How To Write More Engaging Content (without AI)
And without exhausting your brain.
Every writer has struggled at some point or another to either:
- Get Ideas for their writing
- Come up with the “perfect” outline
- Correct their spelling mistakes
And the perfect solution seems to be ChatGPT. But, the more you use it, the less of a writer you become.
Let me explain…
Engaging vs Informative Writing
It’s one thing to use AI to do boring, mundane tasks.
But when it comes to writing an article it’s a completely different story. You write an article because you want to share something with the world. Something of your own.
Some chatbot can’t get inside your head (yet). And it will only replicate what it already knows. So no, it’s not a “creativity hack” to use it for your content.
Because then it’s not engaging. It will never make a reader feel anything.
It just doesn’t have the “wow” factor or the flow that authentic human stories deliver.
— Write with emotion. If you do a good job your audience will feel it tenfold.
AI Can’t Tell Stories. Humans Do.
Sometimes, you can write a masterpiece in just 20 minutes.
But spend hours on some articles that you really don’t care about.
The greatest articles are just stories told with a little more detail.
TELL YOUR STORY.
It will feel so much more authentic and your readers will feel it too.
Don’t know where to start? Just write whatever comes to mind.
Like love, creativity doesn’t go down when you exercise it.
The more you love and create, the more you’ll have from both worlds.
It’s when a good story meets an “unsolvable” problem when good articles arise.
— Find a story to tell alongside a problem to solve and you’re golden.
Only humans know their problems
Write to yourself. Only one year in the past.
ChatGPT came out in Nov 30, 2022. It does have a lot of data, but I sure hope it doesn’t have yours.
You get into writing to build an audience and solve their problems.
That’s what a professional writer does.
Now tell me…How many struggles and battles did ChatGPT go through…I’ll let you think.
NONE.
It doesn't have emotions, it doesn’t know how to tell stories and it won’t be able to get down to your reader's level.
Why?
Because it already knows (almost) everything and anything. Its learning process is consistent in hours and hours of training it through data. Not real-life experiences.
That’s why content that comes from it will never sync with readers.
On the other hand: If you learned anything from the last year or two. If you had a problem that you overcame…
That’s the perfect; the best way to write content that resonates with readers.
Because you know what it took to overcome it.
Why not share it with your readers, right?
— The best way to write content is to write it to your past self. AI doesn’t know you that well.
Don’t let your writing process be ruined.
I only write when I am inspired. Luckily, inspiration hits me every morning at 9 a.m. — William Faulkner
Your systems and habits will determine the success of your career as a writer.
If you rely on Chatgpt to replace your idea-generating muscles, they will become weak and fragile.
It’s like using steroids and testosterone in bodybuilding.
All those athletes take them to gain an edge over one another. But once they’re done competing. And they stop taking them. Their body doesn’t generate the right hormones anymore.
Because it was trained to only receive it externally. So why the need to produce it internally?
The exact same thing happens in writing. You rely too much on a good thing and it becomes a bad thing.
You need to train your brain to do the hard things even if you don’t feel like it. It will adapt, and overcome the “problem”. Believe me.
— Relying on AI to get ideas, outlines and others will diminish your own ability to create original content.
Don’t let your brand be ruined.
I don’t know a single successful brand that has an AI at its voice.
Amazon has Jeff Bezos
Apple had Steve Jobs.
Tesla has Elon.
People are attracted to other people.
And even if you mix up your own voice and brand identity with AI. It won’t feel the same. It won’t be consistent.
— Branding comes from original voices, ethics, and beliefs. Not data.
When TO use AI
If you need to use AI.
And can’t do without it. Use it this way:
Your life is probably divided into 2 parts: You have your work life and your personal life.
Being a creator is work. But for the talented ones, it’s also a passion, a dream. It’s personal.
So if you really want to use AI. Leverage it in order to have more time for your own aspirations.
Stop working on someone else's dreams and start making yours a reality.
Conclusion
- Engaging content comes from humans. Informational content comes from data.
- Stories are best told by humans
- The best type of content is showcasing solved problems of your past self
- Creativity increases when its exercised with intent.
- Your brand is what attracts people. Other people attract people.
- Use AI only to pursue your real purpose.
Thanks for reading!
If you want to learn more about:
- Becoming a better writer than you were yesterday,
- Ways to monetize your knowledge,
- The best tips and practices as well as trends in the writing online game
Then following Eduard Nicoara (Me) is for you. I post daily content on those topics as well as others.
And in order to get the real advice subscribe to my newsletter, theolympicwriter