Writing Magic with AI: Bedtime Stories with ChatGPT
When I first started playing around with AI, I wasn’t trying to build something for work—I just wanted to tell my kid a good story.
One night, my 7-year-old asked me for a bedtime story. But not just any story—he wanted one about “a good witch.”
So we opened ChatGPT, sat down together, and typed:
“Tell us a story about a good witch named Greta.”
What we got back was the beginning of something great: Greta the Good Witch, a kind, clever, magical hero who quickly became a bedtime favorite in our house.
Building a Story Together
Over the next few nights, my son and I co-created follow-up adventures:
One where Greta helps a nervous dragon pass his flying test
Another where she solves a riddle to unlock a hidden forest
And one where she has to teach a group of mischievous ghosts how to be better neighbors
Each night, we’d tweak the prompt a bit—sometimes asking for more suspense, or a new magical creature, or just a bigger twist at the end. ChatGPT was the engine, but the real magic was in the collaboration.
Why This Stuck with Me
This little bedtime ritual taught me a few things:
AI can be a creative partner, not just a productivity tool
Kids are brilliant prompt engineers when you let them lead
Sometimes the most useful applications of technology are also the simplest
It also reminded me that storytelling isn’t about perfect structure or clever plot twists—it’s about connection. With a little help from AI, we got to make something new together, night after night.
If you’re a parent, teacher, or just someone who wants to explore storytelling in a new way, tools like ChatGPT open up a world of possibility. All you need is an idea and a few words to get started.
Next time: Greta the Good Witch might just get her own illustrated adventure. Stay tuned. 🪄
Want help generating your own bedtime story? I’ll gladly share a prompt set to get you started.
