I cracked the code to writing with ChatGPT. Here's how you can too...

I was never one of those writers who feared AI’s arrival. Frankly, I could see an upside to having a robot do my writing for me. Less time working, more time for golf and family. Bye-bye to the eye strain, back pain and early onset RSI that are the hallmarks of a life spent in front of a computer. Hello to happy, fit, me.

Since it launched last November, I’ve been experimenting with ChatGPT more or less constantly. I've written poems, blog pieces, stage and radio plays and even attempted a novel. Now, after four months of investigation, frustration, analysis and revision, I think I’ve finally cracked it... ChatGPT, that is.

I know ChatGPT’s role, and I know mine.?

And there’s no getting around it. Left to its own devices, we all need to understand that ChatGPT is not some kind of silver bullet that will deliver good quality work without any effort at all.?

Unless you’re comfortable with writing that sits somewhere in the band between poor and mediocre, you can’t expect to just set ChatGPT loose. You need to guide it, prime it, instruct it and work with it to produce good writing. In other words, you need to actively leverage it as a tool.?

If you do, it can be your partner, helping you come up with better ideas, write better prose and get better results - potentially in much quicker time than you currently spend on writing.

But, if you really want to use ChatGPT effectively, there’s one thing you really need to understand, and that’s the writing process itself. When you do, you’ll give yourself the opportunity to use ChatGPT as a genuine writing partner.

What’s the writing process?

The reason ChatGPT can’t just do everything at the press of a button is that the writing process isn’t linear; if we break down the writing process, it consists of four separate stages that work together.?

Just like the Nathaniel Hawthorne quote says: "Easy reading is damn hard writing".?

When we teach writing here at Antelope Media, we call these stages the spark, the blueprint, the craft and the polish. Each one of these phases usually must be completed to produce quality work - although, if you write regularly, you may do all four phases subconsciously, without even realising it.?

The four phases of the writing process

The spark: This important first creative phase is when you generate ideas and develop them.?

The blueprint: In this structural phase, you take the ideas you’ve developed and organise them logically, so they become a map for your writing.

The craft: In this second creative phase, you turn your blueprint into full sentences. This is when the writing happens.

The polish. The final phase is revision, which involves editing and reworking your writing until you have a final draft.

The good news is that ChatGPT can help you get better at every one of these phases in any piece of writing.?

The spark

The whole point of going through the spark phase is to generate and develop ideas so that you have something original or insightful to write about. In other words, it sets up the direction of your writing project and its parameters.

The spark phase is a creative phase where you’re looking to explore possibilities. It’s not a time for too much analysis or critical thinking. You want to see where your writing might take you, even if you decide you don’t want to - or can’t - go to most of those destinations.

You can quickly see if someone’s bad at the spark phase (or if they leave it out altogether) because their writing is bland and uninteresting. They just end up saying the same thing as everyone else.?

The main challenge in this phase - and probably in most writing projects - is writer’s block, where you struggle to generate new and original ideas. So stimulate your creativity with techniques such as freewriting, brainstorming or journaling. Ask ChatGPT to help.?

How to use ChatGPT in the spark phase

• Topic suggestions: If you know what you want to write about, tell ChatGPT the general area and ask it to suggest angles or topics. Keep asking it to refine them (or refine them yourself) until you’re happy with the result.?
• Keyword prompts: Give ChatGPT a keyword or phrase, and it can generate related topics or ideas for you to explore further.
• Synonyms and related words: Ask ChatGPT to generate synonyms or related words for a specific keyword or phrase. Use these to generate new ideas and angles.
• Comparative analysis: Ask ChatGPT to compare and contrast different pieces of writing or topics. Use that analysis to generate new ideas for your own work.
• Collaborative brainstorming: Work with other writers or collaborators to generate ideas together. Bounce your ideas off one another using ChatGPT to facilitate the process.

The blueprint

As its name implies, the blueprint phase is where you take your ideas and turn them into a map for your writing project. Your goal here is to create a solid structure or skeleton for your first draft to hang from.

Usually, this begins by deciding which ideas you want to keep, which need refining and which you want to discard altogether. Then you’ll arrange your ideas into an outline for your project by turning each of them into subheadings. Underneath, bullet point the information and supporting data you need to include. You’ll feed this into ChatGPT in the next stage.?

You don’t need to write in sentences just yet, this is all about having a solid framework for your writing, it’s not about including detail.?

How to use ChatGPT in the blueprint phase

• Mind mapping: Get ChatGPT to create a mind map linking your ideas, so you can see how they fit together.
• Bullet point outlining: Ask ChatGPT to generate a bullet-point outline of your work.
• Flowcharting: Ask ChatGPT to create a flow chart showing the flow of your ideas, so you can visualise how your writing project will look on the page.

The craft

As its name implies, the craft phase is when you turn your ideas into a cohesive, readable piece of writing. Like the spark phase, the craft phase is creative, not analytical. This isn’t a time to stop and consider what you’re writing, it’s a time just to get words down on the page so that you have a first draft.

ChatGPT can be a useful tool that helps you bang those words out. Feed it your blueprint and ask it to write. But also keep in mind that it has some limitations.?

Without priming, ChatGPT’s words are likely to be pretty bad. So before you get started, let it know the style in which you expect it to write. I’ve developed a pre-set list of 12 instructions - such as writing at an 8th-grade level and using short sentences. I call the list ‘Antelope Media Style’, and I plug it into ChatGPT before I ask it to write.?

Also, keep in mind that ChatGPT has a truth problem. Unless you give it facts, it’s likely to make up its own. Sometimes this can be easy to spot - like when it told me Sydney was the world’s fifth largest city (it’s actually closer to the 50th). Other times it can be much more difficult - like when it makes up the names and characteristics of businesses, government departments, and even people (yep, it really does this).

So give it instructions on what data and facts you want it to use, even if that means doing your own independent research. And don't expect perfection just yet. This is only your first draft, and as Ernest Hemingway once famously told us, “The first draft of anything is shit”.

Suggested ways to use ChatGPT in the blueprint phrase

• Different styles: Ask ChatGPT to experiment with different writing styles, such as descriptive, persuasive, or narrative, so you can see how each might look.?
• Different voices: Have ChatGPT write in different tones, such as conversational, formal, or technical, to match the specific tone and style you are looking for in your writing. You can even have it assume different characters and roleplay different voices.
• Samples: Give ChatGPT some writing samples that match the style or tone you’re looking for.?
• Style guide: Ask ChatGPT to follow a style guide you cut and paste into the input box, so you get a better-quality draft.

The polish

This is the final phase of the writing process, where you take your first draft and revise and edit it. It’s another analytical phase, where you evaluate your draft, correct any errors, assess what works and what doesn’t, and make your writing as good as possible.?

It’s here that you’re likely to be needed most. All writers generally go through at least one round of edits before their work is up to scratch. You’re going to play editor and do the same with ChatGPT too.

For starters, you’ll need to fact-check everything it has written. You’ll also need to evaluate the words on the page to make sure they meet your standards and those of your intended audience.?

My experience is that ChatGPT sometimes takes it upon itself to ignore my writing instructions. It might, for instance, decide to use long sentences or write in the passive voice. So ask it if it has complied with your style and, if it hasn’t, tell it to fix it.

You can also get ChatGPT to assess the writing and to make suggestions about how it can be improved. Have it rephrase sentences or paragraphs that aren’t working, and if you find gaps in your writing, ask them to fill them in.??

But don’t rely solely on ChatGPT. Be critical. You’ll probably need to get down and dirty yourself and apply your own brain power to rewrite some of its sentences.

That’s exactly what I’ve done when putting together this article.?

How to use ChatGPT in the polish phase

Be critical: Just because there are words on the page, and they seem ok on first read, it doesn’t mean they’re the best choice for expressing yourself. Ask ChatGPT to critique its own writing.

Sentence structure: Use ChatGPT to suggest alternative sentence structures to help you create more polished and engaging prose.

Vocabulary: Ask ChatGPT to suggest alternative vocabulary to help you find the right words to convey your message and create a specific tone or mood in your writing.

Phrasing: Use ChatGPT to suggest alternative phrasing that can help you create a smoother flow in your writing, making it easier to read and understand.

Grammar and consistency: Use ChatGPT to identify grammatical errors and inconsistencies in tone or voice - even in its own writing - so that you can refine your writing and create a cohesive, readable piece.

Transitional sentences: Use ChatGPT to generate transitional sentences or phrases to help connect your ideas and create a smoother flow in your writing so your readers find it easier to follow your thought processes.

Alternatives: Ask ChatGPT to write a sentence in different ways or to express different moods, then choose the one you like.

Can ChatGPT make you a better writer?

In short, yes. If you’re writing for work, ChatGPT can definitely make you a more accomplished and better writer. In fact, even for professional writers, ChatGPT has a role to play.?

However, the reality is that it’s not going to solve all your writing problems instantly. You need to see it as a partner rather than a saviour. You also need to break it down and apply a tried and tested writing process, like the one I show you above. Otherwise, you’re likely to get mediocre results.

Want to learn how to harness the power of AI in your business writing? Sign up to our webinar: Write Better, Faster: How to use ChatGPT in your workplace communications