Nonfiction writing has always been an adventure—a blend of rigorous research, creative insight, and a dash of storytelling magic. Recently, I discovered that integrating AI into my writing process has been a game changer. In this post, I’m excited to share some techniques. You can leverage AI, particularly OpenAI’s reasoning models. These tools will help elevate your nonfiction work from concept to publication.

Finding Your Focus: Concept & Topic Selection

Every great project starts with a spark of inspiration. Begin by reflecting on subjects that resonate with you—perhaps sustainable living, historical events, or emerging technologies. With AI as your brainstorming partner, you can ask targeted questions. These might include, “What are some engaging angles on sustainable urban practices?” The insights you gain not only help you narrow your focus.

They provide clarity and focus during your initial brainstorming. They also lay the groundwork for a project that will captivate your target audience. Working with AI at the beginning of your process aligns your efforts. It establishes a clear vision from the start. Every subsequent step—be it research, drafting, or editing—stays aligned with the interests and expectations of your readers.

This strategic approach turns your ideas into a cohesive narrative. It resonates deeply, engaging those most likely to be captivated by your work. Ultimately, this foundation becomes the cornerstone of a compelling story. Since you are using AI to assist you, (not writing for you) you maintain control of where your message goes. Consequently, your work becomes carefully tailored to capture attention. It leaves a lasting impact.

Building a Solid Foundation: Preliminary Research & Idea Structuring

Once you’ve focused on a topic, it’s time to dive into the research side. But rather than overwhelming yourself with endless information, focus on asking the right questions. Use AI to assist you in generating a list of crucial questions. How you decide to structure your book is up to you and your writing style. For me, I start with historical connections and then work my way into the present day. This allows me to set the foundation and work forward into my topical focus. I ground my readers before I start expanding upward.

Your book should address foundations in the way you feel comfortable writing. You are not going to be able to connect with every reader. If you try to, your book is going to be bland and watered down. Instead, you should try to find your people and speak directly to them. Ultimately, your work should be a conversation with your reader. Who do you want to talk to?

First, Identify Reliable Sources.

Begin your research by seeking materials with a proven track record for accuracy and credibility. Reliable sources are essential for any well-informed nonfiction work. They ensure that your arguments and narratives are built on verifiable facts. By carefully vetting websites, books, articles, and studies, you strengthen the trustworthiness of your content. You also set a high standard for the quality of your research. This disciplined approach allows you to dive deeper into your topic with confidence. You know that every piece of information you reference has been scrutinized for its reliability.

AI might not be very reliable in this aspect. However, it will give you a great place to start. To find the sources used to answer your question, head to ChatGPT. Click on their search button to view the sources. If it doesn’t provide sources, ask it to provide its sources to you. From here you can click through directly to their website and choose what you want to use. Make a list of reputable resources that you have found.

I write articles daily. I will use ChatGPT Tasks to do my research for me. I rely on it before I sit down to work on an article or a book. I am usually an early riser and will be at a Starbucks writing fairly closely to when they open up. Because of this, I have a series of Tasks that I have ChatGPT doing starting at 4 am. Instead of doom scrolling, ChatGPT has researched the current events in my industry. It has gathered everything that happened in the last 24 hours and written me a brief. At 4:10 am these Tasks are doing research for me. By 4:30 am, when I arrive at Starbucks, I already have 3 emails from Tasks.

They have already fired off and provided me with information. I need this to start writing for the day. This effectively eliminates any uncertainty about where to begin. I am prepared before I even sit down and turn on my laptop. Now I can breeze through the content that has been provided to me. I no longer need to scroll through an endless amount of information. If I don’t think something is a viable source, no problem. I usually have about 10 bullet points. Each one has a sources button at the end. If I need a specific source, I will ask ChatGPT to search for it. I will also ask if I want to dive deeper into a topic.

Next, Bookmark Authoritative Journals.

Once you’ve identified trustworthy sources, make a point to bookmark reputable journals and publications in your area of interest. These resources are invaluable for staying up-to-date with the latest developments. They also help you gather insights from experts who are at the forefront of your subject. Bookmarking these journals creates a personalized library of high-quality information that you can return to throughout your writing process. It saves you time. It also ensures that you have a consistent, reliable reference pool. This supports the depth and rigor of your research.

I also have specific chats that I have created within my ChatGPT account for further research or reading. I focus on a couple of areas that I write about for a couple of websites. I have a chat for each of these where I will add in any related research for that specific area. This chat over time will become my go-to place for sources when I want something quick. You have already done the work to vet these sources. You should be able to use this as a personal advantage to get quality content out faster.

When I finish a project you are working on, do not delete the chat. You worked on it for a while. You likely produced content that you decided may not be the best fit for that specific piece of work. Don’t waste it by deleting the chat. That’s time and effort that you can use later on down the road. Instead, go over and rename it in your left sidebar. Once you have done this, create a project for that specific topic and move that chat to your project. Then move your resource chat into this project as well. When you have a new task in this topic, start working directly in this project’s chat bar. You will benefit from the content you have previously researched and created.

Finally, Draft a Preliminary Table of Contents that will Serve as Your Roadmap.

With your research materials organized, it’s time to transform your gathered information into a coherent structure. Drafting a preliminary table of contents is a strategic step that outlines the flow and organization of your book. This roadmap helps you visualize how each section and chapter will contribute to your overall narrative. It ensures that your research is presented logically and engages the reader. Plan your content structure early. This way, you can better align your research findings with your writing goals. Ultimately, this will create a well-organized and compelling nonfiction work.

One of the easiest ways to do this is to have ChatGPT open up a Canvas. You need to make sure that you do not have the research button clicked though. With Canvas open, you can now treat ChatGPT as a document editor and work with your researched content directly. You can create a table of contents by moving content around to where you think it will work best. If you see you have a gap, you can add content. You can also ask ChatGPT to do more research on that specific area. Once you have completed your outline, ask ChatGPT questions like: How does this flow? How would this read for XYZ audience? Can you reorganize this to make it easier for the reader?

Creating Your Roadmap: A Detailed Outline

With your research in hand, the next step is outlining your manuscript. Think of your outline as a detailed blueprint of your narrative. If you have been working through your content while reading this blog post, you already have a jump. If not, start with a high-level structure. Either way, let’s dive into creating your roadmap to guide your future work.

Start off by working on an engaging introduction and a comprehensive background. Lean into the research that you did in the steps before to help you with this process. You can do this by summarizing this research and then adding your flair or style. The most important part of this is to add in some direction to where you want the outline to go. Once you have this, you can return to ChatGPT. Use it as a sounding board to expand your ideas, address readability concerns, or focus your thoughts more clearly. You can ask ChatGPT to suggest a hook for your content. Then, have it initiate the process in the work you already have here.

Next, you will want to devote several chapters to either case studies or key arguments. Again, rely on your research to help you through this process. At this point, I will ask ChatGPT to work through my research. It will provide me with logical next topics to add to my outline. Then I will go through and read what has been returned. Sometimes I will use this. Other times it will spark an idea in my head and I will work in that direction. If I need additional information, I will ask ChatGPT to help me fill in the gaps. It can provide me with further details quickly.

Finally, add a concluding section that ties everything together. For each chapter, break your ideas into manageable subsections. This ensures that every part of your book flows logically and that your overall narrative remains cohesive. Continue working with ChatGPT in a single chat for all of your chapters. You can then give it a core message for your book to drive home. You can also use the hook from the beginning and have ChatGPT reconnect it in this conclusion. Either way, this will allow your readers to stay connected and feel like they are on a logical path. Your conclusion is also a great place to give your readers a small taste of the next chapter. This way, they know what to expect and can look forward to it. Making these little changes to each of your chapters will increase your readers’ completion rates.

Drafting Your Masterpiece: Bringing Your Outline to Life

Now comes the exciting part—turning your outline into a draft. Tackle your manuscript section by section. For example, when writing an introduction on how government policy affects urban sustainability, start by providing context. Then introduce key points to get started. Use AI to expand on complex ideas and tailor your language to fit your intended audience. Whether you’re writing for industry experts or a general readership, write iterative drafts. These drafts allow you to refine your voice. They ensure that your message is both clear and engaging.

But what if you get stuck in the process? After all, writer’s block has a way of striking even the best authors. Go back to your outline. Check the next step in our outline. Then ask ChatGPT to help with that specific question. You can copy what you have written already and paste it into the chat box. Tell ChatGPT that you are stuck. Then ask for ideas on where to go to continue your writing path. I assure you, that ChatGPT can quickly break through these types of blocks. It also helps to coach you along the way.

Supporting Your Narrative: Integrating Data, Citations, & Evidence

Credibility is crucial in nonfiction writing. As you craft your narrative, back up your ideas with data, case studies, and real-world examples. AI can assist by suggesting how to incorporate statistics and evidence seamlessly into your text. Keep in mind though that AI can hallucinate now and then. Always verify your sources, and consider creating a personal checklist to ensure that every claim is well-supported with proper citations. This not only reinforces your arguments but also builds trust with your readers.

Polishing Your Work: Revising & Refining Your Draft

No first draft is perfect, which is why revising is such an important part of the process. Step back and look at your work as a whole. Check for structural consistency—reorder sections if needed to maintain a logical flow. Focus on clarity and tone; rewrite any passages that feel clunky and add detail where necessary. The goal is to create a seamless reading experience that captures your unique voice and keeps your audience engaged.

Once you have completed this process give AI a crack at it. Copy your work and paste it into the chat box. Ask ChatGPT to read through what you have given it and let you know what it thinks of it. It will come back with things that it thinks are strong in your writing and suggestions for improvements. If you like, it can also help you to implement those improvements. Once you are done with this, ask it to read through your work as your target reader while reviewing. Let it tell you what they would think of it. Finally, if you have an area of your work that just does not sound right, ask ChatGPT about it. Together you and the AI can work through just about any problem you come up with.

The Final Touch: Editing & Polishing Your Manuscript

After revising, it’s time for the final polish. This stage is all about fine-tuning your work. Carefully proofread your manuscript to catch any grammar, punctuation, or stylistic issues. Revisit your fact-checking checklist to verify every statistic and citation. Reading your work aloud can be a great way to identify awkward phrasing and ensure your narrative flows smoothly. This meticulous editing process ensures that your final product is both engaging and error-free.

Once you have done this and fixed those last-minute errors, ask your AI to do the same. This will give you a ‘second set of eyes’ that provides greater accuracy. It surpasses what most people achieve in creating error-free writing. You will be surprised what slips by you.

Streamlining Your Process: Integrating AI into Your Publishing Workflow

For those who like to dive deeper into technology, consider integrating the OpenAI API into your workflow. Automate iterative feedback loops and version control to keep track of changes and continuously improve your manuscript.

While AI provides valuable structure and suggestions, remember that your unique insights are what bring your work to life. Never rely solely on any AI system to write your work for you. Yes you will get your work provided to you quickly. But this is a sure way to ensure that your content is bland and hard to connect to. Your readers do not want this. They want to read your style, context, and personal insights. Combining these tools with your expertise creates a truly compelling nonfiction piece.

Final Thoughts

Embracing nonfiction writing with AI isn’t just about adopting new technology—it’s about transforming your creative process. AI can assist from brainstorming and research to drafting. It serves as a powerful co-author, enhancing every step of your journey. Blend AI-driven insights with your creative vision. This way, you can craft a nonfiction narrative that is meticulously researched. It will also be deeply engaging.

Happy writing, and here’s to transforming your creative process with the power of AI!