Artificial Intelligence vs Authentic Imagination ig

Yesterday, I was struggling with my character's DFM - Desire, Fear, and Misbelief. I had one, but it was generated with AI [note that it was created together with my inputs]. 

For days, I just couldn't feel connected to it, it didn’t feel strong enough, it felt 2D, and I started feeling unsettled that my main character’s internal conflict had such a big part of AI in it. This was especially after two recent incidents.

First, I was talking to a friend on the phone and my friend said “how much AI are you using for your book?” because I use it a lot for brainstorming ideas, organising stuff, research, or summaries. That’s when I felt uneasy. I don’t use AI in my actual draft, but I still use it in my backend stuff.

Second, after that call, I fleshed out a different character’s DFM, with absolutely zero AI, and oh my god. I felt so much more connected to that character, and his internal conflict literally felt stronger than the main character’s.

When I did that, I immediately felt tuned in to my character, because I’d actually written it and thought of it myself, not copy pasted and altered from an AI.

I always struggle with coming up with the desire, fear, and misbelief for any character, and when I do, it may not always be as perfect as I want it—my main character as the example still—but if I create it, I’ll feel far more satisfied.

[written on 20th october 2025]