How to Use ChatGPT to Plot and Outline Your Story

Welcome to another episode of Book Covers DIY! Today, I’m going to show you how to use the free tool ChatGPT to plot and outline your story. So let’s get started.

Here we are on ChatGPT, chat.openai.com. It’s free to use, so you can just click the sign-up button and follow the steps. Once you’ve joined and logged in, you’ll be taken to a screen that looks like this. The first thing you should do is tell ChatGPT that you are a fiction author and ask if it understands. This helps set the foundation for what tasks you’re going to ask of the AI.

Let’s pretend you have a story idea. Let’s say one day you were reading your kids Hansel and Gretel, and then you got the idea of reimagining it in a different setting or timeline. But you kind of don’t know where to go from there. So, let’s start off with just a little brainstorming session with the AI.

Give me 10 font ideas for a reimagined Hansel and Gretel story in different time periods, settings, and genres. Okay, let’s see what ChatGPT comes up with.

Here are 10 reimagined Hansel and Gretel plot ideas with various time periods, settings, and genres:

1. Hansel and Gretel: A Steampunk Adventure set in a Victorian-era steampunk world. Hansel and Gretel are siblings with a knack for inventing gadgets. When they stumble upon a mechanical Candy Factory run by a wicked industrialist, they must outwit him using their mechanical genius to find their way back home.

2. Hansel and Gretel: Cyberpunk Quest in a dystopian future. Hansel and Gretel are hackers living in a sprawling Cyber City. They are lured into a virtual Candy World by a powerful AI with malicious intent. To escape, they must navigate a digital Maze of Deceit and danger.

3. Hansel and Gretel: A Space Odyssey in a distant future where space travel is common. Hansel and Gretel are interstellar explorers who land on a candy-themed alien planet inhabited by extraterrestrial beings who ensnare unsuspecting visitors. Their spaceship is stolen, and they must find their way back to Earth.

4. Hansel and Gretel: Wild West Mystery set in the Old West. Hansel and Gretel are orphans who stumble upon a candy-covered ghost town. They uncover a secret involving a group of bandits hiding their loot within the candy, leading to a treasure hunt with a Western twist.

5. Hansel and Gretel: Post-Apocalyptic Survival. In a post-apocalyptic world where resources are scarce, Hansel and Gretel are siblings navigating a barren wasteland. They come across a candy-themed settlement ruled by a ruthless warlord. To survive and escape, they must unravel the mysteries of this candy-covered society.

6. Hansel and Gretel: Noir Detective Story set in the 1940s. Hansel and Gretel are private investigators hired to find a missing child who was not seen entering a mysterious candy shop. As they dig deeper, they uncover a web of dark secrets and corruption.

7. Hansel and Gretel: Fantasy Epic in a high fantasy realm. Hansel and Gretel are young magic users who enter an enchanted forest filled with candy creatures. They must harness their magical abilities to navigate this whimsical but perilous world and confront a powerful sorcerer.

8. Hansel and Gretel: Time Traveling Adventure. A time-traveling mishap sends Hansel and Gretel to various historical eras, each with its own candy-themed challenge. They must navigate through time, solve puzzles, and collect clues to find their way back home while learning valuable lessons from the past.

9. Hansel and Gretel: Superhero Saga in a modern city. Hansel and Gretel are gifted with extraordinary powers. A super-villain uses candy-themed gadgets to wreak havoc, and the siblings must embrace their powers and join forces with other heroes to stop the villain’s sweet-themed crime spree.

10. Hansel and Gretel: Mythological Adventure. Hansel and Gretel are transported to a mythical world inspired by ancient legends. They find themselves in a candy-covered realm ruled by a mischievous deity. To return to their world, they must embark on a quest to gather mythical artifacts and face legendary creatures.

These reimagined Hansel and Gretel stories offer a wide range of possibilities in terms of time periods, settings, and genres, allowing for creative and unique retellings of the classic fairy tale.

Now that we have these ideas, let’s pick one to elaborate on. I’m most drawn to the first idea: Hansel and Gretel: A Steampunk Adventure. This idea takes the original story and transforms it into a Victorian-era steampunk world, where Hansel and Gretel are inventors who stumble upon a mechanical Candy Factory run by a wicked industrialist. They must use their mechanical genius to outwit him and find their way back home.

Using the Hero’s Journey format, here’s an outline for the Hansel and Gretel steampunk adventure story:

1. The Ordinary World: Introduce Hansel and Gretel, siblings living in a bustling steampunk city. Establish their skills as inventors and their close bond as brother and sister.

2. The Call to Adventure: The siblings discover rumors of a mysterious Candy Factory in the outskirts of the city. Curiosity drives them to investigate, believing it could be an opportunity to showcase their inventions.

3. Refusal of the Call: They face warnings from the townsfolk about the Factory’s wicked owner, Mr. Von Sweetsworth. Hansel hesitates, but Gretel convinces him to proceed.

4. Meeting the Mentor: Along the way, they encounter an old inventor who provides them with a map and advice on how to navigate the Candy Factory.

5. Crossing the Threshold: Hansel and Gretel enter the Candy Factory, a surreal mechanical wonderland filled with candy-themed contraptions.

6. Tests, Allies, and Enemies: They encounter mechanical guards and puzzles designed to ensnare trespassers. They meet a friendly automaton named Taffy, who becomes their ally in navigating the factory.

7. Approach to the Inmost Cave: Hansel and Gretel uncover Mr. Von Sweetsworth’s dark plan. He’s using the Candy Factory to drain the creativity and dreams of children for his own gain.

8. Ordeal: The siblings confront Mr. Von Sweetsworth in a steampunk showdown filled with mechanical gadgets and candy-themed weapons. They must use their inventive skills to outsmart him, facing dangerous obstacles and traps.

9. Reward: Hansel and Gretel defeat Mr. Von Sweetsworth, shutting down the malevolent Candy Factory. They release the child workers and return their stolen creativity.

10. The Road Back: With the factory destroyed, Hansel and Gretel, along with their new friends, make their way back to the city. But they discover that Mr. Von Sweetsworth had a secret weapon and a climactic battle ensues.

11. Resurrection: Hansel and Gretel ultimately defeat Mr. Von Sweetsworth once and for all. They return to the city not only as adventurers but also as heroes who saved the children from the candy factory’s curse.

12. The Road Home: The siblings return to their ordinary world, forever changed by their adventure. They continue inventing and improving their skills, using what they’ve learned to better their city.

13. The Resurrection: The city thrives with creativity, and the memory of their steampunk adventure lives on as a tale of inspiration and innovation.

14. The Return with the Elixir: Hansel and Gretel continue in their ordinary lives, using their newfound knowledge and experiences to make a difference in their city.

This outline follows the Hero’s Journey format, taking Hansel and Gretel on a steampunk adventure filled with challenges, growth, and triumph over a wicked antagonist. Now, you can take this outline and start writing your own story, using your creativity to bring it to life.

Remember, AI is a tool to help you, but you are the writer and the storyteller. Use AI to spark your imagination and guide you in the right direction, but ultimately, the story is yours to create. Happy writing!