The Writer's Edge: Mastering AI Fast

byrichardgb

2.3K followers

3 months ago

Artificial intelligence is no longer something writers can afford to ignore.

Whatever you're writing, AI is shaping the way ideas move from brain to page.

Many writers are already using it daily to save time, sharpen ideas, and land new clients.

Others are still stuck at the starting line, wondering if AI is too technical or whether it will even fit into their writing.

This is my attempt to help close that gap.

It’s not about hype or theory.

It’s about practical steps you can take over the next 30 days or so to start using AI as a genuine writing partner.

Learning To Use AI Is An Important Skill For Writers

If you’ve been waiting to see whether AI is worth it, let me be clear: it already is.

The question isn’t “Will AI affect writing?”

It’s “How can I make AI work for my writing?”

A few words on the Wealthy Affiliate AI writing tools…

The WA writing aids include a choice of two AI “authors” that are well trained by WA to deliver two distinct writing styles.

So, if you are starting a new website at WA or do not yet have a preferred writing style of your own, then one or the other of the “authors” provided may well be adequate, or even perfect, for your site.

On the other hand, if you already have an established writing style of your own, you can “tweak” the WA authors to meet your needs - but if that doesn't work so well for you, you might benefit from choosing a different AI tool (a short list is included later in this article) that you can train to your own liking

AI has three big advantages:

• Speed
  Research, outlines, and drafts come together faster than ever. For example, If you want to, you can build a content rich website within 30 days with AI that otherwise might take more than 6 months to achieve.
• Clarity
  To get good results in writing with AI, you must be able to express your ideas clearly, which in turn helps you sharpen your own thinking. I.e., It’s essential for the writer to understand what they are publishing, whether the ideas are entirely their own, or stimulated by AI.
• Learning
  Every prompt (see below) teaches you something new about language, writing, and your subject. To clarify it is important for the writer to take full responsibility for their publications.

The thing is that AI cannot replace writers.

Note: Prompting is a skill for communicating with AI like giving directions to a very clever genie. The clearer you are, the better the magic works. Instead of saying “Write me something,” you tell it exactly who you want it to be, what to do, and how you want something done, including how you want the output to look. A sloppy prompt gets you a messy answer. A sharp, detailed one can turn a vague idea into a polished draft, perhaps including a punchline that lands.

Good prompting makes writers more capable, more confident, and more productive.

Common Problems Writers Face With AI

So why doesn’t every writer jump straight in?

Because the obstacles are real.

Choosing tools and features can be overwhelming.

Some think they you need to “speak tech” to get value from AI - this is far from reality now.

Others don't give a tool time to settle by bouncing from one to the next without improving their skill.

And plenty sit on the side lines, reading about AI but never actually using it.

These struggles are normal — but they’re also solvable.

The fix is simple:

• Pick one tool (I use ChatGPT because it’s probably the best all-rounder). Some prefer tools such as Gemini and Claude which also give great results.
• Use it daily on real writing tasks.
• Stick with it until you feel confident.

Once you build confidence, the benefits compound quickly.

A 5-Step Framework for Using AI Well

Jumping in without a plan can waste time.

First a mindset adjustment with these 5 ideas might be helpful. Further down you’ll find a suggested 30-day learning plan.

Step 1: Know your “Why” (15 minutes)

Start by writing one clear sentence:

“I want AI to help me ___ so I can ___.”

Example:

“I want AI to help me write posts and create appropriate images faster so I can spend more time editing.”

The world's your oyster...

Clarity will guide everything that follows.

Step 2: Focus on one AI tool (for at least 7 days)

Spend a week with a single tool.

Explore its features, test prompts, and apply it to your daily work.

Realise that talking with AI, although there is some structure to prompting, can be like chatting with a very wise friend. It can be like building a lasting relationship.

Don’t switch until you’ve built some confidence.

Step 3: Apply the 80/20 rule

Keep the 80/20 rule in mind… 20% of what you do drives 80% of the results.

Don’t try to measure this precisely, simply keep it in mind and notice when something you are achieving seems inefficient.

Remember, if you need help, you can ask the community (or me) or indeed AI, for ideas.

Above all:

• Be clear with prompt instructions (role, audience, format).
• Always give context (examples, tone, facts).
• Be clear on the format of your outputs.
• Refine drafts step by step. When you start you may need to adjust outputs regularly. Over time the original output will improve and you’ll be making changes less often.

Step 4: Learn prompt-building with the RIBS method

• Role – Define who the AI should behave like.
• Input – Give it any raw material that you have.
• Brief – State the goal, audience, and tone.
• Steps – ChatGPT will explain the process it intends to use before it goes ahead. You can explain the process that you expect if you wish as well as tell it to ask you any questions for clarification before it starts.

Hint: Most beginners worry about the format of the text they type into a prompt. I find that ChatGPT usually understands my typos and mis-directions with ease. So just start typing and correct errors when your chosen AI indicates that it doesn’t understand something.

Step 5: Share progress (weekly)

And please - share what you’ve learned online -either here or on your own website if appropriate.

It speeds up your learning and is often useful to someone else too!

Quick Wins With AI

One of the fastest ways to see value is to use AI on simple, repeatable tasks.

Productivity: Summarise messy notes, turn voice memos into drafts, or write emails in your tone.

Process: Have your own, clear step-by-step process, and especially in the early stages, use batching to carry out a series of useful tasks first. For example, ask AI to create 5 outlines of posts first, then ask it to develop 5 draft posts, one at a time, based on each of the outlines.

Editing: It is always necessary for draft posts to be edited to ensure that the post is accurate, reflects your preferred writing style, and that you understand it! Over time, the AI should be learning your preferred writing style as well, so the number of necessary edits should decrease.

General Business: Remember you can use AI for multiple purposes including generating ad copy, comparing products and companies, writing reviews etc.

Creativity: Expand rough ideas into outlines, storyboard a video, or turn journal entries into essays.

Each quick win shows you what’s possible — and builds momentum.

Personal: Much can be learned by using AI to research personal requirements as well.

A 30-Day AI Learning Plan

If you’re ready to start, here’s a step-by-step roadmap:

Week 1 – Basics

• Define your “Why” as described above.
• Explore your chosen tool (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude etc.)
• Use AI for small daily tasks.
• Track your prompts - start a “Prompt Notebook.”

Week 2 – Optimisation

• Ask AI to show its reasoning.
• Create an AI “persona” that matches your style.
• Chain tasks (research → outline → draft → edit).
• Apply AI to a real project.

Week 3 – Projects

• Pick a mini project (article, guide, newsletter, PDF).
• Draft it with AI.
• Get feedback.
• Edit and publish.

Week 4 – Growth

• Build reusable prompts.
• Write your own AI playbook.
• Teach someone else what you’ve learned (sharing is the best way to consolidate your learning).

Each week builds on the last.

By the end of the month, you’ll be working with AI like it’s a natural part of your writing.

The Takeaway

Mindset Shifts That Matter

AI works best when you shift how you think about writing.

• Define problems clearly.
• Work in loops (outline → draft → edit → repeat).
• Judge outputs with context.

Instead of asking, “Is this good?” Ask:

• “What’s missing?”
• “What constraints matter?”
• “How could this be 10x better?”

This keeps you in control of the writing process.

If you dedicate 30 days to focused AI use, you’ll:

• Learn faster than most writers.
• Produce more with less stress.
• Build skills that compound for years to come.

AI isn’t the future — it’s the present.

So, if you haven’t already, the sooner you start, the sooner it’ll become a natural extension of your writing.

Questions

This post is just skimming the surface. That may be all you need to get started. But if you need more, don’t hesitate to ask. There’s no such thing as a silly question so long as it gets asked and if I don’t know the answer some here will be able to help.
;-)
Richard

Resources

AI Tools To Try

There are hundreds of tools, but you only need one from each category:

• General
  ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Grok
• Research
  ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google Scholar, Elicit
• Content
  Wealthy Affiliate, ChatGPT, Jasper, Descript, RunwayML
• Images
  Canva, Midjourney, DALL·E (ChatGPT)

Don’t try them all at once.

Pick what fits your immediate needs.

Personally, so far, I’ve always gone back to ChatGPT, but anything could happen in the future…

Actionable Prompts to Steal

If you’re stuck, you could start with these:

1. The Question Maker – “Give me 5 smart questions to ask about [topic].”
2. The Explainer – “Explain [concept] like I’m 12, then like I’m 18.”
3. The Editor – “Fix this draft and keep my tone casual.”
4. The Analyst – “Summarise these notes into 3 clear insights.”
5. The Playbook Builder – “Create a checklist for [task].”