Last night at our main event we talked about making low and medium content books. If you missed it here is the link to watch the entire presentation on our YouTube channel. https://youtu.be/dmfskDU1s5Y?si=RI41nOvT31fNl0mT
Many of the questions we received last night were about how to write either a fiction or nonfiction book, as opposed to a low- or medium-content book. I’d like to share my current experience with writing a nonfiction book.
Right now, I’m in the middle of writing a gardening book about Florida lawns, and I’m using AI to assist me with the process.
Here’s how I began: I knew I wanted to write a book about Florida lawns and their care. So, I asked the AI to generate titles for 12 chapters covering topics such as turfgrass types, soil, best practices, the ideal times to plant each type of grass, and individual chapters for the most popular turfgrasses in Florida.
Before I knew it, I had 12 chapter titles—and without even asking, the AI suggested ideas for each chapter. I ended up rejecting two chapters and modifying them slightly to better fit my vision.
Since the AI was kind enough to create an outline for each chapter, I simply sat down at my computer, opened Microsoft 365 Word, and used voice typing. With my unique personality and style, I wrote each chapter conversationally, ensuring that what readers got was my authentic voice—just based on the ideas I had gathered from AI.
Surprisingly, this method allowed me to work quickly. After finishing a chapter, I would copy and paste it into AI and ask it to edit for grammar, punctuation, and spelling. The results were great, and I was very happy with them.
Here’s a mistake you don’t want to make: At one point, I copied and pasted a chapter into AI and asked it to edit for grammar, punctuation, and spelling. However, I made the mistake of adding one extra word to my request—I asked it to edit for “clarity.” Do not do this. That particular chapter had 4,850 words when I finished writing it. By requesting clarity, the AI took it upon itself to completely rewrite the chapter, stripping away my personality and cutting it down to about 1,350 words. The result was dull, unexciting, and no longer felt like me. I quickly went back and had it edited properly—without using the word “clarity.”
This method has been an excellent way to get started and move quickly toward completing my book. The new Microsoft 365 voice typing feature has been a game-changer for me. I can talk much faster than I can type, and I find that my spoken words bring out more of my personality than my typed words. That’s just how I work—you might be completely different.
So, my challenge to you today is to write something! Use AI as an assistant, but don’t let it do the writing for you. Whether it’s a blog post, a short story, or even a small book, just start writing. Many of the people who attended the event last night left with all kinds of ideas for their next writing adventure—now it’s your turn!