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Would You Use AI to Break Writer's Block? We Asked 5 Experts
The Conversation
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- Date Published
- 19 Jan 2026
- Priority Score
- 1
- Australian
- Unknown
- Created
- 19 Jan 2026, 11:16 pm
Authors (1)
Description
A publishing giant believes AI can help break writers’ block. We asked 5 creative writing experts if they’d use it that way – and the range of results surprised us.
Summary
This article explores the potential of AI tools to assist authors in overcoming writer's block, highlighting varying opinions from five creative writing experts. While some see AI as a valuable aid in jumpstarting the writing process, others are wary of its creativity claims. The discussion offers insights into the broader applications of AI in creative industries beyond safety and policy implications. The content is tangentially related to AI governance, focusing more on personal and creative uses rather than existential or catastrophic AI risks.
Body
The founder and chief executive of Bloomsbury Publishing, responsible for blockbuster romantasy author Sarah J. Maas and literary heavyweights like George Saunders, has suggested AI “will probably help creativity” – including by helping authors defeat writer’s block.
“AI gets them going and writes the first paragraph, or first chapter, and gets them back in the zone,” he said.
We asked five creative writing experts, including authors who’ve published memoirs, novels and short stories, what they think. Would they use AI to break writer’s block?
Their answers – which ranged from “a hard no” to innovative reasons for “yes” – were illuminating, complicated and often surprising.