Writing WITH Artificial Intelligence?! | My Experience with NovelAI

No Categories
30 Mar 202306:29

TLDRIn this video, Dylan shares his experience with NovelAI, an AI-driven writing app. He explores how the app helps writers by generating story ideas, adapting to user input, and offering customization options. Dylan discusses the app’s strengths, such as its ability to create plot twists and its range of configurable settings. He also mentions some drawbacks, including the community's focus on privacy and the image generation feature. While praising NovelAI's potential for creating unique stories, Dylan expresses some concerns about its cost and the complexity of advanced settings. Overall, he recommends giving it a try.

Takeaways

  • πŸ’» NovelAI is a writing app that uses AI to assist in storytelling.
  • πŸ“š It offers a natural language processing environment with AI models trained on actual literature.
  • πŸ”§ Users can fine-tune the AI's output with a variety of settings.
  • πŸ“ The app includes a memory section to help with continuity in long-form writing.
  • πŸ“– You can choose from different AI models, each with a distinct writing style.
  • 🎭 NovelAI allows for 'Author Notes' to guide the AI's writing direction.
  • πŸ–ΌοΈ It has the capability to generate images, though the reviewer finds this feature distracting.
  • πŸ€– Advanced users can train their own AI models based on personal writing samples.
  • πŸ’¬ The community is very focused on privacy and freedom of speech, sometimes to the detriment of other discussions.
  • πŸ’° There's a free trial, but the full feature set costs $25 per month.
  • πŸ“ˆ The app is recommended for trying out, especially for its unique story creation capabilities and user interface.

Q & A

  • What is NovelAI?

    -NovelAI is a writing app that uses artificial intelligence to help users write stories. It offers natural language processing with AI models trained on real literature, allowing seamless adaptation to user input and fine-tuning of the output with various settings.

  • What are the privacy and freedom of speech policies of NovelAI?

    -The developers of NovelAI strongly emphasize privacy and freedom of speech. They aim to provide a platform where users can write freely and privately, which is a topic of great importance within the user community on platforms like Reddit and Discord.

  • How does NovelAI assist with the common issue of AI forgetting details in long stories?

    -NovelAI includes a memory section where users can enter details that the AI should remember, helping to compensate for the common issue of AI forgetting information after a few pages.

  • What is the purpose of Author Notes in NovelAI?

    -Author Notes are instructions given to NovelAI, similar to how a movie director would guide an actor. They can be saved in the memory or added inline with the text for more spontaneous changes.

  • Can NovelAI generate images?

    -Yes, NovelAI has the ability to generate images, although the user in the transcript expresses a personal lack of interest in this feature.

  • What was the outcome of the first story Dylan wrote using NovelAI?

    -Dylan wrote a high school drama about an unlikely pair of prom dates that began as a dare and joke but developed into a real romance, with a secret remaining as a source of tension and drama.

  • What was the result of the second experiment Dylan conducted with NovelAI?

    -In the second experiment, Dylan entered a setting and character prompts, and despite his preference for literary realism, NovelAI introduced magical realism elements, including surreal cult-like behavior and a ghost.

  • What are Dylan's thoughts on the community's focus on privacy and freedom of speech?

    -Dylan feels that the community's obsessive focus on privacy and freedom of speech can detract from conversations about writing, which he believes should be the main focus.

  • What are Dylan's thoughts on the advanced settings in NovelAI?

    -Dylan appreciates the advanced settings in NovelAI but finds them somewhat confusing. He suggests that more documentation, video tutorials, or official guidance would be beneficial.

  • What is the cost of a full-featured subscription to NovelAI?

    -The full set of features in NovelAI costs $25 a month, which is more expensive than some popular entertainment subscriptions like Spotify, Netflix, or Amazon Prime.

  • Would Dylan recommend NovelAI and why?

    -Dylan recommends giving NovelAI a try, as it can help create unique and interesting stories. He appreciates the ability to build your own model and finds the interface user-friendly, despite some confusing settings.

Outlines

00:00

πŸ“ Introduction to NovelAI

Dylan introduces himself and his cat Penny, and mentions his occupation as a writer and web developer. He discusses his channel, No Categories, which focuses on writing and technology. The video's primary focus is NovelAI, a writing app that utilizes artificial intelligence to assist in storytelling. Dylan provides an overview of NovelAI's features, including natural language processing, AI model customization, export options, and privacy and freedom of speech. He shares his personal experience with the app, highlighting its collaborative nature and the ability to fine-tune AI models. The app offers a writing space where AI can contribute to the user's writing, and it includes modules for thematic elements and inspiration. Dylan also discusses the app's memory section for character, setting, and plot details, as well as the ability to give the AI instructions through Author Notes. He briefly mentions NovelAI's image generation feature, although he personally finds it less interesting. The paragraph concludes with Dylan's testing of NovelAI by writing two stories, one a high school drama and the other a test of the app's configuration options.

05:00

πŸ’Έ Pricing and Community Discussion

Dylan discusses the cost of NovelAI, which is $25 a month, comparing it to the cost of other subscription services like Spotify, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. He invites the audience to share their experiences, ask questions, or provide observations about the app in the comments. Dylan concludes that NovelAI could be worth trying for a month, as he tends to do, using it intermittently. He appreciates the app's language models and modules for creating unique stories and the ability to train a personal AI model. Despite some confusing settings, he finds the interface user-friendly. While acknowledging the price might be high, he believes the features justify it. Dylan recommends giving NovelAI a try and seeks community input to enrich the discussion about the app.

Mindmap

Keywords

πŸ’‘NovelAI

NovelAI is an artificial intelligence-powered writing app designed to assist users in crafting stories. It stands out for its ability to adapt to the user's writing style and provide suggestions or continuations to the text inputted. As described in the script, NovelAI offers a range of AI models and modules that can enhance the writing process by incorporating different writing styles, thematic elements, and inspiration from example texts. It also features a memory section to help with continuity, which is crucial for maintaining consistency in long-form writing.

πŸ’‘Natural Language Processing (NLP)

Natural Language Processing refers to the AI's capability to understand and generate human language in a way that is both meaningful and seemingly natural. In the context of the video, NovelAI uses NLP to interact with the user, allowing for a more collaborative and intuitive writing experience. The script mentions that NovelAI's AI models are trained on real literature, which helps the app to generate text that is coherent and stylistically varied.

πŸ’‘AI Models

AI Models in NovelAI represent different algorithms or sets of instructions that the AI uses to generate text. Each model is tuned to write in a distinct way, providing users with options to match the tone or style they desire. The video script illustrates this by mentioning that users can choose from a variety of AI models, each with its own writing characteristics, allowing for a personalized writing experience.

πŸ’‘Modules

In NovelAI, modules are additional features that refine the writing process further. They can introduce specific writing styles, thematic elements, or draw inspiration from example texts provided by the user. The script highlights how these modules can help compensate for AI's typical short memory, ensuring that important details like characters, settings, and plot points are consistently incorporated into the narrative.

πŸ’‘Memory Section

The Memory Section in NovelAI is a tool designed to help the AI remember crucial details that the user inputs. This is particularly useful for maintaining continuity in long narratives, as AI writing tools can sometimes forget details after several pages. The script provides an example of entering character, setting, and plot details into the memory section to ensure they are not overlooked in the AI-generated text.

πŸ’‘Author Notes

Author Notes are instructions given by the user to guide the AI in its writing. They function similarly to director's notes to an actor, providing direction on how the AI should approach certain aspects of the story. The script mentions the ability to save these notes in the memory or add them inline with the text for more immediate influence on the AI's output.

πŸ’‘Image Generation

Although the script's author is not particularly interested in this feature, NovelAI has the capability to generate images, which can be used to visualize characters or settings within a story. The script suggests that while some users might find this feature useful for creating visual aids, it can also be a distraction from the core writing process.

πŸ’‘Training AI Model

Training an AI model in NovelAI involves teaching the AI to write in a specific style based on examples provided by the user. This allows for a higher level of customization, enabling the AI to mimic the user's writing style. The script suggests that this could be a powerful tool for writers looking to develop a consistent voice across their work.

πŸ’‘Privacy and Freedom of Speech

Privacy and freedom of speech are emphasized by NovelAI's developers, indicating a commitment to user autonomy and the protection of their creative work. The script notes a strong community focus on these topics, sometimes to the extent that it overshadows discussions about writing itself. This highlights the importance of a safe and open environment for creative expression.

πŸ’‘Subscription Model

NovelAI operates on a subscription model, where users pay a monthly fee to access the full range of features. The script compares the cost of NovelAI's subscription to other popular services like Spotify, Netflix, and Amazon Prime, noting that while it may be considered expensive, the features provided justify the price for many users.

πŸ’‘User Community

The user community for NovelAI is mentioned in the script as being quite engaged, with active discussions on platforms like Reddit and Discord. This community can be a valuable resource for users looking for support, advice, or simply to share their experiences with the app.

Highlights

NovelAI is a writing app that uses artificial intelligence to help you write stories.

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

The AI can be fine-tuned with a range of settings.

You can export your work for backup and sharing.

Developers emphasize privacy and freedom of speech.

NovelAI can add to what you've written and you can revise the input.

Choose from a set of AI models, each tuned to write in a different way.

Modules add refinements like writing styles and thematic elements.

A memory section helps compensate for AI's short memory.

Author Notes allow for giving instructions similar to a movie director.

NovelAI has the ability to generate images.

Advanced control allows training your own AI model.

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

The user community is obsessively fanatic about privacy and freedom of speech.

NovelAI's image generation feature is often used for anime-style images.

Advanced settings in NovelAI are appreciated but can be confusing.

There's a free trial of NovelAI, but the full set of features costs $25 a month.

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

The price may be steep, but you get many features for the cost.

NovelAI is recommended for trying out, especially for its unique writing features.