The last post suggested that planning is all about creativity. This post is about drafting, which concerns productivity. Of course, creativity is involved in drafting, but efficient writers know a rough draft is all they need to shape the message to its finished form. Speed is paramount.
A lot can go wrong when using AI during the drafting step of the writing process. You might direct your AI assistant to create a first draft of the complete document based on the plan that it generated and you tweaked, only to get something entirely different, or with little more substance, or with off-point content, or a rearranged story line depending on the words you choose in your prompt. Sometimes AI can kill your forward progress. That's why you should save every version of your document.
Lessons Learned:
- Master the prompt. Language variables are infinite. The slightest change in a prompt can yield entirely different results than expected. Make note of your prompts to adjust them when you do not get what you want.
- Seek output, not perfection. This tip is a general one regardless of whether you use AI. I subscribe to the adage "less is more," but not during the first draft. Completeness first, conciseness second. Make sure you get all your need for the quality control phase of writing.
- Provide sufficient context to humanize the message. Create a style that sounds like you, not a machine. Reading aloud your writing, or AI's generated content, will help you gain a fluent voice during the editing step.
