The world of writing is changing, and with it, the tools we have at our disposal. The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has introduced new possibilities for authors—tools that promise to make our writing faster, more efficient, and even more polished.
But as with any new technology, there’s a delicate balance between embracing its potential and maintaining the soul of our craft.
Today, more and more writers are turning to AI for help with everything from generating ideas to drafting entire chapters. While AI can be a wonderful tool, it’s important to remember that the soul of a book comes from the writer—and no machine can replace that. I repeat, no machine can replace YOU.
The Blessing and the Challenge of AI in Writing
AI, at its best, can be an invaluable assistant. For those moments when you're feeling stuck or in need of inspiration, AI can offer fresh ideas, new angles, and even distinguish your tone. It can help clarify your thoughts, suggest different ways of phrasing, add humor or solemnity, or give you the nudge you need to keep going. It’s like having a helpful friend beside you, offering gentle suggestions when you're unsure.
But here's the thing: AI is a tool, not the creator. It's a mirror that reflects patterns from a vast pool of data, but it can't feel what you feel. It can’t understand the nuances of your unique perspective, nor the experiences that have shaped you. And this is where the risk comes in—if we lean too heavily on AI for content creation, we may lose the personal touch that makes our writing truly ours and can land us in legal trouble.
What Traditional Publishers Are Saying About AI
In the traditional publishing world, the emphasis has always been on originality and authenticity. Publishers seek out voices that are fresh, personal, and uniquely human. So, when it comes to AI-generated content, they’re very cautious. Many are now taking a strong stance: if even a single sentence has been written by an AI, the manuscript will likely be rejected. This is how strict publishing houses have become.
Why such a strict approach?
It’s not that AI is inherently bad—it’s that it simply doesn’t capture the emotional depth, the intricacies of the human experience, or the personal connection that readers crave.
As an example, if I had 100 people in one room and I asked them to write from their soul on leadership, we would have 100 unique books. But if you have 100 people relying on AI to write a book on leadership, you would likely end up with nearly identical books. You have to start with your own ideas and soul, to ask AI to help enhance what you are writing from your own unique perspective and life-lessons.
A book is more than just words on a page; it’s a window into the author’s soul. AI can help with structure and style, but it can never replicate the feeling, the authenticity, and the raw emotion that comes from a human soul.
There's also an important legal consideration: AI tools are often trained on vast amounts of publicly available content. This means there’s a risk that the text AI generates could unintentionally echo phrases or ideas from copyrighted sources. Even if you didn’t intend to copy someone else’s work, you might find yourself in a legal gray area -- and no one wants that!
I was working with a client last year who was writing and compiling a Marketing self-help book. During our session, I noticed inconsistencies in the client’s voice and tone: formatting and areas where his language style changed drastically. Worse, when looking up an item for grammatical clarity, we found a sequence of phrases pulled directly from AI–which AI had pulled directly from a company’s training module on their website! This plagiarism could have found the author in legal hot-water.
Fortunately, the writer quickly realized that his spectacular tool had its limitations and he needed to put his own heart and soul back into the writing and make it his own.
Indie Publishing: Proceed with Caution
For those venturing into the world of indie publishing, the temptation to use AI as a quick way to fill pages can be strong. After all, it’s easy to let AI do the heavy lifting when you’re juggling a thousand other tasks. But it's important to remember that your readers are coming to you for your unique voice—not a generic, AI-generated one! And not only your unique voice, but your unique framing of life-experiences and lessons well-learned. It’s your expertise that a reader is buying.
If you rely too much on AI, you risk creating something that lacks authenticity and soul.
And you might inadvertently be plagiarizing. Even though AI can produce text that feels new, it’s drawing from a pool of existing content by other human writers, and sometimes that means phrases or ideas could be too similar to something already published. If that happens, you could be unknowingly putting your work—and your reputation and pocketbook—in jeopardy. It’s a clear, ethical issue.
If you’re depending on these tools for large sections of content, you may find that your book starts to sound like every other book, and it can make it much more difficult to stand out in a crowded market.
Using AI as a Thoughtful Partner
Here’s the good news: AI can still be a wonderful resource if we use it wisely. Think of it as a supportive tool, not a replacement for your creativity. You don’t need to shy away from AI, but it’s important to approach it with mindfulness and care. It can help spark ideas, refine your style, or break through moments of writer’s block—but it should always be an assistant, not the main author.
Here are some ways you can thoughtfully incorporate AI into your writing process:
Idea Generation: Stuck on what comes next? AI can help you brainstorm ideas, suggest plot twists, or offer new perspectives. But once those ideas are on the table, it’s up to you to decide what resonates with you and what feels true to your vision–and even then it should be translated by you onto the page in your unique style. It needs to be filtered through your beautiful humanness. Ask yourself, “Would I say it that way if I was talking to a friend or sharing with a small audience?”
Refining Your Voice: AI can offer suggestions for phrasing or sentence structure, but always remember that your voice is what makes your writing unique. Use AI’s suggestions as a guide, but trust your instincts to make sure the words sound like you. This is where the SOUL part comes into your writing style. A computer cannot understand another human’s pain, nor the relief that comes with a powerful solution that has been triumphantly lived.
Tone and Style: If you’re aiming for a particular tone, whether it’s humorous, serious, or poetic, AI can help you experiment with different styles. But the key is to stay true to your own tone. You’re the one writing the story.
Overcoming Writer’s Block: When you’re feeling stuck, AI can offer a spark of inspiration to get you back on track. Maybe it suggests a new direction or helps you fill a gap in your narrative. Just remember, you still get to steer the ship.
Fact-Checking and Research: For all genres of writers, AI can be useful in checking facts or finding sources. But always double-check and make sure your research is coming from credible places. AI can guide you, but it’s up to you to ensure the accuracy of your work and cite it appropriately. (Remember, plagiarism?)
Keep the Soul in Your Writing
At the end of the day, writing is a deeply personal endeavor. It’s an expression of who you are, your thoughts, your experiences, and your dreams. AI may help smooth the process, but it can never replace the depth of your own insights, your unique voice, or the soul you put into every sentence.
As you sit down to write, remember that you are enough. You don’t need to lean on AI to create your content. You have the talent, the creativity, and the passion to tell your story in your own words. Let AI be an assistant when you need it, but never let it take the place of your own brilliance.
Your readers are waiting for you—not for an AI-generated book. They crave something authentic that only you can create. So, write with heart, write with soul, and let the power of your own words shine through.
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