How to edit your AI output (12 Steps)

I finally accepted it🙂. AI is here and it’s here to stay.

It doesn’t care how we feel about it, so I guess we need to deal with it.

The holy question I’ve been getting recently:

“Is AI the death of the writer?”

Well, not really.

It’s just that our role as writers is changing. We are evolving from writers to editors.

Unfortunately, most people neglect the editing part. And then they wonder why they are not growing & making sales.

Lol.

So let’s change that.

If you use AI to write all your content (shame on you 😢) then let me show you how to make it sound human.

If you edit it based on the checklist I’m giving you below, nobody will notice. And it won’t even take you much time.

Use this and you can keep shortcutting your life with AI (even though I’m not a fan, I get it - this is the world now) and still sound in-depth, reflective, and unique.

The 12 Steps to edit your AI Output

🧠 Step 1: You’re not a writer anymore. You’re an editor.

AI is your co-writer - it gives you the raw material and not the final piece.

Just like a chef doesn’t serve raw ingredients, don’t post raw AI output (there is a special place in hell for people like that).

You need to shape, cut, rearrange, add flavor, remove fluff, and make it sound like you.

Stephen King said, “To write is human. To edit is divine.” In today’s world, it’s more like: To write is AI. To edit is divine.

Once you start thinking of yourself as an editor, everything shifts. You stop asking, “Is this good?” and start asking, “How can I make this mine?”

That’s the mindset you need before you touch an AI-generated sentence.

📉 Step 2: The 20% Rule

If you take one thing from this:

Cut your AI output by 20%. Always.

That one rule alone will make your writing sharper, cleaner, and more human (trust me on this one).

• Read through your draft and trim the fat.

• Shorten long, complicated sentences.

• Cut the vague parts that say a lot but mean nothing.

This is how you create depth in your writing - a necessary step before you hit publish. Your readers will thank you.

Step 3: 🚫 Avoid Short Sentences

AI loves stacking tiny sentences together.

Like this:

"AI can help.
It can sharpen your words.
It can save time."

Used too much, it sounds robotic, choppy, and empty.

And you want to create rhythm, flow, and excitement.

So write like this instead:

"AI helps sharpen your words and save time."

You don’t need to have 3 sentences for something that you could express in 1.

Stop building 1-3 word sentences - before AI, they had a poetic effect - now they are overused and annoying.

Step 4:🔁 Avoid Repetitive Patterns

AI loves repetition:

“Still have to think. Still have to reflect. Still have to live.”

That’s not writing - it sounds poetic, but it says nothing and feels like filler.

Say what you mean once, and then move on.

Instead, say:

“You still need to think, reflect, and live.”

Step 5: 🧹 Clean Up the Language

Here are some general rules to make your writing sound sharper, more human, and less fluff:

❌ Remove adverbs

• “Exactly,” “Honestly,” “Basically,” “Really,” “Very”… delete them.

You use adverbs because you're afraid people won't understand what you mean if you don't. But trust me, we understand.

❌ Remove filler words

• “Thing,” “Stuff,” “Something,” “Kind of,” “Sort of”… gone.

• These words weaken your point.

• Example: “The real thing that helps you grow…” → “The one habit that helps you grow…”

❌ Remove “-ing” endings

• Don't say: “If you're wondering why your post isn't working…”

• Say: “If you wonder why your post flops…”

❌ Avoid passive voice

You use it to be safe, but it shows you are unsure about what you write.

So please, it's not: " The meeting will be held at 7pm", It's: "The meeting is at 7"

Step 6:🧱 Rule of 3

When you list things:

• Use either 1 or 3. Never 2.

• 1 is bold. 3 is complete. 2 feels unsure.

• Example:

  • Good: “Sharpen your voice, clarify your brand, build connection.”

  • Bad: “Sharpen your voice and clarify your brand.”

Step 7:🗑️ Don’t Overexplain

Sometimes one line says it all.

This is an output AI gave me:

“And the truth is: Shallow, lazy work will NEVER be replaced. Because it was never valuable to begin with.”

You add sentences to strengthen your point, but you make it weaker in the process.

Instead, I deleted the fluff:

“Shallow work will never be replaced.” ← That’s enough.

Step 8: 🎭 Avoid AI Tropes

Some signs you didn’t touch the output:

• Too many line breaks

New future.
New you
New identity.

• Repetitive structure

You don’t grow by fitting in. You grow by standing out.” Sounds deep. But everyone uses it.

• Too many one-liners

Looks like poetry. Feels like AI. Reads like everyone else

Rule: If everyone uses it, stop using it.

Step 9: 🧬 Make It Personal

AI struggles to write content that connects emotionally with the reader (the difference between your content getting read and not).

So use words like “I,” “you,” “me,” and “your”, be bold, share your opinions, and write with confidence.

Step 10: 🔍 Does this sound like me?

When editing, trust your gut. If a sentence feels cliché or fake, cut it.

Ask yourself: “Does this sound like me?”

If it doesn’t, change or delete it.

Step 11: 🛑 Don’t Use These Clichés/Fillers

These phrases used to feel powerful. Now they scream AI.

❌ “Here’s the thing…”
❌ “Let me explain…”
❌ “The truth is…”
❌ “It’s not about X, it’s about Y…”
❌ “If you think about it…”
❌ “At the end of the day…”
❌ “You see…”
❌ “The reality is…”
❌ “Let that sink in.”
❌ “More than ever…”
❌ “It’s safe to say…”

They’re filler, add nothing, and make you sound like every other AI post on the internet.

If you catch them in your draft, cut them. Say what you mean without needing to announce it.

Step 12: ✨ The Only Real Shortcut

The only real shortcut is living a life worth writing about.

Read, journal, self-reflect, and write.

If you’re not reading, you can’t be a writer. AI won’t change that.

Sorry 🙂 .

If you’re not living an interesting life, AI won’t fix that either.

You need to feed your mind and your soul. Books, conversations, and experiences will give you something to say.

AI can polish your words, but it will never replace the depth you get from thinking for yourself, noticing the world, and putting those thoughts into sentences.

That’s the work that can’t be replaced.

📋 Quick Checklist: Edit AI Like Me

✅ Think like an editor, not a writer — AI gives raw material, you make it yours.
✅ Cut 20% — tighter, cleaner, sharper.
✅ Kill short, choppy sentences — combine for flow and rhythm.
✅ Break repetitive patterns — say it once, then move on.
✅ Remove adverbs & filler words — trust your reader.
✅ Ditch passive voice — write bold, present tense.
✅ Use the Rule of 3 — 1 is bold, 3 is complete, 2 feels weak.
✅ Stop overexplaining — one strong line beats three weak ones.
✅ Avoid AI tropes — no “poetry posts,” no recycled structures.
✅ Make it personal — “I,” “you,” opinions, emotions.
✅ Cut clichés — replace with clear, direct statements.
✅ Live a life worth writing about — read, reflect, write daily.

That’s it. Now you know how to make AI sound human 🙂

Feel free to prompt your AI with this checklist (ironic I know). But maybe it helps.

Want me to personally go through your writing and show you exactly how to sharpen it?

That’s what we do inside our writers community Full Circle ⭕ — jump in with a 7-day free trial and see how much better your writing can get in a week.

With love and just a tiny bit AI (yes, I’m guilty too),

Heythem