My dear friends, I recently launched Intelligent Writing, a free weekly LinkedIn newsletter about writing in the age of AI. Thousands of people subscribed within its first few days, a response that confirmed what I've felt for some time, which is that writers and professionals alike are struggling to understand a landscape that’s shifting unbelievably fast. I know some of you are deeply interested in AI. Others are wary of it. I understand both positions. And that's why my purpose in the newsletter isn’t to push anyone into becoming a raving AI enthusiast. My responsibility as a teacher, however, is to make sure those of us who care about writing understand what is happening, are able to remain professionally relevant, and aren’t left behind while others decide how these new machines will shape the future of communication. AI output, while sometimes impressive, is already becoming easy to recognize. And not in a good way. Often, the words, tone, punctuation, rhythms, and metaphors feel too slick, too orchestrated, to be genuinely engaging. As a result, AI-generated writing is starting to be seen, by many, as less valuable than prose that is felt as being shaped by a human hand. Some people I know now even refuse to consume anything that smells like it was machine-written. Part of the reason for that repulsion is that AI is being used carelessly, or irresponsibly, by those who have little knowledge of the craft we in this community hold dear. Ironically, it's my belief that the best equipped to thrive in this new world will be the ones who understand equally well the capabilities of AI and the craft of writing. Indeed, those who reject AI completely face the risk of falling behind in important ways, while those who neglect deepening their understanding of craft risk losing their voice, style, and individuality to non-sentient, non-feeling machines.

Friends, Writers understandably have all sorts of reservations about AI. I share many of them. But I also think it's becoming increasingly difficult to dismiss its potential without properly exploring it. That's why I created AI Writing Mastery: as a kind of user manual for writers who want to understand what AI can do, while retaining their own editorial judgement and standards. The good news for members of the Elite Writing Academy is that the entire course is already here. Premium members can find it in the Classroom as part of their subscription. So if you've been curious about AI, skeptical of it, or simply wondering how it might fit into the craft of good writing, I'd honestly encourage you to take a look. Shani

Dear Friends, For months, perhaps years, many of you have been pressing me to tackle one subject in particular: AI. I'm delighted to say that it's finally here: ⭐ AI Writing Mastery: How to Write Professionally, Stylishly, and Ethically With ChatGPT & Other AI Tools ⭐ You can find it in the Classroom alongside my other courses. ❗️ This may be one of the most important courses I've ever created. As you know, for the past few years the world has been rushing headlong into AI to help write emails, reports, articles, strategies, business plans, presentations, books, and more. The problem is that many people are using tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude without first understanding the craft of writing itself. The result is a growing flood of written content that sounds polished but often lacks genuine thought, stylistic sensitivity, or human insight. At stake is more than the quality of our emails and reports. It is the quality of our communication, our culture, and the creative arts. And yet, amid all the excitement and controversy surrounding AI, one question has remained largely unanswered: ❓ How do you actually use these tools well? ❓ In other words, how can you guide AI with literary vision, artistic integrity, and editorial discernment? ❓ How can you avoid the growing catalogue of tonal, rhythmic, and language tells of generic AI prose? ❓ And more broadly, is it possible to combine the timeless principles of good writing with the emerging discipline of prompting in a way that uplifts, rather than degrades, literary craft? These questions are precisely what this course sets out to answer. 🎯 🎯 🎯 WHAT'S INSIDE THE COURSE ✅ Across more than five hours of training, we explore powerful prompting frameworks and advanced prompting mindsets. ✅ I also share my complete Flair Prompting system, which teaches you how to prompt specifically for the four ingredients of good writing: Simplicity, Clarity, Elegance, and Evocativeness. ✅ The course also provides techniques for humanising AI-generated language, along with practical guidance on navigating the technical, legal, ethical, and professional realities surrounding AI.

Hi everyone, I have an exciting update about the future of The Elite Writing Academy. 🔥 As you know, I've long been dedicated to helping people develop exceptional prose skills while keeping the craft of writing itself alive. As AI reshapes our field, that mission has suddenly become more urgent. That's why I've decided to open the doors a little wider. Over the coming weeks, I'll be opening up the academy to more people. Nobody will lose access to anything they currently enjoy. Going forward, though, new members will be able to choose between two membership tiers: 👇 1. Free membership. This includes access to the community, forum discussions, live events, and the chance to network with and draw on the expertise of expert writers from fields such as marketing, journalism, public relations, and online copywriting, and my introductory course, The Secret Sauce of Great Writing. New free members will also be able to purchase individual courses if they wish. 2. Premium membership. This provides the most comprehensive experience. All existing paid members will automatically become Premium members. Premium members will receive access to all of my courses, including the new AI Writing Mastery course that's about to be launched. 🎁 🎁 🎁 All existing members of the community who joined before June 3, 2026 will automatically be upgraded to Premium. All members also have the opportunity to earn a whopping 50% affiliate commission (previously 30%) for inviting new members into the Elite Writing Academy. This commission will be reduced soon, so now is the best time to invite others to join. It also means your friends will be able to lock in a current discounted membership for life before an upcoming price increase. Here’s how you do it: Click on your profile picture > click ‘Affiliates’ > under ‘Your affiliate links’ click ‘Elite Writing Academy’ > then copy and share your link with others. 🌟 🌟 🌟 I'm incredibly excited, as well, about the launch of my new course, AI Writing Mastery.

Ever since AI arrived on the scene, writers of all stripes have been resistant — if not openly hostile — to language models like Grok, Claude, and ChatGPT, which they fear threaten their careers, craft, and livelihoods. My deepening concern, however, is that if we continue to retreat out of fear, disdain, or nostalgia, we run the real risk that writing standards will be set according to mere utilitarian values such as speed, efficiency, and convenience. In fact, this is already happening to an extent. Just observe the avalanche of fluent, confident prose appearing all over the internet that says very little and feels like no one in particular meant it. One of the key messages from my upcoming book, The Alchemy of Prompting: Writing With Flair in the Age of AI, is that writers have a special responsibility to prevent this degradation of public writing. Instead of allowing non-writers to define writing standards for the future, we must step up and provide leadership, since we are the ones privileged enough to hold knowledge of the craft. We understand, better than most, what literary vision looks like; what editorial judgment means; and the difference between language that functions and writing that connects with readers. When writers decide to step into the role of standard-bearers for this new age, AI can become something other than what it is becoming. It can become a tool that removes unnecessary strain from the writing process and, therefore, creates space for deeper thinking and more creativity. If the integrity of writing as a craft is to survive this transition, writers cannot be content to stand back and comment from the sidelines. They must be willing to lead — bringing taste, judgment, and ethical seriousness into collaboration with these powerful tools.