ChatGPT. A content writer’s nightmare. Or is it?
I’m going to put it out there – and this probably is going to be a controversial one amongst writers – I like ChatGPT.
Ironically, I think my last job came to an end because of it – even though I had never used it at that point – but since I have read all the doom and gloom about writers losing their jobs to AI, I thought I would give it a go and see what all the fuss is about.
And I bloody loved it.
Let me get this out there – I do not use ChatGPT or any other AI model to do my writing. That would be stupid because people come to read what I have written and not some robotic thing. AI cannot write like a human, not at the moment anyway. It is not a sentient being with emotions and lived experiences, therefore it cannot possibly write in the same way I do, with personality and a unique tone. It is never going to help readers connect with me, and nine times out of ten, AI-written content is obvious and about as engaging as a dead fish. My content will always be written by me.
However, ChatGPT (and there are plenty of alternative AI models available) helps me with my writing process, as well as helps me out with so many other aspects of my professional – and probably personal – life. In one way, that is quite a scary thought and I can kind of see why people are afraid of AI, but at the moment, I’m running with it.
So how does ChatGPT help me as a writer?
It can give me ideas
While I have a million ideas floating around for my blogs, occasionally (ok, often!) I get writer’s block when it comes to writing for other people. When I get thrilling anchor texts such as ‘stainless steel pipes’ or ‘corrugated card packaging’ and you have already written eight other articles about it, your imagination can run about as dry as unbuttered toast. Sometimes, just adding a subject or a word in ChatGPT can give me a few more ideas.
It can create an article outline
For long-form pieces, where I am writing 1500 words or more, ChatGPT can help me organise and structure my writing effectively. Sometimes, creating an outline can be one of the most difficult parts, but it is necessary to ensure I cover everything I need to and that it flows properly.
It can generate headlines and titles
A headline or title is SO important for a blog post. Make it boring, and no one is going to click on your post and read it. They have to be compelling and hook a reader in. I tend to write the headlines and titles after I have written the post because I find doing it the other way around can stifle me a little bit. However, sometimes when I have written about a particularly fascinating subject such as corrugated cardboard (can you sense the sarcasm there?), I use all my brainpower and creativity and struggle. This is where ChatGPT can help me. There are some limitations; the platform almost always suggests a clause 1: clause 2 headline, and that doesn’t always work. However, it can spark ideas.
It can help to streamline research
Research is incredibly important when it comes to writing, and actually, it is something I quite enjoy. However, it is also incredibly time-consuming, and when you have eight different topics to research and write about in one day, you don’t always have the time to leisurely read and pour over journals and articles. ChatGPT definitely has its limitations here – and I will write about that in the future – but it can also be really helpful. It has access to so much knowledge and it. can help to point you in the right direction and summarise large chunks of information.
It can help write meta descriptions
I’m not gonna lie, I struggle with writing meta descriptions. How do I summarise a whole blog post, often thousands of words long, into 150-160 characters, and make it interesting as well? The answer is I ask ChatGPT! Sometimes they can be a bit too long, but I can use bits of it.
It can help improve writing efficiency
Sometimes, I have to write in HTML. And that is probably the most boring thing ever. It’s time-consuming and uses absolutely no writing skills or creativity whatsoever. I can give the platform the information and ask it to convert it to HTML for me and copy and paste it straight to wherever I need it.
ChatGPT is not your enemy. It might make our job more competitive at the moment, but it will never be able to replace good, human writers. Use it as your friend, helping you to be more efficient and work smarter. I know that it has helped me to be more productive doing the boring stuff so that I can concentrate on what I do best: writing.
