Defeat Writer's Block With ChatGPT's help

Thanks to those of you who responded to my quick survey.

If you haven’t yet - there’s still time.

I’m creating my next product (a video course) and would love to know your biggest writing challenge.

1. Struggle for content ideas
2. Feel like giving up
3. Writing is too bland
4. Short of time
5. Want to grow on Medium

Click reply with 1-5 & I'll build something to help whatever gets the most votes.

Right let’s dive into today’s writing tip.

I got a message on X today.

Asking how I’ve managed to write 100,000 words in 2023. They wanted to know how I keep coming up with ideas. And wondered if I struggle with writer’s block.

I’ve been creating content for 25 years and appreciate the value of a strong flow of ideas.

The key is to set up a system, to keep your ideas bucket full. So you have plenty to choose from. (Your bucket can be anything - a notepad, Word, Evernote, Notion).

When you sit down to write you want to be choosing from your ideas. Not generating ideas.

Have specific sessions when you top up your ideas bucket. There are many ways to find content ideas. Reading books. Looking at reader’s comments. Browsing Youtube.

Recently I’ve been having a lot of fun using ChatGPT for new ideas.

Don’t believe the hype. It won’t replace writers.

But writers who don’t learn to use AI to upgrade their writing might get replaced.

How to use Chat GPT to generate content ideas.

Chat GPT writes generic, bland articles.

So don’t use it to write for you.

But it’s a brilliant brainstorming partner. It can help you get unstuck. The power of AI depends on the prompts you use. So experiment and try things out.

I’m going to give you a whole series of prompts to try.

Give me 20 problems/frustrations/obstacles or hopes/aspirations person Y might have.

To get some unusual ideas try this prompt:

I want you to give me a different answer to everyone else to this question:

You don’t need to use one prompt. You add extra prompts to refine your research.

Start with a question. Then use follow-up questions to improve the answers. Give me 10 more. Make these funny. Make them more unusual. Make them for advanced writers.

The best writing answers the reader’s questions. But what are they?

Give me a list of questions someone would have about X

An alternative angle is to ask directly about the best content. This can trigger all sorts of ideas.

Resources. Give me the best 5 books on X. Summarise each in 5 bullet points. Give me a brilliant quote from each. Summarise Y book in 1000 words.

Every time ChapGPT sparks an idea you like. Collect it in your ideas bucket.

Note down which prompts work well for you so you can them reuse next time.

Let me know if this was helpful

Derek

PS. Don’t forget to hit reply and vote 1-5.

What I’ve been reading…Everybody Writes by Ann Handley

because I love to improve my writing.

Two ways I can help you further:

1. The Writing Clinic - personal coaching and feedback on your writing. Click here for more details.

2. My best 10 hooks dissected - a 5 day email course breaking down my best 10 X hooks and why they worked. 23 × 5 star reviews on Gumroad.