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Hey, it’s Payton!

Good newsletters are storytelling in motion.

That’s why I love talking about email and believe in its power so much. The inbox is the last sacred space on the internet, so we better not waste it with crappy emails.

In today’s issue:

• Why I don’t trust people who say they don’t use AI.

• My favorite novel about a beat-up bartender.

• 100 prompts to transform your efficiency.

First time reading? Sign up here. If this email is clipped by Gmail click “Read Online”.

VERY GOOD EMAIL

“BTW, your ChatGPT is showing.”

I read the comment and nearly sprayed milk out of my nose. (Yes, I drink milk in the middle of the day. Mind your business.)

Social media is already teetering on the edge of authenticity. Now people are pasting full posts into ChatGPT just to leave stale, soulless replies?

yikes —> scary implications attached to that.

But this problem isn’t limited to social.

The AI crisis is sneaking into the world of email, and it’s scaring away many founders, pastors, and creators from using AI at all.

Baby out with the bath water.

There’s a nagging thought: "People don’t want AI-generated emails. They want real content from real writers."

I 💯 agree.

Nobody wants to read robotic babble, whether it’s in comments, emails, or books.

BUT (and that’s a big but)...

…I never trust a creator who says they never use AI.

There are only two explanations for that:

1. They’re lying.

2. They’re ignoring one of the most powerful tools available.

Either way, it’s a self-imposed limitation.

Here’s the difference that matters:

• AI-generated writing = type “write this” and publish whatever it spits out. (Lazy.)

• AI-assisted writing = YOU stay the author, and AI helps you punch through blocks, test ideas, and refine your message. (Smart.)

The best writers I know are already doing this. They just don’t talk about it publicly.

They use AI to:

• Brainstorm creative angles

• Explore new metaphors or phrasing

• Refine flow and logic

• Break through the blank page

They remain the creative force behind the work.

And in a world where more words are being published per day than ever before in human history…

The only way to stand out is with:

1. Quality stories that connect

2. Consistency in publishing

The Very Good Email Playbook was designed to help you do both without losing your writing integrity. Did I mention it’s FREE?

Take that, $97 gurus.

MY BEST FINDS

Here are Payton’s Picks for the week. If you find something worth sharing with the rest of the Lab, reply to this email!

🧙‍♂️ Story

• My favorite novel begins with a seemingly old, beat-up bartender. Then he tells the stories of his youth and finds out he is a magic-wielding hero. What broke that hero? How did he become a beat-up bartender? Here’s the book.

• Here is a great video on creating internal conflict, or the popular mantra SHOW don’t TELL.

📧 Email

• AI prompt on how to write a newsletter like Axios (Write with AI).

• Brad Wolverton’s 6 newsletter predictions for 2025. The first one on the list lines up nicely with today’s discussion (Newsletter Examples)

✝️ Faith

• A good 6-minute read on 7 Powerful Women in the Bible Who Help Rescue God's People

• A cool visual guide on how the next pope was selected.

👀 ICYMI

• This storytelling method has lasted over 2,000 years.

🔦 Spotlight

• I started handcopying the Bible this year to force myself to slow down, think, and even pray as I read. Now I’m friends with a guy who runs a newsletter that helps me do it more intentionally. Bible Copy Club is worth a try. 

Want to get the most out of ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is a superpower if you know how to use it correctly.

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Learn to automate tasks, enhance decision-making, and foster innovation with the power of AI.

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Keep writing what matters,

— Payton