In an age where "Hey Siri" can prompt anything from a joke to a journey, imagine it crafting your next story—welcome to writing's AI revolution.

Back in my early thirties, while teaching freshman English, I had dreams of bringing my technology expertise into the classroom. For my master’s degree, I surveyed 120 ninth graders about their tech habits.

One comment stuck with me: “My computer is my best friend. I can tell it anything. I trust it.”

That was two decades ago, and oh, how I’d love to chat with that man today about AI’s whirlwind entrance into our lives.

If the term “AI” makes you think of sci-fi flicks with world-dominating robots rather than writing desks, you’re not alone.

Just this week, Amazon unveiled Rufus, a generative AI-powered shopping expert. No shocker there, right? But here’s the kicker: Amazon has been using AI very expansively for 25+ years to improve customer experiences.

AI is already firmly planted and growing our daily routines, quietly revolutionizing everything from how we shop to how we write. It’s a seismic shift, akin to trading horses and buggies for personal rockets.

I’m just poking my head into the rabbit hole—there’s a whole rabbit warren to explore, and I promise we’ll explore deeper in other articles. But for now, let’s peek at how some writers are using AI:

1. Finding Your Muse in the Machine

Haunted by a blank page? AI writing assistants are here, offering whispers of inspiration and plot twists on demand. Think of it as having a brainstorming buddy on call 24/7 minus the need to split your chocolate stash.

2. Busting Through Writer’s Block with a Bit of AI Magic

Stuck in the creative doldrums? We’ve all been there—staring down the blank page of writer’s block, feeling like our creative juices have packed up and moved to Bermuda. AI can give you that gentle nudge, offering prompts and suggestions to push you back into the creative flow.

3. Polish Till It Shines—With a Little AI Help

Dreaming of a fairy godmother for your prose? AI editing tools, like Grammarly and ProWritingAid, are the next best thing, helping tidy up your drafts before they hit your beloved human editor’s desk.

4. Not Your Grandma’s Marketing Strategy

Dread writing social media posts? AI can help craft your marketing copy, from identifying your ideal reader to generating engaging newsletters, allowing you to focus more on storytelling than sales pitches.

5. AI: Not Just for Writers

AI is revolutionizing not just the craft of writing but the entire reader experience. With personalized book recommendations and interactive stories, generative AI is making the reading experience richer and more immersive than ever.

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The Ethics of AI: Navigating the New Frontier

Let’s touch briefly on the elephant in the room: ethics. The dance between human creativity and AI poses questions we can’t ignore—about originality, authenticity, and the essence of creativity. While AI can sprinkle our work with a bit of magic, the soul of our stories, the heartbeat of our narratives, that’s something only we can imbue into our work.

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So, What’s Next?

AI is here to stay, and how we choose to embrace it is entirely up to us.

Even if you choose not to use it, you need to what it is and how it's being used by other writers, and in the industry. I encourage you to dip your toes, experiment, and perhaps even play a bit with AI.

Two places places you can go play for free are:

• ​Copilot by Microsoft​

• ​Google Bard​

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Whether you see AI as the devil or our robot saviors, the truth is, AI can be a new tool in the realm of writing, offering insights that enrich our narratives and streamline the creative process.

Is AI the future of writing? For some, perhaps. No job or industry is ever guaranteed. There will be those who use the tools AI offers, and those who don’t. But like any tool, its impact is in how we wield it.

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Keep going.

Jocelyn

Hello!
My name is Jocelyn.

Story warrior, book lover, day dreamer, gardener, and creative. I help serious writers roll up their sleeves, get their novel ready for publishing, and reach readers. When I’m not elbow-deep in the story trenches, I’m outside world-building in my garden and battling weeds with my three criminal mastermind cats.