How to Write Better AI Stories: 10 Tips from Power Users

AI interactive fiction is easy to start but has surprising depth once you learn the techniques. The difference between a meandering story and a gripping one often comes down to how you write your inputs. Here are ten tips gathered from experienced writers who’ve created some of the most compelling AI-narrated stories.

1. Lead with Action, Not Description

Instead of telling the AI what the scene looks like, tell it what happens. “I kick open the door” generates more dynamic prose than “the door is old and wooden.” The AI will describe the setting naturally as part of narrating your action. Let it do its job.

2. Use Quotes for Exact Dialogue

Text in quotation marks becomes your character’s exact words. Everything outside quotes is direction. This gives you precise control: “We need to leave. Now.” I grab the bag and head for the door. The AI includes your dialogue verbatim and narrates the action around it.

3. Be Specific About Outcomes When It Matters

If you write “I try to pick the lock,” the AI decides whether you succeed. If you write “I pick the lock successfully,” it happens. Use open-ended inputs when you want surprise and specific inputs when you want control. The balance between the two is what makes the story interesting.

4. Direct Other Characters Too

You’re not limited to your protagonist. “Parker confesses that she’s been lying about the map” or “the innkeeper recognizes me and panics” — you can direct any character or world event. Think of yourself as both the protagonist and the director.

5. Use Response Length Intentionally

Brief mode for snappy dialogue and action sequences. Standard for most scenes. Detailed or Expansive for emotional turning points, world-building, or scenes you want the AI to really develop. Varying the length creates natural pacing — the same way a novelist alternates between short, punchy chapters and longer, contemplative ones.

6. Set the Tone Early

The AI mirrors the tone you establish. If your first input is gritty and terse, the prose follows suit. If it’s lyrical and contemplative, so is the narration. You can also be explicit: “funny and irreverent, like Douglas Adams” or “dark literary fiction, spare prose.” The first few inputs set the template for everything that follows.

7. Don’t Be Afraid to Skip Time

One of the most underused techniques is time-skipping. “We fast-forward three months. I’m in a new city, working at a bookshop.” The AI will establish the new setting and pick up the thread. Great stories don’t narrate every moment — they cut between the scenes that matter.