Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) continues to grow more sophisticated, and we use it for an ever-increasing variety of things. We use it increasingly to help with writing. This article focuses on that use and assumes you have one of the better GenAI programs, such as the ChatGPT app or Copilot. These tips should help with any GenAI model, but we still hope you have a good one. Despite its power, as with any tool, the quality of the result you get with GenAI depends heavily on how you use it. Think of prompt writing as giving instructions to a capable but literal assistant: The more clearly you define what you want, the more likely you’ll get it.
We will depart from our usual format to give you better organization of the information and follow our own advice in Tip 1. Here’s a breakdown of ten core tips, each with expanded guidance and examples.
Tip 1. Break Big Tasks into Smaller Ones
If you ask for too much in a single prompt, GenAI may underdeliver or overlook key points. Dividing complex tasks improves clarity and output quality.
Ineffective:
- “Write an article about AI, cybersecurity, and the legal system, with examples, ethics, citations, and a glossary.”
Better Sequence:
- “Outline an article on AI and cybersecurity in law.”
- “Expand the section on ethical implications of AI in evidence.”
- “Add real-life examples from the past five years.”
- “Write a glossary of five AI terms mentioned in the article.”
Tip 2. Be Specific and Direct
GenAI can respond to broad or vague questions, but it works better when your prompt describes exactly what you want. General requests often produce generic results. The more precise your language, the better the answer.
Examples:
- Don’t say: “Write about contracts.”
- Instead, say: “Explain the difference between unilateral and bilateral contracts with two examples, each under 100 words.”
Tip 3. Define a Role, Style, or Tone
GenAI can adjust its voice based on the role or tone you assign it. You can instruct it to sound like a journalist, teacher, trial attorney, therapist, or corporate consultant; the better iterations of GenAI usually adapt accordingly.
Examples:
- “You are a legal writing instructor. Rewrite this brief to be more persuasive.”
- “Adopt a conversational tone suitable for a newsletter aimed at small firm lawyers.”
- “Act as a product reviewer and compare two legal research platforms.”
The more clearly you define the speaker or audience, the more tailored the output.
Tip 4. Provide Context or Background
If your prompt lacks context, GenAI will make assumptions. If incorrect, those assumptions may cause an irrelevant or incomplete result. When writing prompts, include:
- The purpose of the task (e.g., educational, marketing, persuasive).
- The intended audience (e.g., seniors, attorneys, clients, children).
- Relevant details that shape the request.
Examples:
- Don’t say: “Make this simpler.”
- Instead, say: “This paragraph is for a client memo about non-compete agreements. Please rewrite it in plain English, targeting a small business owner without legal training.”
Tip 5. Ask for Your Preferred Format or Structure
If you have a preferred output format—outline, bullet list, table, paragraph, slide summary—say so. This improves clarity and saves you editing time.
Examples:
- “Create an outline with five main sections and two bullet points under each.”
- “Present the comparison in a table with three columns: Feature, Option A, Option B.”
- “Summarize the article in PowerPoint slides with three bullet points per slide.”
Structured prompts lead to structured results.
Tip 6. Give Examples or Templates
When you show GenAI what “good” looks like, it can mimic the structure, rhythm, or logic you like. Even one or two lines of sample text can shape the model’s style.
Example:
- “Here’s the tone I like: ‘The truth is simple. The law is not.’ Please match this tone in the rest of the paragraph.”
Templates Also Help:
- “Use this format: Term—Short definition—One sentence explanation of why it matters. Now do that for ten AI terms.”
