Taste is a subjective concept that can mean different things to different people, often lacking a clear definition. It is essential to move beyond vague expressions of enjoyment to articulate specific reasons for why something is appreciated. This skill of articulating taste is challenging yet crucial for anyone who wishes to express themselves effectively in writing. Engaging with tools like AI can aid in developing this ability, ultimately helping individuals define and communicate what constitutes 'good' in their view.
How do two professional writers use AI to do the best work of their lives?
In today’s show, Every’s lead writer Evan Armstrong and I conduct an expert workshop on how we use ChatGPT, Claude, AI-powered word processor Lex, and the prompt builder that Every launched, Spiral, to feed our obsession with words—and help us write for more than 78,000 readers every day.
We talk about how AI helps us:
Understand our taste—understanding what good is
Pick a topic—knowing what to write about
Craft our words—everything from sketching out an outline to writing and editing
Build an audience—learn how to reach people
We get into:
How I used Claude and ChatGPT to help me identify the kind of writing I like—and why that’s critically important for mastery
How Evan uses ChatGPT to explore his taste across books, movies, and paintings
The way I use Claude Projects to help me turn a vast amount of research into a clear thesis statement for major projects
The routine Evan swears by to publish two pieces every week
How Evan and I use Lex to push through writer’s block and catch common writing mistakes like passive voice
My workflow inside Claude to craft emphatic metaphors
How we use Spiral to write viral tweets
Evan is the lead writer at Every who writes the column Napkin Math twice a week. He’s smart, funny, curious—and has the rare combination of business acumen, way with words, and crazy required to be a professional writer.
This is a must-watch for aspiring writers, or anyone whose job involves writing more than six sentences in a row.
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Want even more?
Sign up for Every to unlock our ultimate guide to prompting ChatGPT here: https://every.ck.page/ultimate-guide-to-prompting-chatgpt. It’s usually only for paying subscribers, but you can get it here for free.
To hear more from Dan Shipper:
Timestamps:
Introduction: 00:01:04
How to develop good taste: 00:04:28
Dan uses Claude to articulate his taste in books: 00:13:34
How to use LLMs to explore art cross different mediums: 00:21:06
The way Evan chooses his next essay topic: 00:33:45
Go from research notes to clear thesis in Claude Projects: 00:38:20
How Evan uses AI to master new topics quickly: 00:46:51
Evan leverages AI to power through writer’s block: 00:59:21
How to use Claude to find good metaphors: 01:04:28
The role of AI in building an audience: 01:11:44
Links to resources mentioned in the episode:
