In a recent session, my business coach asked me how I was using AI (artificial intelligence) in my writing. I was quick to respond that I didn’t use AI as I prided myself in creating original work. Her response – if you don’t use AI, you’re wasting valuable time and you’ll be left behind.
She went on to tell me how she uses AI in her consulting business. Whether it’s helping write emails, getting information about trending topics or inspiration for her blogs.
After hearing how a woman I respect uses AI, I realized it was time to embrace AI as a writer.
In my weeks of exploring the technology here’s how I’ve gone from a skeptic to converted and how AI has transformed my writing process.
Spark ideas
As a writer, I spend a lot of time staring at my computer. Sometimes the ideas are flowing (especially when I’m ticked about a topic) but other times I struggle to get started or expand upon an idea.
This is where AI has been a huge help. Just recently, I had an idea for a blog post on the importance of self-advocacy for people with disabilities. I was reflecting on a situation in supporting my autistic brother, and trying to encourage him to advocate for himself. I had lots of ideas of why self-advocacy is important, but wrestled with the structure.
Instead of spending more time staring out the window, I put my ideas into ChatGPT and asked for advice on structure. In a matter of seconds, I not only had an outline to help me get focused, but also some new ideas I hadn’t considered.
Since then, I’ve also used AI to help me narrow down a topic. One simple way is asking what questions people are asking about the area I want to write about. From there I’m able to hone my topic to something that is on the minds of others, not just rattling about in my brain.
Time saver
We all only have so many hours in a day, and as a working mom, my productive time is even more limited. In addition to sparking ideas, AI is also a great editor.
After a blog is complete, I run it through ChatGPT to check for spelling and grammar errors as well as suggest further improvements to formatting. Often, I get reminded of mixing of past and present tenses, sentence length or the need to break up paragraphs.
Yes, I would likely capture these in my own editing process. But having an editor (that I don’t have to pay) is greatly appreciated. It allows me to spend more time on the creative aspect of writing as I know I have support on the technical.
A big timesaver is writing headlines. When I was a newspaper editor this was the area that I spent the most time on – coming up with compelling headlines. Regardless of how great the article is, no one will read it without an engaging headline. AI is great at offering recommendations – which I then finetune to reflect my personal style.
Get clarity
Another perk is breaking through writer’s block. Once again, I can feed information into AI on the essence of what I’m trying to say and ask for ideas. I never use these verbatim, but rather, they’re key in transforming muddled thoughts into clear ideas.
Going back to the self-advocacy blog, when I ran it through AI, the feedback I received was to connect my brother’s story to the conclusion of the post. AI gave me tips to help readers relate to my advice by personalizing the content.
As a storyteller, I jumped on this writing prompt. Not only did it strengthen my conclusion but also made me further reflect on how self-advocacy can help people with disabilities.
Advice vs ownership
While I’ve now embraced AI as a writer, I’m still committed to producing original content. I see AI as another tool in my writing toolbox.
It’s no different than using Google to research information or find a quick quote for a Facebook post. Or watching YouTube videos to educate myself on a topic or issue. Or following people I respect to hear their views and insights.
One caution – like all tools it’s there to support you not do the work for you. We all have our own personal brand, personalities and writing styles. Relying too much on AI can water down the essence of YOU!
AI doesn’t know your personal stories, quirky sense of humour or slant to the world. Make sure you use it as a tool not a crutch.
As someone who’s committed to fostering a growth mindset, I’ve come to embrace AI. Yes, my clients hire me to write original copy, which I continue to produce. But AI helps me save valuable time in ensuring the content is relevant and reflects the thoughts I’m trying to convey.
In actively making the shift, I’ve moved from a skeptic and converted and AI has transformed my writing process.
Have you embraced AI in your writing whether it be writing emails, formatting a report or just sparking ideas? If yes, how has it benefited you? If no, what are you waiting for?
What AI tools work best for you? Like many technologies you can either embrace it or get left behind. I’m choosing to use AI in a way that strengthens my skills as a writer and communicator.