How to Use NovelCrafter AI to Write Non-Fiction Books

 Ever wonder if a tool designed for fiction writers could help you write your next nonfiction book?

The answer is yes—and not just in theory. I (Jonathan Milligan) wrote my book The 90-Day Teacher entirely inside of NovelCrafter, a software originally built for fiction authors. Sounds crazy? Maybe. But once you see how flexible and powerful it is, you’ll get why it works.

In this guide, we’ll break down exactly how to use NovelCrafter to plan, write, and polish your nonfiction book using AI—without losing your voice or message. Whether you’re a coach, course creator, speaker, or aspiring author, this step-by-step system can help you speed up your writing process while staying true to your ideas.

Understanding NovelCrafter

What is NovelCrafter?
NovelCrafter is an AI-powered writing assistant designed with fiction authors in mind. It includes powerful features like character development tools, plot structure templates, scene management, and AI chat capabilities. But here’s the kicker—it’s flexible enough to handle nonfiction too.

Fiction-first design—how to adapt it:
At first glance, the tool seems purely for novelists. You’ve got character bios, plot arcs, and storytelling prompts everywhere. But those same tools can be adapted for nonfiction. Think of your main character as you (or your client), and your “plot” as the transformation journey your book takes readers through. Suddenly, it all makes sense.

Key features and interface overview:

• Plan Tab: Outline chapters like scenes in a novel

• Write Tab: Draft chapters with AI assistance

• Snippets: Import transcripts and reference material

• Codex: Store your character (you), style, tone, and target audience

• Prompts: Customize how AI writes your content

Step 1: Adapting a Fiction Tool for Nonfiction Writing

It might feel a bit odd at first to write nonfiction in a tool designed for storytelling. But when you reframe how you use each feature, it becomes incredibly powerful. You’re still telling a story—it just happens to be a true one. You still need character development (for the reader or yourself), a conflict (the pain point your audience is facing), and a resolution (your framework or method).

Here’s how to think about it:

• Characters = You or your readers

• Scenes = Chapters or subtopics

• Plot = Your framework or step-by-step system

Once you stop fighting the fiction layout and start seeing the parallels, you’ll realize it gives you a structure most nonfiction writers are missing.

Step 2: Setting Up Your Project for Nonfiction

Let’s start with the basics. When you create a new project in NovelCrafter, you’ll want to immediately adjust the settings to match nonfiction writing.

Key steps:

1. Go to the gear icon in the top left of your project

2. Under the "Writing" tab, switch to:

   • Present tense

   • Second person (since most nonfiction is written in “you” format)

3. Assign yourself as the main character in the Codex

4. Upload your book cover and fill out metadata (title, subtitle, etc.)

This small setup makes a massive difference. It tells the AI to write in a voice that connects with your reader—like a coach or guide helping them take action.

Step 3: Creating Your Content Plan

Before writing a single word, head over to the Plan tab. This is where you’ll structure your book chapter by chapter. You can add:

• Chapter titles

• Summaries

• Specific scenes (sections or subtopics inside the chapter)

Start by mapping out the transformation your reader will go through. Then, break that into milestones. Those are your chapters. Within each chapter, you might add 3–5 scenes that make up your teaching points or stories.

Pro Tip: You don’t need everything figured out at the start. But having a rough outline will help the AI write in a way that aligns with your structure and message.

Step 4: Importing Transcripts and Existing Content

One of the best features of NovelCrafter is Snippets. This is where the magic really happens for nonfiction writers. Instead of staring at a blank page, you can feed the AI your own thoughts, stories, and frameworks by pasting in transcripts from:

• Videos

• Webinars

• Podcasts

• Coaching sessions

• Courses

• Voice dictations

Why this works: You’re not starting from scratch. You’re recycling your own intellectual property and letting AI reshape it into polished book content that still sounds like you.

Step 5: Building Your “Codex” for Context

Think of the Codex as your project’s brain. For fiction, it’s where character bios go. For nonfiction, it’s where you go. Add a new character, name it after yourself, and fill in these details:

• Your background

• Your mission

• Who your audience is

• Your writing voice (upload sample blog posts or book content)

This helps the AI understand your tone and perspective. It also ensures the content it generates fits your audience like a glove.

Step 6: Setting Up AI Prompts for Nonfiction

By default, NovelCrafter’s AI prompt is geared toward fiction. So you’ll want to create your own custom nonfiction prompt. Here’s how:

1. Click on “Prompts” in the lower sidebar

2. Find “General Purpose” and duplicate it

3. Rename the new prompt to something like “Nonfiction Writing Style”

4. Replace the instructions with your own rules (e.g., tone guidelines, formatting preferences, do’s and don’ts)

You can even paste in one of your older book chapters and have the AI learn your sentence structure, rhythm, and tone.

Step 7: Choosing the Right AI Model

NovelCrafter allows you to choose between different AI engines—like Claude 4.1 (Opus), ChatGPT-4, and others. While Claude Opus is a favorite for its writing quality, it’s slightly more expensive because it uses a pay-per-use API model.

Comparison Table:

You can try them all and see which one gives you the best result for your content style.

Step 8: Writing with AI in NovelCrafter

When you’re ready to write a section, go to the Write tab, choose a scene, and click “Continue writing.” Then you can:

• Write a short prompt (e.g., “Introduce why starting a podcast helps beginner speakers”)

• Choose the number of words (e.g., 400–600)

• Add context (like a transcript or codex entry)

• Select your preferred AI and prompt

Once you click “Submit,” the AI will generate a draft. You can tweak, rewrite, or accept it. Keep repeating this process scene by scene, and watch your book come together.

How to Use NovelCrafter AI to Write Non-Fiction Books
Continued…

Step 9: Infusing Your Style and Frameworks

This is where the real magic happens—when your personal stories and teaching frameworks shape the AI’s output.

Let’s say you have a 5-step process for launching a podcast. Instead of letting AI invent something generic, you paste in your transcript, explain your method in your own words, and ask the tool to rewrite it clearly, using second-person language (speaking directly to the reader). That’s how you keep your authority and personality intact.

Why this matters:
AI is great at structure and polishing. But without your frameworks, stories, and unique voice, it becomes bland and forgettable. Your reader connects to you—not a machine.

Tips to infuse your voice:

• Insert personal stories and analogies

• Use signature phrases or terminology

• Add rhetorical questions to increase engagement

• Include examples from real life or clients

Remember, you’re the chef—AI is just the sous-chef helping prep the ingredients.

Step 10: Managing Context Effectively

Context is everything when it comes to quality output.

When you’re setting up a scene in NovelCrafter, you’ll have the option to choose which context to feed the AI:

• The full book outline

• Your codex (you as the character)

• Specific snippets (transcripts or resources)

• The specific scene description

You don’t want to overload it with everything. More isn’t always better. Giving too much context can confuse the AI and dilute your message.

Best Practice:

• Use 2–3 context sources per scene

• Make sure the scene description is crystal clear

• Keep your snippets organized by topic

You can even create mini snippets for quotes, research, or personal experiences to drop into scenes as needed.

Step 11: Structuring Chapters with AI Help

Nonfiction books that work follow a simple rhythm:

1. A relatable story or attention-grabbing hook

2. A clear lesson or takeaway

3. Actionable advice or steps

4. A bridge to the next topic

Use the AI to help you maintain this rhythm. Tell it to start each section with a story (maybe one from your life or a client). Then have it explain the lesson in plain language. Finally, close with 2–3 action steps or questions for reflection.

Example prompt:
“Using my transcript snippet, write a 400-word section starting with a personal story about my first speaking engagement, then explain how podcasting helped me build confidence. End with 3 tips for starting a podcast.”

The AI will structure this in a compelling, book-ready format—with your ideas as the backbone.

Step 12: Editing and Finalizing Inside NovelCrafter

Once you’ve got a first draft of a chapter, now it’s time to shape it. The built-in tools inside NovelCrafter make this easy.

You can:

• Rephrase awkward paragraphs

• Retry an entire section with a new tone

• Cut redundant sentences

• Manually edit anything you don’t love

Think of the AI as a ghostwriter—but you are still the executive editor. You make the final call on what stays and what goes. Don’t be afraid to delete, rework, or rewrite entire paragraphs if they don’t sound like you.

Step 13: Exporting Your Draft for Formatting

Once your chapters are polished, you’ll need to export them. While NovelCrafter is excellent for writing, it doesn’t offer robust formatting tools. That’s where apps like Atticus come in.

Here’s how to move from NovelCrafter to Atticus:

1. Click Copy All Prose in your chapter

2. Paste it into a blank Word doc or directly into Atticus

3. Use Atticus to:

   • Add chapter headings

   • Format for Kindle and print

   • Insert images or pull quotes

   • Adjust layout and styles

This gives you a clean, professional look without having to hire a designer or learn complicated software.

Step 14: Costs and Efficiency

You’re probably wondering: Is this all affordable?

Surprisingly, yes. While using tools like Claude Opus via API might cost a few cents per generation, you’re still only spending around $15–$30 for an entire 30,000+ word book if you manage your usage wisely.

Time savings:

• Traditional writing: 6–12 months

• AI-assisted writing: 4–8 weeks

• Time saved per chapter: 5–10 hours

And the best part? You’re still writing your book—just faster, smoother, and with way less frustration.

Final Thoughts and Pro Tips

Let’s be clear: NovelCrafter isn’t a magic button that spits out bestsellers. But it is a power tool for serious authors who want to save time, stay organized, and keep their writing voice intact while leveraging the strengths of AI.

Pro Tips:

• Don’t just generate content—guide the AI with your ideas

• Use transcripts to capture your authentic voice

• Customize your prompt for every project

• Limit context to avoid confusing the AI

• Always be the final editor

If you’ve struggled to stay consistent with your writing—or you have tons of great ideas but no time to organize them—this might just be the tool that changes everything.

NovelCrafter may have started as a fiction-writing assistant, but with a few adjustments, it’s a nonfiction powerhouse. It helps you combine your expertise, stories, and frameworks into a book that’s well-structured, polished, and uniquely yours.

From mapping out your chapters to infusing your personal voice and exporting for formatting, it gives you control and creative freedom—while still making the whole process feel lighter and faster.

So if you’ve been sitting on a message you want to share, there’s never been a better time to start writing your nonfiction book—with a little help from AI.

FAQs

1. Can I use NovelCrafter if I’ve never written a book before?
Yes! It’s perfect for beginners because it gives you structure and prompts to keep you moving forward. The learning curve is small, and you’ll be surprised how quickly you can build momentum.

2. How do I get transcripts from my videos to use in the tool?
You can use tools like Otter.ai, Descript, or YouTube’s built-in transcript feature. Just copy and paste your transcript into a new Snippet in NovelCrafter.

3. What if my book is highly technical or academic?
You can still use NovelCrafter, but you’ll want to be very specific with your prompts and perhaps include citations or references in your snippets. It’s flexible enough to support most writing styles.

4. Is it better than just using ChatGPT directly?
Yes—because it’s purpose-built for long-form writing. While ChatGPT is great for quick responses, NovelCrafter keeps everything organized, stores context, and helps you build an actual book from start to finish.

5. Can I collaborate with a team inside NovelCrafter?
Currently, collaboration features are limited, but you can share your project files or copy drafts into shared documents for feedback and co-editing with a team.