Good storytelling is about capturing the reader’s attention and holding it to the very end.
But how good is ChatGPT at actually writing stories?
In this guide, we’ll explore seven specific prompts that can help you build a story from the ground up—covering everything from plot ideas to detailed character development.
Is ChatGPT Good for Story Writing?
ChatGPT has come a long way in story writing capabilities, and as of the November 2024 update, it’s quite proficient in creating compelling narratives.
The latest version, GPT-4o, offers significant improvements in terms of creativity and coherence, making it an excellent choice for generating story ideas and even drafting entire chapters. It can build engaging plotlines, craft intriguing characters, and deliver captivating settings.
However, while these abilities have improved, ChatGPT still faces certain challenges, particularly when compared to Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet model.
Claude 3.5 Sonnet outshines ChatGPT when it comes to maintaining consistency, depth, and emotional nuance throughout long-form storytelling. It is particularly well-suited for intricate plots where continuity and complex character development are crucial. Claude 3.5 tends to deliver a more cohesive narrative flow and is better at managing subtleties across extended texts. This means that for novels or longer works, Claude 3.5 often produces richer, more finely tuned results.
That said, ChatGPT remains a solid and versatile tool, particularly when used effectively with the right prompts.
7 ChatGPT Prompts for Story Writing
To get the best out of ChatGPT for story writing, you need the right prompts. Instead of trying hundreds, here are seven essential prompts to help you write an entire story step-by-step:
1. Brainstorming Prompts
A premise prompt is the first step to building your story. It helps lay the foundation by providing multiple story ideas that can inspire you to move forward.
Give me 10 premise ideas for an epic fantasy dragon shifter book.
Premise Prompt: “Give me 10 premise ideas for an epic fantasy dragon shifter book.”
After you have a premise, it’s useful to think about how your story could end. This gives direction to the entire narrative, helping to make the journey meaningful and structured.
Ending Prompt: “Given the following premise [your premise], give me 5 possible endings to this novel.”
2. Synopsis Prompt
Once you have a premise and an ending, it’s time to build a synopsis. A synopsis provides an overview of the main events in your story and outlines the journey your characters will take. This step is critical as it forms the skeleton of your story, giving it structure and direction.
Prompt: “Given the following premise and story information of [premise] [ending] , give me a highly detailed synopsis for a story in the traditional three-act structure. Each act should be clearly labeled and should build toward the ending I’ve described.”
The three-act structure is an age-old storytelling format that divides a story into three parts: the setup, the confrontation, and the resolution. Act One introduces the characters and sets up the conflict. Act Two deepens the conflict and raises stakes, leading to a climax. Act Three delivers the resolution and brings the story to its conclusion.
By guiding ChatGPT to create a synopsis with this structure, you can ensure that the pacing and progression of your story are engaging and coherent.
3. Outlining Prompt
Outlining is where your story really starts to take form. It involves expanding the synopsis and breaking it down into detailed sections or chapters. It is also a key tool for visualizing the entire scope of your story.
Prompt: “Using the following synopsis, create a detailed summary of the story, fleshing out additional details and breaking it down into parts using the [your outlining method of choice].”
You use a popular outlining method like the Hero’s Journey, Save the Cat, or a custom chapter outline.
4. Character Prompt
Characters are at the heart of any good story. The more vivid and well-rounded your characters are, the more your audience will connect with them. Using ChatGPT to create character profiles helps you explore different aspects of your characters, from their physical descriptions to their psychological makeup.
Prompt: “Write a character profile about the protagonist of this novel. Here’s what we know so far about the character: [details]. Include the following elements: [physical description, backstory, etc.].”
With this prompt, you can generate backstory elements that help explain why a character behaves the way they do. This backstory may never appear directly in your narrative, but it will influence how you write the character and add layers to their dialogue, decisions, and relationships.
5. Story Beats Prompt
Story beats are the backbone of each chapter or scene. They provide a detailed list of key actions and moments that need to occur to advance the plot. Story beats help ensure that each part of the story has a purpose and moves the plot forward in a meaningful way.
Prompt: “Take the following chapter summary [chapter] and generate a list of 12 highly detailed action beats for a script, with additional story information to fully flesh out the chapter. Make sure to always use proper nouns instead of pronouns.”
Creating beats with this prompt allows you to focus on the finer details of each chapter. You can ensure that tension builds appropriately, that dialogue has purpose, and that transitions between scenes are smooth.
6. Style Prompt
Every story benefits from a consistent and well-defined writing style. Style is what makes your story distinct and helps set the tone for the reader’s experience. Using a style prompt allows ChatGPT to mimic the narrative voice that best fits your story.
Prompt: “First person past point of view of protagonist; show don’t tell; deep point of view; realistic dialogue; stronger verbs; lots of conflict, drama, and description; avoid mushy descriptions in dialogue.”
You can customize the style prompt to match your preferences—whether you want lush, descriptive prose or fast-paced, action-heavy narrative. Style prompts also ensure that your characters’ voices are distinct, that the tone is consistent, and that the writing maintains the emotional depth you are aiming for.
7. Prose Prompt
Finally, it’s time to write the actual prose. Once you have your outline, characters, beats, and style in place, generating the prose becomes much easier. The AI already has all the information it needs to craft a coherent and engaging narrative.
Prompt: “Write 1000 words of a chapter using the following chapter details: [genre], [tone], [setting], [key characters]. Story beats to cover: [beats 1-3].”
Using these seven prompts, you can build a strong story from start to finish. While ChatGPT is a powerful tool for generating ideas and text, always remember to refine, edit, and add your unique human touch to make your story stand out.
