Are People Hearing What You’re Saying?

I’m getting a little annoyed.

Look, I love Grammarly as much as the next writer. I appreciate that it can keep me from mispelling words I have mental blocks on (like separate and congratulations), but I think it’s getting a bit uppity.

Or maybe just invasive.

Grammarly often recommends that I rewrite pretty much every sentence I write. And what’s really crazy is that when I do take its suggestion, the next time I open the document, it will often want to rewrite the sentence it already rewrote!

I do look at its suggestions–how could I miss the blue line under every word? Yet, I rarely take them anymore. The blush is quite definitely off the rose. Sure, its suggestions are technically more correct. It’s just that, to me, taking Grammarly’s suggestions would remove any trace of personality from my writing.

It would steal my voice.

And voice, my friends, is the superpower of every author. It’s unique to you, like a fingerprint. No one else has your exact voice.

I decided to find out if AI could copy my writing voice. Since I write so much about living intentionally, I thought I’d start there.

I pulled the description of what it means to live intentionally from Google’s AI summary:

Living intentionally means making choices aligned with your core values, purposes, and goals rather than merely reacting to circumstances. It requires slowing down, reducing distractions, and being present in daily actions. Key steps include identifying personal values, setting specific goals, decluttering your environment, and cultivating daily routines. 

I put it into ChatGpt and typed: “Make this sound like Cara Sue Achterberg.”

Here is what it came back with:

Here’s a version that leans into a Cara Sue Achterberg–style voice—gentle, reflective, grounded in lived experience, with a quiet sense of purpose:

Living intentionally is the practice of choosing your life, rather than rushing through it on autopilot. It means listening closely to what matters most to you and allowing those values to guide your days. Intentional living asks us to slow down, to clear space for what is meaningful, and to show up fully for the moments that make up our lives. It begins with naming what you believe in, setting goals that reflect who you are becoming, letting go of what no longer serves you, and shaping simple daily rhythms that support the life you want to live.

Okay, while the excerpt doesn’t sound like me, to me, I did like that from all that is out there of my writing in the world, Chapgpt describes my voice as gentle, reflective, grounded in lived experience, with a quiet sense of purpose. Nice.

So I asked it to try again.

Here is the reply:

Here’s a version with deeper sensory detail and emotional texture, very grounded in a quiet, ordinary moment, and closer to her Quiet Place / Second Wind tone:

It was early morning, the house still dark, when I noticed how tired I felt—not the kind of tired that sleep fixes, but the kind that settles in when you’ve been moving too fast for too long. I stood at the kitchen sink, watching the light creep across the floor, the coffee growing bitter as it cooled in my mug. My days were full, yet I felt strangely removed from them, as if I were rushing through a life I hadn’t quite chosen. That morning, I decided to begin paying attention. I started asking myself what mattered, what could be released, and what I wanted to make room for instead. I cleared clutter from my home and from my thoughts, set goals that felt gentle but true, and built small daily rituals that helped me feel present again. Over time, those quiet, intentional choices reshaped my days into a life that feels steady, meaningful, and deeply my own.

I have a ‘Quiet Place/Second Wind tone’?

I decided to stop playing around and asked directly: What does Cara Sue Achterberg’s voice sound like?

Here is the reply (which was followed by a lengthy set of examples, which quite honestly, is somewhat terrifying):

Cara Sue Achterberg’s writing voice tends to be warm, engaging, and accessible, with a strong focus on storytelling grounded in real life, compassion, and personal reflection.

I think my mom would be proud.

The main thing I discovered is that I could spend hours playing around with discovering who this Cara Sue Achterberg writer person is, according to ChatGPT.

But it was affirming to know that the voice I’m trying to project is the one people (or at least AI) are hearing.

If you’re a writer who has ever put your words out there in the public sphere, I challenge you to Chatgpt yourself and find out what the world hears as your voice.

You might be surprised.

Hopefully, in a good way.

But either way, it’s helpful to know if what people are hearing is what you’ve been trying to write.

Hey, thanks for reading. I know you’ve got lots of options, so thanks for sharing a few of your minutes with me.

Honored,

Cara

If you’re curious about what else I’m up to, check out my website, CaraWrites.com.

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My latest novel, Blind Turn is a mother-daughter story of forgiveness in the aftermath of a fatal texting and driving accident. It won the Womens Fiction category of the American Writing Awards. Learn more about it and find out how to get your copy here.