Trellis authors delicately balance the precision and selective nature of a Gardener with the integrative and project-driven approach of a Weaver. They view AI as a vital yet controlled tool that supports both specific tasks and broader project goals. This hybrid approach allows them to manage the exact amount of AI integration needed for each piece of their work, optimizing both the creative process and the final output.

Characteristics and Behaviors of a Trellis Author

Selective and Integrative Use of AI

Trellis authors choose AI tools and content with the careful selectivity of a Gardener but are willing to integrate these tools more fully into their projects like a Weaver. They maintain a curated "garden" of AI resources that they can deploy extensively as needed, weaving AI-generated content into their projects while keeping a firm hand on the overall creative direction.

Balanced Approach

These authors find a middle ground between minimal use and extensive integration. They use AI to enhance specific elements of their work and to propel entire projects forward, depending on what the situation demands. This flexibility makes them adept at both enhancing their creative expression and ensuring project success.

Key Phrase: “AI helps me . . .”

Trellis authors have a bigger box for AI to fit into their process, but there are still key parts of their writing process they will not use AI for. This is a specific choice, but it’s not always just writing prose. Trellis authors have a part of the writing process they love or feel a responsibility to perform and don’t want to use AI to help them for that part. This might be character creation or writing prose, it’s different for each author.

What makes a Trellis author different from a Weaver alone is that project efficiency is not the only driver and this author may not be fully comfortable using AI to write the prose of the book. They are not simply advanced Gardeners because a Trellis author is adopting AI to perform some part of the writing process for them instead of only aiding them performing it. It’s truly a middle ground between Gardener and Weaver.

Flexible Tool Use

Like Gardeners, Trellis authors have a set of preferred AI models and tools that they are deeply familiar with. However, they are also open to integrating these tools more extensively, akin to Weavers, if it benefits the project. This approach allows them to be both experimental and efficient, switching between AI tools as project needs change.

Project and Detail Oriented

While they focus on project completion like Weavers, Trellis authors also pay close attention to the details of how AI is used within each project. They balance the broader project outcomes with specific artistic or creative needs, ensuring that both are addressed effectively. The project doesn’t just get done, the “how” it gets done is a factor in the work as well.

Comfort with AI as a Collaborative Assistant

Trellis authors view AI not just as a co-creator but as a collaborative assistant that helps bridge the gap between detailed artistic control and broader project management. They use AI to tackle complex tasks and to refine the creative aspects of their work, positioning AI as a versatile and valuable ally in the creative process.

In essence, the Trellis author type represents a versatile and dynamic approach to AI in writing, capable of adjusting the scale of AI integration to suit the specific needs of each project while maintaining a strong personal touch and artistic integrity.