How to use AI to be a better writer,
no really.
With apologies for 1) the click bait title and 2) an absence. I’ve been caring for a family member who has an ongoing medical need and am doing my best to practice my art in a way that supports human wholeness. The key here is *my best, which sometimes falls short.
But my role in caregiving has opened up the ways AI (yes really) has been useful for me as I balance competing needs.
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Before I go any further, I’m not going to suggest that AI actually write anything for a writer. I love writing and want to write, and I’m not of the mindset that I’d delegate something I find life-giving to an artificial system.
But here’s the things I DO struggle with as a writer and caregiver.
meal-planning
time blocking my day
breaking a goal up into manageable (not impressive) chunks
For these three things, I’ve found AI has helped immensely. These are all tasks I find draining, create a lot of decision fatigue in general, and indicate places where I tend to get stuck.
If you want to use AI to support your writing, identify tasks you must do on a regular basis that AI could do for you. Don’t surrender rewarding and meaningful habits and/or experiences to a bot.
At the end of the day, when I’m tired but still want to cook a nutritious and supportive meal I ask AI for a few suggestions— veggie omelet, cacio e peppe, or shrimp fajitas. These feel manageable.
When my to-do list is overwhelming I ask AI to manage my schedule. Since I don’t have to optimize my time, I can get going without excessive rumination—
AND when I want to reach a certain page count by a certain time, I ask AI for a reasonable goal. Instead of tasking me with an absurd amount of work (as I often do) I take breaks and am kind to myself.