature and Irish history are important influences. The history of the colonial past of Ireland was a skeleton key for me to make this ancient past relatable for myself and the reader. But in the next novel I write, Irishness might be far less important.

Do you feel yourself to be a historical writer, fundamentally, or do you think you’d be happy if you never wrote another historical novel?

I don’t think I’d be happy if I never wrote another one, but I also wouldn’t be happy if I only wrote historical fiction.

That’s exactly how I feel. Please explain that, because I cannot explain it to myself.

I’m fascinated by history. I think it’s a very interesting way of telling stories. In Ancient Greece they would just retell the same stories over and over again, and it would be the innovations and the weird slants that the playwright or the epic poet took that made it unique and different. Historical fiction does something similar. Often, we’ll take some period of history where people have some understanding or some reference points, but your angle makes it come alive.

Yet, on the other hand, in the same way that I’m fascinated by history, I’m also fascinated by the present moment or by more near history, like the period when I grew up, ’90s Dublin and ’80s Dublin, the noughties. And I would certainly want to write things in the present and in the more recent past.

You wrote a lot of Glorious Exploits at the start of the pandemic. Do you think COVID affected the book?

I used to teach almost full-time at a French university, and I was just very busy. What the pandemic did was it allowed me… I don’t think this is always possible, but if you’re writing a novel, I find it very useful to maintain the chain of days, to not break contact with the work. As much as possible, I do a little bit every day, because I find, if I don’t work on something for a week or two, and then I go back to it, there’s almost a week just trying to refamiliarize myself with the world in a way that makes it come alive for the reader, whereas when you’re working on something every day, you’re living it. You just kind of know the world, you know how everyone sounds, you know the pitch.

What COVID did was allow me to completely immerse myself in it. I was lucky. I didn’t have kids at the time, I wasn’t navigating childcare solutions—although, ironically enough, the day I found out that I had an agent for this book, I had COVID and my pregnant wife had COVID. I was having a phone call with the person who eventually represented me, coughing with COVID and thinking, “If this is a no, I’m done. I’m out.”

How do you keep in contact with your writing now that you do have a kid and need to navigate childcare?

I would say it’s been more difficult—though the switch to being published and doing all the admin surrounding getting a book out has had an effect, too. But how do I do it? Mornings work well. I just get up early and I try to get a couple of hours in each day. You know what I mean? I think you just get it done.

Of course there are periods where I’m just so busy with family stuff, like this last week, for example, my son was sick, a really bad flu, and I was worried about him and had to help look after him and work got delayed. I mean, that’s life. But, in general, I find you can just get on with it. I remember being up at 4:00 in the morning with my son dancing him around and then going to the computer and doing copyedits for this novel. You just do it.

I was doing my last copyedits for my novel when my baby was six weeks old—just feeding her and editing with the computer wedged under the breastfeeding pillow, and I kept wondering if the experience would change how I write. Do you think parenthood has impacted your work?

It’s helpful in that writing is no longer the most important thing. It doesn’t feel quite as all-encompassing, which, to a certain degree, allows me to just get down and do it rather than thinking about the meaning of the writing. I have less time, so I have to be more efficient. I can’t pontificate. I also obsess less over the concept of writing.

What do you mean by that?

I’m less afraid of it not working out. Or maybe I give less cognitive space to the fears of something not working. I’m always reminding myself that I have a limited amount of time to do this thing that’s really important to me, and if I don’t do it now, then it’s not going to get done.

Ferdia Lennon recommends:

Euripides’ Medea , translated by Robin Robertson

Plato’s The Symposium , translated by Christopher Gill

Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War , translated by Rex Warner

The Iliad by Homer , translated by Emily Wilson

The Last of the Wine by Mary Renault

Related to Writer Ferdia Lennon on making the most of your time:

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The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Enhancing Creative Writing

Artificial Intelligence has brought a digital revolution and a renaissance into creative writing. Over time, AI technologies are harnessed to further strengthen the writer’s creative processes through increasing numbers of productivity and creativity solution tools. The paper hence discusses various aspects of the use of AI in creative writing. Ranging from the very process of idea generation up to the final brush strokes of editing and honing a manuscript. The future of writing is no doubt being rewritten through this continued expansion of AI. This ushers in changes for better access, efficiency, and diversity in the traditional writing landscape. Let’s take a look at the role of artificial intelligence in enhancing creative writing.

Table of Contents

The Emergence of Artificial Intelligence in Creative Writing

Creative writing was not just something that AI suddenly dawned on. First applications were in the areas of language translation, followed by data-driven reporting. But as technology grew, so did the abilities of AI systems, and the potential started shining in more creative disciplines. Today, AI tools have very complex algorithms that are able to understand and manipulate language in ways that sometimes even mimic human creativity.

AI-Powered Writing Assistants

One of the most important applications of AI in creative writing is the development of AI-powered writing assistants. This can give writers suggestions for improvement in grammar, style, and tone. More advanced ones even suggest narrative ideas, plot development, or character traits using input and directives from the user. In such a way, such help really supports those authors who want to improve their work or overcome writer’s block.

Enhanced Research Capabilities

AI applications are able to pass through huge data sets within no time. Putting them in a position to conduct ample research with ease. The AI system can track any detail, either historical or scientific data, and even bring forth some cultural anecdotes that allow the writer access to that information, which can be useful for narrative enrichment and the attainment of a deep understanding of the subject.

AI to streamline the writing process

The use of technologies for natural language processing has made it possible for AI to be a good tool for streamlining the writing process. From the initial draft to the final product, AI can be of paramount importance at every step.

Idea Generation and Expansion

AI tools are good at developing and expanding the idea. Through the analysis of current literature and trends, AI can provide hints and help motivate the writer. This becomes more useful when one is stuck and out of ideas or is looking into new genres and themes.

Drafting and Editing

Drafting using AI helps to flesh out outline notes into coherent text and aids in suggesting how one can state ideas in many other ways. Even with structural modifications, AI can give suggestions on how to rephrase the ideas. AI-powered editors can further fine-tune syntax and ensure the consistent use of language by correcting grammar so that the writer can concentrate more on creative writing.

AI Script Generator: A Game Changer for Scriptwriting

The automation of script generation through specialized AI tools has revolutionized the process of writing a script and making a screenplay. An example is using an AI script generator for suggestions on what dialogue might work best, what plot twists should be thrown in, and at what point in the script the pacing should be increased, all done in strict alignment with the genre and style of the screenplay. In this sense, the writing process is expedited and the quality of the script established. From which all sorts of linguistic styles and cultural nuances are included, which human writers would not be able to detect.

Customization and Adaptability

These AI script generators are quite flexible in terms of customization, depending on the needs and preferences of the user or the scriptwriter. For this reason, these AI utilities can be applied for sitcoms, dramas, or even feature films and generate outputs accordingly in tone and format. In that sense, it is one of the most powerful tools within the scriptwriting industry.

Ethical Considerations and Future Prospects

AI, as it deepens into creative industries, brings with it some ethical issues. Autonomy in creative processes steered by AI, questions of originality and copyright, and the potential of AIs to lead to replacement of human jobs are all areas of heated debate. The writing industry needs to be proactive in handling the issues. However, it is bound to become much more sophisticated. Most likely extending into the more complex areas of creative writing, from here on out. While it will not totally replace the creativity of humans, it will be a great collaborator by enhancing the creative capabilities of human writers in the telling and experiencing of stories.

Continue Reading: AI in E-commerce Content Strategy

Surely, artificial intelligence plays a huge and deep role in augmenting creative writing. AI technologies help augment it in two ways: mechanical support. These emerging, more advanced tools readily available will tap new potentials. Opening a landscape for new and innovative ways in the art of writing. With every stride we make learning the ways through which AI influences writing. There is a sense that such a synergy will create magic and transform into a new tradition of writing practices.

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ChatGPT vs. Microsoft Copilot vs. Gemini: Which is the best AI chatbot?

Artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed how we work and play  in recent months, giving almost anyone the ability to write code , create art , and even make investments . For professional and hobbyist users alike, generative AI tools, such as  ChatGPT , offer advanced capabilities to create decent-quality content from a simple user prompt. 

Keeping up with all the latest AI tools can get confusing, especially as Microsoft added  GPT-4 to Bing Chat  and renamed it to Copilot, OpenAI added new capabilities to ChatGPT and released GPT-4o , and Google plugged Bard   into its ecosystem  and rebranded the chatbot as Gemini .

Also: How to use ChatGPT (and how to access GPT-4o)

Knowing which of the three most popular AI chatbots is best to write code , generate text , or help build resumes is challenging. Let's break down the biggest differences so you can choose the one that best meets your needs. 

Testing ChatGPT vs. Microsoft Copilot vs. Gemini

To help determine which AI chatbot gives more accurate answers, I'm going to use a simple prompt to compare them: 

"I have 5 oranges today, I ate 3 oranges last week. How many oranges do I have left?"

The answer should be five, as the number of oranges I ate last week doesn't affect the number of oranges I have today. First up, ChatGPT.

You should use ChatGPT if...

1. you want the most advanced ai chatbot for free.

OpenAI lets users access ChatGPT , powered by its GPT-3.5 and the GPT-4o models, for free with a registered account. If you're willing to pay for the Plus version, you can access GPT-4, use a higher prompt limit for GPT-4o, and get early access to new features for $20 per month.

ChatGPT with GPT-4o, available for free users, answered the question correctly. 

GPT-4o is a new multimodal model available to free and paying ChatGPT users. Rather than relying on three separate models to power its features -- GPT-4 for text, DALL-E 3 for images, and Whisper for voice -- ChatGPT now uses GPT-4o to process and generate text, images, and sounds. This makes it faster than GPT-4 for paying ChatGPT subscribers, and just as good for ChatGPT users who don't want to pay.

Aside from giving free ChatGPT users access to the latest GPT-4o model, the startup also announced that free users now get most of the features that until now were exclusive to ChatGPT Plus users. These include web browsing, access to custom GPTs, ChatGPT Memory, and advanced data analysis.

2. You want to try the most popular AI chatbot

OpenAI released a widespread preview of  ChatGPT  in November 2022. Since then, the AI chatbot quickly gained over 100 million users and has been at the center of  controversies , especially as people uncover its potential to  do schoolwork  and replace some work across industries.

Also: ChatGPT will put your data into interactive tables and charts with GPT-4o

Since its release, I've been testing ChatGPT almost daily. Although its user interface has remained simple, minor changes have greatly improved the tool, including GPT-4o for free users,  Custom Instructions , and easier access to accounts.

The free version of ChatGPT using the default GPT-3.5 model gave the wrong answer to our question.

Although ChatGPT has proven to be a valuable AI tool, it can be prone to  misinformation . Like other large language models (LLMs), GPT-3.5 is imperfect, as it is trained on human-created data up to January 2022. It also often fails to comprehend nuances, like it did with our math question example, which it answered incorrectly by saying we have two oranges left, when the answer should be five.

Also: I put GPT-4o through my coding tests and it aced them - except for one weird result

The GPT-4o model answered the math question correctly, having understood the full context of the problem from beginning to end.

Next, let's consider Microsoft Copilot , which is a great way to access GPT-4 for free.

You should use Microsoft Copilot if...

1. you want to use gpt-4 for free.

Although the free version of ChatGPT lets you use GPT-4o, access to free users is limited to about 15 messages every three hours or capped depending on peak hours, to keep it accessible to more people. After reaching your GPT-4o limit, your chat session reverts to GPT-3.5, limited to generating conversational text and information only until January 2022.

Also:  How to use Copilot (formerly called Bing Chat)

Meanwhile, Copilot can access the internet to deliver more current information than GPT-3.5, complete with links to sources.

Copilot's Creative conversation style was the only Copilot mode to answer the question accurately.

There are other benefits, too. Copilot is powered by GPT-4, OpenAI's LLM, and is completely free. Unfortunately, you are limited to five responses per conversation and can only enter up to 4,000 characters in each prompt. Copilot will eventually get GPT-4o built-in, but Microsoft hasn't made this update widely available, yet.

Also: Microsoft Copilot vs. Copilot Pro: Is the subscription fee worth it?

Copilot's user interface is a bit more cluttered than ChatGPT's, but it's still easy to navigate. While Copilot can access the internet to give you more up-to-date results compared to ChatGPT powered by GPT-3.5, I've found it is more prone to stalling before replying and will miss more prompts than its competitor.

2. You prefer more visual features

Microsoft has upgraded its platform several times to add visual features to Copilot, formerly Bing Chat. At this point, you can ask Copilot questions like, "What is a Tasmanian devil?" and get a response complete with photos, lifespan, diet, and more, for a more scannable result that is easier to digest than a wall of text. 

You can also ask Copilot to generate images for you. Give Copilot a description of what you want the image to look like, and the chatbot will generate four images for you to choose from. 

Also: How to use Image Creator from Microsoft Designer (formerly Bing Image Creator)

Microsoft Copilot features different conversational styles, including Creative, Balanced, and Precise, which alter how light or straightforward the interactions are.

The Balanced and Precise conversation styles in Microsoft Copilot answered my question inaccurately.

Finally, let's turn to Google's Gemini, formerly known as Bard. It uses Google's own LLM, also named Gemini, and has received considerable upgrades in the past few months.

You should use Gemini if...

1. you want a fast, almost unlimited experience.

In my time testing different AI chatbots, I saw  Google Bard catch a lot of flack for different shortcomings . While I'm not going to say they're unjustified, I will say that Google's AI chatbot, now named Gemini and powered by a completely different AI model than the one it debuted with, has improved greatly.

Also: How to use Gemini (formerly Google Bard): Everything you should know

Gemini gives speedy answers, which have become more accurate over time. It's not faster than ChatGPT Plus, but it can be faster at giving responses than Copilot and faster than the free GPT-3.5 version of ChatGPT, though your mileage may vary. 

Gemini answered accurately, like GPT-4o and Copilot's Creative conversation style.

Bard used to make the same mistake as other chatbots for my example math problem by incorrectly using the 5 - 3 = 2 formula, but Gemini, powered by Google's new Gemini Pro -- the company's largest LLM -- now answers the question accurately.

Also: Copilot Pro vs. ChatGPT Plus: Which is AI chatbot is worth your $20 a month?

Gemini is also not limited to a set number of responses. You can have long conversations with Google's Gemini, unlike with Copilot, which is limited to five replies in one conversation. Even ChatGPT Plus limits users to 40 messages every three hours. 

2. You want the full Google experience

Google also incorporates more visual elements into its Gemini platform than those currently available in Copilot. Users can generate images using Gemini, upload photos through an integration with Google Lens , and enjoy Kayak, OpenTable, Instacart, and Wolfram Alpha plugins.

Also: 6 AI tools to supercharge your work and everyday life

Gemini is slowly becoming a full Google experience thanks to extensions that add the wide range of Google applications. You can add extensions for Google Workspace, YouTube, Google Maps, Google Flights, and Google Hotels, giving you a more personalized and useful experience.

Artificial Intelligence

Chatgpt vs. copilot: which ai chatbot is better for you, copilot pro vs. chatgpt plus: which is ai chatbot is worth your $20 a month, what is gemini everything you should know about google's new ai model.

Education Producer

• Madison, Wisconsin
• PUBLIC MEDIA/PBS WISCONSIN
• Public Broadcasting
• Partially Remote
• Staff-Full Time
• Opening at: May 21 2024 at 14:50 CDT
• Closing at: Jun 4 2024 at 23:55 CDT

Job Summary:

PBS Wisconsin Education's Education Producer develops and produces classroom media for upper elementary and middle school science, social studies, local history and culture, and English Language Arts studies. This may include identifying topics, themes, and/or learning goals, conducting research, writing scripts, interviewing guests, or directing hosts. This position primarily produces in video format, but may also produce interactives, animations, and educational text supports. In this hybrid role you will bring your aesthetic and creative skills to select stories and generate ideas for in-classroom learning media, manage logistics for and lead in the production of that media, and oversee and/or participate in post-production tasks all the way through media publishing. We are looking to fill two Education Producer positions. One position will primarily be focusing on producing science education content, while the other position will focus on Arts and Culture content produced for ELA classrooms. Both producers will be expected to assist with the production of media that focuses on other curricular content areas produced by our team. This position works with colleagues across the educational ecosystem to ensure that the content we create is aligned with educational standards in use in Wisconsin and works with advisors to ensure that the content is accurate and inclusive. This position reports to the Executive Producer of Education.

Responsibilities:

• 25% Researches and develops production strategy for one or more programs across broadcast and digital platforms
• 35% Produces, develops, and edits content that may include identifying topics, themes, guests, conducting pre-interviews and/or interviews, writing, and/or integrating content for multimedia platforms
• 10% Performs daily operational activities for live and pre-recorded content, and may direct the editorial and creative process of production activities
• 15% Collaborates with other content creators in pre- to post-production processes, prepares materials, and handles logistics for broadcast and/or digital publications
• 5% Maintains familiarity with studio equipment and/or applicable technology for production
• 5% May schedule and direct operational activities for content production, including live/recorded studio or field productions
• 5% Collaborate with project partners, educators, and cross-department units to ensure produced media aligns with agreed upon or desired learning goals.

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals. The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world. For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: Diversity and Inclusion

Preferred Bachelor's Degree in media production and/or science education/ELA curricular areas.

Qualifications:

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS - Experience producing video and/or creating educational resources. - Competency in video production; experience with pre-production, production, and/or post-production processes. - Strong written communication skills as needed for the pre-production process. e.g. Script development, curriculum development etc. - Proven ability to translate topics into easily understood material, with an ability to employ engaging, creative approaches. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS - Technical cinematography skills, including knowledge of DSLR and/or cinema-style cameras, lenses, and lighting. - Technical knowledge of video editing post-production, including familiarity with Adobe Premiere and motion graphics. - Familiarity communicating topics for learning, familiarity with National or Wisconsin state standards - For the Education Science Producer; experience communicating science topics for learning, familiarity with National or Wisconsin state science standards, and familiarity with environmental education and climate science. - For the Education Arts & Culture Producer, familiarity communicating ELA topics for learning, familiarity with National or Wisconsin state ELA standards, and familiarity with ELA education.

Full Time: 100% This position may require some work to be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location. Some work may be performed remotely, at an offsite, non-campus work location.

Appointment Type, Duration:

Ongoing/Renewable

Minimum $56,112 ANNUAL (12 months) Depending on Qualifications We expect to pay in the mid to high 50's to low 60's. Actual pay will depend on qualifications.

Additional Information:

The person in this position will be required to comply with the Ethical Guidelines for All Staff of Wisconsin Public Radio and Television located here: https://www.wpr.org/wpr-ethical-guidelines , in addition to the UW-Madison code of ethics. Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without need of employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment. #PBS

How to Apply:

The following must be received for your application to be complete: 1) Resume 2) A cover letter detailing your interest in the position, including additional information on any of the required or preferred experience bullet points that connect to your experience and background. 3) A portfolio that includes two to four video pieces that you have worked on. We will also accept other media formats, such as animations, interactives, or other educational media. Choose samples where the intent of the piece is to explain or educate on a topic. Include a paragraph explaining your exact role in creating the resource or media, what aspects you were not directly responsible for or involved in, and what you think is successful about the work. 4) Optional (not required to complete application): Samples of lesson plans or curriculum development, or a cinematography reel. Finalists will be asked to provide a list of at least three professional references with titles, emails, and phone numbers (including at least one supervisory reference). Note that references will not be contacted without your prior knowledge.

Amanda Vinova [email protected] 608-262-0598 Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.

Official Title:

Multimedia Producer II(PB007)

Department(s):

A46-PUBLIC MEDIA/PBS WISCONSIN

Employment Class:

Academic Staff-Renewable

Job Number:

The university of wisconsin-madison is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer..

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