How I use AI when blogging and writing at andrewchen

Hello readers,

Over time, I’ve shared classes and suggestions from writing an expert weblog — beforehand 10 years {of professional} running a blog – what I’ve realized. Lately, I’ve had some main adjustments in my workflow, and wished to share extra.

Pre-AI running a blog workflow
My pre-AI workflow for running a blog — what I’ve been doing for over years — seems to be one thing like this:

• Have fascinating conversations at work or with mates/colleagues
• Randomly seize my cellphone, and e-mail myself the title of a weblog submit
  • These have punchy opinions/titles that develop simply to weblog posts – some examples:
    • “what must occur for web3 gaming to work”
    • “classes realized from launching video games that apply to net and cell apps”
    • “why startups ought to ignore social media haterade”
    • and so forth
  • Lately, I’ve been utilizing this app, E mail Me, which is opens to a textual content field and it’s a one-button ship (additionally good for articles to learn later, todo record objects, and so forth)
• Later, after I’m doing e-mail, I do one in every of two issues:
  • If I’m motivated, begin a weblog submit straight away with the title
  • Or put it into my Notes app the place I acquire a protracted record of 100+ titles which are on the backlog
• I usually write on the weekends and attempt to do a full essay in a single sit – often take 2-3 hours
• Very very not often do I’m going again and proof learn or rewrite them (don’t blame me! I’ve been writing for hours!)
• Often the essays are scheduled to exit Monday/Tuesday morning at 9am
• The day the submit goes out, I do a lightweight proof-read after which as soon as it goes out, I write a tweetstorm directing visitors

This complete course of has served me nicely for years. Ultimately, there’s no actual magic to it — 99% of the battle is carving out just a few hours on Sundays to jot down when there’s a many dozens of emails that should be returned, Netflix exhibits to be watched, and video games I must be “researching” for my job as a video games trade investor.

However prior to now yr, I’ve experimented with altering my workflow to include various new generative AI instruments — notably ChatGPT. I wished to share some experiences with what it appears to be good at, and what it’s not.

Put up-AI running a blog workflow
After ChatGPT was launched, I started to experiment with it in numerous methods — listed below are just a few methods the place it’s been helpful.

First, writing from a clean web page is difficult. Typically it’s simpler to simply generate a primary draft of one thing, even when it’s not nice, simply to get your inventive juices going. I’d use a immediate like this:

I’m writing a weblog submit about how Gen Z consuming extra video, taking part in video games, and different types of wealthy and interactive content material will imply that they are going to learn much less long-form textual content like newspapers and books. Write me a primary draft of a 5 paragraph essay that explores this subject, however solely use 2-3 sentences for the opening and shutting in order that it’s terse and punchy. Be opinionated.

And ChatGPT returns one thing that kind of is sensible? However studying the outcomes extra carefully, it lacks examples and story-telling, and statistics or the rest. I don’t like Paragraph 3 right here, because it misses a chance to speak about how a lot of YouTube is training functions, for instance. The writing is a bit too stiff and formal, and doesn’t match my very own private model.

On the whole, it’s simply not that good.

However after observing a web page like this and discovering all the issues, I can then iterate fairly simply. I can put in a followup immediate to vary out Paragraph 3 and join it to a special level. Or I can simply begin enhancing it and rewriting it utterly, and even when on the finish 90% of it’s completely different, it’s nonetheless higher than beginning with a clean web page.

Brainstorming outlines, lists of subjects and questions, and extra
If ChatGPT is weak at precise writing, the place I discover it excels is as a non-judgmental brainstorming companion that doesn’t care in case you have silly concepts or in case your writing is boring. It’s supremely helpful for producing outlines of weblog posts, making lists of subjects, and making a bunch of questions you may reply as inspiration, and so forth. On this use case, the AI doesn’t should have a 100% hit charge on its content material. If it creates lists and lists of content material, however 20% conjures up you in your precise work, then that’s successful.

For instance, let’s say that you recognize you wish to write a weblog submit about alternatives to construct new apps in VR. You possibly can ask one thing like:

I’m writing a weblog submit about new app concepts in VR. What are 15 questions that somebody may ask me about this subject? Make them spicy, and if useful, cite statistics to make the questions extra fascinating

It comes again with a mishmash of questions, some that are dumb and uninteresting — like the primary, one, which is simply asking what VR apps will likely be helpful. But it surely additionally has a bunch of fascinating ones on esports, content material creation, company coaching, and so forth.

You might additionally think about utilizing this as a reasonably useful software in case you are making a brand new podcast and are interviewing friends. Or if you wish to write a brand new essay that critiques some current paradigm. (“Give me 10 questions from somebody who’s skeptical of of the worth of AI security”). And after getting an fascinating query, it turns into simple to ask it to stipulate a whole weblog submit about it.

For instance, I typically discover it helpful to jot down prompts for outlines specifying particular subjects and concepts.

Take the idea of Okay-12 training and VR – are you able to write an overview increasing on the promise and likewise skepticism round this concept? Specifically contact on the idea of mixing entertaining and gaming and studying, as one of many factors. Create 6 sections, and put 3 sub-bullets beneath every. Use sturdy opinions and ask robust questions.

I’ll go away it to an train for the reader, however the end result shouldn’t be dangerous. It’s an honest start line.

ChatGPT works nice for outlines for lengthy type writing additionally. And as lots of you recognize, I wrote my e-book 3 years in the past with out the advantage of AI. The e-book is on community results, and I ended up making an overview that acts in numerous phases, and makes use of examples from iconic tech corporations. I can immediate ChatGPT with one thing like this:

Create an overview for a e-book on community results for cell apps and web sites. Stage out the define in order that it begins on launching a product from zero, and the problems there, versus the phases of scaling the product, then hitting market saturation. Be certain that you’ll be able to weave within the points going through community effects-driven merchandise like social networks, marketplaces, relationship apps, and collaboration instruments. Write a ten part e-book, with 3-5 sub-bullets. The primary sub-bullet in every part ought to all the time be an instance of an iconic tech firm, like Uber, Airbnb, Dropbox, Tinder, Slack, or others. Please make the excellent define for a e-book targeted on community results focused at professionals working within the tech trade

The end result truly isn’t dangerous. It’s not the way in which that I wrote it, because it begins to dive into every class of product relatively than increasing on the broad idea. However once more, it’s not a nasty start line. I may simply have imagined utilizing this for brainstorming and prototyping functions, iterating by way of completely different variations in describing the concept. It might need helped me work at extra of a conceptual stage within the early months, with out getting dragged into the trivia of writing all the varied sentences.

Cleanup — originally, and on the finish
Lastly, one of many suggestions I’ve for folk who’re fighting writing is to easily discuss out their concepts aloud. A few of us are sometimes extra verbally wired, and we’ll join disparate concepts and make fascinating connections when requested a query, however flop once we’re simply observing a clean textual content. The voice characteristic in ChatGPT’s cell app — and likewise merchandise like Oasis AI — are fascinating in you can go stream of consciousness on a subject, and these merchandise can clear them up considerably. The output isn’t that usable, IMHO, however you may then go and add/edit the end result and develop it additional.

It’s highly effective whenever you mix this with AI-generated outlines. Simply give ChatGPT a subject or higher but, an opinion (“open supply merchandise have dangerous shopper UX!”) and have it provide you with an overview of the argument. Then begin speaking by way of the argument, and document it. Course of it in one of many new AI apps, after which get it right down to textual content. Then edit from there.

The opposite place the place AI-driven cleanup may also help is on the finish, if you wish to be sure you sound skilled, or like an professional, and never an fool. You possibly can have ChatGPT rewrite content material and incorporate a special tone. Or feed it some examples to quote and construct off of. The power to wash up concepts and textual content material throughout after which after the creation stream is all fairly fascinating.

There’s a bunch of issues ChatGPT can’t but do
I’m excited for all of the ways in which generative AI will assist the writing course of. I discover edges to its capabilities that may quickly be addressed, I’m positive. However listed below are some apparent ones that I discover on a regular basis:

• I need it to have all the info, as much as at this time (or in real-time), as a result of I need it to make use of examples and cite numbers which are as current as attainable
• Some genAI instruments can generate pictures, which is beneficial, since I wish to create charts and figures, sketches of ideas, and even the little lead picture that sits on high of every essay
• It’d be supreme if it was related to Twitter and different social media platforms, in order that you would tweet out content material simply — writing tweetstorms by way of AI can be nice!
• I wish to prepare it on a corpus of my very own writing, in fact, and likewise writers that I respect. Proper now it takes some work to customise the tone of voice to what I need
• There’s knowledge, paperwork, and different information that I wish to feed into ChatGPT, after which have it make the most of the content material as a part of its arguments and recommendations. Think about a routine activity like, “hey, take this 10,000 phrase chapter and summarize it right into a 100 entry tweetstorm” can be vastly useful. Proper now it may’t do this

There’s much more to go right here, nevertheless it’s extremely promising.

Once I’m running a blog nowadays, no surprise I discover myself with WordPress open in a single window, after which ChatGPT within the different. And I discover myself spinning up new chats, copying and pasting backwards and forwards. It’s the primary time in 10+ years that I’ve discovered my workflow considerably change, and I’m excited to see what occurs subsequent.

PS. Get new updates/evaluation on tech and startups

I write a high-quality, weekly e-newsletter masking what’s taking place in Silicon Valley, targeted on startups, advertising and marketing, and cell.