A Beginner’s Guide to Writing Prompts for ChatGPT

Chatting with AI can be an incredibly rewarding experience, but staring at that empty prompt box with no idea what to write? Well, let's just say it adds a whole new meaning to "writer's block." You type. Delete. Type again. Delete again. Dang...

Talking to AI should be easy. It's right there, waiting to answer literally anything. But your mind goes blank, and just asking a simple question feels like trying to explain a TikTok trend to your grandma.

What Is a Prompt?

Let's start with what a prompt actually is because, apparently, that's still confusing for some people. A ChatGPT prompt isn't just throwing words at an AI and praying – though watching LinkedIn influencers, you'd think that's all there is to it.

A prompt is just you telling ChatGPT what to do. You can't just throw random words at it and expect magic. You need to give it context, examples, and specific instructions, or you'll end up with the AI equivalent of a blank stare.

The problem? Most people write prompts like they're sending drunk texts to their ex at 3 AM. Vague, emotional, and completely lacking in useful detail. "Write me a good blog post about marketing" is not a prompt. It's a cry for help.

What Your AI Writing Actually Sounds Like

Your AI prompts probably read like an email from HR about "synergizing workplace dynamics." It's all "let me elucidate the fundamental principles" when you could just say, "here's the thing." Stop it. Seriously, just stop.

Every time ChatGPT uses phrases like "leverage," "optimize," or "let's dive deep," a creative writer somewhere dies inside. It's like listening to a TED Talk given by a robot who learned English from motivational posters.

Notice how AI never just says something? It's always "this might suggest" or "one could argue." Pick a lane, bot. Have an actual opinion. Real humans don't hedge every single statement like they're trying to avoid getting sued.

How to Write Like an Actual Person

First off, ditch the structure. Real writing is messy. It goes off on tangents. Sometimes, it circles back to make a point, and sometimes, it forgets what the point was because it got distracted by a story about that one time at a bar in 2016.

Want your AI to sound human? Tell it to write like it's texting a friend at 2 AM after three drinks. Not completely hammered, but just loose enough to drop the professional facade and say what it actually means.

And please… stop with the "comprehensive guides" and "ultimate overviews." Nobody has ever said, "Ah yes, this comprehensive guide to writing prompts is exactly what I needed in my life."

How to Actually Get ChatGPT to Do What You Want

Forget everything those YouTube "AI experts" told you about how to write ChatGPT prompts. You know the ones – they've got thumbnails with their mouths open in fake shock and titles like "INSANE ChatGPT Prompt Secrets REVEALED!!" 

Here's what actually works:

1. Be as Specific as Possible

"Write something good" isn't a prompt, it's a prayer.

• Instead of: "Write a blog post about dogs" 
• Try: "Write a 1,000-word blog post about common health issues in French Bulldogs, focusing on respiratory problems, with advice from veterinary sources. Use a conversational tone appropriate for pet owners who have basic knowledge of dog care."

2. Set the Context 

Give ChatGPT a role and audience. Want a technical article? Tell it to write as a senior software engineer explaining concepts to junior developers. Want marketing copy? Have it write as a brand strategist for your specific industry. 

But you can go into so much depth here. You can drop so much context on ChatGPT to provide a better response:

"I need to write an email to my boss who's a Scorpio and still uses Comic Sans, hasn't given me a raise since Trump’s first mandate, and once told me my cat's Instagram was unprofessional. Tell him that I want a day off next week.”

ChatGPT might give you some really interesting easter eggs.

3. Format Matters 

Don't just ask for content; specify the structure you want. Headers, bullet points, word count, whatever. ChatGPT really needs everything spelled out in the project brief.

For example:

• “Write this in short paragraphs"
• "Use bullet points for the main ideas"
• "Break this into sections with subheadings"
• "Give me the answer in a table comparing X and Y"

If you really want to go the extra mile here, you can try being more specific. You can tell it to structure the response like "a drunk person explaining cryptocurrency to their grandma at Thanksgiving." Trust me, it really hits different.

Tip: If you need to convert spoken content to text for better prompting, you can use Flixier to convert audio to text first.

4. Examples Are Your Best Friend

Want to know the fastest way to get ChatGPT to understand what you want? Just show it. Like, literally just paste in something you like and say, "Write more like this" and paste your example. ChatGPT is surprisingly good at mimicking styles.

Advanced Tricks That Actually Work

How long does it take to write a prompt for ChatGPT? If you're doing it right, it takes longer than you'd think. Spending 20 minutes crafting a good prompt beats spending an hour fixing a crappy output.

Here's what actually matters:

1. Emotion Setting

Tell ChatGPT how to feel about what it's writing. Want snark? Tell it to channel its inner disappointed millennial. Want enthusiasm? Have it write like someone who just discovered coffee exists.

2. The Personality Swap

This is where it gets fun. Instead of "write professionally," try "write this like Gordon Ramsay reviewing a bad steak." Watch how quickly the boring corporate-speak disappears.

3. Chain Your Prompts

Instead of asking for everything at once, break it down:

• First message: "Outline a technical article about Framo cargo pumps"
• Review the outline, then: "Expand section 3 of that outline, focusing on the purging pressure"
• Finally: "Okay, now make it sound like I actually know what I'm talking about."

4. Use the "Refine and Revise" Technique

Start broad, then get specific:

• Initial: "Write a sales email for a B2B SaaS product"
• Then: "Rewrite that email but make it shorter and more aggressive"
• Finally: "Now add specific pricing details and a clear call to action"

5. The Reality Check

Before you hit send, ask yourself: Would a human actually say this? If it sounds like it was written by a committee of robots trying to understand human emotions, start over.

Common Mistakes That Make You Look Like a Newbie

Being Too Polite to an Algorithm

Being nice to AI actually works. Forbes says throwing in a "please" can get you better results, but don’t go overboard with this. "Hey ChatGPT, could you..." works fine. But starting every prompt with "Dear ChatGPT, if you wouldn't mind..." makes you sound like you're writing to your gran.

Ignoring the Context Window

ChatGPT has the memory of a goldfish. It can't remember your whole conversation history.  Why? Because every time you chat, it's basically meeting you for the first time. Instead of assuming it knows what you talked about 20 prompts ago, make sure to remind it of any important information.

Thinking Longer Prompts Are Better

It's a prompt, not your autobiography. Don’t write a novel just to ask for a recipe. The AI doesn't need to know your entire journey - just the essential stuff.

Using It Like Google

"What's the weather in New York?" I don't know, maybe try an actual weather app? Want to know if your stocks are tanking? Check your trading app. ChatGPT's knowledge is basically frozen in time, like your ex's Instagram feed after they blocked you. Use it for what it's good at - making stuff up (intelligently).

Playing 20 Questions

Remember in school when teachers said, "there are no stupid questions"? They lied. Breaking every prompt into tiny questions isn't just inefficient - it actually confuses the AI. Instead of playing interrogator like: "Can you write?" Yes. "In English?" Yes. "About marketing?" just tell it what you need.

Not Reading the Room

Asking ChatGPT to write your wedding vows or break up text? That's like asking a traffic cone for relationship advice. Some things shouldn't be outsourced to AI, you emotional coward.

If you still need creative content, why not use Flixier’s AI image generator or YouTube script generator instead of asking ChatGPT? 

Treating It Like Your Personal Assistant

"Remember to remind me about my dentist appointment next week." It's not Siri, it's not your mom, and it's definitely not going to remember anything you said two minutes ago. It's a text generator, not your life coach. It's great at writing stuff, terrible at being your assistant.

When Your Prompts Still Suck

You've followed all the advice and written what you think is a killer prompt, and ChatGPT still gives you something that reads like it was written by a committee of robots trying to pass a Turing test.

Here's what to do:

- Tell it to "try again, but this time write like you're not afraid of getting fired"

- Ask it to "explain this like you're at a bar with friends"

- Say "rewrite this, but remove any phrase that would make a normal person cringe"

The Nuclear Options

If it's still giving you LinkedIn-level cringe, try:

• "Delete every sentence that sounds like it could be in a motivational poster"
• "Rewrite this but ban all forms of 'leverage,' 'synergy,' and 'optimize'"
• "Explain this like you're actively trying to get fired from your corporate job"
• "Write this for someone who's already rolled their eyes three times today"

The Last Resort

Sometimes, you need to go full chaos mode:

• "Write this like someone who's been in customer service for 10 years and finally quit"
• "Explain this like you're the person who's sick of explaining it"
• "Write this for someone who's already tried everything else and is about to throw their laptop out the window"

Remember: If you're getting responses that sound like they were written by an AI pretending to be human pretending to be professional, you haven't gone far enough. Keep pushing until it sounds like something a real person would actually say out loud.

If you're creating YouTube content, why don’t you save time by using a YouTube title generator to craft engaging titles that actually work?

Real-World Examples That Actually Work

If you want ChatGPT to write some video content ideas, why not use Flixier’s online video editor to bring your AI-generated content to life?

For Content Creation:

"Write a 1,200-word article about remote work cybersecurity. 

Target audience: small business owners with basic tech knowledge. 

Include: the top 3 current threats, practical prevention steps, and cost-effective security solutions. Use recent statistics from reputable sources. 

Structure with clear headings and bullet points where relevant."

For Business Writing:

"Draft a project proposal for implementing a new CRM system. 

Include: an executive summary, current pain points, proposed solution, implementation timeline (3 months), budget breakdown, and expected ROI. 

Format it for senior management who need quick, actionable information."

For Technical Documentation:

"Create a user guide for our new employee onboarding portal. Write for HR managers with minimal technical background. 

Break down the login process, user permissions, and common troubleshooting issues. Include step-by-step instructions and notes about security protocols."

The TL;DR

Stop treating ChatGPT like it's your angry girlfriend who needs gentle coaxing. It's a language model - it doesn't need your backstory, your feelings, or your carefully worded pleasantries. Just tell it what you want, like ordering at a drive-thru at 3 AM: direct, specific, and with the desperate energy of someone who knows exactly what they need.

Will mastering prompt writing make you the next tech billionaire? Probably not. But it might help you stop wasting hours trying to get usable content out of an AI that's just trying its best to understand your vague requests.

P.S. For God's sake, stop asking it to write your dating app bios. That's just sad.