The Art of Slow Writing in the AI Age
I’ve been using AI since 2021. It has sped up my writing workflows in unimaginable ways. What used to take hours now takes minutes! When I started freelancing full-time, it took me 6 hours to write a blog post.
Today, the entire process takes less than an hour with the help of a bunch of AI tools and a virtual assistant.
This has allowed me to work less but earn more. A life-changing system for a homeschooling mom like me who loves to travel.
AI Fills the Gap
When you’re writing with AI, it always fills the gaps when you can’t think of something. Most times, I usually know what to write. I know the structure and the main points I’m going to say.
But I usually struggle with some sentences. I want sentences to be perfect. I want them to flow. But this usually takes time. That’s why pre-AI, it took me 6 hours to write. More than 30% of that time was probably spent staring at the blinking cursor, figuring out what words to choose. And if I’ve decided on the words, what’s the best way to arrange them in a sentence?
With AI, I never have to pause. If I can’t think of something to write, I just ask ChatGPT to continue writing for me. Or rewrite the awkward sentences. Expand on my initial ideas.
Everything happens very fast. And I can write 1000 words in less than 30 minutes.
As a mom entrepreneur, I always have to operate efficiently. No time should be wasted. That’s why I love AI.
Taking It Slow
But when you take the time to slow down, something magical happens. While I was viewing the skyscrapers in Hong Kong during my vacation, my brain suddenly desired slow writing.
It was an odd yet familiar feeling. I used to write just for the sake of writing. No word counts. No structure. Just pure word puke.
But vomits can be a gateway into something special. A poem. A short story.
Wow, I couldn’t believe in this fast-paced, AI-driven world, I would crave slow writing.
What is Slow Writing?
But what is slow writing? For me, it’s just writing without AI. In fact, I still wrote this thing very fast. 300 words in less than 20 minutes. That’s fast, right?
I say “this thing” because I have no idea what this is supposed to be. I just wanted to write about slow writing.
And that’s another beauty of slow writing. And creativity in general.
When I’m writing for work, I usually start with a strategy. Not a feeling. I have to think about the keyword volume and what the headlines should be.
I never sit down and just explore my thoughts and see where it takes me. But I think that’s important when you’re a creator. Slow thinking allows you to discover new ideas that are absolutely unique to your experience without being prompted by any other factors.
With this realization, I think I will dedicate a day each week, or 20 minutes a day, to slow writing.
I won’t have any goal or strategy. I won’t use AI.
I’ll only start with a feeling or a new idea that needs to be explored all on my own.
I won’t do any keyword research. I won’t optimize it for SEO.
Savoring Slow
While I was on vacation, I also started reading a new book in between train rides and kids’ nap times. I found myself reading the book Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. I loved the show on Netflix. And I was curious to learn more about how it was produced and directed.
In the book, I learned that they don’t have any desired length for each episode. Everything happens organically. Jerry decides himself, which makes the cut for the episode. Some episodes are 15 minutes long. Some are more than 30 minutes.
I love that idea! And I’m going to copy that for my writing. This blog post doesn’t have any SEO structure or desired word count.
I’ll purposely write slowly.
I will savor slow. I won’t get frustrated when it takes me too long to write a sentence.
In fact, I will stop and smile. Give my brain to breathe and wait for the next words to come out.
