How Writers Can Use AI Responsibly, with Ana del Valle

Send us a text! We'd love to hear your thoughts on the show.AI is everywhere right now, but for writers, the conversation has become a lot more complicated.Can you use ChatGPT to brainstorm your novel? What about getting feedback on your plot? Can AI help you edit? And where is the line between using AI as a tool and letting it do so much of the work that your authorship, copyright, or even publishing opportunities could be affected?Those are exactly the questions I wanted to dig into in this episode of The Resilient Writers Radio Show.I’m joined by Ana del Valle, novelist, CEO of StoryGroove.ai, and someone I turn to when I want to understand what’s happening with AI in the writing world.Ana works with writers who want to understand how generative AI can fit into a creative process while staying aligned with current copyright guidance and recommendations from organizations including the Authors Guild and the Association of American Literary Agents.And one thing becomes very clear in our conversation: there is a big difference between asking AI to help you think and asking AI to write your book for you.We talk about where Ana believes that line sits, including the difference between using AI for brainstorming, outlining, analysis, and preliminary feedback versus asking it to rewrite, polish, tighten, expand, or generate your prose.Ana also walks us through four different categories of AI tools writers are encountering right now.We look at AI book generators that can produce entire books, more technical tools such as NovelCrafter that connect writers with large language models, AI-powered writing programs such as Sudowrite, and platforms designed around analysis, feedback, and editorial support.We also talk about tools writers may already recognize, including ProWritingAid, AutoCrit, Scrivener, Plottr, Dabble, Claude, and ChatGPT.But this conversation isn’t really about finding the newest shiny tool.It’s about understanding what the tool is actually doing.Is it helping you think more clearly about your story?Or is it beginning to replace the creative work that only you can do?Ana also shares why she believes experienced editors and publishing professionals can often recognize AI-generated prose, even without technological detection tools, and why writers need to think carefully before handing their sentences over to a chatbot for “just a little polishing.”If you’re curious about AI but worried about accidentally crossing a line, this episode will give you a much clearer framework for thinking about it.You don’t have to use AI in your writing process at all. I don’t.But if you choose to explore it, understanding the boundaries matters.Listen to the full conversation and decide what role, if any, AI should have in your writing life.