Creating AI-powered characters to help with worldbuilding for writing more interesting stories

[bretbernhoft]

Hello all. I've been experimenting with AI for the past six months, and recently came across a tool that might be of use. The website/platform is called Character.AI, which allows users to create and interact with AI-powered profiles or characters. In other words, you are able to have full conversations with specific frames, perspectives or worldviews.

As an example, I have been interacting with Henry Dorsett Case from William Gibson's book, "Neuromancer". I have also chatted with the likes of Peter Quinn from the "Guardians Of The Galaxy" movie, V from the "Cyberpunk 2077" game, Alan Watts, Aleister Crowley and a dozen others. From these interactions, I have been able to interactively peer into the worlds that these chatbots think they inhabit.

Based on those windows into the private lives of fictional characters, my storytelling has noticeably improved. And part of my regular worldbuilding process now involves rather eye-opening conversations with the characters I'm writing about. So I thought I would share this resource and an example of it with you. I hope you find this tool as interesting and practical as I have.

 

[msstice]

I'm not sure I would abandon one of the great pleasures of writing - getting to know the characters inside my head - to a machine.

 

[Paul J. Menzies]

The technique of interviewing your own characters to develop them has been around for some time. I learned from a published writer telling an audience this method is a routine part of his own character development process... But what an interesting way you came across it! I'd half forgot about it, so thanks for the reminder.