Episode 484: Dump Your Overwhelm on the AI: Planning Your 2026 Writing Goals (Part 1)

Are you an overwhelmed writer trying to figure out how to get more done in 2026? You're not alone. Between building a platform, serving your audience, and actually writing your book, it can feel impossible to make progress on what matters most.

In this first episode of a two-part series, Kathi Lipp and AI expert Roger Lipp dive into how writers can use artificial intelligence responsibly—not to write their books, but to plan, organize, and structure their creative lives. If you've been curious about AI but worried about crossing ethical lines, this conversation will put your mind at ease while opening up new possibilities.

What You'll Discover in This Episode

• Why AI is no longer optional for writers—and how to use it without compromising your creativity
• The Create, Build, Serve (CBS) framework that helps you organize your writing goals
• How to communicate with AI effectively (hint: it's the opposite of Google)
• Why "waves of productivity" might serve you better than rigid rhythms
• Practical ways to dump your overwhelm on AI and let it help you sort through the chaos

The CBS Framework Explained

Create: Your core creative work—writing your book, creating your blog, recording your podcast

Build: The business and money-making aspects of your writing career

Serve: How you give back to your community, even those who may never purchase from you

Key Takeaways

• AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude can help you structure your schedule without doing your creative work for you
• Always check with your publisher or agent about their AI policies before using it in your writing process
• Turn on privacy settings in your AI tool to protect your original content
• We overestimate what we can accomplish in a month but underestimate what we can do in 15 minutes
• The AI doesn't get overwhelmed—so let it help you sort through the chaos

Whether you're writing your first book or your thirtieth, managing a side hustle or a full-time writing career, this episode will give you practical tools to make 2026 your most productive writing year yet.