How to use AI for writing (without losing your voice)
AI is here to stay. In this post I'll be sharing tried-and-tested tips to help you use this new technology to become a better writer (without actually getting it to do any writing)
Jen Ruthe
There are lots of ways to use AI, and writing is one of the most popular. Does that mean you’ve crossed over to the dark side? I don’t think so. When it comes to using AI for writing, the question isn’t “if” — it’s “how”. In the right hands, AI is a practical tool that can improve your writing without taking over the creative process.
How do I know this?
Because it already is.
In this post, I’ll be diving into the world of generative AI and will share some tried-and-tested tips to help you use AI for writing without giving up creative control.
First things first: what is generative AI?
Put (very) simply, generative AI tools (like ChatGPT) are a type of artificial intelligence that creates new content— think text, images, or music — based on patterns it has learned from vast amounts of data. These models are trained to generate content by “understanding” and responding to a given prompt and its surrounding context.
Will AI replace writers?
We’ve all heard the scare stories. My personal opinion is that no, AI will not replace writers. Not if you want to create good content, anyway.
The mistake people make is thinking AI can do it all for them. Ask it to create a draft and you’ll likely get bland, generic content that is a virtual mash-up of everything that’s been written before. Use prompts designed to improve and edit your work, and it becomes a tool to enhance your voice, not replace it.
AI can’t think. You have to do that. You also have to know what you’re writing, the points you want to make, and how to structure your ideas. Nor can it replicate your professional background, lived experience or personal expertise. That’s what makes your voice so unique. And that’s what makes human-generated content stand out.
Six ways to use AI for writing
When it comes to using AI for writing, the trick is to see it as a tool that enhances the creative process, rather than overtakes it. To be transparent, I am a ChatGPT user (although I’m currently testing Proton) and occasionally dabble with writing assistants like Grammarly and Hemingway.
It’s on this experience that the following tips and tricks are built:
#1: Streamline your background research
To write about something well, you need to understand it. As AI has wiggled its way into my working life, I’ve found it a great tool for supporting my background research. Remember the days when you had to type your query into Google and then check individual websites? That’s so passé. Put your question to ChatGPT and it will not only do some of the basic research for you, it will also synthesise the answer.
To be clear, I never leave it there. I always complement this step with my own desk-based research and a thorough fact-check. But when I’m starting out on a new project, ChatGPT can offer a welcome — and very useful — starting point.
#2: Generate content ideas
Generative AI is also good for brainstorming content ideas and checking that you’ve covered your bases. Let’s say I’m writing a blog on how to use AI for writing. I’ve got my own ideas, but I will also ask ChatGPT if I've missed anything obvious. I did it for this post, and while I didn’t use the results to add any new information, it was reassuring to know I’d got the foundations in place.
#3: Use it for creative inspiration
I’m a content writer, not a copywriter. Don’t get me wrong, I love a bit of short-form content, but I can struggle when it comes to creating titles, headers and taglines. In cases like this, I treat ChatGPT like a creative sparring partner.
“What are 10 idioms for XXXX?"
“Give me 20 well-known sayings and phrases around XXXX?”
“Here is a title I have drafted. Give me 10 creative alternatives.”
The aim here isn’t to get ChatGPT to give me the answer. It’s to get my brain thinking more creatively. By asking generative AI to come up with different words, phrases, and options, I might just find that spark that lights up a shiny new idea of my own.
#4: Break your own bad habits
If LinkedIn is to be believed, then using the em dash is a sure-fire indicator of AI-generated content. I’m here to tell you that isn’t true. I’m a HUGE fan of the em dash (always have been) and I ask ChatGPT for one I can copy and paste nearly every day (I can never remember the keyboard shortcut).
That said, I know I use them too much. I also know I can be prone to long and complex sentences. If my brain is stuck, prompts like “Write this without using an em dash, give me five options” or “Can you split this into two sentences” are a great way to break my own bad habits. Again, it’s rare that ChatGPT will give me exactly what I need. But there’s been more than one occasion when a word or phrase has helped me find a better solution.
#5: Say it in Plain English
As a writer, I specialise in health. It is a hugely varied and interesting area, but it can also be a very complex one — too much at times, for my creative and not-especially-scientific brain. AI can really help me out here.
First of all, AI is a great way to decode the jargon. If I’ve come across a sentence, context, or procedure I don’t understand, “Explain this simply, and in lay terms” or “What does this mean?” can help boost my understanding of complex topics.
I'm also not immune to sector-specific jargon. To check against this, prompts like “Write this in Plain English” can help me test the waters and see if there’s another, more accessible route my narrative can take. Again, chances are, I won’t use the exact output. But sometimes an AI-generated word or phrase is just enough to help me find the answer.
#6: Proof yourself happy
Being a professional writer makes me think about words and sentence construction in a way I never have before. In the old days, I used to call my dad — a full-on encyclopaedia of grammatical knowledge. But I’m a big girl now, so I use ChatGPT to double-check some of the more fiddly grammatical points.
When you write, it's also really easy to read what you think you've written, not what you've actually written. So I've started using ChatGPT to proof chunks of content (“Are there any typos in this? List the errors, don’t edit"). Of course, I’m always careful when I do this. I use a sandboxed account and only feed AI information that is destined for public consumption.
Is it ethical to use AI to improve your writing?
Good question. As more stories hit the headlines, the choice of tool is an important one. So is how you use it.
As a professional writer, I would feel like a fraud if I used AI to shape my outlines or draft my content. So I don’t. Even when I’ve tested it out and tried to use it in this way, the results have been so comically bad, I’ve ended up writing it myself anyway.
But even if you’re using AI as a support tool, like I am, you need to be aware of the risks:
AI doesn’t know everything. Never assume, always fact-check the information.
AI-generated text comes with the risk of plagiarism. Edit — don't copy.
AI doesn’t always use inclusive, accessible language. That, my friend, is up to you.
And of course, because AI is trained using vast amounts of available data, you need to be mindful of what you’re feeding it. I have a professional account, use temporary chats, regularly delete my conversations, and think carefully about the information I'm feeding it.
Maybe I’m too cautious. But I’d rather be that, than take an unnecessary risk. Because I am the one in control. I am the writer. It is my job to create good content. AI is a tool that can help me get there, and I treat it, and work with it, as exactly that.
Like what you read? I'm Jen, a copywriter and content creator helping health and social impact organisations make a difference. Get in touch to find out how I can help your team create change-making content with the power to do more.