Week 5 • Generative Writing

To Do This Week

• Read: AI Co-creation: AI Writing

Read the above chapter and write a response/thoughts in your journal about the effect of constraint for imaginitive texts. How can you use contraints in writing prompts?

In Class

Human-AI Dialogue Project

Discuss chats...

Why: practice dialogic thinking and iterative refinement; learn to ask targeted follow-ups instead of broad “write it for me” prompts.

Creating Context: roles for you and AI, set parameters of dialogue.

Exploratory Thinking: the conversation is to learn and reflect on human-ai entanglement.

Real-world use: interview prep, project critiques, client Q&A notes.

Issues: ???

Generative AI: Strategy, Technology, Learning & Jobs

Keep up with AI strategy, key technologies and tools, practical learning, and the changing jobs landscape with these resources.

• Nate B Jones — AI News & Strategy Daily
  Fast, digestible video briefings on the latest AI developments, tool updates, and strategic implications for creators, educators, and businesses.
• One Useful Thing (Ethan Mollick)
  Thoughtful essays on how generative AI changes work, education, and organizations—actionable ideas for strategy and day-to-day adoption.
• Chain of Thought — Every.to
  Forward-looking analysis on AI trends, product thinking, and culture—useful for framing tech shifts and opportunities.
• The Neuron Daily
  Broad AI news and tool roundups with practical tips—great for discovering emerging technologies and tracking skills in demand.

In-Class Exercise A: Writing with Constraints

Goal: Use a simple rule to redirect attention from content to structure. This exercise helps you see how form can drive meaning and creativity.

In your journal, write down a story (real or fictional) that you have told or written before. Then choose one of these constraints and ask the AI to apply it to your text:

• Lipogram: avoid using a specific letter.
• N+7: change every noun to the seventh next word in the dictionary.
• Palindrome seed: begin and end with the same phrase.
• Imperative score: write instructions that transform the text.

Edit the generated output into a 6–8 sentence micro-piece of fiction or poetry.

Why: Constraints sharpen voice, increase precision, and reveal structure.

Example AI Prompt: Apply a lipogram (no “e”) to this paragraph; keep meaning as close as possible.

Real-world use: play with language, find new approaches to fiction/poetry.

Creative Exercise: 2035 Short-Form Storytelling

Goal: Practise writing a tight, episodic script for a 30–60 second digital media spot (news, mini-doc, or product promo) set in the year 2035. Learn to use AI as a creative collaborator while keeping your own voice.

1. Choose a Scenario:
   • A breaking news clip in 2035
   • A 2035 mini-doc about a surprising social trend
   • A 2035 product or service promo
2. Define the Core Message (3 min): In one sentence, state the key idea for the script idea. (Example: “By 2035, delivery drones have become emotional support pets.”)
3. Follow main idea with your own Micro-Outline:
   • Hook (first 5–10 seconds): A striking image or line that makes the audience curious.
   • Middle (20–30 seconds): One or two vivid details that show the world or conflict.
   • Close (5–10 seconds): A memorable takeaway, twist, or call-to-action.
   Ask ChatGPT 5 for feedback or to suggest alternative hooks or angles, but you decide what to keep.
4. Generate Headlines & Descriptions: Before drafting your script, paste your core message and outline into ChatGPT 5 and ask it to:
   • “List 5–7 possible social media headlines that reflect my main idea.”
   • “Write 3 short (under 25 words) post descriptions for each headline.”
   Review the outputs and pick or adapt the ones that best fit your tone and audience.
5. Draft Collaboratively: Write or dictate the lines for the short script (keep under 120 words). Paste your draft into ChatGPT 5 and ask:
   • “Does this communicate clearly?”
   • “What’s missing or confusing?”
   • “Suggest two punchier closing lines in my style.”
   Accept or reject suggestions; the goal is to shape your own version, not copy.
6. Format as a Professional Script: Paste your rough text into the same chat and ask it to “format this as a short professional script with [Voice-Over], [On-Screen Text], and [Shot] directions.” Review and adjust the formatting yourself.
7. Ownership & Rewrite (Final Step): Paste your formatted script back into ChatGPT 5 with: “Highlight any parts that read generic or machine-generated and explain why.” Rewrite those sections in your own words without AI. Submit:
   • Your final script
   • The AI’s highlighted version
   • 3–5 sentences on what you changed and why

Why: practices audience targeting, pacing, and format discipline for professional media.

Example AI Prompts: “Give me 3 alternative hooks in the same tone, each under 12 words.” • “Write 5 possible headlines and 3 short descriptions for my post.”

Real-world use: social media ads, promo reels, advocacy PSAs, storyboards.

In-Class Exercise C: Short Essay Process

Goal: Practice a repeatable, human-led workflow for developing a research essay while using an AI writing assistant (ChatGPT 5) to help organize, check, and polish your work.

In this class exercise: jot down an idea for an essay about human-AI entanglement and the use of personal AI agents in devices. You will just be building a short text (3 paragraphs).

• Explore & Capture: Start with your own curiosity. Collect notes, highlights, quotes, and questions by hand, in a doc, or by voice. Before asking AI anything, sketch rough themes or clusters. When you do use AI for research, treat it as a conversational partner to surface information, but always double-check facts, data, and sources yourself.
• Load Your Context: For deeper research, experiment with creating a simple Custom GPT or using NotebookML (or a comparable notebook environment) to upload your PDFs, docs, dictated quotes, or notes so that the AI can draw from your personal research material. This keeps the assistant working from *your* sources first rather than the open web.
• Outline & Free-Write: Write a rough outline in your own words. Use bullet points for what you want to cover. Use ChatGPT 5 to ask clarifying questions, test ideas, or generate possible angles/examples. You decide what to keep. Then free-write sections based on your outline, letting ideas flow even if disorganized. Share your new draft outline with AI for feedback on direction or missing connections.
• Draft & Iterate: Turn your outline and free-writing into a rough draft. Ask ChatGPT 5 for suggestions on structure, citation formats, or bibliography entries, but keep your voice and argument. After each AI suggestion, review and revise yourself. Repeat this feedback loop until your draft feels coherent and genuinely yours.
• Refine & Check: Use AI last for copy-editing—grammar, clarity, formatting. Read your draft aloud, tighten structure, and verify all references. Ask the AI to point out where your voice is strongest and where it might sound generic, then decide which edits to adopt.
• Ownership & Rewrite (Final Step): After you have a complete draft, paste it into ChatGPT 5 with a prompt such as: “Highlight or comment on sentences or sections that seem generic or machine-generated rather than personal or specific to my voice. Explain why.” Review the highlights, then rewrite those passages in your own words without AI assistance. Compare the before/after versions to see how your style and argument sharpened.

Why: builds a transferable research-to-draft workflow, including ways to stage your own source material for AI assistance.

Example AI Prompts: “Summarize these three uploaded PDFs in 5 bullet points each.” • “Combine my uploaded interview notes into a one-page backgrounder for my essay topic.”

Real-world use: briefs, op-eds, grant proposals, policy memos, or any professional writing task where you’re synthesizing your own research library with AI help.

Tips for Writing with AI

• Start with a Research Conversation: Treat the AI like a curious partner. Explain your idea out loud or in text, then ask it questions to surface new perspectives, facts, or sources. Always double-check any information it provides.
• Dictate and Capture Ideas: Record your own thoughts, summaries, and quotes from sources. Upload or paste this material into ChatGPT 5 or a custom GPT for your project so you’re working from your own words first.
• Develop Your Idea Before Drafting: Use AI to test angles, define key terms, or propose counter-arguments, but decide what to keep. Build an outline in your own words before asking for AI feedback.
• Use AI for Copy-Editing, Not Content: When your draft exists, ask the AI for spelling, grammar, style, and structure suggestions. Make substantive changes yourself to keep your voice and reasoning intact.
• Teach the AI Your Style: Upload a sample of your previous writing so the AI can model your tone. When you ask for help, instruct it to match that style so the text remains recognizably yours.
• Check Ownership and Revise: At the end, paste your draft into the AI and ask it to highlight passages that read generic or machine-generated. Rewrite those parts yourself. This helps you see where you’ve relied on AI and strengthens your writing.
• Remember the Goal: Writing is communicating effectively. Use AI as a tutor and organizer—not a replacement for your thinking.

Accessibility tip: when posting drafts online, use descriptive link text and meaningful subheads; avoid long unbroken paragraphs.