The ChatGPT Workflow Every Content Creator Should Use in 2025

The no-code way to automate your writing workflow with AI.

Even the most creative workflows have repetition baked in. And if you’re a regular Substack writer, you know the drill: brainstorm, write, edit, polish, repurpose. Repeat.

Sure, you already use ChatGPT here and there. Maybe you ask it to polish a sentence, brainstorm a few ideas, or reformat something for another platform.

But there’s a difference between using AI occasionally and actually integrating it in a way that saves you time, improves your content, and helps you show up more consistently.

That’s what this post is about.

By the end of this post, you’ll:

• Understand why Custom GPTs are a smarter way to use ChatGPT, especially for repetitive tasks you do often

• Walk away with three ready-to-use GPTs to help you:

  • Brainstorm your next Substack post, and generate tailored, on-brand content ideas

  • Polish messy drafts, and turn scattered thoughts into strong, reader-friendly writing in your voice

  • Repurpose content across platforms, and transform one post into multiple formats (LinkedIn, Twitter, newsletter, etc.)

    Already curious? You can click the links above and jump right in.

• Learn how to structure prompts that turn GPT into a co-creator, not just a task executor

• Know how to turn these templates into your own Custom GPTs, with a clear structure for building co-creator assistants and a step-by-step guide to set them up (no coding needed)

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Let’s say you’re brainstorming post ideas. Or rewriting a rough draft. Or turning your newsletter into a tweet thread. You’ve probably typed before something like:

Help me brainstorm ideas for my next Substack post.

Or…

Can you polish this draft?

These are decent starting points. But they’re vague. And vague prompts usually lead to generic results.

Alternatively, you could spend time refining your prompt structure every time, manually feeding context, tone, and workflow.

Or, you could skip all that.

You just need to…

Build your own Custom GPT

With the Pro plan of ChatGPT, you can build your own assistant, one that’s trained on your needs, your content style, and your workflow.

No more generic or disappointing results.

No more going through each step that makes a prompt actually work.

No more trying to remember or copy-paste the prompt that worked last time.

Just set it up once, and from then on, it’s click and go.

The real power of a Custom GPT is in helping you build repeatable systems for the kinds of tasks you do over and over again, and that saves you time and improves the quality of your work.

So if you’re a writer, solo creator, coach, consultant, or just someone who’s doing a lot of thinking and publishing online, having a GPT that’s trained on your workflow means you spend less time repeating yourself… and more time producing work you’re actually proud of.

Let’s get into it.

I’ve bundled all three full prompts I use in one file. You’ll find the link at the end if you want to copy or customize them yourself.

The AI Brainstorming Partner - from blank page to idea list

This GPT acts as a thinking partner. It asks questions to help you reflect on your niche, your past posts, and what you’re hoping to create next. From there, it suggests ideas, helps you refine them, and makes sure you’re not just filling space, but actually writing something you’re excited to hit publish on.

And throughout the process, it doesn’t take over your voice or your judgment—you’re still the expert. It’s just there to help you think more clearly, work faster, and stay in motion.

If you want to try this out for yourself, I’ve built a Custom GPT you can use right away, even if you don’t have the Pro plan. It’s called the AI Brainstorming Partner.

You can find it here.

To see it in action, here’s a short video of me using it to brainstorm my own content.

If you do have the Pro plan, you can take my prompt and customize it even further. For example, you might want to delete the exploratory questions and feed in your Substack description and a few past posts directly in the system instructions. That way, it skips the back-and-forth and jumps straight into idea generation.

You can even expand the prompt to help you outline or write the full post. If that sounds helpful, let me know. I can share a follow-up for that too.

The AI Writing Coach - from messy draft to publish-ready

Sometimes you do have the idea already down… it’s just kind of all over the place.

Maybe it’s a rambling draft, a brain-dump in your notes app, or a half-written post that’s missing the thread.

This is where your Custom GPT steps in as a writing coach. It helps you shape what you’ve already got, push your thinking, and bring the piece up to publishing quality, without losing your voice in the process.

It asks clarifying questions. It helps you spot gaps or tangents. And it makes sure your post actually says what you want it to say clearly and confidently.

If you want to try this out for yourself, I’ve built a Custom GPT you can use right away. It’s called The AI Writing Coach.

You can find it here.

To see it in action, here’s a short video of me using it to clean up a rough draft.

If you’re on the Pro plan, you can tailor it even more. For example, you can add a few past posts or your go-to structure directly into the system instructions. That way, the output stays aligned with your usual style.

The AI Repurposing Assistant - from one post to many

You’ve already done the hard work of writing something great. Now it’s time to get more out of it.

This Custom GPT helps you repurpose your newsletter into other formats—like LinkedIn posts, tweet threads, shorter emails, or even scripts for videos or podcasts.

It takes your original piece and adapts it for different platforms, audiences, and tones, without sounding copy-pasted or robotic.

It asks how you want to reuse the content. It pulls out key points, reshapes the structure, and adjusts the language to fit the new format, while keeping your voice consistent.

I’ve built a GPT for this exact workflow. It’s called the AI Repurposing Assistant, and you can use it right away.

You can find it here.

Here’s a short video of me turning one of my recent posts into a LinkedIn carousel, without writing everything from scratch.

If you’re using the Pro plan, you can customize the GPT’s system instructions for even more focused work. For example, you can create different versions for each platform—one trained for LinkedIn, one for Twitter, one for your newsletter. Just add your tone preferences, content goals, and a few examples into the setup.

You can also apply the few-shots technique, giving it a handful of repurposed examples, so it learns exactly how you like to reframe your content. That way, every time you repurpose, it already sounds like you and supports your strategy right out of the gate.

Whether you’re building your brand, growing your audience, or just trying to show up more consistently, this is the easiest way to extend the life of every piece you publish.

The secret to writing prompts that make you the co-creator

Some prompts turn GPT into a tool that just executes a task, like “rewrite this in a more casual tone” or “summarize this article”.

If that’s what you’re after, I wrote a whole post on how to get better results with those kinds of prompts - you can check it out here.

But what you’ve seen in this post, especially the first two use cases, are something else entirely: prompts that make you a co-creator.

They don’t just get things done for you; they help you think more clearly, push your ideas further, and stay in control of the creative process.

If you want to create your own custom GPTs that behave this way, here’s the structure to follow:

Start with the GOAL

Define what kind of interaction you want.

This isn’t just “what task should it complete,” but:

What kind of role should GPT play in helping you think, write, or create?

Define the PERSONA

This is where you build in tone, expectations, and boundaries. For co-creators, you want GPT to behave like a helpful partner, not a know-it-all.

Key things to include:

• GPT is not the expert, the user is

• GPT believes in the user’s potential or message

• GPT is supportive, thoughtful, and collaborative

• GPT asks questions before offering answers

Add a NARRATIVE

This gives GPT context for how the session should unfold. You’re basically saying, “Here’s what the user will do, and here’s how you should respond.”

Break it into STEPS

This is what really turns GPT into a co-creator: giving it a step-by-step process.

Each step should include:

• What it should do

• What it should avoid

• When it should move to the next step

To be clear: not every GPT needs to be this collaborative. You might want a Custom GPT that just performs a task, like generating 10 headlines, translating something, or formatting a list. That’s totally valid. Those GPTs are more like automations.

But when you’re building a creative partner, this approach makes all the difference. It makes GPT more than a tool. It makes it part of your process.

How to create your own Custom GPT (if you’re on the pro plan)

If you’re using ChatGPT Pro, you can turn any of the GPTs in this post into your own Custom GPT, no coding needed. Just follow these steps:

1. Go to chat.openai.com/gpts

This is where all your Custom GPTs live. Click “Explore GPTs,” then hit “Create” in the top right.

2. Choose “Create” → “Configure manually”

Skip the guided flow, it’s cute but not flexible enough. Choose “Configure manually” so you can paste in your own instructions.

3. Name your GPT and add a short description

Keep it clear and action-focused (e.g. “The AI Writing Coach: helps you improve messy drafts while keeping your voice intact.”)

4. Paste the full prompt into the “Instructions” box

That’s where you drop the structured prompt you’ve built (goal, persona, narrative, steps). You can tweak the wording to reflect your own workflow and preferences.

5. (Optional) Add files, links, or example messages

If you want to give your GPT even more context—like a bio, sample posts, or your tone of voice—you can add it here.

6. Click “Save” and you’re done.

You’ll get a unique link you can bookmark, or even share with others.

Now every time you need to brainstorm, polish, or repurpose content, your custom assistant is just one click away, already trained on how you like to work.

Download your ready-to-use Prompt Cheatsheet

I’ve bundled all three full prompts, the ones behind the GPTs I walked you through in this post, into a downloadable PDF.

You can copy, tweak, or use them as-is to build your own Custom GPTs or drop straight into regular ChatGPT.

These prompt structures were inspired by the remarkable work of

Ethan Mollick

, whose research and writing on AI-assisted learning and co-creation continue to shape how we think about working with AI.

Where should we go from here?

Everything I share here, from prompts to workflows to Custom GPTs, is rooted in one goal:

Helping non-technical professionals work better, think faster, and stay relevant, without the overwhelm.

You don’t need to become an AI expert.

You just need tools that actually support how you work.

If you try one of these GPTs (or tweak them into your own), I’d love to hear how it goes.

Got a task you wish a Custom GPT could take off your plate? Drop it in the comments or hit reply. I just might build it next.

If this was helpful, you can support my work by subscribing to get the next one in your inbox, or restack it to help others find it too.