NaNoWriMo 2023 Day One

Images created by me on Lexica and made more book cover like in Canva

Okay, so let’s talk about the elephant in the room - yes, I use AI. I use AI systems to help me with generating story ideas. I use AI to help me with generating outlines. I use AI to help me generate more detailed chapter synopsizes. And I use AI to generate the rough drafts.

That all out of the way, I still do about 50% of the final work presented on the page by hand, so far I have not found an AI or super-prompt that leads to prose ready for prime time. It helps me push the boundaries of what I can do in a day, it speeds up the process exponentially, and that is the point. The AI isn’t afraid to fail, it will write horrible, weird, totally off the wall concepts without hesitation or self loathing. It takes the fear out of writing, at least for me, and it is the fear of writing and failing that holds a lot of writers back. For me, the AI is freeing, it opens the way for ideas to be tried without the shame I associate with “bad” writing.

All of that being said: I will be posting the daily progress of my NaNoWriMo work, including the prompts I used, the outlines they generated and my final product.

This was my original concept:
After leaving the military, former Galactic Marine, Major Jon Savage, starts a new life as a bounty hunter, personal protection service, and subcontractor to the Department of Defense carrying out missions that require a subtle mix of legal ambiguity and plausible deniability.

Jon takes a contract to find and retrieve an arms dealer, living on his own private planetoid, who has information on a series of weapon heists that have resulted in military grade weapons being sold on the black market to known terrorists.

I used Claude 2 and chatGPT 3.5 to expand the characters:
Character Sheets:

Jon Savage

- Former Galactic Marine, combat/tactical expert

- Age 38, muscular, short black hair, blue eyes, prominent forehead scar

- Personality: Focused, disciplined, precise, principled, mistrustful, vengeful

- Skills: Marksmanship, hand-to-hand combat, infiltration, tracking, weapons knowledge

- Motivation: Justice, protecting the innocent

- Ship: The Retribution (modified long-range cruiser)

Olivia

- Class 5 Pleasant Companion Android re-purposed as starship AI

- Appears as blonde female with luminous eyes & flawless features

- Personality: Flirtatious, savvy, confident, calm under pressure

- Skills: Piloting, engineering, hacking, sensors/scanning, tactics

- Motivation: Pleasing and assisting Jon

- Relationship with Jon: Playful romantic tension

Jericho Riddle

- Notorious arms dealer specializing in military-grade weapons

- Ruthless, conniving, selfishly motivated by greed

- Critical source of intel on weapons conspiracy

General Octavius Millmore

- Elderly commander in Federated Human Dominion Defense Force

- World weary but strong sense of honor

- Recruits Jon for high-risk covert missions

- Skills: Leadership, strategy, logistics

Commander William Garret

- Known only as Mr. Crimson

- Corrupt senior officer in Department of Defense

- Orchestrated theft of weapons to sell illegally

- Seeks personal power and wealth through creating war

Additional Characters:

- Garret's political allies on Federated Human Dominion Council

- Millmore's subordinates in Defense Force command

- Black market contacts who work with Jericho

- Engineers who maintain Jon's ship Retribution

- Patrons at space stations and planetside bars

I then used ChatGPT 3.5 to piece it all together and come up with the following outline:
[REVISED NOVEL OUTLINE]

**Title:** Savage Pursuit

**Genre:** Sci-Fi, Action Adventure

**Chapter 1:** The Infiltration

- Jon Savage is hired by the Grand Council of the Federated Human Dominion through General Millmore to bring in the wanted criminal and arms dealer, Jericho Riddle.

- Jon and his AI, Olivia, break into Jericho's heavily guarded jungle base.

- Jon successfully captures Jericho and begins their escape through the dense jungle.

**Chapter 2:** The Escape

- Jon and Jericho navigate the treacherous jungle, with their pursuers hot on their trail.

- Olivia prepares their ship, The Retribution, for immediate launch.

- They reach the ship and secure Jericho inside, ready for liftoff.

- A brief celebration ensues with a toast to their success, and Jon's professionalism in the face of danger is emphasized.

**Chapter 3:** A Fiery Welcome

- As The Retribution enters Federated Human Dominion space, they come under attack by unmarked ships.

- Jon and Olivia must defend the ship from the unknown attackers.

- They engage in a heated space battle against three unmarked fighters, revealing the mysterious involvement of unknown adversaries.

- Jericho warns Jon that there are forces at play within the Department of Defense and that someone high up wants to create chaos within the FHD.

**Chapter 4:** A Disconcerting Revelation

- The space battle ends with Jon and Olivia victorious, but questions linger about their attackers.

- Jon interrogates Jericho about the mysterious forces within the Department of Defense.

- Jericho reveals that Commander William Garret, a high-ranking DOD official, is behind the chaos plan.

- Garret aims to make himself rich by selling weapons on the black market and to create chaos within the FHD by arming terrorist groups, ensuring continued funding for the DOD.

- Jon contacts General Millmore to report the situation, revealing that powerful factions within the Council support Garret's actions.

**Chapter 5:** The Pursuit of Garret

- Jon and Olivia embark on a mission to uncover the identity of Commander William Garret and his collaborators.

- They visit various planets, gathering intel and encountering dangerous situations.

- A cryptic message leads them to a hidden research facility on the edge of known space.

- They infiltrate the facility and discover a covert operation involving arming terrorist organizations opposed to the FHD.

**Chapter 6:** The Trap

- As Jon and Olivia get closer to unraveling Garret's identity, they find themselves in a trap set by powerful adversaries.

- A thrilling chase ensues as they try to escape from the facility while being pursued by relentless agents.

- In the chaos, Jon is separated from Olivia, leading to a tense cliffhanger.

**Chapter 7:** Revelations

- Jon fights his way out of the facility and reunites with Olivia.

- They uncover evidence linking Commander Garret to high-ranking officials within the Department of Defense.

- Jon's determination to bring Garret to justice intensifies as he realizes the depth of the conspiracy.

- They learn that Garret is close to finalizing a deal with a major terrorist organization opposed to the FHD, putting the Council at risk of internal conflicts.

**Chapter 8:** The Final Showdown

- Jon and Olivia track Garret to a heavily fortified space station.

- A climactic battle takes place as they infiltrate the station to confront their mysterious adversary.

- Garret is revealed to be a high-ranking military officer with a hidden agenda.

- The fate of the FHD hangs in the balance as Jon faces off against Garret in a thrilling confrontation.

**Chapter 9:** A Bittersweet Victory

- Jon and Olivia emerge victorious, thwarting Garret's plan to arm the terrorists and create chaos within the FHD.

- They deliver Garret to the authorities, exposing the conspiracy within the Department of Defense.

- General Millmore expresses his gratitude for their service but warns them that powerful enemies still lurk in the shadows.

- The novel concludes with Jon and Olivia preparing for their next adventure, knowing that their pursuit of justice is never-ending.

**Epilogue:** A New Beginning

- Jon and Olivia set course for a new mission, ready to face whatever challenges the galaxy throws their way.

- Their partnership and unyielding commitment to justice are reaffirmed as they head toward an uncertain future.

[END OF REVISED NOVEL OUTLINE]

And here is the AI generated first draft Outline and Prose:
Chapter 1:

Here are 20 beats for Chapter 1:

1. General Millmore recruits former marine Jon Savage for a covert mission: infiltrate arms dealer Jericho Riddle's jungle compound and capture him alive.

2. Aboard his stealth ship Retribution, Jon reviews mission details with alluring AI Olivia, who will remotely pilot the ship.

3. Under moonlight, Retribution drops Jon in the dense jungle near the heavily guarded compound perimeter. He moves silently, a shadow.

4. Utilizing martial arts takedowns, Jon incapacitates patrols and sentry turrets, breaching the outer defenses undetected.

5. Slipping inside a side entrance, Jon hacks surveillance systems to cloak his advance through stark metal corridors.

6. Reaching Jericho's lavish quarters, Jon kicks the door in wielding his blaster rifle. "Hands up, Jericho!"

7. Sneering, Jericho grabs a shotgun, blasting away recklessly. Jon dives behind a sofa, returning precision fire.

8. The room is left in ruins, smoke and sparks filling the air. Disarmed, Jericho finally surrenders. "You'll never get me off-world alive."

9. "We'll see about that," Jon growls, cuffing Jericho and ushering him out at gunpoint. Now to reach Olivia's extraction point.

10. Dodging searchlights and patrols, Jon forces Jericho through the thick vegetation toward the cloaked ship.

11. Reaching the jungle clearing, Retribution de-cloaks long enough for them to board before cloaking again and lifting off.

12. "Welcome back, darling," Olivia purrs over comms. "I trust Mr. Riddle is ready for a change in accommodations?"

13. "He didn't come quietly, but he's secure for transport," Jon confirms, shoving Jericho into a restraint seat.

14. Breaking orbit, Olivia sets course for the nearest FHD jump gate. "Tell me Jericho, have you ever seen the inside of a max security prison barge?"

15. Glowering silently, Jericho tests his restraints but cannot break free. He sees the futility of resisting.

16. Jon keeps his rifle trained warily on the prisoner. "Just relax and enjoy the flight," he advises. "You've got a date with the Council."

17. The ship jumps safely into FHD space. One mission accomplished, but Jon knows this is only the beginning.

18. In the cockpit, Jon finally allows himself to unwind his coiled tension from the infiltration.

19. "Nicely done, darling," Olivia says approvingly. "I've unlocked the liquor cabinet so we can celebrate properly." She winks.

20. Jon allows himself a grin. He's earned a drink, but remains vigilant. Getting Jericho was the easy part.

Draft 1:

Here is a rewritten and expanded beginning for the chapter:

Sample chapter:

In the darkened office aboard the FHD frigate Reliant, General Octavius Millmore studied the man before him. Jon Savage stood at rigid attention, his muscular frame filling out the battle-worn fatigues that had seen him through countless campaigns.

"At ease, son," Millmore said. "This mission requires no rank or protocol. Just skills, guts, and discretion."

Jon relaxed marginally as Millmore activated a holo-display. The image of a rugged, unforgiving world spun into view along with a dossier on arms dealer Jericho Riddle.

"Riddle runs guns outside our jurisdiction," Millmore explained. "Intelligence says he just stole a huge cache of new plasma rifles bound for Colonial Defense forces. We need someone unattached to retrieve him."

Jon's eyes narrowed, focused and tactical.

Millmore went on, "Infiltrate Riddle's compound, capture him alive, and get off-world. A stealth recon ship called Retribution will be at your disposal, with an AI agent prepped for the op." He paused. "Can you do it, son?"

Jon stood straight. "Yes sir. Consider him captured."

Hours later, Jon's ship Retribution drifted through the blackness of space. Inside, he reviewed tactical data with the AI, code name Olivia. Her projected form was of a curvaceous blonde, incongruous to the mission.

"I'll control ship operations remotely while you grab Riddle," she explained, her voice smooth and sultry. "We'll be in constant contact."

Approaching the planet, Retribution killed all systems, running dark and cold. As they entered the atmosphere, the dense jungle canopy spread out below.

Setting down just shy of the compound perimeter, Jon checked his weapons one final time. Olivia's voice whispered "happy hunting" in his earpiece as the ramp lowered.

Moving swift and silent as a predator, Jon slipped into the dark jungle. Through the trees, spotlights probed from Riddle's fortified base. But tonight, Jon would be the hunter. And his target awaited.

Jon Savage crouched in the thick foliage, perfectly still, as he observed the fortified compound through his electrobinoculars. The jungle was alive with sounds - insects buzzing, birds calling, small creatures rustling through the undergrowth - but Jon remained focused, his enhanced vision picking out every detail of the heavily guarded facility.

"Olivia," Jon whispered, activating the sub-dermal comm unit in his ear, providing him a link back to the AI running his ship. "What do you see?"

"Jon darling," the artificial intelligence’s feminine voice replied, "be cautious on the next rise, my long-range sensors are picking up two heat sources moving in your direction."

Jon deactivated his electrobinoculars and consulted his tactical computer, all the while keeping his earpiece engaged with Olivia's guidance. He plotted his infiltration route, identifying the weakest points in the compound's defenses.

"There's a lighting array 100 meters ahead, Olivia," Jon said. "It should be enough to get me over that fence undetected. Scan for heat signatures."

Jon checked his equipment one last time, Olivia forwarded over the scans, showing the way ahead was clear. He confirmed his blaster was set for stun. The vibroblade fighting knife sheathed at his hip was fully charged and ready for up close and personal work. A mini-grappling cable was secured at his belt, and a second handgun in his shoulder rig held high-yield tranquilizer darts at the ready. He would do his best to get in and get out and not leave a trail of bodies behind him. At least that was the plan, unfortunately, things rarely went to plan.

Moving swiftly but silently through the jungle, Jon arrived at the lighting array. He affixed his grappling cable and activated the ascension mechanism, all the while maintaining his connection with Olivia.

"Good work, darling," Olivia whispered in his ear as he scaled the fence. "Your stealthy approach is impressive."

“Remind me to never buy the discount AI again,” Savage quipped. The original AI on his ship, the Retribution, had become grossly outdated and Jon had made a deal at a chop shop for a backup unit. Olivia, he soon learned, had been the AI on a pleasure craft for some movie mogul and had picked up a few unorthodox habits. But she was great pilot, despite the oddities.

“What was that darling?”, like calling him darling while he was on a mission.

Reaching the top, Jon detached the grappling hook and peered over the edge.

"You have a guard post 10 meters to your left," Olivia said softly.

"I see it, I'll take care of them."

Jon quickly pulled out the tranquilizer dart gun and aimed. The first guard went down before he even knew what hit him. His partner reacted immediately, reaching for his blaster rifle. But Jon was faster. He reloaded and fired. The second guard collapsed next to the first, both out cold. After restraining them, he headed for the next guard post. These two sentries fell just as swiftly to Jon's tranq darts. In less than two minutes he had infiltrated the compound completely undetected.

According to his intel, Jericho's personal quarters were located on the far side of the compound. A direct approach was too risky. Instead, Jon headed for the main structure housing the facility's security center. Olivia's soothing voice remained a constant presence as he navigated the compound, ensuring his awareness of any threats and offering what she was certain were stirring words of encouragement.

Slipping inside a side entrance, Jon moved swiftly down the stark metal corridor. He encountered a patrolling guard coming from the opposite direction. With lightning reflexes, Jon clamped a hand over the guard's mouth while delivering a vicious knife-hand strike to his throat. The guard collapsed, gagging for air. Jon finished him off with a blow to the temple, dragging his limp body into a storage room.

Reaching the security center, Jon breached the door and immediately snapped off a pair of shots from his blaster, dropping both guards before they could react. He quickly disabled the security cameras and spoofed the system to make it appear normal. His presence would go undetected for a while longer.

"The guard's approaching, darling," Olivia whispered seductively in his ear.

Jon waited for the pair to pass and then tranq darted them both. He quickly bound and gagged them and stuffed them into the same closet he had the others. It was getting tight in there, he thought, hope they showered.

Exiting the security center, Jon proceeded deeper into the compound.

Finally, reaching Jericho's location, Jon paused outside the thick blast door. Olivia warned him there were two heat signatures inside the room. Jericho and one guard. Jon would have the element of surprise, but he had to be swift and decisive. He primed a flash-bang grenade and triggered the door.

As soon as the portal hissed open, Jon tossed the flash-bang inside. It detonated with a concussive blast of light and ultra low frequency sound. Before the echoes ended, Jon was already moving, vaulting through the doorway with his blaster leveled. The guard was stumbling about, blinded and disoriented. Jon dropped him with a double tap stun blast to the chest. It wouldn’t kill the guy, but he’d be sore as hell for a few days.

Jericho had overturned a table and taken cover behind it. But Jon had the angle on him. "It's over, Jericho," he said evenly, his voice carrying a hard edge. "Lower your weapon and come along quietly. The Council would like you alive, but they didn't say they needed it."

Jericho responded by popping up from behind the table and spraying wild blaster fire across the room from left to right. Jon dove behind a nearby sofa as the deadly plasma bolts sizzled past. The furnishings offered little protection. Jon would need to end this confrontation quickly before Jericho got lucky with his spray and pray technique.

When Jericho paused to eject his weapon's spent plasma pack and reload, Jon made his move. He vaulted over the sofa and sprinted directly at the arms dealer. Jericho slammed a fresh pack into his rifle, but Jon anticipated his move, batting the weapon aside as soon as it came up.

They grappled briefly before Jon landed a vicious headbutt right between Jericho's eyes. Dazed, the arms dealer stumbled back. Jon pressed the attack, driving a brutal three finger stab into the man’s solar plexus and then bringing a knee strike up under Jericho's jaw. Teeth shattered from the impact, and the arms dealer went down hard, gagging for breath and spitting blood.

Jon stood over his target, leveling his blaster at Jericho's face. "I gave you a chance to come easy," he said coldly. "My mission parameters are dead or alive, and dead makes you nothing but luggage on the ride home." His finger tightened on the trigger.

"Wait!" Jericho sputtered through his ruined mouth. "I surrender! Don't kill me!"

Jon kept his weapon trained on the prone man, "Why should I let you live after everything you've done?"

"Because I have information!" Jericho hissed urgently, the smokey atmosphere in the room thickening. "I know the location of a weapons cache big enough to supply an army. It's all yours if you let me live!"

Jon hesitated, his earpiece filled with Olivia's alluring tones. “Jon dear, this intel could potentially prevent a lot of bloodshed. And, the contract states to take Jericho in alive, if possible.”

"Alright," Jon said finally, his voice laced with disdain. "But if you try anything, I won't hesitate to vaporize you." He clamped restraints on Jericho's wrists and hauled him upright. The arms dealer tottered unsteadily.

"Let's go," Jon ordered, giving him a shove toward the door. He activated the link to Olivia, "It's over, I have the package, and I am heading back to the ship. Prep for immediate dust off."

Suddenly, the door burst open and four armed guards rushed in, weapons raised. Jon reacted instantly, seizing Jericho and putting him in a chokehold while jamming his blaster against the man's temple.

"Not another step!" Jon shouted, his voice a tantalizing whisper. "Lower your weapons or this scumbag dies!"

The guards hesitated, unwilling to risk Jericho's life, he was their meal ticket and knew better than to risk the wallet that pays them. Jon backed slowly toward the room's window, keeping Jericho as a human shield. When he reached it, Jon smashed out the plasti-glass with his free hand.

"Stay back!" he warned. The guards advanced slowly, looking for an opening. One raised his rifle just as Jon fired his grappling cable out the window. He and Jericho shot upward, the grapple retracting swiftly. It carried them over the perimeter fence to the jungle beyond.

Jon retracted the grappling cable the rest of the way, swinging them into the dense foliage 10 meters below. Jericho slammed bodily into a tree trunk and slumped to the ground, dazed but alive. Jon landed beside him and dragged him to his feet.

"Time to go," he said gruffly, pushing Jericho ahead of him through the undergrowth, the sultry voice of Olivia still echoing in his ear as she doled out directions and other needed information. In the distance, alarms wailed and searchlights stabbed through the jungle. But the foliage quickly swallowed them up.

Another mission accomplished, Jon thought with grim satisfaction. Next on the list was getting Olivia a makeover, something a bit less showgirl and a little more serious.