3 Quick Lessons In AI Prompting To 10X Your Writing Productivity
Hey there, Digital Writers!
In the past 12 months, I've written over 100 AI prompts for Write With AI.
Here are 3 quick lessons I've learned to help you get better results faster with your prompts (and a prompt to help you write your own lessons learned post too):
Lesson 1: Prep The Prompt
Having a clear structure is crucial when creating AI writing prompts.
Starting with a framework helps you communicate to the AI the most important elements AI needs for generating solid writing outputs.
Begin by prepping the main sections of your prompt:
Inputs: The topic you are writing about, the target audience/reader, and the outcome you are helping the reader achieve and any context or background information to help the AI understand the topic.
Task: What do you want the AI to create for you? These are the primary instructions. They should everything from the type of writing you want the AI to generate, to the length, to the tone of voice, style, etc.
Constraints: Define the limits and rules you want the AI to follow. Think of it like setting up boundaries within which the AI should operate. What should AI avoid doing? What template should it follow?
This will help ensure that your prompt is comprehensive and easy to follow.
This video helped me when I was first getting started.
Ever since, I always use the below template before I write any prompt.
All you have to do is fill it in.
# INPUT
{Topic}
{Audience}
{Outcome}
# STYLE
# TASK
{Act as a...}
{I want you to...}
# EXAMPLE
{For example...}
# TEMPLATE
{Prep the page}
# CONSTRAINTS
{What to avoid}
Which leads me to the next lesson.
Lesson 2: Templates = Efficiency
Using templates can significantly enhance the efficiency and consistency of your AI writing prompts.
In my experience, creating a library of reusable AI templates for common content types, such as newsletters, emails, or LinkedIn posts, has saved me countless hours. By using templates, I am able to generate a first draft 70% faster.
I have templates for:
Introductions
Conclusions
Paragraph structures
Calls-to-action
Formatting and styling
And more
Leveraging templates not only streamlines your prompt creation process but also ensures consistency across your AI-generated content.
Here’s my prompt template for writing a “lessons” post like this one.
# INPUT
Topic = {Your Topic}
Audience = {Your Audience}
Lessons = {List Lessons Learned}
# Writing Style
Plain and simple.
# TASK
Please create a new 750 word text using the INPUT and TEMPLATE I've provided.
# TEMPLATE =
## {Number} {Kind} Lessons From {Desire} {Credibility}
Hey there!
Start with a bold statement that highlights a significant personal achievement. Include specific metrics or figures to add credibility.
Introduce the main focus of the article, which is sharing the top lessons learned from your experience and point out the primary benefit for reading. Use 1-2 sentences.
Segue into the post and specify the number of lessons you will be discussing.
## Lesson {Number}: {Counterintuitive Lesson About Achieving a Goal or Developing a Skill}
Introduce a challenge faced by the reader. Use 1-2 sentences.
Emphasize that the answer lies in taking action. Use 1-2 sentences.
Provide a specific example of how taking action can lead to success. Use 2-3 sentences.
Share a personal anecdote that illustrates how you overcame a similar challenge by taking action. Use 2-3 sentences.
Conclude with a strong, concise statement that reinforces the importance of taking action. Use 1 sentence.
Transition to the next lesson or key point. Use 1 sentence.
## Lesson {Number}: {Counterintuitive Lesson About Achieving a Goal or Developing a Skill}
Describe a common misconception related to the goal. Use 1-2 sentences.
Illustrate the short-lived nature of the misconception. Use 1-2 sentences.
Encourage the reader to accept the fleeting nature of the experience. Use 1 sentence.
Highlight the prevalence of the misconception among people pursuing the goal. Use 1-2 sentences.
Present the "brutal truth" about the misconception. Use a bullet list with 3 points, to explain why.
Emphasize the critical factor in achieving sustainable success. Use 1-2 sentences.
Conclude by acknowledging the allure of the misconception and segue to the next lesson. Use 1-2 sentences.
## Lesson {Number}: {Counterintuitive Lesson for Achieving Your Goal}
Point out a common mistake. Use 1-2 sentences.
Explain why it's a mistake and how it limit their progress. Use 2-3 sentences.
Help the reader focus on what they should do instead. Use 1-2 sentences.
Share a personal story that illustrates the consequences of the mistake. Use 3-4 sentences.
Conclude with a powerful statement that inspires the reader. Use 1-2 sentences.
Now, remind the reader what they just learned.
Leave them with a final poignant takeaway.
# CONSTRAINTS
Avoid metaphors.
Avoid antithesis phrases.
Avoid purple prose AT ALL COSTS
Avoid words like "imagine, streamline, realm, game-changer, unlock, discover, skyrocket, abyss, you're not alone, in a world where, revolutionize, etc"
# Now, take a deep breath, relax, and try your hardest.
Lesson 3: Specificity Is The Secret
Specificity is key when crafting effective AI writing prompts.
Look for areas where you can provide detailed guidance, such as the desired tone, formatting, or content requirements.
Solve 1 problem
For 1 specific person
In 1 specific industry
In 1 specific way
The more specific you can be about the thing you're writing about, the more likely it is AI will write exactly what you want.
Here’s how to do it:
Use Detailed Descriptions: Choose clear and specific nouns and verbs to explain what you want. This helps the AI understand exactly what you're looking for.
Keep Asking Questions: Ask yourself "What kind?" repeatedly to drill down into the details until you've described what you need clearly.
Pre-answer Possible Questions: Try to guess what questions the AI might have about your request and answer those in your initial prompt.
Use a Helping Prompt: If you're still shaping your thoughts, add a line like "Before you respond, please help me see what I’m not thinking of here and ask me 3 additional questions that will help you give me a better response." at the end of your request. This tells the AI to help you refine your ideas.
To sum up, prompt writing is instruction writing.
And what makes a good prompt is the same thing that makes good writing—clarity of thought. The truth is, there is no perfect prompt. Even the most well-crafted prompts will require some level of editing and polishing.
The most important factor that determines the quality of your AI-generated content is having a clear understanding of what you want to achieve.
Everything else is just details.
That’s it!
Chat soon,
Co-Creators of Ship 30 for 30.
Appreciating the deeper dive into promoting & teaching how to think about it