Writing WITH Artificial Intelligence?! | My Experience with NovelAI

No Categories
30 Mar 202306:29

TLDRDylan, a writer and web developer, reviews NovelAI, an AI-powered writing app designed to assist in crafting stories. He discusses the app's features, such as natural language processing, customizable AI models, and a memory section to aid continuity. Dylan shares his experiences writing two stories with NovelAI, highlighting its ability to introduce unexpected plot twists and its capacity for generating images. Despite some confusion with advanced settings, he appreciates the app's privacy and freedom of speech focus. Dylan suggests that NovelAI could be worth trying for a month, especially for those looking to experiment with unique story creation. The subscription-based service, while costing $25 a month, offers a comprehensive set of features, making it a potentially valuable tool for writers.

Takeaways

  • 📝 NovelAI is an app that uses artificial intelligence to assist in writing stories.
  • 🧠 It features natural language processing and AI models trained on real literature, adapting to user input.
  • 🎭 Users can fine-tune the output with various settings and export their work.
  • 🤫 The developers prioritize privacy and freedom of speech.
  • 🤖 The app can add to your writing, and you can revise the AI's input.
  • 📚 You can choose from different AI models, each with a unique writing style.
  • 🧩 NovelAI modules enhance the writing process with writing styles, thematic elements, and inspiration.
  • 🧵 The app has a memory section to help with continuity in characters, settings, and plot.
  • 📜 Author Notes allow for giving the AI instructions, similar to directing an actor.
  • 🖼️ NovelAI can generate images, though the reviewer finds this feature distracting.
  • 🤖 Advanced users can train their own AI model based on their writing style.
  • 📚 The reviewer tested NovelAI by writing two stories, finding it introduced interesting plot twists.
  • 💬 There is a strong focus on privacy and freedom of speech in the user community.
  • 💰 NovelAI offers a free trial, but the full set of features costs $25 a month.
  • 📚 The app provides advanced settings, but the reviewer found them somewhat confusing.
  • 📈 There is a call for more documentation and official guidance for users.
  • 🌟 The reviewer recommends trying NovelAI, appreciating its unique and interesting story creation capabilities.

Q & A

  • What is NovelAI and what does it offer to users?

    -NovelAI is a writing application that utilizes artificial intelligence to assist users in story writing. It offers natural language processing, various AI models trained on real literature, customizable settings for refining outputs, and options for exporting work. It aims to enhance the creative writing process with technology.

  • How does NovelAI enhance the writing process?

    -NovelAI enhances the writing process by providing a range of AI models, each tuned to write in different styles. It includes features like thematic elements, writing styles inspired by example texts, and a memory section for important story details to aid continuity in longer narratives.

  • What are 'Author Notes' in NovelAI, and how do they function?

    -In NovelAI, 'Author Notes' function like directives that a movie director might give to an actor. They allow the writer to instruct the AI on how to approach certain parts of the story, which can be saved in the AI's memory or added inline with the text for spontaneous changes.

  • Can NovelAI generate images? If so, what is Dylan's opinion on this feature?

    -Yes, NovelAI has the capability to generate images. However, Dylan mentions that he is not particularly interested in this feature and perceives it primarily as a tool for generating images of characters, particularly anime-style characters.

  • What privacy and freedom of speech issues are associated with NovelAI according to Dylan?

    -Dylan notes that NovelAI places a strong emphasis on privacy and freedom of speech. However, he observes that the user community can be overly focused on these topics, sometimes to the detriment of broader conversations about writing within the community forums like Reddit and Discord.

  • What were Dylan's experiences with using NovelAI for writing stories?

    -Dylan tested NovelAI by writing two stories. The first was a high school drama where the AI introduced a significant plot twist. The second test involved setting a story in a Gilded Age hotel, where he experimented with the AI's settings to balance his preference for literary realism with the AI's suggestions of fantastical elements.

  • How does NovelAI handle continuity and memory in long narratives?

    -NovelAI addresses continuity in long narratives through its memory section, where details about characters, settings, and plot can be stored. This helps the AI maintain consistency and remember important aspects of the story beyond the immediate context, countering the typical short memory span of AI.

  • What is the cost of using NovelAI, and how does Dylan compare it to other subscription services?

    -The full feature set of NovelAI costs $25 per month. Dylan compares this cost to other subscription services like Spotify, Netflix, or Amazon Prime, noting that it's similar to the cost of ChatGPT Plus. He suggests this may be considered steep relative to these other services.

  • Does Dylan think NovelAI is worth the investment?

    -Dylan believes NovelAI could be worth the investment for short periods, particularly when new writing features are introduced. He tends to use it sporadically, subscribing when needed and letting his subscription lapse otherwise.

  • What improvements or additional resources does Dylan wish to see for NovelAI users?

    -Dylan would like to see more comprehensive documentation for NovelAI, including succinct video tutorials and more official guidance to help users navigate and utilize its advanced settings more effectively.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to NovelAI: A Writing App with AI Assistance

In the first paragraph, Dylan introduces himself as a writer and web developer, and mentions his channel, No Categories, which focuses on writing and technology. He then introduces NovelAI, a writing app that utilizes artificial intelligence to assist users in crafting stories. Dylan provides an overview of the app's features, including its natural language processing capabilities, AI models trained on real literature, and customizable settings. He also discusses the app's emphasis on privacy and freedom of speech, and shares his personal experience using NovelAI, highlighting its collaborative feel and the ability to fine-tune the output. The paragraph concludes with a discussion of the app's basic functionalities, such as the writing space, AI model selection, and the memory section for keeping track of important details in the story.

05:00

💡 Advanced Features and Pricing of NovelAI

The second paragraph delves into the advanced features of NovelAI, such as the ability to train your own AI model based on personal writing style and examples. Dylan also discusses his experiences testing the app by writing two stories with different settings and characters, and how NovelAI introduced unexpected plot twists and elements. He addresses the community's focus on privacy and freedom of speech, which he feels sometimes detracts from discussions about writing. Dylan also mentions the app's image generation feature, which he finds distracting from the writing process. He expresses a desire for more documentation and guidance on the app's advanced settings. The paragraph concludes with a discussion on the app's pricing, comparing it to other subscription services and suggesting a strategy of subscribing for a month, saving work, and then resuming the subscription when new features are released. Dylan concludes by recommending that viewers give NovelAI a try, despite the potentially steep monthly fee.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and learn like humans. In the context of the video, AI is used within the NovelAI app to assist users in writing stories by generating text based on the input provided by the user. The app's AI models are trained on real literature, which allows it to adapt to the user's writing style and contribute to the story in a collaborative manner.

💡Natural Language Processing

Natural Language Processing (NLP) is a field of AI that focuses on the interaction between computers and humans through natural language. NovelAI utilizes NLP to understand and generate human-like text. The app's ability to adapt to the user's input and generate coherent text is an example of NLP in action, where the AI can process the user's writing and respond in a way that is contextually relevant.

💡Writing App

A writing app is a software application designed to assist in the process of writing. NovelAI is a specific type of writing app that uses AI to aid in story creation. It provides a writing space where users can write and have the AI add to their text, offering a unique blend of human and machine collaboration in the creative writing process.

💡AI Models

In the context of NovelAI, AI models are the underlying algorithms that are trained to generate text in various styles and manners. The user can choose from a set of AI models, each tuned to write in a different way, allowing for a personalized writing experience. The models are integral to the app's functionality, providing the foundation for the AI's text generation capabilities.

💡Memory Section

The memory section in NovelAI is a feature that helps the AI remember important details such as characters, settings, and plot points. This is particularly useful because AI writing apps often have a limited memory span. By using the memory section, users can ensure that the AI does not forget crucial elements of the story, thus maintaining continuity and coherence.

💡Author Notes

Author Notes in NovelAI are instructions given by the user to guide the AI in its text generation. They function similarly to a director's notes to an actor, providing direction on how the story should unfold or how a particular scene should be written. These notes can be saved in the memory for consistent application or added inline for more spontaneous changes.

💡Image Generation

NovelAI's image generation capability allows the app to create visual content based on the text. While the video's narrator expresses a lack of personal interest in this feature, it represents an extension of the AI's creative assistance beyond text. The ability to generate images can be useful for visual storytelling or for providing a visual complement to the written narrative.

💡Training AI Model

The process of training an AI model involves feeding it data (in this case, text) so that it can learn patterns and generate similar content. NovelAI offers users the advanced option to train their own AI model, potentially teaching it to write in a style similar to the user's own writing, based on personal examples. This customization can lead to a more personalized and authentic writing experience.

💡Privacy and Freedom of Speech

Privacy and freedom of speech are emphasized by the developers of NovelAI as core values. The video discusses how these topics are passionately debated within the user community, sometimes to the detriment of other conversations about writing. These principles are important as they ensure users can write without censorship and their data is protected, aligning with the app's commitment to user autonomy and creative freedom.

💡Configuration Options

Configuration options in NovelAI refer to the various settings and parameters that users can adjust to customize the AI's behavior and output. These options allow for fine-tuning of the writing process, including the level of control the user has over the AI's contributions to the story. The video's narrator finds some of these settings confusing, indicating the potential need for clearer documentation or guidance.

💡Subscription Model

The subscription model mentioned in the video is a pricing strategy where users pay a recurring fee to access the full set of features offered by NovelAI. At $25 a month, it is a significant investment for users, but it provides them with access to advanced writing tools and the continuous support and updates from the app's developers. The narrator suggests that the value of the subscription may vary depending on how frequently and intensively a user engages with the app.

Highlights

NovelAI is a writing app that uses artificial intelligence to assist in story writing.

The app offers a natural language processing playground with AI models trained on real literature.

Users can fine-tune the AI's output with a range of settings and export their work.

NovelAI emphasizes privacy and freedom of speech in its development and community.

The AI can seamlessly adapt to user input, providing a collaborative writing experience.

NovelAI features a memory section to help with continuity in long-form writing.

Author Notes allow users to give the AI instructions, influencing the writing direction.

The app can generate images, although the reviewer finds this feature distracting.

Advanced users can train their own AI model based on their writing style.

NovelAI was tested by writing two stories, including a high school drama and a Gilded Age hotel setting.

The reviewer found NovelAI's community overly focused on privacy and freedom of speech to the detriment of writing discussions.

NovelAI provides advanced settings that are powerful but can be confusing for some users.

There is a free trial available for NovelAI, but the full feature set costs $25 a month.

The reviewer suggests using NovelAI for a month to explore its features and then pausing the subscription.

NovelAI's language models and modules can help create unique and interesting stories.

The app has a user-friendly interface, despite some settings being initially challenging to understand.

The monthly subscription price is considered steep, but it offers a comprehensive set of features.

The reviewer recommends trying NovelAI for its innovative writing assistance capabilities.