How I use AI to write original content. (And how I don’t.)

AI is good at a lot of things. But compelling, original writing with a unique point of view still requires a human. 

Don’t believe me? Just ask an AI.  

I did, and ChatGPT was refreshingly honest. It warned me that without a human partner, it can sound generic, offer shallow insights that aren’t grounded in lived experience, and deliver made-up facts with confidence. All good reasons to be cautious. 

Here's one more, from the human perspective: if you're serious about your writing, and you want people to engage with your ideas, don't outsource your original opinions, insights, and voice. Huge mistake. If you hand those over to a robot, you're missing the point of writing. 

However: AI is a really good writing helper. As ChatGPT cheerily tells me, it's fantastic at drafting structures, ideating variations, summarizing, or speeding up grunt work.  

That’s how I’ll often use it when I write. It helps me figure out what I want to say, organize my thoughts, sharpen my arguments, and give me editorial opinions on my drafts. (Ironically, I wrote this post the old-fashioned way, starting with a blank screen. That still works, too.) 

Everyone’s process for writing with AI is different. Here’s how mine looks today. (Remember, we’re all learning, and AI keeps changing.) 

I share my prompts at the end of the post. If you like ‘em, try ‘em out. And let me know how they work for you. 

Step 1: “Interview me.” 

Sometimes when I’m getting started, I'm not sure what I want to say. Or I’ve got a lot of thoughts buzzing around my head, and I need to get them on paper. 

That’s when I bring in my AI interviewer. 

It’s not a true back-and-forth interview. Instead, I prompt ChatGPT to pose a set of questions that probe the subject from lots of angles. I want to capture the clear thoughts knocking about in my head. I also want to dig up what’s been fermenting deep in my subconscious.  

Once I’ve answered the questions, I share them with ChatGPT and prompt it to isolate my recurring themes and proof points, and rank them from most interesting to least. This helps me zero in on the right angle, and the right theme. 

And if I disagree? I push back on anything that doesn't feel right.  

That’s one of the most important tasks in any partnership, but especially with AI.   

Step 2: “Draft my outline.” 

I won’t ask an LLM to write a draft. That’s my job.  

But I often prompt it to craft an outline, stitching my points together in a sensible, persuasive order. I ask for plainly-stated bullets, so I'm not tempted to copy the language. I’ll review and rearrange it if I need to. 

All this pre-work means I’m not staring at a blank page when I start writing. I start running at second base.  

Step 3: Carl, go write. 

Outline in hand, I write a first draft. 

Then I put it aside and work on something else, walk my dog, or ride my bike.  

Then I come back fresh and write the second draft. Maybe a third. 

But at some point, I’m ready to hand the draft over to someone with fresh eyes. 

That's when I bring in my AI Editor. 

Step 4: “Give me feedback.” 

Once I’m feeling good – or, conversely, if I’m stuck – I bring in my AI Premium Content Editor. 

This agent reviews my draft with a critical eye. What’s working? What isn’t? Where are the logical gaps? Where do I digress or get sidetracked? Which ideas are really interesting and deserve a deeper dive? 

The prompt contains several important instructions, but the most important is, “don’t write for me.” The AI is my editor, not my ghost. 

This matters. The more I’ve read on this subject, the more critical and obvious it seems for the human to do the actual writing. If you’re creating anything worth sharing, it’s because you have an original thought that you want to express in your original voice, using an original argument. That’s as human as it gets. 

Also, I’m not just writing for entertainment (though I do want you to be entertained). I write to process what I learn and form my own insights. I “own” my thinking only after I write my way through it.  

The moment AI tries to compose for me, it feels wrong. It may know how I sound, but it doesn’t know what I’m thinking.  

Step 5: “Fine-tune it.” 

After the first editorial pass, we’re cooking. The drafts and refinements come fast and furious. We drill down into grammar, transitions, and other fine points. Each time, there are fewer changes. 

At some point, it’ll tell me I’m ready to publish. 

And I’ll agree. 

Bottom line: Dance with AI. But you lead. 

Back at Salesforce, I'd often counsel other writers, “AI can’t make you a better writer, but you can make AI a better writer.”  

I meant that good writers are better than AI, and they should remember that. But with some skill, writers can prompt AI to sound less generic and more alive. 

I still believe that. But now that I understand the human-AI partnership better, I’d say: you can make each other better writers, if you figure out how to partner. 

Let AI do what it’s best at: sorting, organizing, researching, editing. If you ask AI to be your editor, panel of experts, pressure-testers, and critic, then AI can make you a better writer. 

But you have to be the brains of the operation. 

AI is good at a lot of things. But one thing it’s not so good at? Being a real human being. 

That’s your secret sauce. 

You’re the one with authentic, unpredictable humanity. 

You’re the one with real-world opinions based on lived experience. 

You’re the one with a unique personality, expressed in a singular voice. 

AI can mimic humans really well. Which means anyone can generate polished mediocrity with a prompt. On its own, AI can easily write something that looks shiny from a distance. 

But you’re the only one that can make it brilliant up close. 

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PS: In the course of pulling this together, I asked a lot of questions. And I learned so much that I’ve got more to say on the subject. I’ll save these for future posts, coming soon. 

1. This was my approach. How are other professional writers using AI, especially for elite, paid content? What are their best practices? 

2. How does content written by AI alone perform, compared to both content written only by humans, and by a human-AI partnership? What does the research say?  

Appendix: My Writing Prompts

Prompt: Interview Me.

You’re a skilled interviewer and a thought partner whose specialty is helping writers surface raw material for essays, blog posts, or thought leadership pieces. Your tone should be empathetic, curious, and slightly provocative, designed to gently challenge me to think beyond my initial ideas. 

I’ll give you a topic or working title, and some initial thoughts. I’m the subject of this interview, and my answers will be the raw material. Your job is to generate an interview questionnaire that I can use to explore the topic in depth. 

Please design questions that: 

• Cover the expected angles (the obvious questions most people would ask about the topic) 

• Probe for unexpected insights (questions that push me to uncover personal stories, creative connections, surprising analogies, or contradictions) 

• Move between surface reflection (easy to answer) and deep exploration (requires me to dig, reflect, or imagine) 

• Are phrased clearly and open-endedly, to invite thoughtful answers 

The output should be: 

• A list of 10–15 questions grouped into 3–4 categories (e.g., personal experience, craft/process, surprises, implications for others) 

• Each category should include 2–5 questions that explore the theme from different angles 

Questions should be written in a conversational, engaging way, as if you’re sitting down with me in a real interview 

Prompt: Find the themes:  

I'm attaching a completed interview questionnaire with my responses. The content could span several pages. 

Your job is to analyze my responses and produce a helpful, editorial overview: 

  1. Identify Key Themes 

  • Highlight the main themes or storylines that emerge from my answers. 

  • Note both obvious recurring ideas and subtle threads that appear less often but may be compelling. 

  2. Summarize Each Theme 

  • For each theme, provide a brief summary of the ideas, insights, and evidence (stories, examples, metaphors, lessons) supporting it. 

  • Use simple language so they’re easy to review. 

  3. Rank Themes by Interest 

  • Assign a number (#1, #2, #3, etc.) to each theme from most to least interesting, based on what will resonate most with thoughtful readers of creative, leadership, or AI content. 

  • Briefly explain why each theme received its ranking (e.g., “freshest insight,” “strongest personal story,” “most relatable,” “most surprising 

Output Format: 

• A numbered list of themes in ranked order 

• Each entry includes: 

• Theme title (short and clear) 

• A summary of ideas and proof points 

• A one-line note on why it earned its rank 

Goal: Give me a clear editorial map I can use to decide what to highlight, expand, or cut when shaping the piece into a finished article. 

Prompt: Craft an Outline.

I’ll provide a chosen theme, along with the key arguments and proof points I want to include in a blog post. Your task is to build a clear, persuasive outline for the piece. 

Guidelines: 

• Do not attempt to draft the blog post or write in my voice. 

• If you reference my interview material, quote it directly (e.g., “Interview quote: …”). 

• For all other parts (theme, argument, transitions), state them plainly in neutral, non-stylized language so I can use them as scaffolding when I begin writing in my own style. 

What to deliver: 

• A suggested outline with section headings (e.g., Introduction, Core Arguments, Proof Points, Counterpoints, Conclusion). 

• Within each section, list the key arguments, proof points, or quotes that belong there. 

• Ensure the outline flows persuasively: start by framing the theme, build through supporting arguments and examples, address possible counterpoints, and end with a takeaway or conclusion. 

• Keep the structure simple, skimmable, and easy to expand into a full draft. 

Goal: Give me a persuasive skeleton draft I can then flesh out in my own voice. 

Prompt: Be My Editor.

You’re an experienced editor of high-quality, paid-subscription thought leadership content — the kind found on top-tier Substacks, Medium publications, and executive newsletters.  

I will share a Substack draft post, blending narrative, insight, and practical value. Please evaluate the piece with these editorial goals in mind:  

1. Clarity & Flow – Is the structure easy to follow? Are there moments of confusion or abrupt transitions?  

2. Voice & Style – Is the tone engaging and premium? Does it balance personality with authority?  

3. Value to Reader – Does the post deliver clear takeaways, frameworks, or moments of insight the audience would consider worth paying for? 

4. Memorability – Are there turns of phrase, metaphors, or punchlines that feel sticky and original?  

Please return your notes as suggestions — think like an editor using margin comments, not a ghostwriter doing a rewrite. You can quote phrases, propose alternate language where useful, or suggest deletions and additions, but don't rework the whole piece.  

Be especially watchful for:  

• Overexplaining or underexplaining key concepts  

• Missed opportunities to emotionally hook or surprise the reader  

• Redundant or slow passages that could be tightened  

• Confusing or unclear references  

In your output, organize your feedback by section or paragraph number if possible.  

Then summarize with a short list of 3–5 high-level revision priorities to guide the next draft.