I’ve been experimenting with incorporating Claude into my workflow, and what I’m finding works best is to describe vaguely where I see my story going and have Claude take a couple stabs at the next few paragraphs…
Reading Claude’s attempts feels a little like reading fan fiction or like looking at a pencil sketch, getting the shape and proportions vaguely in order in my mind, before I actually start putting paint on the real canvas.
So far, I’m not sure that working with Claude is really saving me any time, but it’s a fascinating experiment, worth experiencing in its own right. It’s good to stretch your brain and try new things. And I do think there’s a good chance it’s making my workflow more robust.
I’m used to needing to really clear my mind and work hard at being in an almost zen-like mental space, possibly arranging little toys or having the right drink or even getting out to a coffee shop where I know no one will bother me in order to fall into the writing trance.
But with Claude, I’m finding it easier to sneak in little bits of writing here and there between things, even when my kids are bugging me about their schoolwork or I’m having trouble believing in the point of writing at all—things that would usually slow me way down.
So, even if Claude isn’t making writing faster, I think it’s making writing easier, and so far as I can tell, my voice and style have stayed the same.
I was worried that changing my workflow might change the stories I write, but that simply doesn’t seem to be the case.