Why I Use GPT to Write (And Why It’s Still 100% Me)

Last night, I read a WA blog from Eric Cantu (aka Batman) called Inside WA, Just Be Yourself and Write. No AI Needed.

He made some great points about how straight copy-and-paste GPT content can feel lifeless, and how WA blogs should be about your unique voice, your journey, and your experiences.

That got me thinking — because yes, I do use GPT here in WA, but I don’t just hit “generate” and paste whatever comes back. My content still starts in my brain. My ideas, my analogies, my stories — all me. GPT just helps clean them up so you can read them without needing an aspirin.

Let me show you exactly what I mean.

Behind the Scenes — The Real Process

Here’s an actual piece of writing I gave GPT-5 this morning, exactly as I typed it:

Jeremy’s Raw Input:

Once, in Grade 9 I wrote a story. The story was about me as a detective. I really wanted to be one, but the problem was is that i couldn't be. So instead, i became a private Investigator. As i wrote this story, the idea was for me to be this incognito, person, one whom lurked around corners and blended in with surroundings, as to not have many people know me. I was on every street corner, but I was also in every household.

Well, one day out of the blue, in walked this robber into a store, and we were in Paris. I was in Paris. WHat happened was, in this story, as that I wrote how this robber came into the store, and demanded money. Well the store clerk paniced and hit the police button. THe police were there within seconds, and gunfire broke out. I was incognito alright, I was there at the perfect time, until... a bullet ricocheted off of the shelf and blood spewed from my guts.

Later did i notice that I was being hailed a hero. It wasn't blood. I was thankful, I owe it to that can of tomato soup! My name is Zenith. And i was the one being hailed the hero.

GPT-5’s Edited Version (After My Instructions):

Back in Grade 9, I wrote a story about myself as a detective. I really wanted to be one, but since that wasn’t exactly a career option for a teenager, I became a private investigator — at least on paper. In my story, I was an incognito shadow, lurking around corners, blending perfectly into my surroundings. Nobody noticed me, but I was everywhere — on every street corner, in every household.

One day in the story, I was in Paris when a robber walked into a store. The clerk panicked and slammed the police button. Within seconds, officers stormed in and gunfire erupted. I stayed hidden — the perfect observer — until a bullet ricocheted off a shelf and… blood spilled from my gut.

Or so I thought. Turns out, I’d been saved by a can of tomato soup. My name was Zenith, and apparently, I was the hero of Paris.

What Changed:

• My ideas? Still there.
• My humor? Still there (I still owe that soup can a thank-you card).
• The style? Still mine, just tidied up.
• The difference? It now reads smoothly without losing my personality.

A Real Conversation Between Me & GPT-5

Just so you can see this isn’t “hit generate, hit paste,” here’s a snippet from our actual back-and-forth:

Jeremy:

Keep this in my voice. Don’t overpolish. Make it sound like a story I’m telling a buddy around a campfire. Keep the humor about the soup can, and fix the flow.

GPT-5:

Got it. I’ll clean up the grammar and structure, but keep it casual and first-person. I’ll also make sure the soup can joke lands better without sounding forced.

Jeremy:

That’s better, but swap “I was everywhere” and “nobody noticed me” so the emphasis builds. And don’t make the Paris scene sound too cinematic — keep it simple.

GPT-5:

Updated. Now it reads as a gradual reveal instead of a big dramatic jump.

And that is my normal process — not just with stories, but with most of my posts here.

Why I Do It

I know some people here feel WA blogs should be 100% unassisted writing. I respect that.

But here’s the truth: I’m a storyteller, not a grammar perfectionist. I can write a great scene, but sometimes it comes out like a tangled fishing line. GPT is my untangler.

The thoughts, experiences, and stories are mine — GPT just helps me make them clearer so you want to keep reading. But that's your choice.

And in my opinion, the real goal here is — connection!

Final Thoughts

I agree with Eric — our WA blogs should come from the heart. They should be personal, raw, and a record of where we’ve been and what we’ve learned.

But here’s where I differ slightly:
If you need help writing, don’t be afraid to use the tools available to you. The key is to use them properly.

Properly means:

• The ideas come from you.
• The voice is yours.
• The tool is there to enhance clarity, not replace authenticity.

What Eric was referring to — straight copy/paste jobs with no personality — I’m against that too. If you’re going to use AI, make it your co-pilot, not your driver.

So yes, I’ll keep using GPT-5. Not because I want to sound like AI — but because I want to sound like the best version of me.