ChatGPT Could Never: Writing Hacks from a Real Human
If you know me, you’d know that, when it comes to writing, I’m a ChatGPT hater. Don’t get me wrong, I’m totally onboard with using AI for many things, such as making multiple choice questions for exams and setting up a travel itinerary. What I’m not onboard with, however, is ChatGPT’s diminishment of the art of writing and our writing skills as a whole. Whether I’m scrolling LinkedIn or reading emails, the amount of AI paragraphs I read seems to increase everyday (the em-dash gives it away… if you know, you know). While AI makes tasks like writing easier, it also takes away your own artistic voice, which no robot could ever fully recreate.
As university students wanting to get the most out of their degrees, I think it’s easy to overlook the value of building effective communication skills. It’s also easy to forget that using AI does not come without consequences, especially when thinking about the amount of energy usage required for AI:
“Each query you make to ChatGPT uses approximately 0.0025 kilowatts of electricity. If you interact with ChatGPT 100 times a day, you could be using around 0.25 kilowatts daily. Over a month, that's around 7.5 kilowatts, just through your AI usage”
- Laura Wilson, ‘Energy Costs of ChatGPT – the Hidden Impact’. Fasthosts Blog, https://www.fasthosts.co.uk/blog/proactive/energy-costs-of-chatgpt-the-hidden-impact-2
Not only does AI lack authenticity, but its environmental cost also gives us one more reason to rely on our own creative energy. While it does take more brain power (so to speak) to write from the heart, the power of using your own voice is worth it.
As a real human with an English minor (who has done many English exams equipped only with pen & paper), here are my top tips for improving your own writing skills and finding your inner voice:
READ!
This seems like a given, but many people don’t fully understand how great it is for not only your writing skills, but your overall well being, to simply sit down and read. If you’ve never been a big reader, I understand it might be tricky to start, but the New Year is a perfect time to get the habit rolling. Even 5-10 pages a day is great!
If you feel like you don’t have time, audiobooks are a great alternative (and I will not be hearing anyone who claims they don’t count as reading–absolutely, they do!). You can listen to thousands of audiobooks for free with your local library card.
To take it to the next level, start engaging with what you read, as well as other media. Annotating books, writing reviews, engaging in discussions about themes, symbolism, and character motivations in a book club or in a GoodReads review can help build critical thinking skills and deepen your connection with the material.
2. Journal
This one is also obvious, but the impact of even a few lines a day will be huge on your writing skills and memory recall. Last year, I was given a Leuchtturm1917 Some Lines a Day 5-year journal, where all you have to do is write a few sentences about your day. Plus, once you’ve gone through a whole year, you get to see what you were up to the previous year. It’s very fun!
If journaling sounds overwhelming, just remind yourself it doesn’t have to be. A few sentences is always enough! Your future self will thank you for the memories.
3. Use your resources!
The UofA wants to support you in your writing journey. Some of my favourite resources include the Writing Center’s Peer Tutors and Workshops, the UofA Library for citations and research, and of course, office hours & peers.
4. Utilize your electives!
You don’t have to be an English minor to take awesome classes that are not only super interesting, but also help you improve your writing skills. One of my favourite classes I’ve ever taken was Music 103, where I had to write a detailed album review (I chose Alanis Morrisette’s Jagged Little Pill) and a song analysis (I chose Pink Floyd’s Us and Them).
Of course, if you haven’t taken two junior level English classes, I would 100% recommend using up your elective space to take it, even if it’s not required for you. Choose a professor with a strong RateMyProf score, and you’re golden!
5. Challenge yourself.
With all this in mind, you might still be thinking… If ChatGPT can write faster and better than I can, why bother?
A valid point; sure, ChatGPT will never mess up and use the wrong your vs. you’re or to and too, but what it does mess up (frequently, I might add) is the ability to actually come up with accurate and insightful explanations, as well as new and creative ideas. Plus, especially when sending emails, crafting your resume, or reflecting on experiences, AI can never fully understand your personality and lived experience; therefore, it could lead to misinformation.
Think of the last great idea you had–could AI really have come up with something as unique? I once wrote an essay about Jane Austen and Twilight’s Stephenie Meyer and their usage of the same trope. The critical insights I gained from doing so were bizarre, yes, but unique–if I asked ChatGPT to recreate the same essay, it would simply retell the plot of each novel.
Hopefully, you know more about yourself and the point you are trying to make than AI does. Be authentic, challenge yourself, and really stop to think. Ask yourself, what am I trying to communicate? What did I learn? Your answers to these questions are much more insightful than whatever some robot could produce.
While we’re in university, make a point to prioritize your own writer’s voice. Using AI is tempting, but in many cases, is the threat of plagiarism and the lack of personal growth really worth saving a few seconds? We’re all in university to learn. Taking the time to improve your writing skills can not only lead to better self-expression, creativity, and effective communication, it can also help you establish and maintain your own unique writer’s voice.
So, all in all, why bother?
Because your voice matters.
Writing isn’t just about drafting essays or completing assignments–it’s about making your mark by translating your thoughts and ideas into a format that will last forever. While AI can assist you in the writing process, it can’t replicate your own authenticity, creativity, and unique insights.
So, take the time to invest in your writing; it’s a life-long skill that transforms how you communicate, grow, and critically think. You just might surprise yourself with what you’re capable of when putting pen to paper.
Your voice is your superpower—don’t let it go to waste.
Beyond the Blog
A place to find hyper-specific media recommendations focused on highlighting our favourite female-centric books and music.
Books
With the help of audiobooks, I read around 55 books in 2024! Here are my favourite books that are so easy to listen to, you’ll forget you’re reading!
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett: Narrated by Meryl Streep, Tom Lake artfully and beautifully shifts the coming-of-age genre by dual storytelling. Combine that with Meryl Streep’s beautiful voice, and the result is a beautiful, interesting, and feel-good untraditional love story that will draw in just about any reader.
Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors: A haunting yet wonderful story about the complexities of family and sisterhood. “Three estranged siblings return to their family home in New York after their beloved sister's death in this unforgettable story of grief, identity, and the complexities of family.”*
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah: If you know me, you know I just can’t get enough of Kristin Hannah. Set in rural Alaska in the 1970’s, The Great Alone ties together elements of thriller, romance, and human nature to create something in a genre of its own. “The Great Alone is a daring, beautiful, stay-up-all-night story about love and loss, the fight for survival, and the wildness that lives in both man and nature.”*
Blue Nights by Joan Didion: My first, but certainly not my last Joan Didion read. A haunting recall of Joan’s loss of her daughter, navigating the griefs of both her youth and her family.
*All quotes are from Goodreads descriptions.
Music
I love soft, chill music; perfect for reading, writing, existential contemplation… Here are my top songs to relax to:
“On Earth” by the Sundays: You may recognize The Sundays from their 1997 song that went viral on TikTok in the summer, Life Goes On. On Earth is one of my favourite The Sundays songs that I’ve been gatekeeping for too long.. But, with the fall of TikTok, I thought I’d finally open up!
“Brutally” by Suki Waterhouse: One of Suki’s first songs, Brutally is vulnerable, honest, and has the great storytelling Suki is known for. A modern classic.
“Salt of the Sea” by Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions: This song is so underground I couldn't even put it on my Instagram story. Hope Sandoval, the lead singer of Mazzy Star, brings her ethereal serenade to Salt of the Sea to create a track that is comforting, serene, and warm.
“Master of None” by Beach House: A gentle tune that feels like a soft summer night, perfect to relax to.
You can find the full playlist here on our Spotify account!
