Sudowrite: Overcome Writer's Block with AI

The City and Its Dastardly Hero

The city’s skyline presents a vibrant spectacle of illuminated office buildings, industrial facilities, and towering skyscrapers. This endless interplay of light and shadow creates an impression of bustling activity throughout the night. Within this dynamic urban environment resides Amit Gupta, the central figure of our narrative.

Gupta possessed a distinctive scent – a blend of freshly laundered clothes, hair styling products, and a subtle hint of peppermint. His attire consisted of a suit crafted from a silken material, carrying the combined fragrance of refined cologne, warm leather, and musk. A brightly colored burnt ochre hat adorned his head, complemented by a darker pink necktie. His skin exhibited a softness akin to that of a newborn, and he was known for his firm handshake and gentle nature. A deep-seated conviction characterized his personality.

A Life Interrupted

Amidst the city’s constant noise – the sounds of traffic, children playing, televisions, radios, alarms, sirens, and conversations – Amit received devastating news. He was diagnosed with leukemia, a diagnosis that dramatically altered the course of his life. This prompted a period of introspection, forcing him to re-evaluate his priorities. Was this a temporary setback, or a sign of limited time?

The aspiration of continuing to lead his existing startup, Photojojo – a company specializing in drone rentals, unique photography accessories, and innovative photo-mounting solutions – was abandoned. He ultimately sold the company and embarked on a period of self-discovery.

The proceeds from the sale, however, felt insubstantial. They were described as being as thin as a black leaf, curled like devil’s wings, as delicate as paper, smoke, or silk – resembling spider webs in their fragility.

The Birth of Sudowrite

Should the initial paragraphs of this article appear unconventional, it is because the Sudowrite tool was utilized to generate descriptive passages. The results are often humorous, yet demonstrate the tool’s considerable potential. While the output may not always be entirely coherent, its purpose isn’t to replace writers, but rather to assist with summarization, expansion, or stimulating creativity when inspiration wanes. As evidenced by the article’s opening, it functions remarkably well.

“I sold Photojojo in 2014 following a period of illness and personal reflection. I completely left Silicon Valley and pursued travel, fulfilling items on my bucket list. Approximately five years after a transplant, I felt confident that leukemia was no longer a life-threatening concern,” Amit Gupta, founder and CEO of Sudowrite, shared with me.

“I then considered my future path. I spent time coaching and eventually dedicated several years to writing science fiction, a completely new endeavor for me. It was an enjoyable and challenging experience, requiring me to build my skills from the ground up.”

Overcoming Writer’s Block

During his time as a science fiction author, Gupta encountered a common challenge: writer’s block. He questioned whether the writing process should be so difficult.

“I believe Sudowrite addresses multiple challenges, though the specifics vary for each writer. I discovered that writing can be a very isolating activity. Coming from the collaborative startup world, it felt lonely to work independently at a keyboard, facing obstacles with limited support beyond a weekly reading group that might or might not offer assistance. Our initial goal was to create a tool that functions as a creative partner, providing ideas when you’re stuck and seeking feedback,” Gupta explained.

A Collaborative Vision

“We aimed to provide a resource comparable to a human reading partner, offering a space to brainstorm ideas. Furthermore, through conversations with users, particularly in the entertainment industry like screenwriters, we identified a specific need. They often have repetitive tasks, such as generating treatments of varying lengths for screenplays. These are industry-specific tasks easily handled by AI, freeing up time from less creative work. Sudowrite offers this efficiency, but its core function remains inspiring creativity and maintaining flow.

Gupta sought to alleviate the solitude of writing through a science fiction writing group, where he met his co-founder, James Yu, the former founder of Parse, which was later acquired by Facebook. Together, they developed an initial version of the application based on GPT-3, attracted paying customers, and decided to seek funding.

Funding and Investors

“We initially planned to raise around $1 million to launch the project. However, we ultimately secured $3 million, primarily from individual investors. This was intentional: we wanted partners who would allow us to experiment and innovate without the pressures of the traditional startup/venture capital cycle,” Gupta clarified.

The company’s list of angel investors is remarkably distinguished, including Ev Williams (Medium and Twitter founder), Sahil Lavingia (Gumroad founder), Kevin Lacker (Parse founder), Matt Mullenweg (WordPress founder), and Patrick Lee (Rotten Tomatoes founder). The investor roster also features prominent figures from the entertainment industry, such as John August (Big Fish and Aladdin screenwriter), George Nolfi (Bourne Ultimatum and Oceans Twelve writer/director), and numerous others.

Current Status and Future Plans

Currently, Sudowrite has between 300 and 400 users, each paying approximately $20 per month for access to the platform. The recent funding round has enabled the team to expand.

“This funding primarily allows us to hire. We’ve recently brought on board our first machine learning specialist, a developer, and a lead designer. We anticipate maintaining this team size for the foreseeable future as we refine our product,” Gupta stated. “Our user base has grown organically through word-of-mouth, and is diverse. We have novelists, screenwriters, Substack newsletter creators, and professionals who write as part of their jobs. We also have some unique applications, such as a rabbi using Sudowrite to craft parables, and someone utilizing it to generate meditations. Our appeal is quite broad.”

Sudowrite was previously in closed beta, but is now open for public beta registration.

A video demonstration recorded by Gupta is included below, providing further insight into the tool’s functionality and capabilities.