How to Write with AI and Maintain Your Human Voice in 8 Steps

Dedicated to Phina!

Photo by Windows on Unsplash

I knew chat GPT in December 2022. I think that’s when its hype was all around the media. My ghostwriting client then asked me to include AI in customer service in the customer service book I was ghostwriting for her. That’s when I checked and saw that despite the wave of Chat GPT, other AIs like Jenni AI and other limited writing AIs were even in operation. Jenni AI for instance was limited and I never quite got a hang of how it worked with the prompts and storytelling.

Since the Chat GPT wave almost all socials have infused AI into nearly everything. There’s AI art all around done with tools like Midjourney and the like. Upwork has its AI tool, Grammarly, all Meta apps, Snapchat, Wix, etc. So many platforms are infusing AI into their offerings. I found it weird at first because the evidence that even big corporations were using Chat GPT-lingo irked me. My favorite monthly cycle tracking app even launched a series on “How To Unlock Your Orgasm,” I couldn’t help but notice the Chat GPT lingo sprinkled here and there. 

Once, I checked out a written piece that won a prize on a creative platform and was disappointed to see that it was just copy and paste Chat GPT. Using AI for writing has become increasingly popular. AI helps in different ways, it can streamline your writing process, generate ideas, and even create content. However, maintaining your human voice and connecting authentically with your audience is needed—creating and maintaining that human connection is an area I love talking about. 

Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you achieve that balance from my experience.

Step 1: Understand your audience

Before integrating AI into your writing process, it is important to understand your audience. Knowing their preferences, pain points, and interests will help you tailor your content to resonate with them. Also knowing what you love talking about will help you! So how do you know that?

• Create your persona and audience’s personas:  Create a board with detailed profiles of your ideal readers. Include a board with your interests—those are topics you can yap about all day and never be tired. Things somewhat dear to your heart or things you wish to see differently and then read up on what people have written about them. This way you can see how you can approach things differently. 

• Engage: Use surveys, social media interactions, and feedback forms from past research to gather insights about the audience in the field you’re venturing into.

Step 2: Define your voice

What is your voice? How do you talk? To help, you can record your voice as you answer a question to have a feel of what sets your voice apart. Your voice is a unique way you express yourself in writing. You need to know how you sound and define it clearly before using AI tools.

• List adjectives: Write down adjectives that describe your voice (e.g., friendly, authoritative, witty, simple, smart, serious, humorous, sweet, and warm).

• Analyze past content: Check any of the works you’ve written before and review it. Identify patterns and elements that define your voice, then write them out.

• Create a style guide: Develop a style guide that outlines your tone, language preferences, and key phrases. For me, I like using words Grammarly wants me to remove. I love to sound like your friend who always has a gist for you! Sometimes I try to be succinct but it never often works.

 Step 3: Choose the right AI tool

Not all AI writing tools are created equal. If you use Gemini, you’d know it often doesn’t go in-depth and it is generally good for novel ideas. There’s also Claude.ai. You need to choose one that aligns with your needs and allows customization to reflect your voice.

• Explore options: There are research AI tools like OpenAI’s GPT-4, Jasper, or Copy.ai. Look for features that support voice and tone customization.

• Record your voice: Take the voice recording you’ve transcribed using tools like Otter and paste it into your selected AI and then ask your AI to write on maybe a topic like “Rainbows,” in that transcribed notes. 

• Trial and error: Test different tools to see which one best complements your writing style and requirements.

 Step 4: Use AI as a collaborator, not a replacement

AI should be used to improve your writing, not replace it. Use it as a collaborator to generate ideas, drafts, or refine your content.

• Idea generation: Use AI to brainstorm topics, headlines, and outlines. You can use it to build out an idea you have while you add to it. I believe as a writer who loves words, once you begin to type more ideas.

• Draft creation: Let AI create a draft, then infuse your personality and insights into the content.

• Editing and Refining: Use AI to edit and suggest improvements, but always review and make final adjustments yourself.

 Step 5: Don’t be afraid to tell your personal stories and infuse your anecdotes

AI can provide structure and polish, but personal stories and anecdotes add a human touch that resonates with readers. You can have your personal recommendation list at the end of each piece. Like book of the week, song of the week, picture of the week. 

• Share experiences: Incorporate your experiences, lessons learned, and personal insights.

• Use real-life examples: Use examples from your life, the industry you work in, or your experiences to illustrate points and make your content relatable.

Step 6: Maintain emotional connection

Evoking emotions is a way to remain memorable as well as connect with your audience. Ensure your content evokes the right feelings you want it to. There’s a quote I read somewhere, I can’t remember where I saw it but it said, “Bad art is an art that invokes nothing. I want people to feel regardless of what emotions they feel but let my art invoke something.” So as long as your work is invoking some emotions from your audience consider it a win!

• Empathy and understanding: Show empathy towards your audience’s struggles and aspirations.

• Authenticity: Be genuine and transparent in your writing. 

 Step 7: Review and Revise

Always review and revise AI-generated content to ensure it aligns with your voice and connects with your audience.

• Read your work out loud: Reading your content aloud will help you identify areas where the tone might be off.

• Feedback: Seek feedback from your friends or a trusted editor to ensure your voice remains intact. In case you need an editor I am one. 

Step 8: Stay Updated and Adapt

AI technology evolves rapidly. Stay updated with the latest advancements and adapt your strategy accordingly.

• Continuous learning: Attend webinars, read articles, and participate in forums about AI in writing.

• Experiment: Regularly test new features and tools to see how they can enhance your content creation process.

Conclusion

Writing with AI will help you get a clear outline of your next post. By understanding your audience, defining your voice, choosing the right AI tool, and using AI as a collaborator, you can create compelling content that resonates with your readers. Inject personal stories, maintain an emotional connection, and always review and revise your content. 

I hope that by following these steps, you can harness AI while maintaining a strong, authentic connection with your audience. Happy writing!

Best,

Win.