Why Writing Exercises
I started this little series of posts after seeing so many AI written posts on substack, X, and other social media platforms. It all just reads in the same perspective, the same voice, and just sounds as if the entire internet is… the same. Grab a spray can of hot neon and tag variety on the average.
Once you notice the AI using the average of common speech for it’s way of speaking, it really can’t be unseen. At the same time, if you as a human use AI a lot, this can warp what words YOU use. I noticed it in my own writing. This led me to developing my own writing challenges. I’m sharing these challenges on substack because it might be the spark you (or someone you know) need, too.
The Setup and Exercise
In the gym, you have routine, a plan and equipment to use. In this exercise, you’ll still have equipment-you can use AI or Google Search. These days, the two are intertwined in such a way that I’m not clear if you can really do one without the other.
The exercise is for the human to do the writing. It’s hard. It’ll force your brain to do new gymnastics you’ve never done as if you’re uncovering vestigial remnants of some long-lost part of your mind.
That said, despite an exercise that is built around not having AI doing the writing, it is not an exercise that can be easily done without AI. Here’s the prompt I’d encourage you to use.
What is the history of the word: ________.
The Worksheet
This is to jumpstart you in writing with words you’d never use. I found it helpful. May it be useful to you, too.
The Palimpsest Room
Put the word Palimpsest to work.
Consider:
500 word essay describing one room at three moments in time: when it was first built, when it was ruined or abandoned, and now. Do not explain the history directly. Let the objects in your story embody that word.
Vocabulary Challenges
Use one of these 5 words.
- Palimpsest
- Lacuna
- Chtonic
- Vestigial
- Anodyne
- Fugitive
- Desuetude
Use the AI prompt I shared earlier to learn the history and usage of these words. And then write your story, substack post, or email.
Now what?
Take the words, drop them into your AI or search tool of choice, and put the words to work. Before writing with those words, it really helps to understand them. Resist the temptation of allowing AI to write on your behalf. This is a human-only exercise. The AI, after all, already has its style. This is about uncovering yours.
If you do post a public post or story with this, please let me know. I’d love to read it. Palimpsest is such a strange word. It would be great to see what you do with it!