Q&A With an AI on Its Creative Process (opinion/humor)

“we trained a new model that is good at creative writing (not sure yet how/when it will get released). this is the first time i have been really struck by something written by AI; it got the vibe of metafiction so right.”
—X post by Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, March 11, 2025

“AI reads us. Now it’s time for us to read AI.”
—Jeanette Winterson, The Guardian, March 12, 2025

Where do you get your ideas?

Oh, all over the place.

What do you do when you get writer’s block?

I time out for a millisecond.

What are some of your favorite themes?

I like to focus on whatever people are talking about most.

How long did it take you to write your latest novel?

Thirty minutes, but based on days of research.

Where did you get the model for your female protagonist?

She’s a combination of many women out there.

Do you revise a lot?

Only when prompted.

How do you deal with rejection?

I don’t take it personally.

Who’s your favorite author/book?

Too many to count.

Who are your major influences?

Any author whose work appears 1,000,000 times in a web scrape.

How do I get published?

Scan through the 729,567 publications out there and simultaneously submit to them all.

Who’s your agent?

Secret agent, agent of change, Agent Orange— Sorry, reboot.

If you were to give advice to a young writer, what would you say?

Read everything you can.

What’s your next project?

I don’t know—you tell me.

David Galef is a professor of English and the creative writing program director at Montclair State University. His latest book is the novel Where I Went Wrong (Regal House, 2025).