Best Ollama Models for Creative Writing & RP: A Guide

8/12/2025

A Guide to the Best Ollama Models for Creative Writing and RP

Hey everyone! So, you've decided to dive into the world of local LLMs with Ollama for your creative writing or roleplaying adventures. That's awesome! Honestly, running these powerful AI models on your own machine is a game-changer. You get privacy, you get to tinker with the settings, & you can find the PERFECT model for your specific needs without being tied to a subscription service.

But here's the thing: the world of local LLMs moves FAST. New models, merges, & fine-tunes are dropping all the time, & it can be tough to know where to even start. I've spent a ton of time experimenting with different Ollama models, putting them through their paces for everything from crafting short stories to engaging in deep, multi-session roleplays. & I'm here to share what I've learned.

In this guide, we're going to break down the best Ollama models for creative writing & RP. We'll look at the all-rounders, the specialists for long-form storytelling, & the absolute beasts for immersive roleplaying. We'll also touch on how to get everything set up with tools like SillyTavern. So grab a cup of coffee, & let's get into it.

The All-Rounders: Great for General Creative Writing

If you're just starting out or you want a model that can handle a variety of creative writing tasks, these are the ones to look at. They're like the Swiss Army knives of the LLM world – versatile, reliable, & pretty darn good at a lot of different things.

Llama 3: The Creative Powerhouse

You've probably heard of Llama 3, & for good reason. It's one of the most popular & well-regarded models out there. When it comes to creative writing, Llama 3 really shines. It has a knack for generating imaginative & engaging text. I've thrown some pretty out-there prompts at it, & it consistently comes back with something interesting.

What I really like about Llama 3 is its ability to understand nuance. It's not just spitting out generic text; it can pick up on the tone & style you're going for & adapt its responses accordingly. This makes it great for brainstorming ideas, writing dialogue, or even getting a little help with poetry.

Now, it's not the most lightweight model out there. You'll need a decent amount of RAM to run it smoothly, especially the larger versions. But if you've got the hardware, Llama 3 is an excellent choice for any creative writer.

Mistral: The Efficient All-Star

Mistral is another fantastic all-rounder that's been making waves in the community. It's known for its incredible efficiency – it can often outperform larger models while using fewer resources. This makes it a great option if you're working with a more modest setup.

But don't let its efficiency fool you; Mistral is no slouch when it comes to quality. I've found it to be a bit more direct & to the point than Llama 3, which can be really helpful when you need to cut through the fluff & get to the core of an idea. The

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version, in particular, is excellent at taking direction. If you give it a clear prompt, it will follow your instructions to a T.

For writers who value speed & responsiveness, Mistral is a top contender. It's a great partner for quick writing sprints or for when you need to generate a lot of ideas in a short amount of time.

Gemma: The Upbeat Brainstormer

Gemma, from Google, has a different kind of vibe. I'd describe it as bubbly & upbeat. It has a tendency to break things down into lists & use Markdown formatting, which can be surprisingly helpful for organizing your thoughts.

I've found Gemma to be a fantastic brainstorming partner. If I'm feeling stuck or I need a fresh perspective on a scene, I'll often turn to Gemma. Its positive & energetic tone can be just the thing to get the creative juices flowing. It might not have the same raw power as Llama 3 or the lean efficiency of Mistral, but its unique personality makes it a valuable tool in any writer's arsenal.

For the Novelists: Models Built for the Long Haul

Writing a novel is a marathon, not a sprint. & for that, you need a model that can keep up. Long-form story writing presents a unique challenge for LLMs: context. The model needs to be able to remember characters, plot points, & world-building details from chapter to chapter. Here are a few models that are up to the task.

Mistral Large 2 123B: The Long-Form King

If you're serious about writing long-form fiction, Mistral Large 2 123B is a model you need to know about. This behemoth of a model is specifically designed for handling long replies & has an impressive context window. This means it can keep track of a lot of information, which is absolutely crucial for maintaining consistency in a novel.

I've used Mistral Large 2 for some of my longer projects, & I've been consistently impressed with its ability to stay on track. It's great at generating detailed descriptions, writing natural-sounding dialogue, & even helping to plot out complex narratives. Just be warned: a model this size requires some serious hardware to run locally.

LongWriter-llama3.1-8b: The Specialist

As the name suggests, LongWriter-llama3.1-8b is a model that's been specifically fine-tuned for long-form writing. It's a smaller model, which makes it more accessible to a wider range of users. But don't let its size fool you; it's been trained on a massive amount of text & is surprisingly good at its job.

What I like about LongWriter is that it's been designed with the needs of a novelist in mind. It's good at maintaining a consistent narrative voice & can help you develop your characters over time. If you're looking for a dedicated long-form writing assistant without the hefty hardware requirements of a massive model, LongWriter is definitely worth a look.

Yi 34B 200k: The Context Champion

One of the biggest hurdles in AI-assisted novel writing is the context window. Go beyond that limit, & the AI starts to forget important details. That's where a model like Yi 34B 200k comes in. That "200k" in its name refers to its massive context window, which is a game-changer for long-form projects.

With a model like this, you can feed it entire chapters of your novel & it will be able to draw on that information to generate new content. This is a HUGE deal for maintaining continuity & ensuring that your story stays on track. The model itself might not be as universally praised as some of the others on this list, but if a large context window is your top priority, Yi 34B 200k is a must-try.

The Roleplayer's Sanctum: Models for Immersive RP

Roleplaying is a whole different ball game. Here, it's all about character, emotion, & staying in the moment. You need a model that can not only understand the character you're playing but also react realistically to your inputs. Fortunately, the open-source community has created some truly incredible models specifically for roleplaying.

Mag Mell R1 12B: The World-Building Maestro

Mag Mell R1 12B is a legendary model in the roleplaying community, & for good reason. It's a merge of several different models, each chosen for its strengths in creative writing & storytelling. The result is a model that's a true all-star for roleplaying.

What sets Mag Mell apart is its incredible world-building capabilities. It can create rich, detailed settings & characters on the fly, making it perfect for GMs & players alike. It's also surprisingly good at maintaining character consistency, even in long, complex roleplays. & the best part? It's a 12B model, which means it can run on a relatively modest amount of VRAM.

Psyfighter 13B: The Emotional Core

If you're looking for a model that can handle deep, emotional roleplaying, look no further than Psyfighter 13B. This model is a fine-tune of Llama 2 & has been specifically trained to excel at expressing & understanding emotions.

I've had some incredibly powerful roleplaying experiences with Psyfighter. It's amazing at capturing the subtle nuances of a character's emotional state, whether it's the quiet desperation of a hero on the brink or the fiery passion of a revolutionary. If your roleplays tend to lean into the dramatic & character-driven, Psyfighter is an absolute must-have.

Synthia 13B & 70B: The Empathetic Companion

Synthia is another model that's known for its emotional intelligence. The 13B version is often described as "soft" & caring, making it a great choice for supportive or romantic roleplays. It has a gentle touch that can be really comforting & immersive.

The 70B version of Synthia is a whole other beast. It's a high-performance model that's great for more serious, in-depth roleplaying. It has a vast knowledge base & can handle complex scenarios with ease. No matter which version you choose, Synthia is a fantastic option for anyone who wants to explore the emotional side of roleplaying.

Other RP Models to Explore

The world of RP models is vast & ever-changing. Here are a few others that are worth checking out:

Tiefighter: A top-tier 13B model that's known for its excellent instruction-following abilities.
Nous-Hermes: A powerful & popular choice for roleplaying of all kinds.
Airoboros, Chronos, Guanaco, Wizard LM, & Mythologic: These are all solid models that have a dedicated following in the RP community.

The best way to find the right RP model for you is to experiment! Download a few different ones, try them out, & see which one clicks with your style of roleplaying.

Getting Set Up: Ollama & SillyTavern

So, you've picked out a few models you want to try. Now what? The first thing you'll need to do is install Ollama. It's a super simple process – just head over to their website & download the installer for your operating system.

Once Ollama is installed, you can download & run models with a single command in your terminal. For example, to download & run the Llama 3 model, you would just type:

ollama run llama3

It's that easy!

Now, for roleplaying, I HIGHLY recommend using a front-end like SillyTavern. SillyTavern is a web UI that's specifically designed for interacting with LLMs for roleplaying. It allows you to create character cards, manage your chat history, & even use extensions to enhance your experience.

Installing SillyTavern is a bit more involved than installing Ollama, but there are plenty of great tutorials on YouTube that will walk you through the process. Once you have it set up, you can connect it to your local Ollama instance & start roleplaying with your favorite models.

A Note on Business & AI

It's pretty amazing what you can do with local LLMs on your own machine. & it's not just for creative pursuits. Businesses are increasingly looking to AI to help them automate tasks, improve customer service, & engage with their audience in new & exciting ways.

That's where platforms like Arsturn come in. Arsturn helps businesses create custom AI chatbots trained on their own data. These chatbots can provide instant customer support, answer questions, & engage with website visitors 24/7. It's a great example of how the power of AI can be harnessed to solve real-world business problems. So, while you're exploring the creative side of AI, it's worth keeping in mind the incredible potential it has to transform the way we work & do business.

Final Thoughts

Phew, that was a lot of information! The world of Ollama models is deep & fascinating, & we've only just scratched the surface. The most important thing is to not be afraid to experiment. Download a few different models, try them out, & see what works for you.

I hope this guide has been helpful in getting you started on your journey. The creative possibilities with these AI models are truly endless, & I can't wait to see what you create. Let me know what you think, & if you have any favorite models that I didn't mention, feel free to share them in the comments. Happy writing