AI Prompting for Fiction: Tips That Actually Work

Most people prompt AI wrong for fiction. They write "Write me a story about X" and wonder why the output is generic.

Here's how to actually get good fiction from AI.

The Fundamental Problem

AI is trained to be helpful and comprehensive. It wants to give you complete, balanced responses.

Fiction doesn't want that. Fiction wants voice, specificity, and emotional truth.

You have to prompt against the AI's instincts.

Tip 1: Give Context, Not Just Instructions

Bad prompt:

Write a scene where two characters meet.

Better prompt:

Write a scene where Maya, a cynical 30-year-old journalist, meets Dev, an optimistic startup founder, at a coffee shop. Maya thinks all tech bros are the same. Dev doesn't realize he's being judged. The scene should have tension underneath polite small talk.

The AI needs to know WHO these people are, not just what's happening.

Tip 2: Specify What You DON'T Want

AI loves certain phrases and patterns. Tell it to avoid them.

Write this scene. Avoid: "I couldn't help but notice," "little did they know," "a mix of," "couldn't help but smile." Don't end on a cliffhanger. Don't summarize emotions, show them through action.

Negative prompting is often more useful than positive prompting.

Tip 3: Provide Examples

Show the AI what you want:

Write in a style similar to this example:

"The coffee was terrible. Maya drank it anyway, watching him over the rim. Tech bro uniform: quarter-zip, expensive sneakers, that particular confidence that came from having too much money too young. He was explaining something about disruption. She was thinking about the article she'd write."

Match this voice. Short sentences. Internal observations. Understated.

The AI learns from examples better than abstract descriptions.

Tip 4: Break It Into Steps

Don't ask for everything at once.

1. First, describe the character's emotional state entering the scene
2. Then write the opening paragraph
3. Continue with the dialogue
4. End with internal reflection

Breaking tasks down gives you control over each element.

Tip 5: Use Author's Notes

Many AI tools support "author's notes" or system prompts. Use them.

[Author's note: This story has a melancholic tone. The narrator is unreliable and occasionally lies to the reader. Violence is described matter-of-factly, never glorified. Romance is slow-burn with emphasis on tension rather than resolution.]

This shapes every output, not just individual prompts.

Tip 6: Iterate, Don't Accept

First outputs are rarely good. Plan to revise.

Workflow:

1. Generate initial output
2. Identify what's wrong
3. Prompt specifically to fix those issues
4. Repeat until satisfied

One writer I know averages 3-4 refinements per scene. Sometimes 12-20 for complex sequences.

Tip 7: Context Window Management

For long fiction, you need to manage what the AI "remembers."

Create documents for:

• Character profiles
• World details
• Plot outline
• Previous chapter summaries

Reference these in your prompts. The AI can't remember what you don't tell it.

Tip 8: Voice Anchoring

If you want consistent voice, periodically include examples of how characters should sound.

Remember: Dev speaks in tech jargon he doesn't realize is jargon. Maya's internal monologue is sardonic but not cruel. Dialogue should feel realistic with interruptions and incomplete thoughts.

Repeat this or variations across sessions.

Common Mistakes

Too vague: "Write something interesting" gives nothing to work with.

Too long: Prompts over 1000 words often confuse more than help.

Conflicting instructions: Asking for "fast-paced AND deeply introspective" creates tension.

Not enough context: Assuming the AI knows your story when you haven't explained it.

Accepting first output: The first generation is a draft, not a final product.

Model-Specific Tips

Claude: Loves detailed context. Give it character backstory, emotional stakes, thematic goals. It uses all of it.

ChatGPT: Better with structure. Give it clear formats and constraints. It follows templates well.

NovelAI: Needs more steering. Use the Lorebook aggressively. Be prepared to regenerate often.

The Meta-Point

Good prompting is essentially good communication.

Be specific. Provide context. Give examples. Iterate.

The AI is a tool. The more clearly you direct it, the better it performs.

For Readers, Not Writers

If all this sounds like work, that's because it is. AI-assisted writing is still writing.

If you want to skip the prompting and just read good AI fiction, narrator handles the technical complexity. You describe what you want to read; we handle making it happen.

But if you want to write, these tips should help.

Want to skip the prompting work? Browse our fiction collection to see AI-generated stories, or create your own personalized novel with a simple description. No prompting expertise required—just describe what you want to read.