I can't use AI to write my paper. How am I supposed to write it?

Question

Although you can't use AI to write the paper for yourself, there are a lot of useful tools you can use to improve your writing and still do it on your own...

Answer 1

There are a few things to consider before starting. The first step is to really understand the assignment. Look closely at the guidelines, rubric, and any associated materials your teacher has provided. Did your instructor provide any examples or offer advice in class? Ask yourself what the purpose of the paper is, what kind of evidence or sources you need, and what the expectations are for formatting, length, and style. Understanding exactly what’s being asked is the foundation for a strong paper, and it can preven falling off track later.

Once you know what’s required, brainstorming is the next step. There are lots of ways to do this. You can make a list of ideas, jot down questions, or even freewrite for a few minutes without worrying about grammar or organization. The goal is to get as many thoughts as possible on paper, and you can narrow them down later. You want to identify which ideas are strongest, most interesting, or most supported by evidence. Sometimes talking through your ideas with a friend, tutor, or teacher can also spark connections you wouldn’t have found on your own. I personally find it most helpful to have a casual conversation with a friend on the topic so that it is easy to make meaningful connections on the page.

If your paper requires research or source material, it is best to review it after brainstorming. Look for reliable sources that directly relate to your topic, and take notes on key points, quotes, and page numbers so you can cite them later. Think critically about how each source supports your argument or analysis. Reading sources carefully also gives you ideas for your own voice and perspective.

After you have your ideas and evidence, it’s time to outline or plan your paper. A simple structure can help a lot: an introduction that presents your main point, a series of paragraphs that support it with evidence and analysis, and a conclusion that wraps everything up. You can create bullet points for each paragraph with the key idea and supporting details. Outlines are simply a roadmap to keep your writing focused and organized throughout the entire essay.

When you actually start writing, it’s okay to begin with a very straightforward sentence. Don’t worry about making it perfect on the first try. You can always revise and develop it later. Getting something on the page is more important than perfection at this stage, and a clear starting point makes it easier to keep momentum. Write the body first if that feels easier, and come back to the introduction once you know exactly what you want to say. I know the introduction is where I used to find myself getting stuck!

Revision and proofreading are essential after your first draft is complete. Revision is where you look at the big picture: does your argument make sense, is your evidence clear, do your paragraphs flow logically, and does your paper fully answer the prompt? After revising, proofreading is the chance to catch grammar errors, typos, awkward phrasing, or formatting mistakes. Reading aloud or asking someone else to review your work can help catch things you might miss.

I wish you the best of luck with your writing! Please feel free to reach out if you want any writing support. I'm always happy to help.

Answer 2

There is a lot to unpack with this question. It would be helpful to know the purpose of the paper. Why hasn't the instructor taught you how to write it?

As others have expressed, I would also love the opportunity to help you, generally (and specifically with writing any particular paper).

For context: I wrote a 250-page thesis in 2007, only a few years after being invited to join TheFacebook (which had fewer than 20,000 users at that time). We physically spent time in library carrels.

The sudden advancement of "AI" as you're experiencing in your formative years (specifically the LLMs), is indeed alluring. After all, its development and popularization is in part due to a narrative constructed by Wall Street ambition. However, this is still extremely nascent technology. It is quite faulty. For example, Google's "Gemini" — formerly "Bard" — often gets basic facts wrong, and even fails to identify incorrect spelling in written English. These are just some small examples. There are many more layers to this, which together make a reliance on "AI" deeply problematic for a young person's education in the post-2020 world.

This technology is —and will increasingly become — a *great* tool when used responsibly and effectively, as you have correctly pointed out. This is the correct answer when dealing with any technology. It exists as a result of scientific knowledge, and is used to solve human problems, meet our needs, and improve our interactions with our environment.

In short, technology is a tool. Nothing more. It is no substitute for true critical thinking, investigative research, practice, mastery, expression, emotion, etc. Moreover, learning to write with your own style can be extremely rewarding (not only for you, but for your readers).

There is a lot more to say. Perhaps this suffices, for now: many AI papers/articles/etc. are simply boring. They don't connect with people the same way that another human can.

The difference (between "AI" and human voice/tone) will likely become less and less distinguishable as time goes on. However, even as LLMs improve — and as another tutor here has pointed out — if you use AI to write a paper for you, it's not difficult to detect. Our faulty (but already fast, and exponentially improving) AI can often detect other AI writing instantaneously. Of course, the AI also gets it wrong often enough to be statistically significant. The compounding of these errors can set off a chain reaction of flawed logic that can spiral out of control. Think (or write) about that for a second!

Answer 3

So many of my students, especially the middle schoolers, cannot understand why using AI to write is not their best option. It is so much easier to use it. You don't really have to think, yet, that is probably your best tool. Your own ability to think. To get to the point of writing own your own takes practice. Writing exercises will help with that. Journaling or free writing about different topics can give you the practice you need. Reading a lot will help you become a better writer. Pay attention to how the writer describes things, how the writier makes you "feel" and "see" what the charaterers are feeling and seeing. Pay attention to how the writer transitions from one paragraph to another. Use tools that will help you improve and expand your vocabulary or templates that will help you orgaizie your ideas. You could read manuals or listen to podcasts on how to write effectively. Lastly, once you have an idea just start writing and as you write make sure you are expressing yourself clearly and logically in a way that your intended reader will easily understand what your are saying. Once you have done all this, proofread, edit, and make sure there are no grammatical or style errors.

Answer 4

I would love to offer tutoring to help you learn to write papers.

Answer 5

Writing a paper can be difficult, especially if you are not used to research. NO, you cannot use AI to write your paper, because it can be detected. Here are some helpful tips:

1. Choose a topic that interests you, unless your professor has assigned a specific topic.
2. After choosing your topic, Go to an online database to help you find sources about that topic.
3. Remember to skim the information and take relevant notes that you may use later. Don't forget to cite your sources of information. If you don't know how to cite your source, you can use an online citation machine. APA has an online citation platform, or you can refer to the APA guide (American Psychological Association) Publication Manual, 7th edition, which is available online. edition, which is available online. edition, which is available online.
4. Develop an outline of the topics you will discuss in your paper.
5. Once you have taken notes on your sources, you can use your outline to write your paper.
6. Paraphrase the notes that you have taken to avoid PLAGIARISM. This is a big deal (writing verbatim what the author has written, and not giving credit for that author's ideas).
7. Summarize the information you have written (Give credit to your source). There are resources online that illustrate how to paraphrase and summarize your information. A good resource is Purdue OWL (online writing). You can use a thesaurus to help with vocabulary and to make your writing authentic.
8. Put it all together and see if it follows sequentially, and coherently. If you follow these guidelines, you will do well. It is OK to ask someone to proofread your paper.

Answer 6

You can make your piece of writing truly your own with advanced web features, consider assessing language fluency, checking citation consistency, using advanced vocabulary and etc.