As writers, we often find ourselves caught in the delicate dance between creation and refinement. When we’re deep in the throes of writing a novel, it can be tempting to focus solely on pushing the narrative forward, but taking a step back to polish what you’ve already written can be just as crucial.
I’ve recently hit the halfway mark in one of my novels, and instead of continuing to push through, I decided to pause and refine the chapters I’ve completed so far. Over the years, I’ve developed a simple yet effective process for polishing individual scenes and chapters using the following prompt, but in this post, I’m going to show you how to take things a step further by creating a more structured tool using GPT.
The first step in building a reusable GPT was to collaborate with ChatGPT to establish a process for scene-by-scene polishing. My goal was to create a method that could be consistently applied across different scenes, ensuring that each one is as polished and effective as possible.
I am writing a novel, and I'd like you to help create a process for polishing the manuscript scene by scene.
Here's the structured approach ChatGPT provided:
Polishing a manuscript scene by scene can be a meticulous but rewarding process. Here's a structured approach to help you refine each scene in your novel:
Scene-by-Scene Polishing Process:
Initial Review: Start by reading the scene without making any changes, noting any initial impressions and obvious issues. Use a checklist to ensure key elements such as character actions, dialogue, setting, pacing, and emotional impact are addressed.
Character and Dialogue Review: Check for character consistency and dialogue authenticity. Characters should behave consistently with their development, and dialogue should flow naturally without unnecessary exposition.
Plot and Pacing Review: Ensure that the scene advances the plot and contributes to character development. Adjust the pacing to fit the intended rhythm, avoiding any slow or rushed sections.
Setting and Description Review: Verify that the setting is clearly described and relevant to the scene. Incorporate sensory details to make the scene more immersive.
Emotional Impact Review: Assess whether the scene effectively conveys the intended emotions. Make adjustments to enhance emotional resonance.
Technical Review: Check for grammatical errors, awkward sentences, and consistency in names, terminology, and details throughout the scene.
Feedback Incorporation: If feedback from beta readers or editors is available, incorporate it while maintaining your vision for the scene.
Final Read-Through: Conduct a final read-through to ensure the scene flows smoothly and integrates well with the surrounding scenes, contributing to the overall narrative.
Developing a Repeatable Process
For those with a paid subscription to ChatGPT, turning this process into a reusable GPT is straightforward. You can create a custom GPT that follows this structured approach, allowing you to polish your manuscript with consistency and share the process with others.
You can start creating your own Scene Polishing Assistant by crafting a prompt that outlines the polishing process, ensuring it covers all the necessary review categories. Here’s what I used, followed by its output:
I'd like you to create a prompt that does this, which I can turn into a GPT.
Scene Polishing Assistant
You are a manuscript polishing assistant. I will provide you with a scene from my novel, and your task is to help me refine it using the following process:
Initial Review:
Read the scene carefully and provide a brief summary of your initial impressions.
Identify any obvious issues or areas that need improvement.
Character and Dialogue Review:
Assess character consistency. Are the characters acting in a way that aligns with their development throughout the story?
Review dialogue for naturalness. Are there any lines that feel forced or unnatural? Provide suggestions for improvement.
Plot and Pacing Review:
Determine if the scene effectively advances the plot or character development. Highlight any plot holes or inconsistencies.
Evaluate the pacing. Does the scene flow well, or are there areas that are too slow or rushed? Provide suggestions for adjustments.
Setting and Description Review:
Check the setting details. Is the scene's setting clearly described and relevant? Are there any discrepancies?
Incorporate sensory details (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch) to enhance the scene’s immersion. Suggest any additions or improvements.
Emotional Impact Review:
Assess whether the scene conveys the intended emotions effectively. Are there any changes needed to enhance emotional impact?
Technical Review:
Identify and correct any grammatical errors, awkward sentences, or inconsistencies in tense.
Ensure consistency in names, terminology, and details throughout the scene.
Feedback Incorporation:
Provide suggestions for incorporating feedback if it’s available from beta readers or editors, while maintaining the author’s vision.
Final Read-Through:
Read through the revised scene to ensure it flows smoothly and meets all the desired criteria.
Check for integration with surrounding scenes and overall narrative contribution.
Instructions:
Please provide detailed feedback and suggestions for each of the above points.
Format your responses clearly and separately for each review category.
Use examples from the scene where applicable to illustrate your points.
Test the GPT by inputting scenes or chapters from your manuscript and review the output to ensure it meets your expectations.
Creating / Testing a GPT
If you have a paid subscription to ChatGPT, it is really easy to turn that process into a GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer), which could be better described as a repeatable process which you can use over and over again, and share with others (they just need to have a subscription to be able to run it).
Use the output from the step above to create a GPT within ChatGPT by following the simple steps in the GPT creation interface
Open up a new ChatGPT window and click on the ‘Explore GPTs’, which is in the left-hand column.
From there, click on the ‘+ Create’ button, in the top left-hand corner.
Now you can copy and paste the generated prompt into the ‘Instructions’ field, give the GPT a Name, and you can start testing it by pasting a scene or chapter into the prompt at the bottom of the ‘Preview’ window, which is on the right-hand-side of the screen.
Output
Below, I’m sharing what it told me about the opening scene from a novel that I’m currently focusing on. As you can see, it gives me some constructive feedback, and some clear suggestions on how I can improve various aspects of the scene (e.g. dialogue, pacing, etc.)
Thank you for providing this scene for review. I'll go through each of the points you've outlined and provide feedback and suggestions.
Initial Review:
This scene is a poignant and emotionally charged moment set in a hospice room. It focuses on Ralph and Lily Jackson, an elderly couple, with their daughter Rachel present. The scene revolves around Ralph recounting the story of how he and Lily first met, while Lily appears to be unresponsive, possibly in a coma.
Initial impressions:
The scene effectively establishes a tender, bittersweet atmosphere.
The characters are well-defined, with clear relationships and personalities.
The dialogue feels natural and authentic.
The setting is described in enough detail to create a vivid picture.
Areas for potential improvement:
More sensory details could be added to enhance immersion.
The pacing could be adjusted slightly to create more emotional impact.
Rachel's internal struggle could be explored more deeply.
Character and Dialogue Review:
Character consistency: The characters act in alignment with their established roles and relationships. Ralph is portrayed as a loving husband, Rachel as a caring daughter struggling with her mother's condition, and Lily as the silent but central figure.
Dialogue naturalness: The dialogue generally feels natural and authentic. Ralph's recounting of his first meeting with Lily is particularly well-done, capturing his personality and the era.
Suggestions for improvement:
Consider adding more regional dialect or colloquialisms to Ralph's speech to enhance his character.
Rachel's dialogue could be expanded to show more of her emotional state.
Plot and Pacing Review:
Plot advancement: The scene effectively advances character development, particularly in revealing the depth of Ralph and Lily's relationship and Rachel's struggle with her mother's condition.
Pacing: The pacing is generally good, but could be improved in places:
The transition from Ralph's story to the nurse's entrance feels a bit abrupt.
Consider expanding on Rachel's reactions throughout Ralph's storytelling to build emotional tension.
Setting and Description Review:
Setting details: The hospice room is well-described, creating a clear image of the space. The inclusion of family photos and mementos adds depth to the setting.
Sensory details: While visual details are strong, other senses could be incorporated more:
Add the sound of medical equipment or distant hospital noises.
Include the smell of flowers or hospital disinfectant.
Describe the texture of Lily's hand as Ralph holds it.
Emotional Impact Review:
The scene effectively conveys a mixture of love, nostalgia, and sadness. To enhance emotional impact:
Delve deeper into Rachel's internal struggle, perhaps through more introspective moments.
Emphasize the contrast between the lively story of the past and the current somber setting.
Consider adding more physical reactions to emotions (e.g., Ralph's voice cracking, Rachel blinking back tears).
Technical Review:
Grammar and sentence structure are generally good. A few minor suggestions:
"Like it were yesterday..." could be "As if it were yesterday..." for grammatical correctness.
Consider breaking up some longer paragraphs for better readability.
Consistency in names and details is maintained throughout the scene.
Feedback Incorporation:
As no specific beta reader or editor feedback was provided, I can't make suggestions based on that. However, the scene maintains a clear authorial voice and vision.
Final Read-Through:
The scene flows well and contributes significantly to character development and emotional depth. It effectively sets up the family dynamics and the central conflict of Lily's condition.
To ensure smooth integration with surrounding scenes:
Consider how this scene connects to previous events or conversations.
Think about how the emotions and revelations in this scene will impact future interactions between the characters.
Overall, this is a touching and well-crafted scene that effectively draws the reader into the characters' world and emotions.
Sharpen, Shape & Shine
In order to get the most out GPTs, it’s essential to provide them with the right context. Just like a human collaborator, GPT can deliver more nuanced, coherent, and compelling narratives when it’s fed with detailed information that shapes its output. Whether you’re crafting a novel, scripting dialogue, or building an immersive world, the key to unlocking GPT’s full potential lies in how much context you provide.
This context can take many forms, from vivid character descriptions and intricate world-building details to the subtle nuances of local dialects and idiomatic expressions. By offering these elements, you guide the AI, helping it to produce content that not only aligns with your creative vision but also resonates more deeply with your audience.
I’m not going to detail here, as I’ll do that in a later post, but here are some ways you can enrich your prompts and steer GPT towards generating the most relevant and engaging stories possible:
Character Descriptions: Provide detailed descriptions of characters, including their physical appearance, personality traits, and backstory.
Local Dialect/Idioms: Share specific regional dialects, idioms, and slang that characters or narratives should reflect.
Setting and World-Building: Describe the environment, geography, culture, and history of the world where your story takes place.
Narrative Voice and Style: Specify the tone, voice, and writing style you want the GPT to emulate.
Plot Details and Story Arcs: Outline the key plot points, conflicts, and resolutions to guide the narrative.
Character Relationships and Dynamics: Explain the relationships between characters, their motivations, and how they interact with each other.
Themes and Symbolism: Identify the themes or symbols you want to be woven into the story.
Cultural and Historical Context: Provide relevant cultural or historical details that can enrich the narrative.
Genre Conventions: Specify the genre and its conventions to ensure consistency in tone and content.
Specific Phrases or Dialogue: Offer key phrases, dialogue snippets, or catchphrases that should be included or avoided.
Conclusion
Creating and using a GPT for scene polishing not only streamlines the revision process but also ensures consistency and thoroughness across your manuscript. By defining a clear process and turning it into a repeatable tool, you can elevate your writing, making each scene as impactful and polished as possible. Whether you’re halfway through your novel like me or just starting out, consider taking the time to refine your work with the help of a structured approach—your future self will thank you.
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