AI & Other Writing Instruments

I remember the food, the cohorts, and the guitar player.

It was my first trip to New Orleans. I met my cohorts at the hostel. 

By morning, it was breakfast and conversation.

By noon, it was streetcars, cemeteries, and sidewalk cafés. 

By night, it was Frenchmen Street. Jazz clubs, dim lighting, and a young band that educated me on the genre.

The guitar player had a solo so impressive we agreed to return the following night. Surprisingly, the guitar player played the drums the entire set. Just as impressively as he did the guitar the night before.

I randomly find myself thinking about that guitar player. How beautiful it was, for him and the world l, that he had access to those instruments. 

I had so many talented friends. Kids who wanted to be musicians. Now, they drive trucks, deliver water, clean carpets, and load trucks.

• Did they lack talent or did they lack the instruments?

• Did they lack talent or did they lack the access?

Those questions return to me. Each time in different notes and weights. So many of us with songs left unsung. So many solos that never knew where to find a mic or stage.

We aren’t replacing creativity with AI. We’re lowering barriers and reducing our ignorance. We are accessing instruments previously locked away.

• AI isn’t a ghostwriter.

• AI isn’t a shortcut.

• AI isn’t a magic wand.

AI isn’t composing our melody. It’s helping us find the keys.

Guiding us through understanding the breadth of possibilities, forms, styles, and narrative concepts beyond our immediate familiarity.

• Wouldn’t it be great to Save The Cat?

• Wouldn’t understanding the symmetry of Freytag’s Pyramid be insightful?

• Wouldn’t it be thrilling to create unconventional story structures rather than just reading about them?

• Wouldn’t it be empowering to understand narrative frameworks like The Fichtean Curve, Kishōtenketsu, or Three-Act Structure instead feeling intimidated by them?

AI is like having a metronome and a chord chart on demand. Freeing us to focus on the instrument of our choosing.

• The Story Circle’s emotional rhythm.

• The Hero’s Journey’s mythic sweep.

• The Story Grid’s analytical precision.

• The Snowflake’s intricate build-up.

AI is an instrument of exploration. And liberation. It empowers us to explore concepts previously blocked by barriers of ignorance and intimidation. 

We now have the freedom to experiment with narrative forms, deepen our understanding of storytelling structures, and refine without constraints.

Rather than replacing our voice, AI can refine and deepen it.

We are no longer constrained by our ignorance of the craft. We can now show range, adaptability, and a fearless expression. 

We now have limitless access to the instruments of our choosing. No more defining our limitations as our goals.