Why writing as a skill is hard to kill
Haha! Take that ChatGPT.
What makes me or you human? Emotion? Imagination? Or Vision? Well if these came to your mind at first you might have some idea as to what makes you human but no one really knows what a human really is. Writing is also a way to define us as humans because we are the only species on Earth to have developed a language system with grammar, syntax, and rules to help us communicate efficiently. However, we are humans and inherently creative because our emotions form our imagination, which gives us the vision to write something that adheres to and bends the rules of language to convey our thoughts to our readers. Therefore, having original thoughts and making something from nothing makes us human.
A.I. chatbots, grammar, and spell checkers all work using A.I. to improve our writing, fix our mistakes and streamline the process of writing. However, they all work with what's already there and fail to capture the audiences with the original works they produce. This is because A.I. has specialized intelligence, meaning it is great at doing one job well. But to think requires a much larger periphery of thought and imagination which for now at least A.I. cannot do that. If your writing fails to encapsulate your original thoughts and your writing is generic in nature, A.I. will take over your role as a writer.
Now if you are a writer reading this article, you are maybe wondering how can I fight the new A.I. uprising? Well here are some tips to get started!
Find your style: Yes it is quite a cliche thing to say “find your style” but trust me it's what makes your writing stand out. We all think differently, some use humor to make sense of what they are thinking like me whilst others may be more descriptive and detailed as their thoughts translate very well into words. Finding your own writing style is not something that clicks instantly, it's a journey of self-discovery that you embark upon the moment you take writing seriously and when all the pieces are in line, you’ll find your writing style.
READ READ READ: Yes! You need to read first to be able to write. Reading will help you see and understand how others translate their thoughts into words. Seeing the little nuances in a language such as how one uses punctuation to incite suspense or the choice of wording to say something but mean something else, like sarcasm. These features of others’ writing make up their style and from it, you can learn how to build your own style. Through reading, you can really understand how to translate your thoughts into words by learning from examples!
Ask for feedback: Yes let people judge your writing no matter how bad it may be. Why? Well, who are you writing for? Yourself? Yes, you can do that but mostly you’ll be writing for your readers. If you are experimenting with a style or just learning to write ask your friends or co-workers to see if they found your writing effective and good because if they can understand it and really feel your writing you’ve done a great job. If not, well ask them for what could be better and really understand what they meant and implement it in your writing.
It's easy to be worried about losing relevance because of a new innovation or invention. But don’t be worried. Writing, artistry, and creativity are very human features. Machines and algorithms all boil down to using maths but rarely you can create something from nothing with maths it has to have a source. Whereas our creativity comes from our souls and writing is one such thing that is intimate and soulful. So practice writing, engage in it, and work with A.I. to reach new heights!
Written by Muqaddim Jawad Noor
