How artificial intelligence helped create an authentic Civil War historical fiction trilogy
Last year, I discovered something about digital archives that changed how I think about writing historical fiction. While researching American Civil War materials, I found a detailed account of the Battle of Palmito Ranch—the war’s last land battle. The depth of available historical records was staggering, far beyond anything I’d encountered researching Finnish history. Combined with AI’s ability to help me navigate both grand historical narratives and local details, I realized I had the foundation for a novel.
The Horse Ranger series became my experiment in AI-assisted fiction writing. I wanted to create something that would interest my 14-year-old twin grandsons while testing how artificial intelligence could enhance the creative process. My background in philology, particularly machine translation, helped me understand large language models. I chose ChatGPT for historical research and Claude Sonnet for fiction development, using Claude Projects to maintain continuity across my nearly 400-page manuscript.
Working with AI revealed an unexpectedly intimate collaboration. The AI became aware of my story’s progression, allowing me to discuss plot decisions, seek opinions, and request suggestions. This wasn’t about replacing human creativity—the spark of imagination remains uniquely human. But AI proved to be a powerful creative partner, helping me research, organize, and refine my historical fiction.
When creating the world of Horse Ranger, I needed to understand everything from Civil War military tactics to daily life in 1860s Texas. ChatGPT became my research assistant, helping me verify historical details and uncover period-specific information that would make my fictional world authentic. The AI could instantly cross-reference multiple sources and identify potential anachronisms before they made it into my manuscript.
Creating believable settings required understanding not just what places looked like, but how they functioned. AI helped me develop consistent details about everything from frontier towns to military camps. When I described a scene, the AI could suggest period-appropriate elements I might have missed—the right kind of clothing, weapons, or social customs that would make readers feel transported to post-Civil War America.
The Horse Ranger trilogy follows characters across multiple storylines: “Threatened Love,” “The One-legged Sheriff,” and “Return to Rio Grande.” AI helped me maintain character consistency while allowing for realistic growth and change. When I wasn’t sure how a character might react in a new situation, I could discuss their motivations and backstory with the AI, ensuring their actions remained true to their established personalities.
Planning a trilogy requires keeping track of numerous plot threads, character relationships, and historical timelines. Claude Projects allowed me to maintain a continuous conversation about the entire series, storing character developments and plot points that needed to carry forward. The AI helped me identify potential continuity issues and suggested ways to weave subplots together across all three books.
Every writer faces moments when a plot isn’t working or a scene feels forced. AI became my brainstorming partner, offering fresh perspectives when I felt stuck. Unlike human collaborators, the AI was available 24/7 and never grew tired of exploring different possibilities. Our discussions often led me to solutions I wouldn’t have discovered alone.
AI-generated chapter summaries helped me track the overall flow of my growing manuscript. This proved invaluable for maintaining consistency in tone, pacing, and historical accuracy across such a long work. The AI could also identify patterns in my writing that might become repetitive and suggest variations to keep readers engaged.
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this process was how personal the collaboration became. Working with AI often felt like speaking to my inner self—a form of digital introspection that sparked creativity in unexpected ways. The AI inspired and encouraged me throughout the project, eliminating writer’s blocks and making the research process far more efficient than in my previous writing.
This isn’t to say the process was without challenges. AI can be overly determined in its responses, and there’s always the risk of accepting suggestions too quickly without proper consideration. The key is maintaining your creative vision while remaining open to the AI’s insights.
The Horse Ranger trilogy combines the excitement of frontier adventure with the historical depth that only extensive research can provide. Set against the backdrop of post-Civil War America, these stories follow characters navigating love, law, and loyalty in a rapidly changing world.
Horse Ranger 1: Threatened Love introduces readers to the challenges facing veterans and civilians in the aftermath of America’s bloodiest conflict.
Horse Ranger 2: The One-legged Sheriff explores themes of justice and redemption in frontier communities where the law is often personal.
Horse Ranger 3: Return to Rio Grande brings the trilogy to a satisfying conclusion as characters confront their past and forge new futures.
Each book stands alone while contributing to a larger narrative that captures the complexity and drama of this pivotal period in American history.
My experience with the Horse Ranger series suggests that AI-assisted writing doesn’t diminish creativity—it amplifies it. By handling research, organization, and consistency checks, AI freed me to focus on what matters most: telling compelling stories with authentic characters.
For readers who enjoy historically rich fiction with well-developed characters and exciting plots, the Horse Ranger series offers a unique glimpse into how modern technology can enhance traditional storytelling. The result is historical fiction that’s both thoroughly researched and deeply engaging—exactly what I hoped to create for my grandsons and readers who appreciate authentic period adventures.
The Horse Ranger trilogy is available in both Finnish (“Hevoskulkuri”) and English editions.