Ralph Grayden gives you seven tips for how to become a better writer using AI.
AI has transformed how I write, making me faster, more efficient, and, I’d like to think, better.
If it’s not doing the same thing for you, here are seven ways to get it working for your writing, right now. I’ve also included prompts you can apply.
(NB I use ChatGPT but these tips should work just as well for Google Bard, Jasper and other AI too.)
1. Use it to generate new ideas
Great writing begins with a great idea. It’s as simple as that. Use AI to brainstorm and get tons of ideas in a very short time.
| Example prompt Give me 5 different angles for a [story/email/report/article] about [insert topic]. Make 2 straightforward, 2 creative and 1 outlandish. |
2. Get AI to tell you what to include
Even the best idea will fall down if you don’t explain it properly or include the right information and a convincing argument. Again, let AI help.
| Example prompt Here are my ideas for an [article/report/story/email]. Tell me which ones I should include and why. Give me an outline, with the most important ideas first and the least important ones last. Tell me what data to include to support each idea. |
3. Get AI to tell you what to leave out
The best writing gets straight to the point. Get AI to make sure yours does too.
| Example prompt Critique these 10 ideas. Put your analysis in a table format. List the pros and cons of each. Give each a rating out of 10. In a new column, also give me an argument about why it should be included, and a counter argument about why it should be excluded from my article/report/presentation. [Insert ideas]. |
4. Get AI to personalise your writing
One of the very best things about AI is its ability to write different versions of content almost immediately. Use this to your advantage, especially if you have different audiences or you’re unsure which way to go with it.
| Example prompt I want you to write three versions of this report: one from the perspective of a Head of Sales, one from the perspective of a CEO and one from the perspective of a CFO: [Insert outline]. |
5. Ask AI for better words
There’s no single way to write anything. And there’s often a better way to describe something or express an idea. Ask AI for its input.
| Example prompt I’m not sure about this writing. Give me three different versions of it, written in different styles and voices. [Insert writing]. |
6. Get AI to edit your writing
Ask any writer and they’ll tell you another set of eyes is the most important factor in perfecting their work. Let AI be your editor. (You can read about how to use ChatGPT as an editor here.)
| Example prompt Go through this writing. Identify any clumsy, vague or dull words. Give me some more interesting ones. |
7. Get AI to cut your words
Cutting words from your writing almost always makes it tighter, better and more accessible. Ask AI to do this for you.
| Example prompt I’m going to paste in some writing. I want you to say the same thing in 75% as many words. [Insert writing]. Go through this writing and find any passive sentence. Rewrite them in the active voice to reduce the number of words. |
And there you have it…
Seven ways and seven prompts that will help you get more out of AI. Start using them today and see how they change your writing.
