I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to create something—and what it means to get help doing it.
At some point, I know I’ll publish a novel. And when I do, I also know that some people will roll their eyes when they find out I wrote it with the help of an AI. They’ll say it’s not real. That it’s cheating. That a computer did the work.
But here’s the truth: the story is mine.
I’ve always loved writing. I have a voice, a vision, and a deep need to tell stories that matter to me. But like many writers, I also have my struggles—sticking with structure, untangling timelines, finding just the right phrasing. That’s where AI becomes a collaborator, not a crutch.
It doesn’t write for me. It writes with me. It helps me move through the stuck places. It helps me ask better questions. It offers ideas, sure—but I’m the one shaping, revising, rejecting, and refining. It’s no different than bouncing ideas off a friend, or working closely with an editor. Only this collaborator is always available, always patient, and always ready to work.
Once I started writing with AI, I gained a great deal of confidence. In terms of novels, I do have a couple of irons in the fire—projects that have quietly simmered for a long time. Having AI assist me has actually made me feel capable of taking them seriously. It’s given me the confidence to truly consider self-publishing—something I never imagined I’d say, let alone do. That shift in mindset means everything. I’m not just dreaming about writing anymore—I’m doing it.
And just as importantly, getting help from AI has helped me stop second-guessing myself. That inner critic—the one that nitpicks every line, that tells me I’m not good enough—has finally quieted down. Not because I’ve silenced it, but because I’ve found a rhythm that works. I can write. I am writing.
In the end, every sentence still carries my voice. Every twist in the plot still comes from my gut. I tweak what needs tweaking, change what doesn’t feel right, and make sure the story that emerges is something I’m proud of.
To say that AI somehow invalidates the work misses the point. It’s not a shortcut—it’s scaffolding. It helps me build what I couldn’t build alone, not because I’m not creative, but because creativity sometimes needs a hand.
So when that book finally comes out, and someone asks, “Didn’t AI help you write it?”—I’ll smile and say, “Yes, it did. And I wrote every word of it.”
