Understanding CVW (Creative Vibe Writing): Creative Collaboration Between AI and Humans

CVW (Creative Vibe Writing) for Beginners

Hello! Have you heard the term "CVW" recently? In this article, I will explain "Creative Vibe Writing (CVW)"—a novel-writing method involving creative collaboration between AI and humans proposed by Kyosuke Higuchi—in a way that even a rabbit could understand. If you're interested in AI-driven text generation or want to try writing a novel, please give this a read!

1. Introduction: Encountering CVW

"ChatGPT can become the greatest novelist in history" —— says Kyosuke Higuchi, a science fiction writer and IT consultant.

With the advancement of AI, possibilities for various creative activities are expanding. In particular, the evolution of natural language processing has enabled AI to generate human-like text. Kyosuke Higuchi proposes "Creative Vibe Writing (CVW)" as a new creative method utilizing this technology.

Rather than simply letting the AI write the text, it is a method to create a new literary experience by combining human creativity with the AI's generative capabilities.

Rabbit: "Can AI even write a novel in the first place? huff"

You might indeed find it strange. However, large language models learn from massive amounts of text data, allowing them to understand context and generate natural sentences. That said, without intervention, the writing tends to become "mechanical."

That's where CVW comes in! It is a technique for creating more creative and engaging text by giving the AI a "role" and specifying particular writing styles or techniques.

2. What is CVW?

Basic Concept

CVW (Creative Vibe Writing) is a method for humans and AI to collaborate and produce creative text. Particular emphasis is placed on "Vibe" (atmosphere/feeling).

Instead of just telling the AI to "write a novel," you generate text with a specific "Vibe" through role definitions and style specifications. Humans then edit and curate this output to refine it into a more compelling work.

Rabbit: "What's a 'Vibe'? Is it like an atmosphere? huff"

Exactly! "Vibe" refers to the atmosphere or mood felt from a piece of writing. For example, Haruki Murakami's unique metaphors or Dostoevsky's psychological descriptions represent a specific "Vibe" unique to those authors. In CVW, you instruct the AI with these "Vibes" to generate text with a particular feel.

Differences from Traditional Writing Methods

In traditional writing, a single author handled the entire process, from conception to final draft. The individual's experience, sensibility, and style were reflected in the work, creating its unique value.

On the other hand, in CVW:

1. Humans design the instructions (prompts) given to the AI.
2. The AI generates text based on those instructions.
3. Humans select and edit the AI's output.

Works are born through this collaborative process. The source of creativity comes not only from within the individual writer but also from the interaction between human and AI.

3. Features and Appeal of CVW

Importance of Role Definition for AI Models

The most significant feature of CVW is the "role definition" given to the AI. For example:

"You are the greatest novelist in history, having studied under the world's literary giants."

By giving the AI a clear role like this, its creativity is drawn out. By making it recognize itself as a "novelist" rather than just a machine, it becomes possible to generate higher-quality text.

Rabbit: "So 'role' means making the AI play a part? huff"

Exactly! Just like playing a character in an RPG, you give the AI a specific role or setting. For instance, if you instruct it with "You are a poet skilled in fantastical landscape descriptions," the AI will attempt to generate text that aligns with that role.

How to Specify Style and Tone

In CVW, you can also specify the writing style or tone of a particular author. For example:

"Please describe the protagonist's feelings using Dostoevsky's psychological depth and Haruki Murakami's metaphorical style."

Such specifications allow for unprecedented new expressions that combine the characteristics of multiple writers.

Leveraging Human Editing Skills and Reading Experience

Rather than using the AI-generated text as-is, humans select and edit it to enhance the work's quality. In this process, the human's reading experience and literary knowledge play a crucial role.

The more a person has read high-quality literary works, the better they can identify valuable parts in the AI's output and refine them into a superior piece of work.

4. How to Practice CVW

Basic Prompt Design

The first step to practicing CVW is designing effective prompts (instructions). The basic components of a prompt are as follows:

1. Role Definition: Give the AI a creative role (e.g., "You are an excellent novelist").
2. Style Specification: Specify the style or technique of a specific writer (e.g., "With surreal descriptions like Kafka").
3. Themes and Elements: Specify the story's theme or elements that should be included.
4. Format Specification: Specify the length or format of the text.

Rabbit: "I want to see a concrete prompt example! huff"

Here is a prompt example for generating a scene in a novel:

You are the greatest novelist in history, having studied under the world's literary giants. Using psychological descriptions like Dostoevsky and metaphorical expressions like Haruki Murakami, write a conversation scene of about 300 characters between former lovers who happen to meet again at a city cafe. Describe it so that the protagonist's inner conflict is conveyed.

Writer's Role and Points of Intervention

The human role in CVW is as follows:

1. Prompt Design: Clarifying instructions to the AI to draw out creativity.
2. Output Selection: Choosing valuable parts from multiple outputs.
3. Editing and Revision: Editing the selected text to make it better.
4. Structure Adjustment: Adjusting the overall story structure.

The "curation" role is particularly important. By selecting and combining the most valuable parts from multiple texts generated by the AI, the overall quality of the work improves significantly.

Specific Implementation Example

The actual process is as follows:

1. Design the prompt and input it into the AI.
2. The AI generates the text.
3. Evaluate the output and revise the prompt as necessary.
4. Select the best output and edit it.
5. Repeat the process as needed.
6. Refine it into the final work.

5. Possibilities and Outlook of CVW

New Possibilities for Novel Writing

CVW has the potential to solve various challenges that have existed in traditional novel writing:

• Overcoming Writer's Block: Even when you can't think of ideas, interacting with AI can spark new inspirations.
• Experimenting with Styles: It becomes easy to try out various writing styles and expressive techniques.
• Efficiency in Creation: The drafting and conceptual stages can be streamlined.

Rabbit: "Can someone who has never written a novel before start? huff"

Yes! In fact, the barrier to entry for CVW might be lower than traditional novel writing. This is because you can start by selecting and editing text generated by AI, rather than starting from a "blank page." If you have reading experience, you will likely be able to do even better editing.

Shift from "Writer's Skill" to "Editor/Reader's Skill"

With CVW, the emphasis on skills in creation is shifting. Previously, "how to write excellent prose" was paramount, but in CVW, "how to design a good prompt" and "how to select and edit valuable output" become more important.

In other words, rather than "writing ability," skills like "reading ability," "selection ability," and "editing ability" will be required. This shares common ground with experimental methods in postmodern literature.

A New Form of Literature through AI-Human Co-creation

CVW has the potential to give birth to a new literary form through the collaboration of AI and humans. This is not just about AI assisting human creation, but about expanding the possibilities of expressions and stories that arise from the interaction between AI and humans—things that have never existed before.

6. Comparison with Similar Methods

Differences from General Prompt Engineering

While general prompt engineering aims to "get more accurate answers from AI," CVW aims to "generate creative literary expressions."

In addition, while the "accuracy" of the output is prioritized in general prompt engineering, "creativity" and "literary value" are prioritized in CVW.

Rabbit: "Prompt engineering sounds difficult... huff"

It certainly has an image of requiring specialized knowledge. However, CVW prompts are more about literary aspects than technical ones. You can start as long as you can verbalize your thoughts on creation, such as "what kind of story you want to write" or "what kind of style you prefer."

Comparison with Other AI Creation Methods

Various AI creation methods have appeared recently, but the characteristics of CVW lie in the following points:

1. Emphasis on Role Definition: Enhancing expressiveness by giving the AI a creative role.
2. Utilization of Literary Knowledge: Utilizing knowledge of existing writers and styles.
3. Emphasis on Human Editing Skills: The human makes the final value judgment.

Particularly, the emphasis on "role definition" demonstrates the uniqueness of CVW. By giving the AI the role of a creative partner rather than just a tool, more attractive literary expressions become possible.

7. How to Start CVW

Required Tools and Environment

The things needed to start CVW are surprisingly simple:

1. AI Model: Access to a large language model such as ChatGPT.
2. Text Editor: An editor for saving and editing output.
3. Literary Knowledge: Having basic reading experience and literary knowledge is desirable.

Since the technical hurdle is low, anyone interested in fiction writing can start.

Rabbit: "Can I do it with the free version of ChatGPT? huff"

Yes! You can certainly start with the free version, but if you want to perform more advanced generation, you may want to consider a paid plan. The scope of generation, such as length and complexity, will expand.

Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

The simple steps to start CVW are as follows:

1. Set a Goal: Think about what kind of story or text you want to write.
2. Create a Basic Prompt: Create a prompt including role definition and basic instructions.
3. Dialogue with AI: Enter the prompt and get output from the AI.
4. Selection and Editing: Choose the good parts and edit them.
5. Iterative Improvement: Increase quality while refining the prompt.

It is best to start with short scenes or small episodes. Gradually challenge yourself with larger works as you improve your skills.

Common Failures and Countermeasures

Here are some common failures when practicing CVW and their solutions:

1. Vague Prompts:

   • Failure: "Write an interesting story."
   • Countermeasure: Make it specific, like "With the theme of urban loneliness, using delicate descriptions like Mieko Kawakami..."

2. Over-dependence:

   • Failure: Using the AI output as-is.
   • Countermeasure: Always edit and curate from a human perspective.

3. Excessive Instructions:

   • Failure: Restricting creativity with instructions that are too detailed.
   • Countermeasure: Aim for balanced instructions.

Rabbit: "Is it okay if it doesn't go well from the start? huff"

Of course! Creation is a process of trial and error. There is learning even from prompts that don't go well. Let's find your own style while adjusting the prompts little by little.

8. Summary: The Expanding World of Creation through CVW

"Creative Vibe Writing" proposes a new form of novel writing through the creative collaboration of AI and humans. The key points are as follows:

1. Drawing out creativity by giving the AI appropriate role definitions.
2. Creating new expressions by combining multiple writing styles and techniques.
3. Enhancing value by leveraging human editing skills and reading experience.
4. Building a co-creation process that utilizes the respective strengths of AI and humans.

Rabbit: "Is it worth a try? huff"

Of course! CVW is expanding new possibilities for novel writing. Even those who were hesitant about traditional writing may discover the joy of creation through collaboration with AI. Since it's easy to start, please give it a try if you're interested!

The world of creation is constantly changing alongside the evolution of technology. CVW is one of the methods at the forefront of that change. It is exciting to see what kind of new literature will be born from the creative co-creation of AI and humans!

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How was it? I hope "CVW for Beginners" was somewhat helpful. I hope you all enjoy a new creative experience using CVW!

Reference Information

• Kyosuke Higuchi's initiatives related to CVW
• Process of creating Sci-Fi novel auto-generation GPTs
• ChatGPT can become the greatest novelist in history (Interview article)
• Anthropic's Blog (Information on Claude AI)