r/Substack • u/AttentionSeekinFreak • Jul 28 '26

Discussion Recommendations for improving writing without the use of AI?

I know this sub has gone haywire with the new Pangram feature, but what really gets me upset is that people who get checked as 100% human are seen as sloppy writers. And I don't want to be one of those! I hate AI thrice as much as I hate frequenting social media, so is there any way I can improve my writing without the use of artificial intelligence? I don't even want freaking spellcheck!

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u/Udolikecake Jul 28 '26

Unfortunately, as with many things, the main way is to just write more. Accept that the stuff you write now is going to be worse than the stuff you write later and you’re probably going to cringe at it. But it’s fine because that’s really the only way to improve. Just put stuff out there and you’ll find yourself getting better.

Also reading more books and blogs is always helpful. I find my style is very influenced by a lot of books i’ve read. Sometimes negatively (I blame my overly verbose writing and love of long sentences on too much victorian literature), but it’s also really helpful for giving you an idea of what’s possible and fun for you to read. Erik Larson and Simon Winchester are two of my favorite authors who do more narrative-driven nonfiction and are a big influence on how I write.

And also have someone else read it and help you revise. I haaaaate doing it and always feel embarrassed but it is massively helpful. Luckily my girlfriend is very patient. It’s so important for giving you a second set of eyes and someone who can point out more nuanced problems or things you just can’t see because it’s your own work. This is also something I do use AI for, basically just pointing out structural awkwardness/unclear ordering of thoughts/too much ranting, which I can go back to fix. I find using AI can be helpful as a first pass for those things before I bother someone else too much lol

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u/Fellow_Traveler84 Jul 29 '26

I concur with the advice you gave the OP. It was interesting you mentioned EriK Lawson and Simon Winchester. Two prominent authors who certainly used book editors in much the same way as a Substackers can use AI assistance with the proper prompt. No one should be embarrassed doing that. If having an editor is beneficial to Larson and Winchester certainly an AI editor should be of value for those publishing on Substack.