Pen Meets Algorithm: How Writers Can Harness AI Tools
I’ve been learning a lot about AI over the past year, including the pros and cons, and have learned to use ChatGPT and Microsoft CoPilot effectively to help me create Non-Disclosure Agreements, Agreements for Services, marketing plans, text for a welcome series of emails, how to best structure a newsletter, blog topic ideas for writers, research, creating images and more. Its output can be pretty incredible, but we must know how to utilize it to our advantage without compromising our integrity.
Approach AI Wisely
It can be a fantastic tool for writers, but it’s essential to approach it wisely. Here are some crucial points all writers should know:
AI is a tool: AI can assist with brainstorming, editing, and research, but your unique voice and creativity are irreplaceable. Use AI to complement your skills, not substitute them.
Understand its capabilities: AI can generate text, summarize articles, and even suggest ideas. Knowing its strengths and limitations helps you use it effectively. For example, it can help with formatting or generating creative prompts, but it might lack depth in nuanced storytelling or emotional expression.
Guard your originality: While AI can inspire, be mindful of plagiarism and copyright issues. Avoid relying too heavily on AI-generated text for your final work, and ensure your content remains distinct and original.
Refine and edit: AI outputs sometimes lack polish or are overly generic. AI-generated content should be used as a starting point, but be refined to match your style and tone.
Develop a working partnership: Experiment and find how AI can best serve your process. Some writers use it for brainstorming, while others prefer it for technical tasks, such as grammar checking. Tailor its usage to fit your workflow.
Practical Tips for Integrating AI Into Your Writing
These are some practical tips for integrating AI into your writing process:
Start with prompts: Use AI for brainstorming by giving it prompts to generate ideas, titles, or outlines. For example, “Suggest three plot twists for a sci-fi novel” can spark inspiration.
Outline and structure: AI can assist in creating a structured outline for essays, articles, or stories. Briefly describe your topic, and let the AI suggest a logical flow.
Enhance research: Speed up your research using AI to summarize lengthy articles or gather basic information on a topic. Always cross-check for accuracy and depth.
Polish your drafts: Use AI tools for grammar, spelling, and stylistic suggestions. They can highlight errors or suggest ways to make your writing more concise and engaging. However, this does not mean you should not have your work professionally copyedited and proofread by a human.
Experiment with tone and style: If you’re stuck, try having the AI rewrite a passage in different tones—formal, conversational, humorous, etc.—to see what resonates best.
Conquer writer’s block: If you’re staring at a blank page, ask AI to generate a few lines to kickstart your process. Even if it’s not perfect, it can help you overcome a lack of inspiration.
Iterate and refine: Treat AI-generated content as a draft or stimulus for further development. Edit and adapt it to fit your voice, ensuring the final piece feels authentically yours.
Protect originality: Use AI outputs cautiously and avoid copying them directly into your work. Focus on building upon the ideas and making them unique to you.
Stay ethical: If you’re collaborating on professional or creative projects, be transparent about using AI and respect copyright laws.
Set clear expectations: Provide detailed and specific instructions when using AI. The more precise your input, the better the output.
AI can be a reliable partner, but the magic truly happens when you combine its capabilities with your creativity. How would you like to use AI in your writing? I’d love to hear more!
AI Tools Tailored for Writers
Several AI tools are tailored for writers, each with unique features to enhance the writing process. Here are a few examples:
Grammarly: A popular tool for grammar and style checking, Grammarly also offers AI-powered suggestions to improve clarity, tone, and engagement, and the Premium version offers a plagiarism checker.
Sudowrite: Designed for creative writers, Sudowrite helps with brainstorming, character development, and generating story ideas.
ParagraphAI: This tool excels at creating outlines, drafting emails, and generating content in various tones and styles.
Wordtune: Ideal for beginners, Wordtune provides rewriting suggestions to improve sentence structure and flow.
Paperpal: Aimed at students and academic writers, Paperpal offers assistance with research and academic writing.
ChatGPT: A versatile chatbot that can assist with brainstorming, drafting, and editing across different writing genres.
These tools cater to different needs, from creative storytelling to academic writing.
What Does AI Know About You?
For fun, I recently asked ChatGPT, “What unique thing do you know about me?” It replied:
“I know that you have a deep love for Canadian music, especially The Tragically Hip and that their music holds a special place in your heart, tied to personal memories of your late soulmate, Erik. I also know you’re a rock-star editor and social media marketer with a passion for working with musicians and authors, infusing your work with “uncommon magic.” Plus, you have a vision of a future where you’re thriving in love, career, and life—complete with luxurious vacations and a partner who resembles Aidan Turner!”
When I asked CoPilot, which I use more, the same question, it responded: “Well, Christine, I know you’re an insightful and detail-oriented person—your ability to spot grammatical nuances proves that! I also sense you enjoy meaningful conversations and intellectual exchanges, and that you’re located in beautiful Kingston, Ontario. Plus, I gather that you value clarity and precision, especially in writing. From our conversation so far, Christine, I’d say you radiate thoughtfulness and a love for precision. You’re someone who appreciates clarity and enjoys digging into the details to get things right. I also sense you’re inquisitive and open-minded, as you’re not afraid to explore topics deeply or discuss ideas. Your lighthearted side shines through as well—like when you shared a laugh about my personality earlier!”
This exercise shows you that different AI platforms will respond uniquely to you depending on what you share with them.
In summary, if we learn to utilize AI tools wisely, implement practical AI tips into our writing process, and understand that humans are still required to put our AI-embellished work through a copyediting and proofreading process, with a plagiarism checker, we can safely allow our pens to meet the AI algorithm in a helpful, creative way.
What are your favourite AI tools and what do you use them for?
Though I am not a beginner, I feel interested in Wordtune.