Write Like a Human: a Substack experiment and AI-antidote in one nifty newsletter

Good writing isn’t just writing what you know, but what you’re (I hesitate to utter this overused word, but here it is…) “passionate” about.

I’m passionate about humanic writing.  As in: writing written by an actual person, unencumbered by AI-powered chatbots or other electronic help-machines.

“A written word is the choicest of relics.  It is something at once more intimate with us and more universal than any other work of art.  It is the work of art nearest to life itself.”

(Henry David Thoreau, Walden)

I’m not against AI-writing per se (at least, I don’t think I am.  Yet).  It’s got its place.  I just think it’s important for us to remember what’s so life-affirmingly wonderful about communicating as the real, flawed, maddingly creative humans we are.

Rearranging words in your own fine way isn’t just delightful, it’s completely unique to you.  No-one thinks or communicates quite like you do.  It’s a gift.  Granted, it’s a gift some people will want to send straight back to the shop.  But the others are your people.  There’s nothing quite like finding them.

That’s why I’m starting a free Substack newsletter that’s dedicated to Writing Like a Human.

It’s absolutely not a sales newsletter. I’m not interested in tailoring its content to an “ideal audience” or using it to promote my writing services.  I’ve got a ‘proper’ newsletter for things like that (for which you can sign up in the box below).

Instead, I’ll get a chance to test Substack as a writing platform, by using it as a personal space to share thoughts, ideas, and examples that focus on pouring as much you into your writing as possible.  I’d also love Write Like a Human to be an interactive newsletter, so if you’ve got some thoughts, ideas, and examples of your own it’d be great to hear them.

I’m still working out the mechanics of it all: how often I’ll post and exactly what the newsletter will contain.  But if the idea interests you, knowing people are ‘waiting’ will help smash through all the procrastination I’m doing over finally getting it started!

So you can sign up here.  As I say, it’s free and I promise not to use Write Like a Human for selling purposes.  Neither will I use your details for anything else.

Ever.