Five Creative Uses of ChatGPT for Writers (Which Don’t Involve AI Doing the Writing For You!)

This post was first published in May 2023 and extensively updated in February 2025.

By now, you’ve almost certainly come across (and probably tried out) ChatGPT. And you might have strong feelings about it. I know lots of writers are understandably cautious or even angry about AI (artificial intelligence), concerned it’s diminishing the value of creative work. I imagine that you, like me, feel a certain sense of horror at the idea that AI might write novels in the future.

As a freelance writer, I’ve also seen AI cause huge disruption to the content writing industry. I’ve been getting paid to write blog posts and articles since 2008 … and 2024 definitely saw the biggest sea-change yet. Several of my clients cut back dramatically on freelancers, turning to AI instead.

It’s clear, though, that AI is here to stay … whether we like it or not. The quality has improved dramatically in the past couple of years, and although I don’t see AI writing full novels any time soon, it’s a useful tool for both fiction and non-fiction writers to try out.

We’ve going to take a look at some creative ways you can use ChatGPT as a writer.

But First … Don’t Use ChatGPT to Do the Actual Writing Itself For You

You’ve probably heard ChatGPT (and similar AI tools) talked about as software that can produce completed articles, emails, web copy, or even potentially short stories for them.

But for you, it makes a lot more sense to think of ChatGPT as a virtual writing buddy.

As a writer, you won’t get ChatGPT to produce the same quality of writing you can produce. Not without spending a ton of time refining prompts and editing the results – by which point, you might as well have just written it yourself.

Instead, ChatGPT can be a great tool for helping you get past writers’ block, brainstorm ideas, check you’ve not missed any key points when outlining a piece, and more.

Here are five creative ways to use it.

#1: Using ChatGPT for Writing Prompts and Inspiration

Stuck for a writing prompt? Need an idea to get you going? You can turn to lists of writing prompts – but sometimes those can be a bit overwhelming, and you might end up spending ages picking from 100 different prompts.

One of my favourite types of writing prompt is “three nouns”, where you have to include three different things in a short piece of writing.

So here’s what I asked ChatGPT for:

I want 10 writing prompts for short story writers. Each prompt should contain 3 nouns (2 common, 1 uncommon) and nothing else.

And ChatGPT came back almost instantly with:

Sure, here are 10 writing prompts for short story writers, each containing 3 nouns (2 common, 1 uncommon):

1. Couch, Magnifying Glass, Aurora
2. Violin, Storm, Labyrinth
3. Coffee Shop, Tangerine, Echo
4. Attic, Envelope, Tornado
5. Library, Pocket Watch, Eclipse
6. Diner, Typewriter, Phoenix
7. Hotel, Tarot Card, Avalanche
8. Waterfall, Locket, Hurricane
9. Castle, Feather, Cyclone
10. Park Bench, Hourglass, Thunderstorm

I love these combinations! It would’ve taken me a while to come up with good ones – and tools like “Take Three Nouns” have a more limited range than ChatGPT.

Some other prompts you can try are:

Give me 10 one-sentence story starters that could work for multiple genres.

Give me 10 opening lines of dialogue that create intrigue but work for stories set in the real world.

Give me 10 different story situations (in no more than one sentence), each with 2 characters and a conflict between them.

#2: Using ChatGPT to Help Solve Writing Problems

Stuck on something with your writing? Had some feedback that you’re not sure how to address? Talking through a problem can be a great way to help unpick it in your mind – and other people might come up with ideas that you’d never have thought of. While it’s helpful to have actual people to bounce ideas off (this is the kind of thing we do in Writers’ Cafe), you can also use ChatGPT.

Prompt:

My romance novel is too simple and needs more depth. Could you give me some ideas on how to complicate the plot?

Response:

Absolutely! Adding depth to a romance novel often means layering in subplots, conflicts, and character complexities. Here are some ways to complicate your story:

1. Introduce a Compelling External Conflict

Give your characters an outside force that puts pressure on their relationship. Examples:

• Career obstacles (One gets a job offer in another city just as their relationship deepens.)
• Family interference (A disapproving parent, sibling rivalry, or past family secrets.)
• Social expectations (They come from different backgrounds, have opposing values, or face cultural barriers.)

2. Weave in a Love Triangle (or a Past Love)

Love triangles don’t have to be cliché—sometimes an ex returns, unresolved feelings linger, or a third person offers a safer choice.

3. Give the Characters Opposing Goals

Make sure their desires pull them in different directions, forcing them to make sacrifices or compromises. Example: One is ready for commitment, while the other fears losing their independence.

4. Add a Secret or a Betrayal

One character hides something—maybe a past mistake, a hidden agenda, or even a small lie that snowballs into something bigger.

5. Introduce a “Wrong” First Impression

Perhaps they start with a misunderstanding, rivalry, or even outright dislike before discovering deeper feelings.

6. Bring in a High-Stakes Decision

Force them to choose between love and something else they deeply care about (family, dreams, loyalty, pride, etc.).

7. Include a Shared Challenge or Crisis

A mystery to solve, a business to save, a family emergency—something that forces them to work together and reveals their true selves.

8. Play with Timing or Distance

A time jump, long-distance relationship, or an unexpected separation can add complexity and longing.

9. Add Emotional Baggage

Give one or both characters something painful from their past—betrayal, grief, abandonment—that makes love difficult for them.

10. Slow Burn vs. Fast Burn Tension

If your romance feels too straightforward, change the pacing. Maybe they fall fast but struggle to stay together, or maybe it takes forever for them to admit their feelings despite obvious chemistry.

Which of these resonates most with your story? I’d love to help you brainstorm how to weave it in! 😊

All these ideas are potentially good ones. They’re fairly generic, because my prompt was quite general (and because romance as a genre loves its tropes). If you wanted more specific ideas, you could use a prompt that includes more details about your work-in-progress (perhaps writing a bit about your characters and a brief overview of the plot).

#3: Using ChatGPT for Blog Post or Article Outlines

One of my favourite ways to use ChatGPT is when I’m outlining blog posts. I don’t use full outlines from ChatGPT for my Aliventures pieces, but it’s really helpful to check them against my own outlines to see whether I’ve missed anything. When I’m writing SEO content for clients, ChatGPT usually gets pretty close to hitting the mark.

Prompt:

I’m writing a blog post about “finding the courage to put your writing out there in the world”. Could you suggest a title for the post and write an outline? The post will be about 1200 words long.

Response:

Title: Braving the Blank Page: Finding the Courage to Share Your Writing with the World

Outline:

Introduction (150-200 words)

• Acknowledge the fear of putting writing out into the world—self-doubt, fear of criticism, imposter syndrome.
• Share a relatable anecdote (yours or a general one) about a writer hesitating to share their work.
• Emphasize that courage isn’t the absence of fear but the decision to move forward despite it.

1. Understanding the Fear (200-250 words)

• The root of the fear: fear of failure, rejection, or judgment.
• Why these fears are normal and even helpful (they show that you care).
• A shift in perspective: Reframing fear as part of the creative process.

2. Why Your Writing Deserves to Be Shared (200-250 words)

• The power of storytelling—your words can entertain, inspire, and connect with others.
• Every writer (even the greats) started somewhere; no one is perfect from the start.
• How sharing your work helps you grow as a writer.

3. Small, Safe Steps to Start Sharing (200-250 words)

• Sharing with a trusted friend or writing group first.
• Publishing anonymously (e.g., online forums or writing contests).
• Self-publishing short pieces (blogging, newsletters, or Medium articles).
• Practicing detachment: Separating self-worth from feedback.

4. Handling Feedback & Rejection (200-250 words)

• Not all feedback is created equal—how to filter what’s useful.
• How to build resilience: Learning from criticism instead of fearing it.
• Stories of famous authors who faced rejection before success.

Conclusion & Encouragement (150-200 words)

• A final push: What’s the worst that could happen vs. the best that could happen?
• A call to action: Challenge the reader to share something within the next week.
• A reminder that every writer’s journey starts with one brave step.

Would you like me to expand on any section or tweak the approach? 😊

It’s not a bad outline and it includes some ideas that I wouldn’t have thought of myself, like publishing pieces anonymously to begin with. I also like that the conclusion focuses on encouraging readers to take action.

#4: Using ChatGPT to Create Example Text

Depending on the type of writing you do, there might be times when you want an example piece to use in some way – and you don’t necessarily want to use something that already exists in the world.

For What Bad Writing Looks Like … and How to Fix It, I came up with a bunch of examples myself, because I wanted to illustrate common problems with writing. But coming up with examples can take a surprisingly long time: if I was going to add to that post, I might ask ChatGPT to write a short piece for me:

Please write me a 200 word short story (with a beginning, middle, and end) that uses lots of dialogue. The main characters should be Sue and John, a couple in their 50s who are going on a cruise for the first time.

ChatGPT came back with:

“All Aboard”
“I can’t believe we’re actually doing this,” Sue said, gripping the cruise ticket like it might disappear. “A whole week at sea. No emails. No laundry. Just…relaxing.”

“And buffets,” John added, adjusting his sun hat. “Don’t forget the buffets.”

They stepped onto the ship, awed by the glittering lobby.

“Look at this place! It’s like a floating hotel,” Sue said.

A staff member handed them champagne. “Welcome aboard!”

John took a sip. “Well, I could get used to this.”They found their cabin—a cozy room with a balcony. Sue opened the door, letting the salty breeze in.

“This view is amazing,” she breathed.

“Not bad,” John agreed, plopping onto the bed. “Alright, what’s first? Pool? Casino?”

“Actually, I signed us up for salsa dancing at six.”

John groaned. “Sue.”

“Oh, come on. We’re on an adventure!”

Later, as they stumbled through their dance lesson, Sue giggled. “Told you this would be fun.”

John grinned, spinning her—badly. “As long as there’s still a buffet afterward.”

Sue laughed. “Deal.”

Outside, the ship glided into open water, their adventure just beginning.

It’s far from perfect – but that’s fine, because that’s what I wanted. 😉 And it’s actually much better than a story ChatGPT wrote in mid-2023 based on the same prompt. I’ve put both into a Google Doc so you can see them side by side, if you’re curious about how the AI is improving its ability to write fiction (especially dialogue).

#5: Using ChatGPT for Fiction Outlining Help

If you’re more of a pantser than a plotter, you might struggle with outlining … even if it’s something you know you’d find helpful.

ChatGPT can give you a hand. Personally, my outlining often starts with rough notes, and it can be tricky to see if there’s a coherent story in there! I asked ChatGPT:

Please go through all these rough notes for a novel, take the best ideas from them, and format them into a coherent novel outline. Add material as needed, but please note what you’ve added that isn’t in the original notes.

Then I simply pasted in several pages of notes. ChatGPT put these into a three-act structure, with bullet points to cover in each act.

AI Could Help You Write … If You Use It Well

AI is just a tool, and what you get out of it very much depends on what you put in.

If you give ChatGPT a title and ask it to write you a blog post or a short story, you’ll probably be disappointed with the (grammatically correct but very generic) results.

But if you write more detailed prompts, or use ChatGPT more like a writing buddy or assistant, you might find it’s helpful in all sorts of ways.

You could use ChatGPT to help you push past writer’s block, you could have it come up with a whole bunch of ideas for you to pick from, you could generate example text, format notes into an outline, or even ask it to help you decide between different options or ideas if you’re stuck.

I’d love to hear how you’re using ChatGPT – whether that’s in one of the ways above or you’re trying it out in a different way. Share your experiences (and tips) in the comments below.