There’s no getting around it: AI writing tools and story generation capabilities can be amazingly helpful.
They can generate story ideas, outlines, and even a complete AI-generated draft of a children’s story in minutes. And you can edit and proofread your stories with these tools.
But...
AI-GENERATED CONTENT IS LACKING
1. It Can Be Ornate
If you’ve ever tried AI to write or rewrite a portion of your story, you’ll find that it’s heavy on the description, wordy, can be grandiloquent, and rhetorical. It can often be considered ‘purple prose,’ a term for ornate text that uses extravagant style and over clarity.
An example of purple prose: "The midnight sky was draped in a velvet curtain of black, speckled with a million diamond-shaped stars that twinkled in the celestial expanse.”
A simpler sentence would be, “Stars twinkled in the dark midnight sky.” Or even simpler, “The night was dark.”
The point is, AI-generated content is not good enough on its own. It needs rewriting, especially when writing for children. Children’s writing should be simple and easy to understand.
2. The Human Touch
AI lacks emotion, compassion, and empathy. It mechanically regurgitates preexisting content from cyberspace.
Its focus is not to produce sentences, plots, and characters that will resonate with young readers. Its focus is on prompts the writer provides.
Yes, it may be able to generate sentences and coherent plots, but the ability to move beyond that and create relatable characters and an emotional connection is lacking.
Another factor is that AI will not be able to take illustrations into account when generating young children’s books. Not everything needs to be said; the illustrations will help show the story.
Will AI realize that instead of saying “The bunny, the squirrel, and the little fox huddled under the tree,” the illustration can show it?
2. Imagination
As a fiction writer creates, imagination is always in the background and often in the forefront, directing the story. AI does not have an imagination.
According to Albert Einstein, "Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere."
3. Dialogue
AI-generated dialogue may sound generic, lack age-appropriate language, and fail to convey intended emotion.
4. Character Development
AI characters will most often miss subtleties, such as motivations, emotional arcs, internal conflicts, quirks, etc., making the characters flat and difficult to connect with.
5. Pacing and Readability
As AI often uses a lot of purple prose in its fiction, it may misjudge rhythm, over-explain, or include unclear passages for young readers. All these elements may be confusing and lose the readers’ attention.
6. Originality
AI is not original. It draws on massive datasets, which may cause it to reproduce familiar storylines. Again, AI lacks the human element. While it learns from books, articles, and websites, it can only produce what it has learned. It can’t go beyond that.
Another relevant quote from Albert Einstein, "Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.”
SO, WHAT’S A CHILDREN’S FICTION WRITER TO DO?
Hire a human rewriter who knows the children’s writing industry standards.
As it’s easy to see the limitations of AI-generated children’s fiction, a human rewriter can turn a dull, unfriendly kid’s story into an engaging one that will resonate with young readers.
The rewriter will add creativity, imagination, emotion, clarity, and polished grammar, ensuring the story and characters are well written and connect with the readers.
Examples of how a human rewriter can improve your story.
Authenticity and emotional connection: A rewriter infuses emotion, warmth, kindness, and other elements. These elements resonate with children. Human rewriting allows for pauses, humor when needed, and small details that will evoke emotion and connection.
Rewriting restores the emotional depth that AI often lacks. It will bring the reader into the story.
An example:
AI-generated: “The rabbit was sad.”
Rewritten: “Pinky’s ears drooped. With a sniffle, she stared at the empty carrot patch.”
With the rewrite, the reader can see and feel what the rabbit is going through.
The rewriter will: -Simplify vocabulary and sentences so the young reader can follow along -Break down long paragraphs into easily absorbable chunks -Keep pacing in line with children’s shorter attention spans
An example:
AI-generated: “The group of young animals congregated uncomfortably under the massive oak, shadows dancing across their faces as the wind whispered ominous secrets above.”
Rewritten: “The animals huddled under the old oak tree. The wind rattled its branches, causing moonlight to flicker across their faces.”
The rewritten version is simpler, with age-appropriate words, making it easier for a child to understand and imagine.
Stronger, consistent characters and believable dialogue: A rewriter helps ensure that characters behave and talk realistically and are consistent.
A rewriter can: -Add simple backstory, motivations, and quirks, making the characters unique and real -Make dialogue feel natural: instead of generic or stiff lines, you get conversations that convey each character’s personality
An example:
AI-generated: “Hello, I am Tilly,” said the rabbit. “Hi, I am Rusty,” said the fox.
Rewritten: “Hi. I’m Tilly,” the rabbit whispered, glancing nervously at the stranger.” The fox smiled and swished his tail. “I’m Rusty. Nice night to meet new friends, isn’t it?”
The rewritten version feels more alive and helps children imagine real personalities.
Improve pacing, structure, and narrative flow: AI-generated stories may be clunky, jump around, meander, or present events in an odd order.
A rewriter can: -Reorganize scenes to improve flow -Smooth transitions between scenes -Use suspense, action, and calm moments so kids stay engaged -Eliminate redundancies, information dumps, or overly long, descriptive scenes that might bore or confuse young readers
This kind of structural polishing can turn a clunky draft into a story that develops naturally and keeps children engaged from start to finish.
Add originality and human creativity: We know that AI draws on patterns from a vast dataset, so its output will often mimic common tropes or familiar plotlines.
A rewriter can: -Add unique touches such as surprising details, fun metaphors, and unexpected turns that keep the readers on their toes -Avoid clichés or overused story beats by reworking scenes or reshaping characters so they feel fresh -Ensure the story reflects your personal voice, values, and creativity. AI cannot replicate with authenticity.
Ultimately, rewriting helps ensure that the story is yours, rather than just another generic AI-generated tale.
Example: A Short Scene’s Before and After
AI-generated: Curious, Sammy approached the tree and discovered something peculiar—a small door set in the trunk. Intrigued, he gently nudged the door open with his nose. To his surprise, the door creaked softly, revealing a warm, bright room inside the tree. Sammy's eyes widened in wonder as he stepped inside. The room was cozy, filled with sunlight filtering through small openings above. There was a lovely wooden table in the center and a charming little chair nearby. As Sammy took a seat, he noticed something even more delightful on the table—an apple, shiny and red, just waiting for him! With a joyful squeak, he climbed onto the table, grabbed the apple, and took a big, crunchy bite. The sweet juice dribbled down his chin, and he could hardly contain his happiness. Here he was in this magical tree, enjoying a delicious apple all to himself! Sammy felt a sense of contentment wash over him as he ate. The room made him feel safe and special.
Rewrite: Sammy tiptoed down the dirt path toward the old oak. His paw shook a little as he turned the latch on a tiny wooden door nestled between its roots. A soft golden glow lit the room, and a red apple lay atop a small table in the center of the room. Sammy climbed onto a chair and took a bite of the juicy, sweet apple. He closed his eyes and grinned.
What improved: -Vivid setting: a dirt path and old oak evoke atmosphere and a richer setting. -Less elaborate descriptions. Easier for children to follow along. -Emotion and immersion: the reader will feel Sammy’s nervousness, his joy. -Much less telling and more kid-friendly pacing. This matters for a child’s reading experience. -Shows character’s nervousness, which the AI version omitted.
SUMMING IT UP
AI is a powerful tool for jump-starting a children’s fiction story, but it isn’t enough on its own. Without human rewriting, AI-generated fiction risks feeling flat, generic, confusing, or emotionally lacking.
A human rewriter can transform that weak story into a vibrant, living story, rich with character, emotion, clarity, and wonder.
In children’s fiction, imagination, simplicity, and emotional connection rule. The human touch is essential.
I’d be happy to discuss your project with you. Just send me an email at kcioffiventrice@gmail.com.
I’m a working children’s ghostwriter, rewriter, and coach. I can help turn your story into a book you’ll be proud to be the author of, one that’s publishable and marketable.
