Why I'm co-writing MOAR! with Claude, and the lessons I'm learning

Right now, Louise Rapley – word magician and copy editor extraordinaire – is working her magic on my manuscript. And I'm still here, refining and adjusting with Claude as Louise's feedback comes through. Which means I'm in that sweet spot between 'the first draft is done' and 'it's published.' The perfect moment to share what's actually happening behind the scenes: how Claude and I are co-creating this book together.

The unexpected recommendation

When self-publishing expert Phillipa Mitchell told me in February this year to work with an AI tool to write my book, I had two choices: dismiss it as tech hype, or trust the expert and take the leap.

I chose the leap. Nine months later, I have a complete manuscript – ideas on pages instead of ideas trapped in my head.

I remember the moment like it was yesterday. I was sitting across from Phillipa on my stoep here in Jamestown, explaining my vision for the book, when she suddenly said: "Have you considered using Claude?"

Claude. An AI writing tool. I'm an AI dabbler at best – curious but sceptical. How could an algorithm help me write something as personal as a book about work wellbeing and transformation?

But here's what I know about growth: it lives just beyond your comfort zone. And I trusted Phillipa's judgement more than I trusted my resistance.

I bought my $20 a month Claude Pro subscription right there in that meeting.

Best twenty dollars I've ever spent.

I'd started this book back in April 2023 – brief written, book cover designed by my cousin Christi, vision clear. Then life happened. We moved back to South Africa. Built a new home. Kept working with clients. The book sat waiting. But here's what I didn't realise: I wasn't procrastinating. I was living the Hero's Journey I needed to write about. By the time I sat down with Phillipa in February 2025 – almost two years later – I had something I didn't have in 2023: the full circle experience to share.

Finding our rhythm

The first thing we did together changed everything: we established my voice.

Not some generic "professional author" voice. MY voice. The brave narrative voice I'd developed in my first book, ROAR! – direct, conversational, metaphor-rich, willing to get vulnerable. We fed Claude examples from ROAR!, and within hours, it understood the tone, the rhythm, the way I make complex transformation work feel accessible.

Then came the morning that convinced me this would actually work.

In a single morning session, we mapped out the entire book structure. All eight chapters. The flow. The Hero's Journey framework I wanted to use. The balance between personal story and practical application.

It wasn't perfect. It didn't need to be. It was good enough to get started – and for a recovering perfectionist like me, "good enough to start" is revolutionary.

Co-writing in the trenches

Here's how it actually worked: one chapter per month, with Phillipa reviewing each one and giving feedback. That accountability kept me moving forward when the emotional weight of the work threatened to stop me cold.

For each chapter, we followed a pattern:

• Brainstorm: I'd dump all my ideas, stories, frameworks into the conversation
• Draft: Claude would create a first version based on that brain dump
• Refine: I'd review line by line, cutting, reshaping, adding my voice back in where it had gone generic

Some chapters flowed like water. The structure was clear, the stories were ready, and within a few sessions we had something I was proud of.

Other chapters? Rabbit holes. Deep, frustrating, energy-draining rabbit holes.

Here's what I learned the hard way: the quality of our output directly correlated with the clarity of my input. When I had a clear structure – and for me, that means a visual outline I can see – the writing came easily. When my thinking was muddy, when I hadn't done the deeper work of figuring out what I actually wanted to say, we'd spin.

The chapters where I shared the most difficult parts of my personal journey – my husband's cancer scare, my own breakdowns, the old stories I had to alchemise – required me to dig deeper emotionally. That was draining. But Claude helped me pull myself out of the muck and back to clarity faster than I ever could have alone.

The Sunday morning crisis

Chapter 8. The final chapter. The one where I return with my gifts and close the Hero's Journey.

I had my original outline. It felt good. But somewhere along the way, I convinced myself it wasn't good enough. I found someone else's framework and spent an entire weekend trying to force my content into their structure.

I woke up Sunday morning disturbed. That sick feeling in your stomach when you know you've gone off track but you're not sure how to get back.

I opened Claude and typed: "I am having a crisis in confidence."

Then I explained the dilemma – two frameworks, a weekend of wasted work, and a looming deadline with Phillipa.

Thirty minutes later, we'd diagnosed the problem: I'd abandoned my authentic voice trying to fit someone else's template. We updated the chapter outline, drafted a new version that honoured my original vision, and two days later I submitted it to Phillipa.

Thirty minutes to solve what could have taken me weeks of spiralling.

That's when I knew: this collaboration wasn't just making me faster. It was making me braver.

The messy truth about AI collaboration

Let me be honest about the hard parts, because if you're going to try this, you need to know what you're getting into.

The frustration was real. When conversations got too long, Claude would lose context and I'd have to start fresh. I'd have to re-establish the voice, remind it of key decisions we'd made. Some days it felt like starting over.

The balance was tricky. Sometimes Claude would get carried away and write pages and pages of content that felt generic or overblown. I'd have to rein it back in, cut ruthlessly, inject my voice back into every sentence.

My energy mattered more than I expected. There was a direct correlation between my mood, my energy levels, and the quality of our collaboration. On days when I was depleted or unclear, Claude seemed to "lose its way." But that wasn't really about the AI – it was a mirror reflecting my own state of mind back to me.

And here's the beautiful part: I could give Claude direct, blunt feedback without worrying about hurting its feelings. "This doesn't sound like me." "You're getting too verbose." "Pull back, we're losing the thread."

No emotional management required. No relationship maintenance. Just honest collaboration focused entirely on making the work better.

What I learned that changed everything

Lesson 1: Start with voice, not content. Spend time establishing your unique tone before you write a single chapter. This becomes your North Star.

Lesson 2: Structure is everything. The clearer your outline, the better your output. Don't skip the brainstorming phase thinking you'll "figure it out as you go."

Lesson 3: Your emotional availability matters. AI can't manufacture clarity from confusion. It can help you find clarity faster, but you still have to do your inner work.

Lesson 4: Think of it as a collaboration, not automation. This isn't "AI writes my book while I watch Netflix." This is a creative partnership where you bring the vision, the voice, the vulnerable truth—and AI helps you shape it into something coherent and powerful.

Lesson 5: The tool amplifies what you bring. On your best days, it helps you soar. On your worst days, it helps you stay functional. But it always requires you to show up.

The invitation

Here's what I want you to know: I started this journey in February 2025 as a sceptical dabbler. By November, I had a complete manuscript for a book that will publish in February 2026. A book that had been waiting since April 2023 finally came together in nine months of focused collaboration.

Not because AI did the work for me.

Because AI gave me back the most precious resource we all lack: time and cognitive space.

Time to think deeper instead of wrestling with blank pages. Space to process my emotions instead of drowning in perfectionism. Energy to refine and elevate instead of just trying to get something – anything – down.

So here's my challenge to you: Pick one area of your life where AI could give you time back. Just one.

Maybe it's writing that book you've been circling for years. Maybe it's creating content for your business. Maybe it's planning your week, organising your thoughts, or finally turning that messy idea into something structured and shareable.

Choose one tool and commit to going deep. Not surface dabbling – deep partnership. Learn its strengths and limitations. Figure out how to work together. Build a collaboration that amplifies your unique genius instead of trying to replace it.

For me, that tool was Claude – considered one of the leading AI copywriting tools in the world. But the specific tool matters less than your commitment to the process.

Because here's the truth I've learned: AI doesn't replace human creativity, wisdom, or voice. It amplifies it.

And if you're someone who has wisdom worth sharing, a message that matters, a voice the world needs to hear – why wouldn't you explore every tool available to get that message out faster and stronger?

Your ideas are too important to stay trapped in "someday."

Your voice is too needed to stay stuck in perfectionism.

Your transformation is too valuable to keep to yourself.

So take the leap. Buy the subscription. Start the conversation. See what becomes possible when you partner with technology instead of fearing it.

The world is waiting for your MOAR.

About the Author: Marilise de Villiers Basson is the author of ROAR! How to Tame the Bully Inside & Out and the forthcoming MOAR! Making Work Magic Inside & Out (publishing February 26, 2026). She helps individuals and organisations discover what they want and why through a transformational Hero's Journey framework. Connect with her here.

About MOAR!: A revolutionary approach to work wellbeing that combines the ancient wisdom of the Hero's Journey with modern transformation frameworks. Join my mailing lists for future updates on how to purchase the book here.

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