Ok, I’ve avoided ChatGPT forever (a month-ish). This whole AI thing is creepy, and soon we’ll be using AI to provide all our creativity. Robots are taking over the world! But today I saw an interesting Medium article on using AI to come up with headlines, and I had to admit it was a brilliant idea. I mean, I’ve used headline generators before. And while the results are usually weird, it will often trigger something in me so that I can come up with a better headline.
So why not do this for the books I write?
Coming up with a title for any of my books is right up there with writing a blurb about it. THE WORST. I can write 75,000 words to a story, but sum it up in just a few to make people want to read it? Impossible. I decline. Do not make me do this.
Alas, I must if I want to actually put my books out there. That said, I’m not sure I have ever come up with a good title.
Case in point:
A Symphony of Cicadas. This is the title of my first book, and yes, it’s poetic. But could you tell me what it’s about? Would you read this book based on the title?
Okay, how about my bestselling book?
Loving the Wind. Without the subtitle, WHAT THE HECK IS THIS BOOK ABOUT??? You would think this was a romance novel, or a weird nature book. But no, it’s a young adult Peter Pan prequel story.
My problem with both of these books is that I chose it from some poetic phrasing inside the story. It was a good line, so I thought, why not make that a headline?
Sometimes this works. Often, it gets lost in translation.
So anyways, I am preparing to push the first book in the Sunset Bay series out into the world, and the one thing holding me back is the title. Its test title was “Forever Your Baby,” which is the lamiest lamer lame title ever because it’s overused and overdone and barf.
So in comes ChatGPT, ready to evolve with every interaction I have with it (so creepy). I created an account, said goodbye to my privacy, then asked my first question:
What is a good title for a romance book with single mom and a secret pregnancy?
And its answer:
“Unexpected Love: A Single Mom’s Secret Pregnancy”
Ok, ok. Not bad. But can we do better?
So I then asked, “What if the father meets a single mother and doesn’t know the kid is his?”
ChatGPT gave a few more titles. Some were cheesy, but some were something I could work with. I decided to ask the question from a different angle:
“How about a book title for a romance novel where a one night stand results in a pregnancy”
ChatGPT:
Here are some potential book titles for a romance novel where a one-night stand results in a pregnancy:
- “One Night, One Baby: A Surprise Pregnancy Romance”
- “Unexpected Consequences: A One-Night Stand Romance”
- “Bittersweet Blessing: A One-Night Stand Pregnancy Romance”
- “From One Night to Forever: A Surprise Baby Romance”
- “The Result of a Night to Remember: A One-Night Stand Love Story”
- “A Moment of Passion: A One-Night Stand Baby Romance”
Hmmmm…
“How about a one night stand after a masquerade party?”
Sure, here are some potential book titles for a romance novel where a one-night stand happens after a masquerade party:
- “Masked Temptations: A One-Night Stand Romance”
- “The Masquerade Encounter: A Steamy One-Night Stand Romance”
- “The Unforgettable Masked Stranger: A One-Night Stand Love Story”
- “A Night to Remember: A Masquerade One-Night Stand Romance”
- “Behind the Mask: A One-Night Stand Passion”
- “Mystery and Desire: A Masquerade One-Night Stand Romance”
“What if that one night stand resulted in a secret pregnancy?”
Here are some book titles for a romance novel where a one-night stand results in a secret pregnancy:
- “The Masked Father: A One-Night Stand Secret Pregnancy Romance”
- “The Masquerade Mistake: A One-Night Stand Pregnancy Surprise”
- “The Unplanned Masked Miracle: A Secret Pregnancy Romance”
- “Consequences of a Masked Encounter: A One-Night Stand Baby Romance”
- “The Secret Masked Love Child: A One-Night Stand Pregnancy Tale”
- “Unexpectedly Masked: A One-Night Stand Baby Surprise Romance”
Ok, so color me impressed that the chat bot kept up with the whole conversation, bringing in information from other questions to come up with solutions. I asked a few more questions, but it was the above answer that led me to the book title I believe I’m using:
“Masquerade Mistake: A One-Night Stand Secret Baby Romance”
So that would make the Sunset Bay series books:
Book 1: Masquerade Mistake
Book 2: Naked Coffee Guy
Suddenly, this series feels so much more real.
What are your thoughts on ChatGPT, or on AI altogether? Is it evil? Brilliant? Cheating?
I don’t just write rambling blog posts, I also write novels. Find them all here.