Should we let AI write for us?

It depends on what we’re writing and how much of it we want to hand over. If we want the result to sound like us, we need to give AI our own thoughts and show it how we like to put them into words.

For technical docs, you can let AI write a full draft from your code and notes. You still need to check that the examples work and the instructions match what the software does.

For a blog post, the ideas should come from you. You can talk them through with AI, let it draft, then edit until it says what you mean.

For a personal essay, you might want to write every sentence yourself. AI can help you think through what to say or put together an outline. Thomas Ptacek’s rules for using a model only as a copyeditor are a method for this case.

Can we write in ChatGPT or Claude?

A lot of writing starts with a chat in ChatGPT or Claude. You bring an idea, talk it through, and work out what you want to say.

Then you start drafting and revising. If everything stays in the conversation, your notes, decisions, and different versions end up mixed together. Finding a paragraph you liked means scrolling back through the chat.

At that point, it helps to keep a few documents alongside the conversation:

  • A brief explaining who the article is for and what you want to say. Update it as you settle on the points to include.
  • Notes and sources, with a record of which claims they support.
  • A current draft you keep editing, with a way to see what changed.

If you’re a programmer, you can organize your files in VS Code and work with Claude Code or Codex in the same window. I find it less comfortable for reading and editing articles, though. The documents don’t look as nice as they do in a writing app.

If you’re not a programmer, you might prefer a document app like Obsidian. You can add AI through community plugins, but you’ll need to choose and configure them yourself.

If you want a document app to write with Claude Code or Codex, you can also try our app, StashBase.

How does StashBase help with this writing setup?

StashBase puts your documents and agent chat in the same app:

  • Keep your brief, sources, and draft in a local folder. Open documents beside the chat and review the agent’s file edits.
  • Choose Claude Code or Codex from the agent picker. StashBase guides you through installation and sign-in and connects the agent to your files. You don’t need to find a separate AI plugin. See the agent setup guide.
  • Keep finished articles and editing preferences for the next piece. File preparation makes supported sources searchable; search by meaning helps find relevant passages, and a Wiki can organize topics and source links.

You can use your existing Claude subscription for Claude Code or ChatGPT subscription for Codex. When you sign in with those subscriptions, StashBase adds no extra AI fee for those agents. Your plan’s usage limits still apply.

With a draft you can keep working on, start by checking whether it says what you want to say. If the content feels empty, changing the wording won’t be enough.

How do you keep AI writing from being bland and empty?

AI can fill a page about your topic without saying anything you care about. Give it your own views and the experiences behind them so it has something to work with.

Before drafting, have it identify the questions readers might ask, then interview you about them. Your answers can give the article a point of view.

I want to write about [topic]. Think of questions readers might have,
then ask me what I think, one at a time. Follow up on my reasons and
experiences. Hold off on drafting.

For a piece about AI writing, it might ask: “Would you publish an article AI wrote for you?” If you say “it depends,” it should ask what it depends on and why.

Have AI summarize your answers. Correct anything it misunderstood, then use those views to build the outline and draft. As you read it, check whether it still says what you meant. A cautious opinion shouldn’t become a claim you’re certain about.

How do you edit out the AI sound?

Even when the draft gets your ideas right, the wording can still feel like a typical AI response. You might notice:

  • Repeated “it’s not X, it’s Y” sentences.
  • Em dashes connecting nearly every thought.
  • Words like “delve” and “landscape” turning up together.
  • Everything described in neat groups of three.
  • Big claims and section endings that repeat the point without adding anything.

Humanizer is a skill that checks for these patterns. You can ask your agent:

Use Humanizer to check this draft. Show me the patterns you find
and suggest edits. Keep my meaning.

I’ve found its checks helpful, but I’ve learned more from reading the 25 patterns it lists. The explanations and examples help me see what bothers me about a sentence and ask for a specific change.

You can keep a dash or a repeated phrase when it works. Look for habits that run through the draft, then decide which sentences need changing.

For setup and other editing skills, see the Humanizer guide.

How do you make AI writing sound like you?

Removing those habits can make a draft easier to read, but it may still sound like something anyone could have written. Rules about what to avoid don’t tell AI how you would phrase a thought.

Give it a few paragraphs of your own that you’re happy with and explain what you like about them. Keep some before-and-after edits too, so it can see which words you chose and what you wanted to keep.

Once you’ve edited a few articles, ask AI to turn those changes into a short set of writing preferences:

Read these articles and my edits. Suggest a few rules for how I like
to write, with an example for each. Let me check them first.

Make the rules specific. If you changed “leverage” to “use,” save that example. If AI turned a personal choice into advice for everyone, show it how you changed the sentence back and explain why.

Give AI the relevant samples and confirmed preferences when you start the next article. Use the samples for style, and the new article’s sources for facts. You’ll still need to read and edit the draft yourself. Keep adjusting the preferences as you write; an edit that worked once may not suit every piece.

Start writing

If you’ve been putting off an article because you don’t know how to begin, start by talking through the idea with AI. You may still be disappointed by its draft. Read it for what it gets wrong about your thinking, and rewrite the parts you wouldn’t say that way. As you work, you’ll get clearer about what you mean. Save the edits you’re happy with so you can use them as examples next time.