From Pen to Prompt: How Creative Writers Integrate AI into their Writing Practice

2024-11-05

arXiv.org

AI Summary

This study investigates how creative writers strategically integrate large language models (LLMs) into their workflows while upholding core values such as authenticity and craftsmanship. Employing qualitative methods—including in-depth interviews and participant observation with 18 prolific AI-using writers—the research develops a novel “values–relationships–strategies” analytical framework, moving beyond techno-centric paradigms to reveal how value commitments shape AI adoption. It identifies six reusable human–AI collaborative writing patterns grounded in ethical and aesthetic priorities. The findings yield a value-aligned workflow guide for practitioners, inform transparent, ethics-integrated feature design for AI tool developers, and support pedagogical frameworks for writing education. Collectively, this work advances a human-centered generative AI ecosystem for creative writing. (149 words)

Technology Category

• Humans and AI: Learning Human Values and Preferences
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Computational Creativity
• Philosophy and Ethics of AI: Morality & Value-based AI

Application Category

• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Architectures and workflows that use LLMs for crowd work
• Social Networks and Social Media: Generative AI / large language models and their impact on social systems
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Large Language Models (LLM) for user modeling and recommendation

Abstract

Creative writing is a deeply human craft, yet AI systems using large language models (LLMs) offer the automation of significant parts of the writing process. So why do some creative writers choose to use AI? Through interviews and observed writing sessions with 18 creative writers who already use AI regularly in their writing practice, we find that creative writers are intentional about how they incorporate AI, making many deliberate decisions about when and how to engage AI based on their core values, such as authenticity and craftsmanship. We characterize the interplay between writers' values, their fluid relationships with AI, and specific integration strategies -- ultimately enabling writers to create new AI workflows without compromising their creative values. We provide insight for writing communities, AI developers and future researchers on the importance of supporting transparency of these emerging writing processes and rethinking what AI features can best serve writers.

Problem

• Explore AI integration in creative writing.
• Analyze writers' values and AI interaction strategies.
• Develop AI features enhancing writers' creative processes.

Innovation

• AI enhances creative writing workflows
• Writers integrate AI based on values
• AI supports transparency in writing processes