A practical guide to using ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini for writing without the robotic tone everyone recognizes.
The AI writing problem
Default AI output is bland, hedging and repetitive. It says "it is important to note" too much. The fix is not a better model — it is better prompting.
The three-pass method
Write with AI, edit like a human.
- Pass 1 — Ask AI for the skeleton: headings, arguments, structure
- Pass 2 — Rewrite each section yourself in your own voice
- Pass 3 — Feed back and ask AI to check clarity only
Prompts that work
Forget "write me an article". Try: "Give me 5 possible angles on [topic], each with a hook and 3 supporting points. Do not write the article."
Words to delete
AI loves: "delve", "leverage", "in today's fast-paced world", "it is worth noting", "navigate the landscape". Search and destroy these.