The Right Way to Write with AI

AI is both boon and bane to writing. When used poorly, AI results in generic writing that is often rife with errors and full of odd word choices (looking at you “let’s delve”). As a professor, it’s usually pretty easy to spot AI writing, especially when students don’t bother to edit. We’re seeing more and more AI-generated garbage online as well. But in the hands of skilled, thoughtful writers, AI can be a fantastic writing companion that enhances both efficiency and quality. In this article, I discuss how to write effectively with AI.

Starting From Scratch: AI as Brainstorming Partner

The horror of the blank page or empty screen is a terror faced by virtually anyone who writes, whether it’s Hemingway or a professor trying to write a letter of recommendation. Getting started really is half the battle. AI is fantastic at jump starting writing. When I have a vague idea for an article but my thoughts aren’t organized enough to produce an outline, I brainstorm with AI. Generally, I describe my idea and the kind of article I’m trying to write and then give a simple prompt — “What do you think?”. That’s it. No fancy prompt engineering, just a description and a simple, open-ended prompt. The openness of the prompt is why it’s so effective. I’m not dialed in on the idea, so I give AI maximum flexibility in how it responds. Then, I engage in a conversation that refines the idea. Usually, these conversations end in a solid outline and I’m off to the proverbial races. For a frequent writer like me, this alone is worth the price of admission.

The Trusted Colleague: AI as Sounding Board

I think of AI as a knowledgeable, trusted colleague—the kind of collaborator every writer dreams of having. It’s common for me to bounce article ideas off AI before refining my thoughts for an article. Through our back-and-forth, AI helps me discover unique angles I might have otherwise missed. Readers of AI Goes to College benefit greatly from AI’s ability to help refine ideas, although you may not realize it. This article is an example. Before I started writing, I laid out the headings and described the article to Lex (an AI-enabled writing environment). Lex liked the layout but made some excellent suggestions to improve the headings so that they’re more descriptive and better structured. Whether you’re testing ideas or refining structure, your AI colleague makes an excellent sounding board that never gets frustrated or tired.

The Hard-Nosed Editor: AI as Revision Tool

Every writer knows the stereotype: the hard-boiled newspaper editor, cigar clenched between teeth, ripping stories apart until they shine. Every writer NEEDS a hard-nosed editor, someone who will tell you the truth about your writing. One of the things I love about Lex is that it’s programmed to not be a people pleaser. If your writing is bad, Lex will let you know. But unlike the cigar-chomping editor, AI will gently offer suggestions to improve your writing. Lex has helped me tighten this article by pointing out unnecessary words and confusing phrases. Lex is especially hard on my proclivity towards parentheticals; it’s less critical of my alliterations. AI is fantastic at improving your writing. Over time, your initial drafts will improve as well, which is a nice bonus.

The Critic: AI as Analysis Engine

Writers also need critics—not the snarky Internet kind, but thoughtful analysts who can examine our work from multiple perspectives. AI does this well, offering fresh perspectives on everything from argument structure to potential counterpoints. While writing this article, each section was drafted, then submitted to AI for critique. This iterative process helped identify areas where I needed more examples or clearer explanations. One great aspect of AI is that it can shift perspectives easily. You can ask AI to critique from the perspective of a student, a community member, a journal editor—the possibilities are virtually endless. For example, if you’re working on a policy document, you can ask AI to analyze the policy from the perspectives of students, faculty, and administrators. Each perspective uncovers different concerns and questions that need addressing. You can even adjust the critique from gentle suggestion to brutal honesty. The results may be uncomfortable, but your writing will improve. The shape-shifting critic is a fantastic asset. It assesses your writing without human emotional and relationship baggage or professional politics that sometimes complicate feedback. Your AI critic can point out logical fallacies, identify assumptions that need support, and suggest areas where counterarguments should be addressed.

The Copy Editor: AI as Grammar Guardian

AI makes a great copy editor, as long as it’s used correctly. Before I publish this article, I’ll run it through Lex’s checks for grammar and readability. Lex is fine-tuned to be an excellent copy editor, but ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and the like can be used similarly, it just takes a bit more work. I could do my own checks, but not as well as Lex unless I took my time. AI is more efficient. AI tools can also suggest revisions to improve readability, clarity, impact and the like. Lex has ten built-in checks along with the ability to create custom checks. Not only is AI more likely to catch problems you might miss in your own writing, it is more efficient, often checking long documents in a matter of seconds. One caution though—be sure to check the checker until you trust AI’s copy editing.

Making It All Work: Best Practices and Pitfalls

Writing with AI is like having a writing team at your fingertips, but like any team, you need to be the leader. Here are some key principles for success.

First, and most importantly, never forget that it is YOUR writing. AI is your assistant, not your ghostwriter. The ideas, arguments, and unique perspectives are yours, as is the ultimate responsibility. You have a unique voice and a unique vision; don’t lose them by taking AI shortcuts.

Start with clear goals for your writing. Any team, even one with AI, will lose its way without them. Unless you’re journaling or freewriting, having clear goals at the start is essential for maintaining focus and flow.

Use the right AI role at the right stage. This takes practice but over time you’ll develop a rhythm for your AI collaboration. For most of us, iteration is critical to the process. Also, start where you need help. Sometimes I need help brainstorming but most of the time I already have my ideas down pat. I need help in communicating them clearly. I use the AI critic incessantly, always trying to refine what write. Once my draft is complete, it’s time for the AI copy editor to do its job. You may have a different approach. Like you’re writing, your workflow needs to reflect your process, not mine.

Do NOT use AI to write your first drafts. Let me repeat. DO NOT USE AI TO WRITE YOUR FIRST DRAFTS. AI can help you get started but your writing needs to be YOUR writing. Maintaining your voice and vision is much harder if you try to edit what AI writes. You’re the writer, AI is your assistant.

AI can be confidently and convincingly wrong, so verify everything. I don’t rely on AI much for facts, but when I do I’m careful to double-check everything. Also, feel free to reject AI’s suggestions. It won’t be offended.

Finally, remember that AI is a tool, not a crutch. The goal is to become a better writer, not just a more efficient one. Churning out generic AI output is a bad idea. Pay attention to AI’s suggestions and learn from them. Over time, you’ll find yourself writing cleaner drafts and catching problems without AI’s help. With practice and attention, you’ll become a better, more effective writer.