Can ChatGPT Plot Your Horror Novel For You?

Ziggy KinsellachatGPT

Okay, these are early days but the team at Rules of Gruesome are looking at whether AI can become the next best author. We’ve figured out that a lot of what you get out of ChatGPT depends on what you put in. Here’s where we started.

The First Question:

Put together a plot for a short horror story about a man who’s car breaks down in a secluded forest area. His name is Jed and the story should follow the breakdown, not being able to get a signal on his phone and his eventual decision to walk. As he heads out into the cold winter night, he begins to suspect that he is not alone.

This is what ChatGPT came up with:

Jed was driving home from a late-night work shift when his car suddenly broke down in the middle of a secluded forest area. He tried restarting the engine, but it wouldn’t budge. Panic set in as he realized he had no cell phone signal to call for help.

As Jed sat in the car, shivering in the cold winter night, he began to feel an uneasy presence around him. He heard rustling in the bushes and saw shadows moving in the distance. But every time he looked closer, there was nothing there.

Growing desperate, Jed decided to walk out of the forest to find help. He bundled up as much as he could and set out into the dark, snowy night, hoping to reach the nearest town.

As he walked deeper into the forest, Jed began to feel like he was being watched. The rustling sounds and shadowy figures grew more frequent and unsettling. He tried to shake off the feeling, telling himself it was just his imagination playing tricks on him.

But then he heard footsteps behind him, crunching through the snow. He turned around, but no one was there. He quickened his pace, feeling the footsteps getting closer and closer.

Jed finally saw a light in the distance and ran towards it, hoping to find help. As he got closer, he realized it was a small cabin in the woods. The door was ajar, and Jed cautiously pushed it open, hoping to find shelter.

But inside, he found something far more sinister. The cabin was filled with strange symbols and occult artifacts, and a group of hooded figures were chanting around a fire. Jed realized too late that he had stumbled upon a cult ritual, and he was their sacrifice.

The last thing Jed saw was the cult leader’s face, twisted with an evil smile, as he plunged a knife into Jed’s chest. The hooded figures continued their ritual as Jed’s lifeless body lay on the ground.

The next day, the police found Jed’s car abandoned in the forest. They searched for him but never found his body. The locals whispered about a cursed forest where people disappeared, and no one dared to enter after dark.

The Next Question:

We asked ChatGPT to list 40 plot points for the story in chronological order which can be used to create a good story. What’s interesting here is that it expanded on the original story plot. Here’s what it came up with:

  1. Jed’s car breaks down in the middle of a secluded forest area.
  2. He tries to restart the engine but it wouldn’t budge.
  3. He realizes he has no cell phone signal to call for help.
  4. Jed feels an uneasy presence around him and hears rustling in the bushes.
  5. He sees shadows moving in the distance but there’s nothing there when he looks closer.
  6. Jed decides to walk out of the forest to find help.
  7. He bundles up and sets out into the dark, snowy night.
  8. Jed feels like he’s being watched and hears footsteps behind him.
  9. He turns around but no one is there.
  10. Jed quickens his pace as he feels the footsteps getting closer.
  11. He sees a light in the distance and runs towards it.
  12. Jed realizes it’s a small cabin in the woods.
  13. The door is ajar and he cautiously pushes it open.
  14. Inside the cabin, he finds strange symbols and occult artifacts.
  15. A group of hooded figures are chanting around a fire.
  16. Jed realizes too late that he has stumbled upon a cult ritual.
  17. He tries to leave but the hooded figures block his way.
  18. Jed realizes he’s their sacrifice.
  19. The cult leader plunges a knife into his chest.
  20. Jed’s lifeless body falls to the ground.
  21. The hooded figures continue their ritual.
  22. The police find Jed’s abandoned car in the forest.
  23. They search for him but never find his body.
  24. The locals whisper about a cursed forest where people disappear.
  25. Jed’s family and friends are worried about his disappearance.
  26. A search party is organized to find him.
  27. The search party looks for clues in the forest.
  28. They come across the abandoned cabin.
  29. Inside the cabin, they find evidence of the cult ritual.
  30. The police are called to investigate.
  31. The detectives on the case interview the locals.
  32. They discover rumors about the cult in the area.
  33. The detectives question the members of the cult.
  34. The cult members deny any involvement in Jed’s disappearance.
  35. The detectives search the forest for more evidence.
  36. They find a hidden underground lair where the cult operates.
  37. Inside the lair, they find more evidence of their sinister activities.
  38. The detectives arrest the cult leader and his followers.
  39. They confess to sacrificing Jed and other victims to their dark gods.
  40. The forest is declared a danger zone, and no one is allowed to enter after dark.

While obviously this is pretty basic and some of you may be flicking the Vs at your computer screen right now, let’s face it, it’s pretty worrying. We’re going to do some more on this in the next few weeks to see what we can come up with and will let you know the results.

Let us know what you think in the comments section below.