AI for Writing Books
AI has arrived in the world of publishing. Is it welcome? Let’s examine the use of AI in writing books.
*This post was updated in March of 2026
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My Feelings on an AI Writing Future
AI. Two letters that evoke such strong feelings. We have doomsayers predicting the end of the writing world as we know it. And then others praise the technology as the best thing since sliced bread. So, which is it? What does a future of AI in writing books look like?
I think there is a reason people are afraid and opposed to it. There has been evidence of competently executed manuscripts, articles, and artwork by this new technology. I believe it was Stephen King who used the technology to generate an example of artwork that was spot-on for one of his potential books. The staff of sci-fi magazine, Clarkesworld, had to close submissions for their annual writing contest in January after they were flooded with AI-generated submissions. But were those submissions successful? “It was “easy” to see which submissions were machine-generated,” said the magazine.
One can argue that will change in the future and people will soon be unable to differentiate as easily. Honestly, it already is. I’ve used it myself to come up with blog post ideas and outlines, course creation, research, and student exercises. It’s also vastly helped me with my historical fiction research. I’ve also used software like ProWritingAid to help me with chapter critiques and editing. It’s impressive.
But I still have to say, I don’t envision an AI program completely taking over the creator industry. Call me naïve- but I just honestly don’t.
Why I feel Creators are Safe
Thirty years ago, the first computer beat the best chess player in the world. Everyone predicted the end of chess. Why bother anymore? And yet, my son just had over forty kids sign up for his after-school chess club this past winter and a maxed-out chess camp session this summer with a waiting list.
There will always be fun in the “game” to draw people into wanting to create. The human element, both within and behind the creation, will always continue to attract people. People want someone to root for and relate to. People want to get to know the author or artist. They want to know what their inspiration was. What their thoughts, process, and difficulties were during the creation.
Perhaps that’s not always the case–hence why I’m not surprised AI-generated work is entering the marketplace. Just like people devour Hallmark movies, some individuals will appreciate formulaic AI reads. But I feel there will always be room for both, and people using AI for writing books will never completely dominate the marketplace.
What I DO Think Will Divide Us
Now, what I do envision happening is a divide between the creators who embrace this technology and those who don’t. Just like the technology of the past, those who grow comfortable with and use it will be the ones to rise to the top.
I imagine it being like the stigma associated with self-publishing for so long. There will be those who will retain a moral high ground, making it harder for themselves, while others will use its merits responsibly, and then those who will jump in with reckless abandon, giving it a bad name. But that’s again human error and abuse, not the fault of the technology itself.
Ways to Embrace Artificial Intelligence Technology in Writing
There are plenty of ways to utilize this AI creator technology responsibly. Who couldn’t benefit from gaining time by dictating with immediate editing software? Meaning, in addition to grammar, it would correct awkward sentence structure and misuse of words. This alone could save hours of rewrites and drafts.
Also, as I said earlier, it’s extremely helpful for research (although always double-check everything), idea generation, Title generation (this has always been one of my least favorite activities, so I’m more than happy to relinquish it), outlining, editing, critiquing, and more. (Important to note, ProWritingAid guarantees they do NOT use any of your writing for training AI software.)
Leveling a Playing Field
There is also AI narration and illustration. No, we do not want to replace human narrators or artists entirely. But it’s costly to use a human narrator or illustrator, which limits what we can publish. Using AI for shorter works, bonus content, low-content books, etc., could increase our marketing potential and library of content.
Overall, we need to examine the technology implementation. Instead of living in fear, let’s be strategic and discern how AI can improve our lives and be more productive.
What are your thoughts on AI? As usual, I always love to hear from you. Please share below in the comments!
