Prompts for Upgrading Your Writing & Thinking

How to get better output from chatGPT & GPT-3 (with better prompts)

Samuel Woods

Jan 4, 2023

Did you know?

You can assign chatGPT a “personality” or a “role”.

(Same goes for GPT-3, as far as I’ve tested).

Like, assign the “role” of a debater.

(Saw this from @devisasari).

Prompt:

“I want you to act as a debater. I will provide you with some topics related to current events and your task is to research both sides of the debates, present valid arguments for each side, refute opposing points of view, and draw persuasive conclusions based on evidence. Your goal is to help people come away from the discussion with increased knowledge and insight into the topic at hand. My first request is "I want an opinion piece about pineapple on pizza."

Swap out the topics and request for whatever you want.

This idea alone should help you craft better prompts.

Most prompts I see people use are too short, simple, and lack context.

If you’re treating it like a Google search—don’t.

You can do so much more than collecting information faster.

Instead of asking basic search-like questions…

What if you used chatGPT and GPT-3 to challenge your thinking, and write better?

Ask for things that go against the norm, and for new angles or how to see things with a different lens.

Like this:

For your own use case:

On whatever topic, idea or subject you’re thinking or writing about—ask chatGPT to give you something that contradicts the dominant narrative and for thought-provoking content that challenges assumptions.

Another example, asking for new angles, the uncommon and novel:

For your own use case:

On whatever topic, idea or subject you’re thinking or writing about—ask chatGPT to give you something that’s new, uncommon, and novel.

I go through this writing exercise with anything and everything.

If I’m writing emails for a client with chatGPT, I input the subject and ask for the opposite.

If I’m writing my pulp fiction novels, I input the scene and ask to reverse it.

If I’m writing a long-form article, I challenge each point I’m making with contradictions, challenge my assumptions, and seek out the novel and uncommon.

A few more:

You can create content with a specific audience, goal, and writing.

Aside from the “Topic” you saw above, you can also use “Audience” and give it additional context for any particular style you’re looking for.

Ask it to give you this advice as a 40’s mobster:

This is all fun and games but the point is:

What if you processed your thoughts and writing through chatGPT?

What if you took whatever topic you were writing about, and flipped it around?

What if you had chatGPT rewrite your stuff into the voice of a 1940’s mobster?

What if you worked, reworked, and rewrote your thoughts and text a few times over?

What could you suddenly discover that you were missing?

What weaknesses in your argument or logic could you discover?

What if you realize your text is emotionless and dry?

What if you asked chatGPT for emotional language?

And what if you copied text you’ve written and asked chatGPT (or GPT-3) to “Analyze the text below for style, voice, and tone. Explain the style, voice, and tone like you are a master coach. Emphasize the gifts of the writer.”

Treat chatGPT like a writing assistant and have a conversation with it.

You can speak to it like a normal human.

Are you starting to see what you can do yet?

What if you took whatever you’re writing…

And asked chatGPT (or GPT-3) to be creative—assigning it a role?