Tools Should Come Third, Part III
I’m writing this post following the launch of ChatGPT Web Search. A while back, I switched to Claude for most AI-related tasks. I had several reasons for making that decision, but it wasn’t without its drawbacks. The primary one was Claude’s inability to connect to the Web. ChatGPT could do that, but the results weren’t that useful at the time, so it was a reasonable compromise.
But the new ChatGPT Search intrigued me. I’ve found the traditional Google search frustrating for quite some time. I spend too much time trying to ignore the sponsored results and skip the irrelevant ones. Then, I have to synthesize the information I find (assuming I managed to find some). Often, synthesizing information requires consulting multiple sources when a single, comprehensive resource would be ideal.
ChatGPT Search can now do most of that for me while providing a list of resources for further reading as needed. But maybe more important is that I don’t need to carefully craft a search query to find exactly what I need. Instead, I use natural language to ask a question, and I click the Web Search button to ensure that ChatGPT doesn’t invent an answer but actually looks for it on the Web.
Am I going to ditch Claude? I don’t think so. I love interacting with Claude (using projects and artifacts), and its editing capabilities better suit my needs. But wait. I also use Grammarly for proofreading, and Apple just launched its built-in Writing Tools, which theoretically allow me to use AI-powered features with any writing app. But do I want to? Do I need to?
While experimenting with various tools helps determine their effectiveness, it must result in a decision that supports your goals and a well-designed process. It is crucial to define how each tool fits into the process. It’s equally important to determine what you will not use the tool for. Failing to do so means getting lost within these shiny tools and power features and losing sight of what you really want to achieve and what’s important to you.
So, to conclude this mini-series about tools and their place in our processes, I would like to share bits of my writing process, which tools I use, and what I refuse to use them for. Whatever your process is and whatever your goals are, you must have such a list.
Finding Content Ideas
I have a strict rule: my ideas are based on my experiences, interactions, and collected material. I try to capture ideas as I read, talk with friends and colleagues, and experience different things. I avoid “brainstorming” with AI-based tools when I need to develop content ideas.
Any note-taking app will work for capturing ideas, but I use Ulysses (my primary writing app) because it helps me seamlessly transition from collecting ideas to arranging them and developing them into actual content.
Researching
Often, as I develop an idea, I do some research before I write the first word of the first draft. Sometimes, it is as simple as finding an inspirational quote. Other times, I need actual data or want to know what others have said about the topic.
Until now, I primarily used simple Google searches for this task. I’ve experimented with AI-based research, but the results were often less effective, if only because of the need to double-check practically everything I found interesting enough to use as raw material.
This seems to have changed with the introduction of ChatGPT Search. Limiting ChatGPT to web searches and adding direct links to the resources makes the outcome much more accurate and far less time-consuming.
At the same time, I avoid using ChatGPT in its “creative” mode. I don’t want the research step to be contaminated with ChatGPT’s “ideas” (let alone its hallucinations).
Writing
That’s simple. When I write, I want to be focused only on my words and ideas — nothing more. That’s one reason I use Ulysses. It doesn’t tempt me to generate stuff, it doesn’t have any ideas or opinions, and it provides me with a clean, simple, and focused environment.
The Ulysses team wisely integrated Apple’s new Writing Tools in a subtle way I can practically ignore. You have to go through two levels of menus to find it, which is perfect for my needs because the last thing I want to do while writing is being distracted by editorial suggestions. That’s also why I avoid using Grammarly when writing my first draft. I don’t want the dozens of typos and grammar mistakes I make to be highlighted on the page as I am trying to capture my thoughts.
Editing
My editing process involves several steps. First, I read my text aloud, revising any mistakes I notice and phrases that don’t sound right. The only tool I use in this step is Ulysses. I avoid using any fancy editorial features.
The second step is when I activate Grammarly. I consider any change it proposes, even when the tool tags my wording as a grammar mistake. I avoid using Grammarly’s latest feature that can revise a complete paragraph and change its tone. I want my voice to dominate; I refuse to outsource that. I might use Grammarly’s rephrasing feature when the proposed changes are subtle and don’t notably change the pace, structure, and flow of what I wrote.
The third editorial step is letting Claude find additional grammar and style issues and propose alternatives. I use a custom script I’ve created within Claude to highlight the proposed changes so I can evaluate them individually. In other words, I don’t let Claude automatically rewrite my text. I must have the final word.
The last step is rereading the revised text to verify how it sounds and flows.
I love tools. I really do. But I use them with care. I experiment first and then decide exactly what each tool can contribute to my process. I use only the features that help me promote my goals and avoid using those that distract me or pull me in another direction. I update my process and the tools that enhance it constantly, but I never do that as an afterthought.
When tools come third, we can harness their power to meet our goals.
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