Behind the Scenes: Writing with AI (and a Lot of Coffee)

For those of you following Civil War #7 and Unto a Golden Dawn, here’s a quick peek behind the curtain.

We’re now 23 chapters into Civil War #7, and yes—I say “we” because I’m writing these books in collaboration with AI. Not in the gimmicky, “click and generate” way. This is real back-and-forth, day after day. I bring the voice, vision, structure, and raw emotional material. The AI helps me map out plotlines, test ideas, track continuity, and make connections I might miss in the fog of writing.

For Civil War #7, that means fleshing out character arcs, building a twisted social system, and staying emotionally honest while keeping the momentum sharp. For Unto a Golden Dawn, we’re layering historical fiction, gothic elements, and dark coming-of-age themes in an epistolary format—letters, clippings, journal entries. The AI helps me hold it all together while I dive into character psychology and voice.

This isn’t outsourcing. It’s collaboration. Think of it like a writer’s room with one relentless, unblinking partner.

I’m still editing everything by hand. Still shaping the style. Still aiming to tell stories that cut deep. But having a tool that keeps pace with my mind—and sometimes gets ahead of it—is changing how I work, and it’s making the process way more alive.

More to come soon. Thanks for being here.