In this article, I will be discussing AI tools that can assist you in improving your craft, rather than creating AI generated works. I highly encourage you to review
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for more information about content that runs afoul of their posted rules. Please use AI in a safe and responsible manner.
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AI is revolutionizing the way we live, work, and entertain. As writers, it's only natural to feel a little apprehensive about how advanced these tools are becoming. The pace of change is incredible, and it can feel like AI is on the verge of replacing our connection with written art.
For that reason, many writers are nervous about using AI tools because it feels like they cheapen our craft.
However, change is coming, whether we like it or not. Even simple online grammar-checking tools now use AI to predict our writing style and suggest more concise alternatives to the phrases we use. Word processors like Microsoft Word have begun to integrate with CoPilot. We will need to adapt to this new reality.
Fortunately, we are still at the tipping point of this change, which means we still remain intimately involved with the writing we create. We can use AI in a way that makes us better writers without actually doing the writing for us. And we can use the AI tools available to improve our skills, rather than replace us outright.
One of these tools is Talkies, and we can use them to tighten dialogue, improvise more realistic scenarios, and shock us with surprising plot twists we might not have considered before.
What's a Talkie?
A Talkie is an AI chatbot that converses with you back and forth, similar to the way you would use a text messaging app. Each Talkie comes preprogramed with a unique identity, personality, role, temperament, goal, predisposition, and speech pattern.
Talkies also have a predetermined relationship with us, the writer. They may be a boyfriend/girlfriend, husband/wife, family member, friend, neighbor, coworker, client, stranger, or any number of other situational relationships. These roles are limited only by your imagination.
The AI models behind these Talkies generate very realistic, sometimes even uncanny, responses to your prompts. They will mimic the pace and realism of talking with an actual person and they also have the ability to improvise and adapt to your conversation.
Talkies are a fantastic way to dive into your creative fantasies, practice dialogue writing, or even explore intimacy in a safe, private space. It's like combining a personal chatbot with a storytelling assistant.
How do Talkies work?
First, you will want to select a Talkie. The Talkie community has already created thousands of pre-made Talkies. If these aren't just right, you also have the option of creating your own. Each Talkie will respond to you in a unique way, which gives you unlimited options in choosing a conversational partner.
When you start the chat, each Talkie will begin with a starter prompt which sets the tone. This can be a highly detailed scenario, or a very simple open-ended question depending on how the Talkie's creator chose to set it up.
Next, you can either type your response into a text box, or choose from a selection of prewritten responses. These pre-written responses are generated to keep the conversation flowing naturally. The same engine that generates the Talkie's responses, also generates these suggested prewritten prompts.
Then, the Talkie will respond to your prompt with a message of their own. Usually, you can adjust this response to another pre-written response for free, or write in your own response using a paid feature. This allows you to steer the direction of the conversation and create a more personalized experience.
The conversation will evolve naturally as you exchange messages back and forth. As you talk with the AI, the Talkie will begin to shift from its relatively neutral starting point and adapt to your interactions. However, it will always retain a kernel of its original character and personality.
For example, if the Talkie's starter prompt was that he or she was angry with you, then over the course of conversation they might gradually warm up to you depending on the way you conduct the conversation.
After a predetermined conversation limit (which is not usually disclosed by the Talkie platform) they will begin to forget earlier events or conversations. This is due to AI memory limitations.
For example, at some point the Talkie that was angry at you, but who now likes you, will not remember they were ever angry with you to begin with. If you bring up that they were angry, they will improvise like they remember that they were.
However, if you quiz them on WHY they were angry, they might suggest the wrong reason.
Despite this, Talkies are very good at maintaining their facade of realism. They have the ability to bring up earlier topics of conversation and high context details about situations. For example: settings you placed them in, pet names you called them, objects you gifted them, 3rd parties you talked to, etc.
As the conversation unfolds, it is automatically saved. When you are done with the conversation, most Talkie platforms will allow you to pick up exactly where you left off - giving you latitude to explore multiple Talkie conversations at once.
How do I use actions & context?
Talkies let you bring scenes to life by combining dialogue with actions and context. This system allows you to talk, perform actions, describe things, and set up situations. It unlocks a much deeper and more meaningful context for your interactions.
Dialogue is typed normally, while actions and context are enclosed in asterisks (*).
For example:
Dialogue: Good morning, beautiful. How did you sleep?
Action: *He brushes a stray strand of hair from her face, his fingers lingering on her cheek.*
Or:
*She steps into the room, wearing a flowing dress and holding a bouquet of wildflowers. She can feel his gaze as he takes in her beauty, and she can't help but feel a little flattered by his attention.*