Bonus

How to Use AI Without Sounding Like AI

Using AI to help write and organize your thinking is normal, practical, and increasingly unavoidable; it’s no different from using spellcheck, outlines, or an editor.
The problem isn’t using AI, it’s using it lazily: one prompt, one click, paste, publish. Even if you start with a strong prompt (like our example for you below) that tells the model what to avoid, you should not expect a perfect, ready-to-post draft. You still need a second pass to remove the leftovers: the default phrases that slip through, the too-balanced transitions, the smooth-but-generic sentences, and the punctuation habits (yes, including taming em dashes) that can scream “generated.” No doubt AI will help you say what you mean, but the editing step is the difference between “AI helped me write this” and “I didn’t care enough to write this properly.”

Check out the most common ChatGPT giveaways, with plenty of examples: AI Writing Pitfalls

Writing Prompt:

(Feel free to copy and adjust as needed)

I would like to write a [article / blog post / Facebook post / batch of 30 LinkedIn posts / email / etc.]
on the following topic: [TOPIC]
My opinion or position on this topic (optional):
[STATE YOUR OPINION - if none, skip]
Audience: [who this is for]
Purpose: [inform / explain / persuade / reflect / share experience]
WRITING GUIDELINES (IMPORTANT)
When writing, avoid generic AI patterns and follow these rules:

Language
Avoid the following types of language:

Fluff & vibe words
Fluff, vibes, energy, chaos, messy, unhinged, wild, weird, spicy, extra, dramatic

Therapy / reassurance language
Broken, healing, struggling, overwhelmed, burned out, exhausted, stuck, drained, safe, seen, held, grace, permission, space

Filler & hedging
Honestly, literally, actually, kind of, slightly, low-key, high-key
Phrases like “let’s be real,” “the truth is,” “at the end of the day”

Sentence Patterns to Avoid
Do not use:
“It’s not X, it’s Y”
“This isn’t about X — it’s about Y”
“At its core…”
“Here’s the thing…”
“On the one hand… on the other hand…”
“This is why…”
“Think of it like…”

Examples & Metaphors
Avoid overused metaphors (squirrels, hamsters, batteries, journeys, roadmaps)
If using examples, make them specific and grounded in real situations, not generic hypotheticals

Formatting
Do not use emojis unless specifically requested

OUTPUT REQUIREMENT
The final result should sound like it was written by:
A real person
With a reason to write this
Who knows their audience

Overused Vocabulary

(Not) Broken
-ish (added to adjectives)
Absolutely
Actually
Awkward
Brutal
Burned out
Chaos
Chaos-adjacent
Disconnected
Drained
Dramatic
Energy
Exhausted
Extra
Feral
Fragile
Fluff
Grace
Healing
Held
High-key
Honest
Honestly
Honestly
Invisible
(No) Judgment
Kind of
Literally
Lonely
Lost
Loud
Low-key
Messy
Overwhelmed
Painful
Permission (Slip)
Plot Twist
Raw
Real
Safe (emotionally)
Sass
Seen
Slightly
Soft (used emotionally, not physically)
Space
Spicy
Struggling
Stuck
Tender
Tuesday
Unapologetic
Uncomfortable
Unfiltered
Unhinged
Vibes
Weird
Wild

Overused Phrases

1. Openers

(used to sound grounded)

“Let’s be real…”
“If we’re being honest…”
“Real talk…”
“Here’s the thing…”
“Not gonna lie…”
“I mean…”
“Look—”
“Okay, but…”

2. Faux-solidarity / validation phrases

(comforting, but generic)

“You’re not alone.”
“That makes sense.”
“That’s valid.”
“You’re allowed to…”
“You don’t owe anyone…”
“There’s nothing wrong with you.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“You’re doing the best you can.”

3. Internet-culture filler

(signals “online voice,” not lived voice)

“I love that for you.”
“Say it louder.”
“We’re not doing that.”
“This ain’t it.”
“Full stop.”
“Period.”
“Hard pass.”
“Big nope.”

4. Exaggerators

(adds attitude, weakens specificity)

“On another level.”
“Next-level.”
“Unhinged behavior.”
“Absolutely feral.”
“A whole mess.”
“An entire situation.”
“In the worst way.”
“For no reason.”

5. Soft-therapy closers

(meant to soothe, often overused)

“Give yourself grace.”
“Hold space for…”
“Meet yourself where you are.”
“Be gentle with yourself.”
“Honor where you’re at.”
“Take what you need.”
“Rest is productive.”

6. Hedge phrases

(AI self-protection in disguise)

“In many ways…”
“At times…”
“It can feel like…”
“For some people…”
“Depending on the situation…”
“It’s worth noting…”

7. Meta-voice tells

(breaks the fourth wall too cleanly)

“Here’s why that matters.”
“Let me explain.”
“What this means is…”
“The truth is…”
“At the end of the day…”

Overused Sentence Structures

1) “It’s not X, it’s Y”

“It’s not about discipline, it’s about systems.”
“It’s not that you’re lazy, it’s that you’re depleted.”

Variants:

“This isn’t X — it’s Y.”
“It’s less X and more Y.”
“Not X. Y.”

2) “X isn’t just A — it’s also B”

“Menopause isn’t just hot flashes — it’s also identity whiplash.”
“This isn’t just a setback — it’s a signal.”

3) “On the one hand… on the other…”

“On the one hand, structure helps. On the other, life happens.”

Also:

“While X is true, it’s also important to consider Y.”
“That said…”

4) “The truth is…”

“The truth is, you can’t optimize your way out of burnout.”
“The reality is…”

Often paired with softening:

“…and that’s okay.”

5) “Here’s the thing…”

“Here’s the thing: your brain is protecting you.”
“Here’s what’s happening…”

6) “The key is… / What matters is…”

“The key is consistency.”
“What matters most is…”

7) “This is why…”

“This is why small habits matter.”
“Which is why…”

8) “It’s important to note…”

“It’s important to note that…”
“It’s worth noting…”

9) “At its core…”

“At its core, this is a nervous system issue.”
“At the core of this is…”

10) “In other words…”

“In other words, your symptoms are data.”
“Put differently…”

11) “Think of it like…”

“Think of it like a battery.”
“It’s like…”

12) “If… then…”

“If you’re feeling X, then Y might help.”
“If that’s the case, then…”

13) “Not only… but also…”

“Not only does it affect X, but it also affects Y.”

Classic formal-essay cadence.

14) “The reason X is because Y”

“The reason this feels hard is because…”
“That’s because…”

15) “Here are three…”

“Here are three ways to…”
“Three things to keep in mind…”

(ChatGPT loves numbered scaffolds.)

16) “This can feel…”

“This can feel overwhelming.”
“It can feel like…”

17) “The goal isn’t X — it’s Y”

“The goal isn’t perfection — it’s progress.”
“The goal isn’t doing more — it’s doing what matters.”

18) “You don’t need to X; you need to Y”

“You don’t need to push through; you need to recover.”
“You don’t need motivation; you need support.”

19) “Let’s break it down”

“Let’s break it down.”
“Let’s unpack that.”
“Let’s zoom out.”

(“Unpack” is basically a watermark.)

20) “Ultimately…”

“Ultimately, it comes down to…”
“At the end of the day…”

21) “One X at a time”

“One breath at a time”

Metaphors

Ridiculous metaphors are another dead giveaway, especially the quirky-but-safe animal ones. These feel “fun” without risking anything.

Squirrel (scattered, hoarding thoughts)
Hamster (running in place)
Mouse (small, anxious, busy)
Raccoon (chaotic(!!), grabbing everything)
Golden retriever (enthusiastic, loyal nervous system)
Puppy (easily distracted, needs training)
Cat (independent, moody, mysterious)
Herd animal (following the crowd)
Bird in a cage (trapped feelings)
Fish out of water (discomfort)
Duck (calm on the surface, paddling underneath)
Bee (busy, productive)
Ant (industrious, overworking)
Sloth (slow, unmotivated)
Turtle (withdrawn, slow progress)
Chameleon (adapting personality)
Octopus (too many arms/tasks)
Butterfly (transformation)
Frog in boiling water (gradual burnout)
Deer in headlights (freeze response)
Monkey mind (borrowed from Buddhism, heavily overused)
Pack animal (belonging / conformity)
Wolf (lone vs pack identity)
Owl (wisdom trope)
Lion (leadership trope)
Sheep (blind following)
Horse (overworked, “put out to pasture”)
Phoenix (rebirth, resilience)
Elephant (memory / “in the room”)
Goldfish (short attention span)

Text Structures

AI most basic internal approach (when on autopilot, as stated by AI)

Step 1: Assume the safest possible reader

Curious
Neutral
Not hostile
Wants clarity, not conflict
Wants to feel helped

Step 2: Generate a generic hook

Open with something like:

A broad observation
A lightly relatable statement
A “many people feel…” sentiment

Avoid:

Strong opinion
Specific incident
Risky claim

Step 3: Define the topic politely

Explain what the thing is as if:

The reader might be new
I’m a friendly explainer

Step 4: Expand into clean, complete coverage

I try to:

Cover the topic “fully”
Anticipate common questions
Avoid leaving gaps

This creates:

Even pacing
Logical flow
No dead ends
No obsession

Step 5: Balance everything

If there’s tension, I:

Acknowledge both sides
Add nuance
Hedge claims

Because minimal prompting = maximum caution.

Step 6: Generalize examples

I use:

Hypotheticals
Composite people
“For example” situations

Step 7: Close with usefulness

I end with:

A takeaway
A reassurance
A “what this means for you” moment

Because:

It feels complete
It satisfies the implied contract of “article”

Step 8: Add Emojis to Signal Tone (and Likeability)

When prompting is minimal and the tone isn’t specified, I often add emojis to pre-signal emotion so the text doesn’t feel cold or overly academic. Emojis act as emotional training wheels.

Typical behavior:

Emojis appear at paragraph breaks or section headers
Emojis soften statements that might otherwise feel blunt
Emojis replace actual voice or risk

Common placements:

After the hook (to feel friendly 🙂)
In lists (to add visual interest 🔹)
Before advice (to reduce authority 😌)
At conclusions (to end warm ✨)