I hate staring at a blank page. As a content creator, I love storytelling, but sometimes the words just aren’t there. There have been so many times when I’ve stared at a white screen, hoping for inspiration that might never come. And there are few things that feel more stressful than when you’ve got a deadline and your creative muscles are dead.

That changed when I started using ChatGPT.

Inspiring, Not Replacing

When ChatGPT and similar AI tools became widely available, I was skeptical. Originally, they just seemed like fun toys. I’d write a prompt to generate a silly story and giggle at the sometimes ridiculous outcomes. Then I tried using it to create copy for social media content like tweets, but they never quite hit the mark. They felt… artificial. But I was using the tools wrong.

I didn’t need AI to replace my ideas—I needed it to jumpstart them. Instead of agonizing over how to begin, I started using AI to generate rough outlines and organize my sporadic ideas. Suddenly, I wasn’t staring at a blank page anymore—I had a starting point. And when I would get stuck again, another jumpstart.

Keeping the Human Touch

Of course, raw AI-generated text isn’t perfect. It can lack the personality that makes content engaging—in other words, it can feel like it wasn’t written by a human. That’s where the human element comes in. I use AI to get the wheels turning, but I always put my own voice into the final product.

It’s always nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of, but they’re not always available. For me, ChatGPT is like having a brainstorming partner and editor who’s available 24/7. It helps me work faster, but it doesn’t do all the work for me. It doesn’t understand subtle nuances of a person or brand’s voice, but it gives me a solid foundation to build on.

The Best of Both Worlds

Using ChatGPT as a tool—not a crutch—has helped my creative process so much. Here are a few ways I’ve used AI assistance to assist my own creativity:

Use it for structure, not substance. It helps me with outlines and phrasing, but I make sure the final message is mine.
Always edit and personalize. AI-generated content is a rough draft, not a finished product, much like what you’d hand an editor before they make suggestions. Ultimately, human touch is what makes content engaging.
Watch and learn. You can also learn a lot by looking at how ChatGPT answers your prompts. Reading works by different authors can really inspire you. And seeing how an AI writes about the topic of your choosing can also inspire you.
Experiment, but don’t become dependent. AI is a great tool, but great storytelling should always be a human skill.

Prompts to Try

So, what prompts have I had the most success with? Here are some you can try:

Can you help me brainstorm blog post ideas about _______?
How can I repurpose my content into new formats?
I’m writing about _______. Can you generate rough outline for me?
My problem is _______. My ideas are _______. What suggestions to you have?
How can I make my content stand out in a crowded market?
Here’s what I’ve written so far (attach PDF or paste copy). My goal/objective is _______. How does my copy match up with my desired outcome?
Here is what I’ve written (paste copy). Can you please check for spelling and grammar?

Side note, I always ask ChatGPT for suggestions instead of giving it commands. I think it’s because if the robots take over, they at least know I was polite to their predecessor.

In Conclusion

AI has changed the way I approach writing, but it hasn’t changed my voice—it just helps me find it faster. Instead of spending hours staring at a blinking cursor, I now have a tool that pushes me past writer’s block and into a creative flow. To me, that is the proper balance of human and AI collaboration.

And yes, I did use ChatGPT to help me write this. I’d guess it’s about a 75-25 mix—75% me and 25% AI. I think for humanity to get help from AI without completely replacing our humanity, that’s a great mix.