Museo della Scienza e della Tecnologia “Leonardo da Vinci”, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
The photo at left is what computers looked like when I first learned to use them in high school. (Yes, I’m ancient.) So, when my assistant, Amanda, wanted to do an AI graphic of how I imagined AHINOAM, the first of King David’s Brides mentioned in 2 Samuel 3:2-5, I was a little skeptical.
I’d been writing about Ahinoam for months, but we hadn’t gotten the cover yet from my publisher–so there were no official images of my heroine. I’d downloaded a few women’s faces from Google. I’d determined the color of her eyes and hair, the way she might have dressed, and a few details that distinguished her from other Jewish maidens of her time.
I remembered one crucial lesson from my college computer programming days: G.I.G.O (Garbage In, Garbage Out). The same is true when using AI. It’s merely a tool, and the results will only be as pleasing as the skilled human who prompts it. And I had no idea how to tell a computer what I saw in my head!
To AI, Or Not to AI?
I won’t debate in this post the benefits vs. evils of AI. Though I absolutely agree it’s terrifying technology, I also believe God can redeem what the enemy twists for his purposes. (Consider the invention of cameras and pornography; email and viruses; medications and “big-Pharma scandals.”)
My hope in is to illustrate the fun way my assistant is teaching me that AI can be a creative tool. If you’re an author who would like to know more about using AI as a tool (NOT as a way to write a book FOR you), check out Kate Angelo’s website. She’s a trusted Christian author with a balanced approach to all things in the tech world.
The AI Starting Line
When Amanda first contacted me to ask for details about Ahinoam’s appearance, I wasn’t sure exactly what she wanted to know. I mentioned that in my story, Ahinoam would have a Kenite heritage–like Jael (Judges 4), who drove a tent peg through a Canaanite king’s temple while he slept. I offered a few more vague descriptions, and the photo at right is what DALL-E gave us as the initial result.
Ummm…not at all how I pictured as Ahinoam of Jezreel.
Next Attempt
Amanda sent me a text with the exact wording of the prompt she used to get this image:
“Let’s start over. Use the following description to create a book cover for the character Ahinoam. The story is a biblical fiction novel and as such, the cover should reflect the period of King David’s reign. Ahinoam is a warrior bride. A Kenite in the lineage of Jael—her ancestor that killed a Canaanite king with a tent peg to his temple—Ahinoam is more interested in metal smithing and dagger throwing than the frills of womanhood. David finds in her an authenticity that was missing in his first wife, Michal, and a kindred spirit in her ferocity and skill with a bronze blade. But Ahinoam shows her greatest courage by allowing her heart to love Yahweh’s anointed, David ben Jesse, Israel’s next king.”
The Next Prompt:
“I believe she would have a head covering. Make the dagger more discreet, perhaps hidden in the folds of her linen gown. Make her exude strength and grace.”
Changing the Background:
“Place her in En Gedi, one of David’s strongholds. Since they were transients at the time, could you dress her accordingly? Perhaps in shepherd’s garb vs royal robes. Make her beauty natural, no cosmetics. Any exposed skin should appear bronzed by the sun. Don’t forget a head covering.”
New Day, New Session:
On an entirely different day, Amanda started over on the project and gave this prompt:
“Drawing on what you know of Ahinoam, create character art for Ahinoam, who became one of King David’s wives while he was in the wilderness of Israel. Dress her according to the time period and the conditions they were living in before he became king. She should possess natural beauty and a warrior’s spirit. Take her ethnicity into consideration. Give her a head covering. Please make the image realistic and highly detailed.”
Worth the Refining!
Amanda is–and I say this with utmost affection and admiration–like a dog with a bone. She will not stop until she gets the job done to her (and my) satisfaction! So, here’s the final prompt–and the JACKPOT image that I referenced as I wrote Brave: The Story of Ahinoam:
“Let’s start over. I do not want her to be manufacturing weapons. Place Ahinoam in the wilderness of En Gedi, Israel, facing the viewer. She should be dressed simply. You may fashion a dagger in the belt around her waist. She should look beautiful, virtuous, courageous, and graceful.”
Isn’t she GORGEOUS?
A Similar Cover Model
When my publisher sent me the mockups for the Brave cover, I was so pleased! Though they had no access to our AI images, I thought the cover model they chose seems very similar to my favorite AI image. Their very real model felt like confirmation that the Creator of the universe could use even AI to help me envision a character while finishing my revisions.
I agree that AI can be frightening, but I’ve experienced it as a helpful tool and been blessed while using it to help with my current #WIP (Work In Progress). I’m still a little weirded out by AI, but I’m at least willing to explore other possible ways it can HELP me with efficiency.
Hope you’ve enjoyed this little peek into my process!
