Be the Author: Writing
Let Claude be your writing coach. Brainstorm ideas, plan your structure and write the words yourself, in your own voice.
Your writing desk
Chapter 3 at a glance
3.1 Brainstorm ideas
🎯 Goal: use Claude to spark ideas, then choose your own- Staring at a blank page? Ask Claude for 10 ideas about your topic.
- Ask for ideas in different directions: funny, serious, surprising.
- You choose your favourite 2 or 3. Then add your own.
- An idea from Claude is a spark. The writing is still yours.
🕸️ An idea web for “A day without electricity”
🌍 Real-life examples
Now it is Claude’s story, not yours.
You get sparks and keep the pen.
📝 Quick quiz
1. What should Claude give you when brainstorming?
✅ Ideas, not the finished writing.
2. Who picks the final idea?A) Claude B) You
✅ B. You choose and make it yours.
3. Why ask for ideas in different directions?
✅ You see more choices, such as funny, serious and surprising.
3.2 Plan your structure
🎯 Goal: build a clear skeleton before you write- Good writing has a skeleton: a hook, a body and an ending.
- Each body paragraph can use PEEL: Point, Evidence, Explain, Link.
- Ask Claude for an outline only. You fill in the sentences.
- Change the outline if you disagree. It is your plan.
🦴 The essay skeleton
🍊 PEEL paragraph
🌍 Real-life examples
Claude writes it all and you learn nothing.
You get a skeleton to build on.
📝 Quick quiz
1. What does PEEL stand for?
✅ Point, Evidence, Explain, Link.
2. What should the outline contain?A) Full paragraphs B) Hook, body points and ending ideas
✅ B. You write the sentences.
3. Who owns the plan?
✅ You do. Change it if you disagree.
3.3 Write with a coach
🎯 Goal: write your own draft and ask for hints, not rewrites- You write the first draft. Even a messy one is great!
- Ask Claude for sentence starters, stronger word ideas or what to add.
- Ask for hints, not a rewrite: “Which sentence is unclear? Give me a hint.”
- Keep your own voice. If it does not sound like you, change it.
🔄 The Coach Loop
🎨 Show, do not tell
🌍 Real-life examples
Claude may rewrite everything.
You keep the pen and your voice.
📝 Quick quiz
1. Who writes the first draft?
✅ You do.
2. Which is “showing”?A) “She was sad.” B) “She stared at her empty plate, her eyes shining.”
✅ B. It shows what you see and feel.
3. What should you ask Claude for instead of a rewrite?
✅ Hints, such as which sentence is unclear.
3.4 Audience and purpose
🎯 Goal: match your writing to who reads it and why- Before writing, ask: Who will read this? and Why am I writing it?
- A letter to a friend sounds different from a letter to a principal.
- Tell Claude your audience when asking for tips: “My reader is a Class 5 student.”
- Check that your style, length and words suit the reader.
🎯 Same topic, different style
🌍 Real-life examples
To whom? For what?
Reader and purpose are clear.
📝 Quick quiz
1. What 2 questions should you ask before writing?
✅ Who will read it, and why am I writing it?
2. Which style suits a letter to the principal?A) Casual and chatty B) Polite and formal
✅ B. Polite and formal.
3. Why tell Claude your reader?
✅ So its tips fit the right style and level.
🧱 PEEL Paragraph Builder
Write each part in your own words. Your paragraph builds below as you type. Nothing leaves your device.
Chapter 3 summary
Brainstorm ideas • Plan the skeleton • Write the draft yourself • Match your reader.