Over the past several days, I’ve had a few people ask how I managed to write Galaxy’s Child, a science fiction novel with layers of character development, world-building, and a long arc that spans a trilogy. The truth is this story has been with me for over 40 years… but I only finally wrote it because of something relatively new: AI.
Let me explain.
I started experimenting with AI about nine months ago. As a hands-on learner, I wasn’t interested in theory, I wanted a real project to help me understand how this technology could be used creatively. I had been developing the story of Galaxy’s Child in my head since I was a kid, but life, work, and the sheer size of the task always got in the way. That changed when I decided to use AI as a writing assistant. Not to write for me, but to write with me.
There’s been a lot of controversy lately about AI and novel writing. I understand the concern, storytelling is a deeply human endeavor. That’s precisely why I’m writing this blog. I want to be transparent about how I used the technology and what it actually meant to the process.
AI didn’t replace my creativity, it amplified it.
I came in with the characters, the universe, the emotional arcs, and the overarching plot. But having AI as a partner allowed me to:
- Structure the storyline more effectively, especially in a multi-book format.
- Refine dialogue and narration, checking for tone and flow.
- Explore alternate versions of key scenes and compare outcomes.
- Catch repetitive phrasing or weak transitions, which are easy to miss in long-form writing.
- Most importantly, describing futuristic technology in a realistic way, grounded in science fact. I’ll never underestimate my audience. In my experience, especially in the science fiction genre, readers respond positively to thoughtful, well-integrated world-building. I couldn’t have woven the science into this story without the depth of research I was able to do with the help of AI.
It was like having a sounding board that never got tired, one that let me bounce ideas back and forth at any hour. The heart of the story is mine. The choices, the voice, the emotional weight, those were built on four decades of dreaming. But AI gave me the momentum to finally bring it all together.
Whether AI has a place in every writer’s process is up to them. For me, it was the tool I didn’t know I needed to finally tell the story I’d been carrying around for most of my life. And now, I get to share Galaxy’s Child with readers around the world.
I call that a win. Let me know what you think!
David P. Lloyd 