AI and Writing - A Series of Looks Inside: Part Four - Squibler

Hello, and happy Friday, everyone! Today, we'll continue our generative AI testing to see how the LLM Squibler performs with our basic input. We're being as vague as possible to see just how well these programs can fill in the blanks. So far, we've tested ChatGPT and Sudowrite. If you missed either of those, just click on the names, and you can check them out for yourself.

As a reminder: These posts aren't geared toward showing you how to write a book with AI. We're focused on finding a tool that may help you when you're stuck. If you can find your flow and rhythm, and learn basic writing errors you can easily avoid, you'll be able to write for yourself in less time than it would take to craft a proper prompt and then edit an AI manuscript.

I can already think of at least one reason a new writer may want to shy away from using these tools: You'll never have a chance to discover your unique voice. You like reading these articles? They're in my voice. If I had a program write them, they simply wouldn't sound the same. I wrote for about three years before I found my voice. Give it time.

If you happen to be a seasoned author, sprinkle yourself with a bit of sugar and cinnamon, and let's get going. We already know this post will be long, so let's not waste any more time up here. Ready? :)

Okay, so, I started by navigating to the Squibler home page and clicked the Get Started for Free button. Like Sudowrite, it asked me a couple of questions. Hey! What do you want to write today? Book. Then I was taken to a page that asked if I needed an outline or wanted to jump into a manuscript. Neither. I see, at the bottom of the page: Already have an outline or a draft? Continue here. YES.

I clicked it.

I was then taken to a page that asked me to upload a draft? That's not what I clicked on... 

Being the jokester I am, I put my outline for chapter 1 into a document and uploaded THAT.

I got this: 

Wait. What? I'm backbrowsing. What just happened? I'm not crazy.

Okay... Clicking the first option then. I get this: 

Whatever. I have no title. I'll just put something in. Book length? What? I don't freaking know yet! I'll make something up. A Tale of Two Monsters will be the title, and I'll drop in my outline. I chose 116 pages. Jeeze.

I then had to sign up for an account to read the "whole book." Okay. Done.

Then I hit a paywall.

So I backbrowsed because I'm not giving out my CC information. Period. Sorry, y'all, but if it ain't free to test, we ain't doin' it. That took me to a page with all my projects on it that was processing my "book." By the way, check out the cover it generated:

Cheeky, considering it doesn't even know the characters or context. It never asked. 

From my account page, I noticed a notification. I clicked it. It had been a while (I dropped in all the pics above on this post), and I was starting to wonder what the heck was going on. I see this:

Seven minutes already. Let's see how long this takes. I'm not even sure what it's processing. My first chapter was written (apologies for not copying it from there, y'all), so what gives?

*taps fingers on desk impatiently*

I'm not a person who likes to sit around and wait. We'll go back later to see if it ever finishes. It seems to be stuck on 34%. In the meantime, I click account settings and see this:

It appears there is a free plan, but it fully led me to believe I couldn't see the rest of what it wrote without a paid account. Don't like that. Not one bit.

It's now been 20 minutes and is still at 34%. Time is money, people!

Half an hour in, and there was no progress. I'll check back this afternoon, and if it's still stuck, I'll be deleting my account and issuing mad apologies to y'all for not copying the snippet it let me see. UGH. Disappointed panda.

I got a message that said, "manuscript generation failed," and everything was just gone. Oh well. I tried. Sorry, people.

Well, I guess that's all for today, folks!

Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo