Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers
Create original written works, such as scripts, essays, prose, poetry or song lyrics, for publication or performance.
$76,910 a year (for the broader BLS group this job sits in).
of the working time. Estimate.
- 97%
- 3%
- 0%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 5%. Today's estimate: 10%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 16 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Write narrative, dramatic, lyric, or other types of poetry for publication.Done daily by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 19% | 1.3 work days2.5 h to 4.2 work days | 3%Half by Feb 2028 | |
| Write fiction or nonfiction prose, such as short stories, novels, biographies, articles, descriptive or critical analyses, and essays.Done daily by most who do it. | 19% | 2.1 work days3.3 h to 1.7 work weeks | 1%Half by Sep 2028 | |
| Develop factors such as themes, plots, characterizations, psychological analyses, historical environments, action, and dialogue to create material.Done daily by most who do it. | 19% | 6.7 h2.5 h to 2.1 work days | 10%Half by Jun 2027 | |
| Revise written material to meet personal standards and to satisfy needs of clients, publishers, directors, or producers.Done several times a day by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 9% | 3.3 h50 min to 2.1 work days | 18%Half by Jul 2027 | |
| Conduct research to obtain factual information and authentic detail, using sources such as newspaper accounts, diaries, and interviews.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 8% | 4.2 h50 min to 3.1 work days | 10%Half by Jan 2028 | |
| Choose subject matter and suitable form to express personal feelings and experiences or ideas, or to narrate stories or events.Done daily by most who do it. | 8% | 3.3 h50 min to 1 work day | 28%Half by Feb 2027 | |
| Write words to fit musical compositions, including lyrics for operas, musical plays, and choral works.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 1.7 work days2.5 h to 1.3 work weeks | 2%Half by Jul 2028 | |
| Plan project arrangements or outlines, and organize material accordingly.Done more than monthly by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 5% | 3.3 h50 min to 1.7 work days | 21%Half by May 2027 | |
| Collaborate with other writers on specific projects.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 2% | 3.3 h50 min to 1.7 work days | Stays with people | |
| Write humorous material for publication, or for performances such as comedy routines, gags, and comedy shows.Done more than yearly by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 2% | 6.7 h1.7 h to 3.1 work days | 7%Half by Nov 2027 | |
| Adapt text to accommodate musical requirements of composers and singers.Done more than weekly by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 1% | 3.3 h1.3 h to 1.3 work days | 32%Half by Jan 2027 | |
| Prepare works in appropriate format for publication, and send them to publishers or producers.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 0.8% | 1.3 h25 min to 4.2 h | 69%Half by now |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.
- Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers6,730 people
- Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services5,910 people
- Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers5,270 people
- Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services3,880 people
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools2,310 people
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025). Counts are for the broader BLS group this job sits in.