How To Write With An LLM
How To Write With An LLM Thomas Ptacek on using LLMs as copyeditors, not as writing assistants: Rule Number One: You may not use a single word an LLM suggests to you. [...] I think that as a form of intellectual personal protective equipment you should adopt the rule that any specific turn of phrase an LLM suggests is off limits. Be strict about the rule! I won't let LLMs write content for my…
Thomas Ptacek's guide on utilizing Large Language Models (LLMs) as copyeditors rather than writing assistants presents a crucial rule: you must refrain from incorporating any single word an LLM proposes. This principle serves as intellectual personal protective equipment, maintaining discipline and a discernible quality in the content.
Though Thomas himself does not permit LLMs to craft content for his blog, he employs these models for fact-checking, spelling correction, grammar improvement, and occasionally as a thesaurus tool. This approach results in text that carries a unique "smell," reinforcing the importance of adhering to the rule to stay disciplined. In this piece, Thomas showcases a screenshot of his personal LLM copyediting tool, along with a prompt to initiate the creation of one’s own.
The article, a link post by Simon Willison, was published on the 17th of September, 2026. The author invites support on a $10/month basis, promising a monthly digest featuring the most significant LLM developments.
Written by urgent.news from Simon Willison's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- How to Write with an LLM sockpuppet.org
