My Writing Process
My imagination, my decisions—with AI along the way.
How I Create My Books
There’s a lot of confusion—and some pretty strong opinions—about AI in creative writing. I want to be open about how I use it and how much of me goes into every book.
There’s an assumption that an author types in a prompt, gets an entire book, and hits publish. That’s a long way from my process.
There’s still blood, sweat, tears, and a questionable amount of coffee involved. AI helps me move faster and gives me more time with my kids. I’m still there making the decisions, shaping the story, and reading every page.
People also raise concerns about AI copying other authors. I take originality seriously, but I don’t think it’s fair to assume someone is stealing simply because they use AI. People can misuse creative tools, and people can copy each other without AI involved. Those concerns deserve discussion, and I can speak for my own process.
The way I see it, a camera is a tool, but the photographer still brings their eye, their choices, and their vision to the photograph. A digital artist uses a screen and software where another artist might use paint and canvas. Those tools are different, but there’s still a person making the creative decisions.
That’s the comparison I draw with my own use of AI. It plays a substantial role, including drafting prose from my instructions. I bring the story ideas, the characters, their voices, and the direction. I lead the outline beat by beat, work through the edits, and decide what makes it into the finished book.
Of course people can use AI carelessly or to copy others. I’m not pretending otherwise. But that doesn’t describe the care and effort I put into my books.
And honestly? When I first started writing with AI, some of the results were bad. I was learning how to use it, how to give it direction, and how to recognize when something wasn’t working. There were plenty of moments where what ended up on the page didn’t match what I had in my head.
Like any growing author, I’m learning as I go. I’m getting better at shaping my stories, spotting what needs work, and making changes. My process has grown with me, and I expect it to keep growing. I care about these books, and I want each one to be better than the last.
For me, AI is a tool I use throughout the work, and I remain the creator directing the book. I want to be transparent about what that means, so here’s my process, step by step:
- I bring the book idea. The starting point is a story I want to tell.
- I bring my characters and their voices. I work with AI to expand and refine them, making the final decisions about who they are.
- I lead the outline, beat by beat. I build a detailed chapter-by-chapter outline. I decide what happens, what matters, and what makes it into the story.
- AI helps keep everything organized. It tracks details, puts our outlines into documents, and offers suggestions when my brain needs more coffee.
- AI produces the chapter draft. I give it the detailed outline, my specific author voice guide, and the character voice guides to follow.
- Each chapter goes through several editing passes. The draft is worked through using specific editing instructions to improve its quality.
- Then I read every page and edit more. I make changes, decide what stays, and give the final approval.
That’s my process. AI helps me bring my books to life, and I remain the creator directing them—from the first idea to the finished story.
You may see things differently, and that’s okay. We don’t have to agree to treat each other with respect. I respect your right to your opinion, and I ask for that same kindness in return.
I love what I do.
I love creating these fantastical worlds and bringing these love stories to life. There’s something comforting about knowing that, even when I can’t control the life around me, I can decide how my stories unfold. I get to watch love bloom between my characters—even when they insist on making horrible decisions and treating honest communication like it’s a fatal disease.
These stories mean so much to me, and so does getting to share them with you.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you have any questions about my process, please feel free to email me at leah.ryan.romance@gmail.com.
With love and probably too much coffee,
Leah 🥰