Writers vs ChatGPT: How we win

WRITERS ARE HERE TO STAY

When I saw the headline that BuzzFeed would be implementing AI technology, ChatGPT, to produce some of its content, I knew I had to get on here and talk about it.

Reading that headline is scary. As a writer, you immediately question your value and your future. If publications are already turning to AI to produce content, that’s one less outlet for us to get paid. What I’m here to tell you today is how you beat ChatGPT and increase your value as a writer.

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This is CRY

First things first, get emotional. This is CRY so we don’t tell you to leave your emotions at the door. Get scared, get angry, get frustrated. All those emotions are valid and you should feel something if writing is your thing.

But once you’re ready to pick yourself back up and figure out your next move, here’s what I want you to do: don’t fight it.

When I say don’t fight it, I mean don’t fight technology. If ChatGPT somehow fails to make it to mainstream use, it will be some other iteration of AI that disrupts the industry. Disruption is a given and technology is usually the driver, so accept that and move on.

What you should be trying to do instead is learn how ChatGPT works. How can you use it to help make your job easier? Right now, research seems to be one of the best ways to use this technology. If you need information on a particular subject matter and want to present this information, ChatGPT can find and design that information for you in seconds. Don’t run from that, utilize it.

Once you utilize this AI technology, you’ll also begin recognizing its limitations. ChatGPT scrapes content from the internet to produce its information, but it can’t produce what it can’t find. Why does this matter? Let me explain and then describe how you can still put yourself in a position to make some money and earn a living.

You are one of one

The value of your uniqueness just went all the way up. The power of your personal story and how you choose to package and deliver that story is your opportunity to make some money. Here’s what I mean:

In our CRY Academy Superstar Session yesterday, which are weekly learning sessions for CRY writers, Jessica Duenas said it best. Jessica is a former teacher of the year in her state and also a recovering alcoholic (two year sober)! She led the conversation and said something super profound. Jessica said that she is open to sharing much of her story online. Whether it’s through her blog, Bottomless to Sober, or through her social media accounts.

However, Jessica is also working on a book. And there are much more personal stories that her audience has to EARN by buying and reading her book. Brilliant!

There’s nothing wrong with giving content away for free, but hold some stuff back so that when you’re ready to package your content into a book or a course or a short story, you’re giving your readers something new.

That’s the other thing I want to touch on: a book is just one way to package your story. But what about a 20-page short story? What about a series of essays? What about a video series? Get creative. You don’t need a 300-page memoir before you charge your readers.

Telling other people’s stories

Just like your story is completely unique, so is everyone else’s. And let me tell you something: everyone wants to share their story. And maybe that’s an exaggeration, but it’s a slight one. The number of people who want to share their stories in some form is damn near infinite. You just need to find them.

Once you find them, use your skills as a writer to help them tell their story. That can look different depending on the person. Maybe they want to write a series of blog posts or they want to post a small snippet every Monday on Instagram. Maybe they actually do want to write a full book. Whatever the preferred medium, you’re the one they should be turning to. And when they turn to you, you name your price.

You can only do this once you recognize the limitations of technology, specifically AI technology. Most people don’t have enough public information on the internet to tell a full story. That can only be accomplished through personal interviews. That’s your advantage. That’s how you still win against AI, at least at the present moment.

Listen, we need to keep our energy up in the face of tech like ChatGPT. Our skills as writers as valuable and the demand for our skills hasn’t diminished at all. What we need to do is understand the technology and find ways to present ourselves, our skills, and our stories in a manner that audiences and clients find valuable.

These are only my early thoughts. I’m sure as I learn more about ChatGPT and other AI technology, I’ll have different ways we can still win.

Stick with Writers Are Superstars. We’ll give you game on all of this. And make sure you’re sharing this info. Forward this newsletter to other writers who you know can use this type of information to their benefit. That’s how we lift each other up and build community. The more writers we touch, the more writers we can elevate.