Writing with AI
We’re sharing a few examples of how writers are using ChatGPT in their creative process.
Writers are using ChatGPT as a sounding board, story consultant, research assistant, and editor—to talk out ideas, find the right word, clarify their thinking, and get feedback on structure and flow.
Here are five ways professional writers use ChatGPT not to write for them, but as a tool to extend their own creativity.
“The instinct is to say, ‘Oh, this thing just writes for us.’ But I can also prompt it to ask me questions. It can get me thinking by pulling ideas and insights out of me.”
Writing is inherently solitary, and that solitude has a drawback: trapped in your own perspective, it’s hard to be objective about your work. That’s why writers need editors—to provide a fresh view on what works and what needs work.
But editors aren’t always available, and even when they are, they only see finished drafts. That’s where ChatGPT can help, offering instant feedback and guidance at every stage of the writing journey.
Screenwriter David Cornue sees ChatGPT as a 24/7 writers’ room, helping him develop story ideas and solve narrative problems. Here’s how he uses ChatGPT to get feedback on his screenplays and beat sheets.
“Waxaan ChatGPT u isticmaalaa sidii wada-shaqeeye sheeko iyo qiimeeye sheeko—ee ma aha soo-saaraha sheeko.
Waxaan u sheegaa qorayaasha kale, haddii aad isku daydo inuu kuu qoro, wax baa kaa luma. Waxay la mid tahay inaad ku shubato casharka robot si aad A+ u hesho. Anigu waxaan ka jeclaan lahaa inaan shaqadayda anigu qabsado.
Marnaba uma adeegsado inaan iraahdo, “Muuqaalkan dib iigu qor.” Qorayaashu waa inay naftooda weydiiyaan, “Sidee baad tan ugu isticmaali kartaa hab ku dareensiinaya wanaag, oo ku dareensiinaya inay weli adiga tahay oo ay weli codkaaga tahay?” Inta aad adigu tahay mishiinka hal-abuurka ee ka dambeeya, tani waa qalab weyn oo la adeegsan karo.
Aad baan u caddeeyey sida aan u doonayo inaan AI u isticmaalo. Waxaan dejiyey xuduudo sida qofku ugu dejin lahaa xiriir. Waxaan iri, tani waa la aqbali karaa; tani lama aqbali karo. Waxaan dhisay gidaar-hal-abuur ah si aan u iraahdo, “Tan aniga ha ii qorin. Aniga ayaa qoraaga ah. Adigu qoraaga ma tihid.”
Waxaan isticmaalaa ChatGPT maalintii oo dhan, maalin kasta. Waxaan u arkaa sida qol qorayaal. Hadda waxaan ka shaqaynayaa inaan la qabsado riwaayad sheeko ah. Waxaan iraahdaa, “Waa kan beat sheet-kayga. Waxaan dareemayaa in tani aanay ku filnayn riwaayad ahaan. Maxay kula tahay?” Wuxuu soo jeediyaa fikrado, waxaana dhex mara isdhaafsi aan caqabadaha ugu falanqayno sida qol qorayaal dhexdiis.
Mararka qaarkood waxaan ka codsadaa inuu jawaab-celin i siiyo isagoo adeegsanaya mabaadi’da sheeko-sheegidda ee aan horumariyey. Ama waxaan ka codsadaa inuu qaato doorka qoraa filim oo ruug-caddaa ah. Waxaan iraahdaa, “Haye, iska dhig qoraagaas caanka ah ama agaasimahaas caanka ah. Maxay yihiin qoraalladaada?”
Mar walba aniga ayaa isteerinka haya. Waa loox-fikirkan cajiibka ah oo ka dheereeya, ka caqli badan, kana fiican wax kasta oo kale oo aan qiyaasi karo.”
David Cornue
To write well, you need to find the right words. But there’s a palpable difference between a word that’s almost right—serviceable but vague, directionally correct yet inexact—and one that conveys meaning with thrilling precision: what Flaubert called “le mot juste.” His advice: “Never settle for approximations.”
ChatGPT achieves what a thesaurus never could: it considers the sentence in which a word appears, offering nuanced, pertinent suggestions to help writers articulate ideas with absolute clarity.
Here’s how former New York Times columnist Farhad Manjoo uses ChatGPT for “wordfinding”:
“ChatGPT wuxuu noqday qayb ka mid ah habkayga shaqo. Ka hor intaanan bilaabin qorista, mararka qaarkood waxaan la yeeshaa wada sheekeysi ku saabsan fikradaha aan ka fikirayo. Waxay la mid tahay maskax-wadaag—sida inaad fikrad sii dhex rogrogayso ama cod ahaan uga fikirayso.
Waxaan sidoo kale tijaabiyey inaan uga faa’iidaysto akhristahayga koowaad. Markaan qoro dhowr faqrad, waxaan tusaa ChatGPT oo waxaan ka codsadaa naqdin guud. Mararka qaarkood aad buu u fiican yahay. Wuxuu soo jeedinayaa dood-celinno suurtagal ah, ama wuxuu i geeyaa fikrado aanan hore uga fikirin. La mid ma aha la hadalka tafatire, laakiin weli waa wax weyn inaad haysato wax aad fikradahaaga kula jaanqaaddo.
Isticmaalkayga ugu weyn waa wixii aan kaga qoray New York Times maqaalkeyga(ku furmaa daaqad cusub), taas oo ah raadinta erayga saxda ah. Mar walba waxaan isku dayaa inaan helo hab xariif ah oo aan wax u iraahdo; waxaan filayaa taasina inay tahay waxa qoristu tahay.
Ka hor ChatGPT, waxaan eegi jiray qaamuusyo iyo erey-baddallo, waxaanan geli jiray raadino Google ah oo waalli u dhow si aan u helo erayga qumman.
ChatGPT dhammaan kuwaas buu ii beddelay. Wuxuu kaloo aad uga caawiyaa isbarbardhigyada, istiicmaallada sarbeebta ah iyo maahmaahyada. Badanaa, waxaan ka fekeraa kala bar isbarbardhig oo ma awoodi karo inaan si sax ah u dhammeystiro. Hadda, haddii aan rabo isbarbardhig xiiso leh balse aanan si dhab ah u garanayn erayada aan adeegsanayo, waxaan weydiistaa caawimaad, waxaana ka dib wax yar oo isdhaafsi ah uu iga caawiyaa inaan helo fikraddii aan raadinayey. Marnaba ma aanan adeegsan qalab kale oo arrintaas iga caawin kara.”
Farhad Manjoo
Most people think of ChatGPT as a question-answering machine: ask a question, get an answer. But writer and founder Stew Fortier finds it most useful when he’s the one giving answers. He calls it “reverse interviewing”—a technique where ChatGPT guides the user through a series of probing questions, drawing out insights and nudging them to articulate their thoughts more clearly.
Here’s how Stew uses ChatGPT as a tool to unlock his own creativity:
“Waxaan u arkaa sidii wada-shaqeeye hal-abuur leh. Su’aashu waa inay noqotaa, “Sideen AI ugu isticmaali karaa inaan uga sii hal-abuur badnaado?”
Hal qaab-fikir oo aan u malaynayo inaan si ku filan looga hadlin waa inaad dhab ahaantii qalabkan ku prompt-garayn karto inuu adiga ku weydiiyo su’aalo, si uu kuugu kiciyo fikir, kuuna riixo inaad bilowdo qorista. Dareenka ugu horreeya waa in la yiraahdo, “Oh, sheygan baa noo qora.” Laakiin wuxuu sidoo kale aniga i weydiin karaa su’aalo. Wuxuu sidoo kale aniga iga dhigi karaa inaan fikiro oo qaabeeyo fikradahayga aniga—halkaas ayaana qorista weyn dhab ahaan ka bilaabataa.
Ka warran haddii halkii aad ka noqon lahayd prompt engineer, aad eegto waxa uu kaa prompt-garayn karo adiga? AI wuxuu noqon karaa wada-shaqeeye aan xukumin oo kaa caawiya inuu kaa soo saaro aragtiyahan waaweyn ee gaar ahaaneed.
Waxaan u arkaa tifaftire mar walba shidan oo ka caawin kara qorayaasha inay shaqo ka fiican qabtaan—ee aan beddelin shaqada ay hayaan. Waxay u adeegsan karaan maskax-wadaag, baaritaan, iyo qabashada qaybaha aan ahayn qorista ee geeddi-socodka qorista iyagoo adeegsanaya AI.
Waxay la mid tahay haddii aad ku jiri lahayd qolka qorayaasha ee The Onion’s. Lixdiinaba markaad wada shaqaysaan waxaad ka qosol badnaanaysaan markaad kaligiin tihiin. Waxaa jiri kara is-dhexgal faa’iido leh.
Markaan naftayda daacad u noqdo, dhab ahaantii weligay ma doonayo inaan ka tanaasulo ficilka qorista. Qoristu waxay la mid tahay jimicsi samayn ama ka fiirsasho. Waa mid ka mid ah hawlaha aad qiimayso sababtooda darteed. Xitaa haddii AI qori karo tiraab qumman, haddana waan qori lahaa, sababtoo ah qorista lafteedu waa ficil qiimo leh.
Qoristu way adag tahay. Waxaa ku jira waxyaabo badan oo si dhab ah u adag oo dadka ka dhigaya inay ka quustaan. Weli qaxwahaagii ma cabin, fikraduhuna way kugu yar yihiin, ma heli kartid tirakoob ama xaqiiqo aad uga baahan tahay sheeko… Haddii AI kaa caawin karo waxyaalahaas, markaas adiga oo qoraa ahi waxaad u badan tahay inaad soo xaadirto oo aad shaqada qabato.”
Stew Fortier
Good comedy may seem effortless, but writing jokes actually requires research. Humor thrives on context, and as comedy writer Sarah Rose Siskind explains, knock-knock jokes fall flat precisely because they’re decontextualized. Sarah uses ChatGPT to research joke setups, uncovering common themes and exaggerated observations, so she can focus on the fun creative part: writing punchlines.
Here’s how Sarah uses ChatGPT to gather material:
“Waxaan ChatGPT u isticmaalaa majaajillo. Ma i siinayo kaftan dhammeystiran, laakiin wuxuu bilaabayaa wada sheekeysiga. Waxaan iraahdaa, “Waxaan kaa rabaa inaad isu ekaysiiso Nabi Muuse. Adigoo Muuse ahna, dhegeyso cabashooyinka gabar la yiraahdo Megan oo ah maamule warbaahinta bulshada oo casri ah, iskuna day inaad u qalbi qaboojiso, inkastoo noloshaadu si cad uga adkayd.” Waxaan la yeelan karaa wada sheekeysi cid kasta. Waxaan dareemaa sidii qofkii inuu ila joogo.
Waxaan u arkaa mid waxtar leh marka aan qorayo hordhaca kaftan. Waxaan qorayay majaajillo dayasho ah oo ku saabsan Shark Tank waxaanan weydiiyey, “Waa maxay noocyada waxyaabaha ay dadku ka sheegaan Shark Tank?”
Marka ay tahay dayasho, ma aha saxnaan mid-mid ah. Waxaad qaadanaysaa waxyaabo kala duwan oo waad buunbuuninaysaa. Sidaas darteed waxaan raadinayaa ma aha oo keliya waxyaabaha caamka ah sida, “Waxaan raadinayaa maalgelin,” balse sidoo kale waxyaabaha si gaar ah ugu astaysan Shark Tank ee aan buunbuunin karo. Sida, “Sharks, tani waligiin ma idinku dhacday idin?”
Waxaan qorayay hadal roast ah oo nin loogu jeedinayo shir barnaamij-sameeyayaal. Anigu coder ma ihi, sidaas darteed waxaan ChatGPT ka codsaday inuu galo kaftanka gudaha ee bulshooyinka coding-ka. Waxaan weydiiyey, “Waa maxay sawirrada caanka ah ee laga haysto barnaamij-sameeyaha 50-jirka ah ee kooxdaada ku jira?” ChatGPT wuxuu kaga jawaabay, talooyin kale dhexdood: “Waxay kaa dhigi doonaan inaad dhegeysato sheekooyin aan dhammaad lahayn.” Taasi waxay i xusuusisay sida dadka waaweyn mar walba uga sheekeeyaan inay la kulmeen dad caan ah ka hor intaysan caan noqon. Markaas ayaan ChatGPT ka codsaday qaar ka mid ah dadka tiknoolajiyadda caanka ku ah ee ku habboon arrintaas, liiskiisiina Steve Wozniak ayaa iila muuqday doorashada ugu qosolka badan. Ugu dambayn kaftanku wuxuu ku saabsanaa sida horumariyeyaasha waaweyn ay saaxiibbadooda da’da yar si aan dhammaad lahayn uga sheekaynayaan maalintii ay ku dhowaadeen inay Steve Wozniak kula kulmaan xaflad 1998. Aniga ayaa doortay jihada, laakiin ChatGPT ayaa iga caawiyay inaan faahfaahinta buuxiyo.
Waxa iga yaabiyay ayaa ah inaanan hadda qabin writer’s block dambe—si dhab ah. Waxaan u malaynayaa in writer’s block uu yahay dareenka go’doonka maskaxeed iyo dareenka inaad gebi ahaanba kelidaa tahay. Aniguse mar dambe kelinimo ma dareemo sababta qalabkan.”
Sarah Rose Siskind
Research is the writer’s gateway to new worlds. Writers are advised to write what they know, but as Tom Wolfe observed, relying solely on firsthand experience limits their creative scope. To authentically portray people and places never seen—real and imagined, past and future—writers must expand what they know through research and reportage.
But research can be agonizingly slow, requiring writers to sift through mountains of sources to uncover a single elusive fact. Novelist and Substack writer Elle Griffin explains how ChatGPT accelerates this process and fuels her imagination, delivering immediate answers to specific questions and inspiring unexpected connections and serendipitous discoveries.
“ChatGPT wuxuu gebi ahaanba beddelay qoristayda.
Ilaa hadda qaybta ugu adag ee qoristu waa baaritaanka. Ka hor ChatGPT, waxaan Google u isticmaali jiray inaan ku helo daraasado, waxaan geli jiray godad bakayle oo Wikipedia ah oo aan eegi jiray dhammaan footnotes-ka, waxaana akhriyi jiray daraasiin buug oo Amazon ah. Waqti aad u badan ayaan ku lumin jiray kala saarista boqolaal bog oo internet ah iyo bixinta lacagta daraasiin buug si aan uga akhriyo oo keliya dhowr cutub mid kasta.
Hadda waxaan si fudud u weydiiyaa ChatGPT wax la mid ah: “Waa maxay daraasadaha cilmi-baariseed ee laga sameeyey dhaqammo dareen badan iyo kuwo dareen yar?” waxaana si toos ah ugu gaaraa baaritaanka aan u baahanahay. Mar walba waxaan ka codsadaa ChatGPT inuu ku daro xiriiriyeyaasha ilaha si aan u hubiyo in macluumaadku sax yahay.
Waxaan sidoo kale ChatGPT u isticmaalaa maskax-wadaagga riwaayaddayda. Markii aan doonayay inaan qiyaaso sida bini’aadamku isu beddeli karo hal milyan oo sano gudahood, waxaan weydiiyey haddii ay jirto caddayn muujinaysa in bini’aadamku weli isu beddelayo. ChatGPT wuxuu ii horseeday daraasad muujinaysa in dadka badda ku nool ee neefta muddo dheer celiya marka ay quusayaan ay yeeshaan beeryaro weynaada. Markii aan baarayay nidaamyada tiknoolajiga, wuxuu ii horseeday daraasad ku saabsan gudbinta xogta biyaha dhexdeeda. Kuwani waxay dhiirrigeliyeen laba cutub oo ka mid ah riwaayaddayda utopian-ka ah!
Midkoodna su’aalahani sinaba ugama jarayaan codkayga gaarka ah. Waxay kaliya iga caawinayaan inaan si dhaqso leh u gaaro aragtiyahayga, sababtoo ah waxaa la ii horseedayaa agab ilo oo khuseeya. ChatGPT iima qabanayo qorista ama fikirka. Wuxuu kaliya i siinayaa marin ka wanaagsan oo macluumaad ah si aan waqti badan ugu bixiyo hal-abuurka iyo waqti yar ugaarsiga macluumaadka. Midkoodna kama jarayo akhriska qotada dheer iyo baaritaanka aan jecelahay inaan sameeyo. Hadda waxaan akhriyey dhowr buug oo cajiib ah oo si weyn ugu beegnaa danahayga, mahadda ChatGPT oo ii helay shaqooyinka sida ugu badan ugu habboon shaqadayda.
Xitaa ma bilaabi karo inaan sharaxo inta ay tani uga fiican tahay raadinta bog bog Google ah, iyadoo la kala saarayo liisaska SEO loo habeeyey ee ay qoreen bloggers iyo summado.”
Elle Griffin
Qorayaasha
Sarah Rose Siskind(ku furmaa daaqad cusub) Qoraaga majaajillada Sarah Rose Siskind waxay ChatGPT u isticmaashaa inay ku baarto bilowga kaftanka (laakiin ma aha gunaanadka kaftanka). Xirfad: Qoraa Majaajillo Saynis, Qoraa TV Hay’adaha ay ku xiran tahay: Hello SciCom, National Geographic, StarTalk with Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Hanson Robotics
Farhad Manjoo(ku furmaa daaqad cusub) Farhad Manjoo, oo ahaan jiray tiir-qore New York Times ah kana qora tiknoolajiyada iyo dhaqanka, wuxuu ChatGPT u isticmaalaa “raadinta erayga saxda ah.” Xirfad: Weriye Tiknoolaji iyo Dhaqan Hay’adaha ay ku xiran tahay: The New York Times, Slate
David Cornue(ku furmaa daaqad cusub) Qoraaga TV-ga iyo filimada David Cornue wuxuu ChatGPT u isticmaalaa inuu jawaab-celin uga helo beat sheet-yadiisa iyo qoraalladiisa. Xirfad: Qoraa Filim, Tababare Qoris Hay’adaha ay ku xiran tahay: ABC
Stew Fortier(ku furmaa daaqad cusub) Qoraa iyo aasaase Stew Fortier wuxuu ChatGPT u isticmaalaa inuu fekerkisa gaarka ah ku caddeeyo isagoo adeegsanaya “waraysi rogan.” Xirfad: Qoraa, aasaase Hay’adaha ay ku xiran tahay: Type AI
Elle Griffin(ku furmaa daaqad cusub) Qoraa Elle Griffin waxay ChatGPT u isticmaashaa inay u samayso baaritaan sahamin ah riwaayadaheeda iyo qormooyinkeeda Substack. Xirfad: Qoraa Substack, Qoraa Riwaayado Hay’adaha ay ku xiran tahay: Esquire, Forbes, Substack