How to Write Original Stories in an Algorithm-Driven World

AI writes pattern-based stories that look like stories, follow the general outline, and may even have a relevant plot, yet most of them are not stories at all. It may say all the right things, look exactly the way you would think stories look like, and yet can seem hollow.

The more authors turn to AI for convenience, the more the creative choices are based on what is easy, and not on authentic imagination.

Whether you are writing features, short stories, or even a novel, if you want to stay original, you need to infuse it with some of your originality and creativity. Let’s explore some ways you can stay authentic while writing stories, even in this algorithm-driven world.

Concept Should Come From You

If there is a story that you want to write, it should be based on authentic thought. This means that when you want to write something, don’t give in to the temptation of checking into ChatGPT and asking it to generate an idea.

Do your brainstorming on your own, at max, do it with a friend. If you want to stay original, the story should come from you. Your thought and your voice should create the main thought, because otherwise, you lose the battle of originality even before you start.

If you are experiencing writer’s block and think that turning towards automation might help, you are right. It may help; however, it will not be something that comes from your head.

The worst part is, it may even be an idea that came from someone else. Either it might be something from a preexisting story, or worse, taken from concepts other people talked about, with your choice of generative AI.

This is why, if integrity and your own authorship are important to you, you must craft your own concept.

Being Careful When Drafting With AI

So, now that you have a concept, and it’s an original idea, what’s next? The drafting needs to be careful, especially if you are thinking of using AI.

The first thing you need to remember is that when your original concept is your input, AI can learn from it. Most people use the algorithm without turning off the feature that allows AI to learn from you. And sometimes, even when it is off, AI can learn from your words.

Beyond the stealing of concepts, there are a few more things you need to be careful about when using AI for drafting. While creating a draft with AI makes the job quite easier, it can also mess up the story for you.

Two things may happen. Since AI hallucinates, it may add more stuff to your story or remove some of the concepts without warning. The other thing is, your story may lose your voice.

Remember that drafts are the skeleton of your story. If something is amiss from the very foundation, it may affect the whole plot.

The best practice is not to draft using AI; however, if you must, consider running it through a dedicated AI checker. A decent AI checker can help you detect the parts that sound most AI and can even find parts that automation has hallucinated.

Avoid the Formulas

The problem with the current world is that everyone wants to follow the formulas that work. Whether it is a trend or something that the target audience may like to see, you need to stay away from formulas that are “bound to work,” if you wanna stay original.

Beat Sheets

Many writers, whether writing a story, script, etc, follow an outline called a beat sheet, which creates a structure for all the important plot points, emotional moments, etc.

While following such an outline may seem feasible, it does make the plot more predictable, which always affects the uniqueness and authenticity of the plot.

Chasing Trends

There has been an upsurge of stories based on the omegaverse. Now, if a writer learns about this and thinks of writing a random story about werewolves, without being truly inspired by the concept, it is safe to say that the story would not have an impact.

This is why writing what sells is a bad idea for a writer who wants to stay original. Because it inhibits you from exploring your own authentic and unique voice.

Writing For Fan Service

Let’s say you are writing a story, and a specific “ship”(couple) takes off, and the fans absolutely adore them. Because of the fame of that particular couple, you walk away from the plot you had planned and focus more on that specific couple.

This may give you more readers, but it will destroy your creativity and make your story unhinged, because now your plot is being driven by what the fans like, and completely removed from what it was supposed to be.

Trope Recycle

There are many popular tropes. If you choose to recycle a basic trope without exploring the deeper relevance and resonance of these concepts, it will make your story flat and unoriginal.

Every trope and plot device has archetypal importance, and to do justice to the concept, you need to truly understand and be invested in the trope. Copying and pasting the concept without depth will diminish authenticity and make a plot that is not magnetic.

Ground the Fiction In Reality

If all ideas feel recycled and nothing seems unique, chase a story that is grounded in reality. Take a look around you and find a unique tale that is worth telling.

Look at a family member, friend, or neighbor. Walk around, and people watch, and notice what people are like. Take inspiration from places you have lived and visited. Stories that have a real, traceable origin tend to make a deep impact and attract a larger audience.

This is why biographies are often quite popular, because those are stories that are not only real and unique but also deeply relatable.

Meaningful Storytelling

When you are truly invested in a story, you will explore the plot fully. This means you will be aware of every choice you make within the plot.

Paying attention to details, even things that others deem as inconsequential, like the color of clothes or the number of rooms in a house, makes the plot rich and more meaningful.

Getting up close and personal with the whole plot and every character gives the story more depth. However, these details need to tie the story together and not create more confusion.

The story must be more organized and coherent. This cohesion ensures that every piece of the story creates the whole plot.

There needs to be more resonance amongst the details, as every small part should come together to create the greater effect. Your audience loves finding these little details, to them they are like easter eggs that they enjoy being on the lookout for.

Make Them Feel It

When you write something authentic, people expect to resonate with the characters. Your words should invoke your audience’s emotions, whether it’s the storytelling, the plot, or the characters. The only way to really do this is to make the storytelling as vivid as possible.

If the weather is cold in the story, your words should invoke the chill. If a character is in pain, you should be able to feel their anguish. When they hear a sound, the words should tell you exactly what it sounds like.

Focus on the senses; make the audience see, hear, touch, smell, and taste. The more detailed it sounds, the more the audience will be able to resonate.

If your words make them feel every emotion, your story will seem more authentic. The best writers are those who can move people and make the audience feel every emotion the protagonist and his compatriots are feeling.

Reduce Tool Dependency

The whole collective of writers has become too dependent on this or that tool. Whether AI-driven or not, these tools may make the job easy for you, but rest assured that they will make your skills more blunt. This is why, while using tools is okay, it’s not okay to become too dependent.

You need to know your limit. For example, just because you use a tool to keep grammar on point, it doesn’t mean that it is the only proofreading you need. And while it’s okay to use AI to reduce repetitive tasks in writing, like research or proofreading, it doesn’t mean you should use all tools.

Dependency on AI is a direct threat to authenticity. The more tools you use, the more pattern-based and more of the same your writing will be. Tool dependency reduces your capacity for literary interpretation, inhibiting your capability to get inspired.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know how to write original stories in this algorithm-driven and pattern-based world, you can craft tales that are deep, intricate, emotional, and thought-provoking.

As tempting as AI and generic formulas are, stay away from them and write something that is your thought-child and uniquely you. Write in bursts of inspiration, instead of sitting back and letting it get generated for you.