Table of Contents
Quick Answer
Write a novel with AI by using it for plotting (Save the Cat structure), character bibles, scene drafts, and continuity — but rewrite every sentence in your voice.
- Plot first, draft second — pantsing fails with AI
- Write 2,000 words/day for 45 days = 90k novel
- AI drafts the mortar; you lay the bricks
What You'll Need
- A novel premise (logline + genre)
- Sudowrite, Assisters, or Claude
- Scrivener or Plottr for structure
- A character bible template
- 90 days of daily writing
Step 1: Lock the Premise and Stakes
Logline: "[Character] must [goal] or [consequence]." Example: "A single mom must find her missing daughter in 72 hours or the kidnapper disappears forever."
Stakes = what happens if they fail. Make them irreversible.
Step 2: Plot Using Save the Cat Beats
Prompt AI: "Plot my thriller using Save the Cat's 15 beats. Logline: [yours]. Give me 1 paragraph per beat." Review, revise, save to Plottr.
Step 3: Build Character Bibles
For each main character, prompt: "Create a character bible for [name]. Include: age, physical, flaw, want, need, wound, contradictions, voice sample. Make them 3D."
Save in Scrivener "Characters" folder.
Step 4: Outline Every Scene Before Drafting
60-scene outline for a 90k novel. Each scene: POV, goal, conflict, disaster. Prompt: "Expand Beat 7 (midpoint) into 5 scenes. Each scene: POV, goal, obstacle, outcome, emotional shift."
Step 5: Draft 2,000 Words/Day
Per scene: "Draft Scene 12 in [author voice, e.g., Tana French — lyrical, introspective]. POV: Sarah. Goal: confront the detective. 1,500 words. End on a question."
Rewrite EVERY paragraph in your voice. AI is the skeleton; you add the muscle.
Step 6: Maintain Continuity
Every 5 chapters, prompt: "Here's Chapters 1-5 [paste]. Flag any continuity errors, character voice drift, or plot contradictions." AI catches what you miss.
Step 7: Final Self-Edit
After first draft, 2-week break. Then prompt: "Critique Chapter 3 for pacing, dialogue authenticity, POV consistency, filter words. Suggest 3 specific improvements."
Step 8: Human Editor Pass
Hire a developmental editor ($1,500-3,500) for structural feedback. AI can't replace a human editor's instinct for what makes readers cry.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Letting AI write whole scenes verbatim — voice dies
- Skipping the beat sheet ("I'll figure it out")
- Using generic AI character descriptions (flat)
- Not tracking continuity (chapter 22 contradicts chapter 4)
- Publishing without a human editor
Top Tools
| Tool | Use Case | Free Tier | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sudowrite | Fiction-specific AI | Trial | Scene generation |
| Assisters | Full workflow | Yes | Plot + draft + edit |
| Plottr | Visual plotting | Trial | Beat sheets |
| Scrivener | Manuscript tool | Trial | Organization |
| ProWritingAid | Line editing | Yes | Clean prose |
Conclusion
A novel is 90k words of decisions. AI handles the logistical ones so you focus on the emotional ones. Plot hard, draft daily, rewrite relentlessly.
Try Assisters free →