Unleashing the Power of AI in Editing: My Journey and Practical Tips
Discover how AI can revolutionize your editing process with practical examples from my own experience.
Introduction
In just a few weeks, I'll be stepping up to present a session on ‘AI for Authors’ to my local writer’s group here in Australia. Now, I know the mention of AI might cause some eyebrows to raise—some of my fellow writers are open to the idea, but most are still hesitant, if not downright skeptical. My goal with this session is simple: to demystify AI, correct some common misconceptions, and show how AI can be an invaluable tool in our writing workflows.
Background
Let me take you behind the scenes of how I’ve integrated AI for editing into my own writing process. For starters, I rely heavily on ProWritingAid (PWA) for self-editing. It’s a fantastic tool that helps me catch errors and polish my prose as I go. And PWA integrates perfectly into my go-to apps like Plottr and Scrivener.
My main writing and editing happens in Scrivener, where I craft and structure my novels and articles. But here’s the thing: even with all these tools, there are moments when I hit a wall—when a particular sentence just doesn’t sit right, or when I’m unsure about the best stylistic choice.
That’s where AI, specifically ChatGPT (CGPT) in my case, comes in. When I encounter an editing issue that needs an extra pair of eyes—or, in this case, an extra brain—I copy the troublesome text from Scrivener into CGPT. Then, I ask it to help me rework the sentence or paragraph, often providing an alternative approach I’m considering. The results have been eye-opening. Not only does AI offer a fresh perspective, but it also helps me refine my writing in ways I hadn’t considered before.
Practical Examples
To give you a taste of how this works in practice, I’ll be sharing a few examples during my session.
These examples, come from my soon-to-be published book #2 in the Blake Willis crime thriller series called FALSE START. If you’re interest in reading the first book, FALSE TRUST, in the series, you can find it in Amazon, Kobo, or Apple Books.
These are real instances where AI has stepped in to make things better:
Grammatical Treatment: I had a sentence where I was unsure of the past tense to use and PWA was accepting of both choices. Here is my prompt and CGPT’s response:
Stylistic Adjustment: In another case, I was grappling with the best stylistic treatment for a particular phrase. Again, CGPT help me select the best choice.
Paragraph Rewrite: Finally, there was a paragraph that was too dense and difficult to read. I asked CGPT to rewrite it with a focus on clarity and flow. The result was a much cleaner, more accessible piece of writing that maintained the original meaning.
Here is what I had originally written, but was unhappy with the last half of the paragraph..
So, I asked CGPT to rewrite it for me and it did a nice job.
I then was able to quickly edit it further to make sure it was using my writing style for a final result as follows:
In every case above, it took mere seconds to make these editing improvements. And these examples aren’t just isolated cases. I’ve developed a collection of 30 similar prompts stored in Text Blaze, which I use whenever I need a quick assist.
Text Blaze has become indispensable for storing and deploying these prompts, making my editing process smoother and more efficient. If you’re interested in how Text Blaze can work for you, check out a previous blog post I wrote on the subject—it’s been a game-changer for me.
Call to Action
Now, I know some of you might be thinking, “But Steve, AI can’t possibly understand the nuances of creative writing!” And you’re right—to a point. AI isn’t a replacement for your unique voice or creative instinct. But when used correctly, it can enhance your writing, making it sharper, clearer, and more engaging.
The key is in how you use it. Instead of feeding an entire manuscript into an AI with a vague prompt like “Improve this,” try focusing on smaller sections—a sentence, a paragraph—and provide clear, descriptive instructions on what you want to achieve. Like in my examples above.
This approach has dramatically improved the quality of my prose, saving me countless hours I would’ve spent consulting the Chicago Manual of Style or other reference materials. It’s not about AI doing the work for you—it’s about AI helping you do your best work.
Upcoming Blogs and Other Resources
If you’re intrigued by this approach, stay tuned for my upcoming blogs. I’ll be diving deeper into how AI can be used in different stages of the writing process, from brainstorming to final edits. I’ll also be sharing more of my personal experiences and tips on getting the most out of these tools. And don’t forget to check out my previous post on Text Blaze and other writing tools that have helped me streamline my workflow.
Finally, I’d love to hear from you. Have you tried using AI in your writing process? What were the results? Leave a comment below and let’s start a conversation. Your insights and experiences could be just the inspiration another writer needs to give AI a try.
Note: There are affiliate links within this blog post to products and services that I recommend and use personally. This means that I receive a small percentage of sales commission with no extra cost to you and in some cases, you may receive a discount for using my links. I only recommend products and services that I believe are great for authors and other creatives. For more information, you may check out our Affiliate Marketing Policy, which can be found on my author services website..