Plan and outline a book

intermediate⏱ Rough guide only: several evenings of planning

Last reviewed by Amara Lewis

Can AI help me write a book?

Yes – AI is a strong planning partner. Give Claude or ChatGPT your premise, main character, genre and target length, and ask for a pitch, a three-act structure and a chapter-by-chapter outline. Use it to plan, unblock and get feedback, but write the book in your own words.

Copy-and-paste prompt

Swap the bits in [square brackets] for your own details.

Help me outline a [genre] book. Premise: [one or two sentences]. Main character: [who they are and what they want]. Target reader: [who]. Length: about [number] words. Give me: a one-paragraph pitch, a three-act structure, a chapter-by-chapter outline (one line each), the main character's arc, and three questions I should answer before I start writing.

How to do it

  1. Open Claude or ChatGPT and start a new chat.
  2. Copy the prompt below and replace everything in [square brackets] with your details.
  3. Ask follow-ups: 'develop chapter 3', 'make the middle less slow'.
  4. Write the book yourself – use AI as a planning partner, not the author.

What a good answer looks like

Illustrative example written by the AI My Day team to show the kind of answer you can expect. It is not a captured tool output, and real results vary.

Pitch: A retired lighthouse keeper discovers that the letters washing up on her beach are addressed to her – from 1974. Act 1 (ch. 1–6): Edie finds the first letter; the village dismisses it… Act 2 (ch. 7–18): She traces the sender; midpoint twist – the writer is her late sister… Act 3 (ch. 19–24): … Questions to answer: What does Edie fear most? Why now?

Recommended tools

Claude is especially good at long, careful writing feedback; ChatGPT is great for quick brainstorming.

Claude

An AI assistant known for clear, natural writing and handling long documents.

Free planbeginner

ChatGPT

A general-purpose AI assistant you can chat to by typing, talking or sharing photos.

Free planbeginner

Top tips

  • Keep your own voice – rewrite any AI wording you keep.
  • Check your publisher's or competition's rules on AI use.

Frequently asked questions

Who owns a book written with AI?

Copyright rules for AI-generated text vary by country and are still developing. Writing it yourself and using AI only for planning keeps things simple.

Will publishers accept it?

Many ask you to disclose AI use. Check each publisher's or agent's guidelines.

Which AI is best for this?

Not sure which tool suits you? Take the 60-second quiz.

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