I’m running another experiment between models. This time I’m going to niche down into Claude Code and Grok Build - because I still don’t trust Chat GPT so I’m not ready to start building anything with him and Gemini has other skills. However - I’m close to giving Chat another chance.
I write romance - duh, I’m an author. But Dark Romance hasn’t really been in my wheelhouse. However, I’m practical and it’s one of the hottest tickets out there for romance sales right now, so I’ve been experimenting.
What if there was a way to write better Dark Romance with a tool that was actually created by authors for authors? Not a tool that was created by some tech person who think they know what authors need, but has never put two real sentences together.
So I decided to have a stand-off. Claude Code vs Grok Build. I think the results might surprise you!
I started with building out the story premise. The characters, tropes, story bible and outlines. Everything can be edited within the app while your writing, and if you need ideas, the tool will give you a few to help your process. It acts as a co-author and someone to bounce ideas off of while you’re still in the planning phase.
Then you move into the drafting phase. Here, you can write for yourself or you can have the tool draft it for you and you are able to edit it alongside the tool.
When it moves into the editing phase, this was where I am most interested to see how well it will give feedback on what was written.
And to round it all out, it is instructed to format the books as ePubs and
Keep an eye out for each tools build article - and paid subscribers will even get access to a behind the scenes look at how I created it with specs to create one for yourself (if you’re so inclined). Paid subscribers also get a 15% off Coupon when this tool goes live in my store.
So stick around and let’s see if I can actually build a writing app that can write Dark Romance.
And - I might even give Chat GPT the chance to redeem himself by building me one too.
It’s called Ink & Ruin, and it was built for a different job: a dark romance workspace you can open in a browser, walk through the full spine, and use with the AI you already pay for — without installing a local app and without one beta tester emptying my API credits.
What’s in Ink & Ruin
Decision Lab — the questions your book needs before Chapter 1. Tropes, stakes, heat level, dynamic, elements (including dubcon/CNC when you check them), hard limits that become law. Wizard path or “interview me” path. Lock when you’re ready.
Planning → Codex → Outline — premise, living story bible, chapter map. Seed from your decisions; edit by hand.
Draft Studio — the page stays yours. Type. Paste. Direct. Copy a chapter brief for your AI, bring the prose back, keep the manuscript in one place.
Edit Desk — clear notes, rewrites you control, not a black-box “fix everything.”
Export — Markdown, DOCX, Google-paste friendly. Cover prompt with the title baked in. Trigger warnings generated from your decisions for the front of the book.
Ready to test? $25 to grab your spot. They are limited, so act now.
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