How to Analyze an Author's Work by Gemini AI

You love a writer’s work—but have you ever seen it through their lens? Discover how authors reflect on what they’ve created.

I asked Gemini: "If you were to analyze an author's point of view across all their books, what would you call this: point of view, style, persuasion, or stance?"

Gemini replied that it's "tricky to give one single word to describe an author's entire worldview," and offered "a breakdown of relevant terms." Gemini provided a downloadable and editable document outlining these terms. After reviewing the document, I asked, "Are there any other descriptions that should be included?"

Because AI models are designed to respond precisely to queries, Gemini initially answered very specifically, addressing only the terms I had provided. I then asked Gemini to expand on its response and include any other relevant descriptions. Gemini offered to revise its initial response and "refine that immersive document with some additional descriptions that capture the nuances of an author's approach."

To help readers gain a deeper understanding of an author's work, Gemini outlined several key concepts. These are crucial for analyzing an author's viewpoint:

Analyzing an Author's Viewpoint

Point of View:  This is the most straightforward term. It refers to the author's unique perspective on the subjects they write about. It encompasses their beliefs, attitudes, and experiences.

Style:   This refers to how an author writes, not necessarily what they believe. It includes word choice, sentence structure, tone, and literary devices. An author can maintain a consistent style while expressing different points of view on different subjects, though style often reinforces point of view.

Stance:   This is similar to point of view, but often implies a more active or argumentative position. If an author has a strong opinion on a particular issue, we might say they have a clear stance on it.

Persuasion:   This relates to an author's intent. If an author is trying to convince the reader of something, they are using persuasion, which is often a key element of their point of view or stance.

Bias:   This refers to the author's preconceptions or prejudices that influence their writing. It can sometimes be unintentional. Recognizing bias is crucial to understanding an author's point of view.

Tone:   This refers to the author's attitude toward the subject or audience (e.g., formal, informal, serious, humorous). Tone can significantly shape how a reader perceives the author's point of view.

Worldview:   This is a broader concept that encompasses the author's fundamental beliefs about the nature of reality, existence, and knowledge. It's the philosophical framework that underlies their point of view.

To understand an author's overall approach, you'd likely consider all of these:

Point of View/Stance:   What are the author's core beliefs and opinions?

Style:   How does the author use language to convey those beliefs?

Persuasion:   How does the author attempt to influence the reader?

In summary, "point of view" is the most encompassing term, while "stance," "style," and "persuasion" help to further define it.

Like you, I've often wondered, "If I could only understand my favorite author's point of view and style, and incorporate elements of their work into my own, perhaps I could improve my writing skills!" That's why, early this morning, I woke up with these questions and realized that AI could provide some answers.

My hope in this post is to help you understand your favorite authors more deeply and potentially incorporate their style into your own writing. You can use the "Analyzing an Author's Viewpoint" posted here as your template. Copy-paste it into your chat with AI. This will give you a solid framework for viewing the author's work and see into the his unique perspective.

In my conversation with Gemini, I provided my top three favorite authors, and Gemini analyzed each author's work. AI accomplished this in a remarkably short time, something I couldn't have done on my own. Tech experts say that AI is here to stay and will become increasingly integrated into our daily work lives. I'm excited to explore how AI can increase my productivity, and I imagine you are too.

Postscript

This is where I’ll share pieces inspired by my ongoing conversations with Gemini and ChatGPT. Each one is a reflection of curiosity, discovery, and the questions we’re still learning how to ask.