1 tool to build your daily writing habit for beginner writers struggling to write
Start a daily writing routine that will change your life.
Do you want to write, but struggle to make it a daily habit?
You're not alone. I spent years trying and failing to build a daily writing habit. After a long workday of meetings, coding, and commuting, writing can feel so difficult.
Thanks to this 1 tool, I have written every day for the past 6 months. I'm beginning to feel a real sense of momentum.
In this post, I will explain how I use Generative AI (GAI) (e.g. ChatGPT) to sustain my daily writing habit. Now before you get out your pitchforks, I am not advocating you give ChatGPT a 10 word prompt then copy and paste the output into a word doc. GAI is a tool. Like any tool, what matters is how you use it.
Cal Newport's recent article in the New Yorker inspired this article. The article resonated with my own lived experience using GAI.
Let's talk about how to build up momentum to create your daily writing habit.
Why writing every day is hard.
What motivates people to keep writing?
For me, a writing project needs to feel useful to myself and my potential readers.
Is it useful? What is the benefit for the reader?
Will this project help me meet my long-term goals in my writing career?
It's hard to locate a satisfying answer to these questions when you start out.
It takes time to be skilled enough to create value for others.
You won't know if a project will have benefited you until after you've completed it.
These delayed feedback loops make writing a lonely endeavor.
Clarifying your answer to these questions can help strengthen your resolve. Common writing advice says "write what you know." If you are writing from experience, you will feel more confident because you know the value of what you're saying. It's a good place to start.
Meet your new thinking buddy, GAI.
Meet your #1 fan, research assistant, and editor, GAI. (Claude by Anthropomorphic is my favorite.) Talking to GAI is like having an intern that never gets tired and is always eager to help.
The daily writing habit is a daily thinking habit. Rather than staring at an empty word doc hoping to write the next great American novel, talking to GAI feels easier because I know no one will read it. You need to get your brain into writing mode. Use GAI to lower the activation energy needed to get going.
Ready to give it a try? Check out this prompt from Pinpoint Writing with AI.
If you dislike GAI, the same technique works with writing in a journal. Start your writing session by dumping your thoughts in a journal or note taking app.
Writing >> Not Writing, but don’t use GAI as a crutch.
If you're struggling to write every day, then any writing is better than none.
But for experienced writers, they don't need GAI. It would only slow them down and waste their time.
Writing is rewriting. You can use GAI to help with developmental editing and grammar, but it's awful at revision. GAI writing is verbose and generic, while good revision does the opposite, making text more succinct and specific.
So if you find yourself dreading the writing desk. Have a chat with GAI.
As you build up your writing instincts, you won't need it anymore. And that's a good thing.
By the way, I’ve changed the name of this newsletter for the 5th time. I might make it a monthly tradition.
Do consider leaving me some feedback on what you thought of this article. My goal for this newsletter is to improve my writing. So any feedback is appreciated.