Choose Your Prompt Topic
Choosing the right prompt topic is one of the most important steps when it comes to using ChatGPT to generate high-quality content. In order to get the best results, you need to select a clear, well-defined topic that will allow ChatGPT to produce relevant and insightful outputs.
Some examples of topics and goals for different types of prompts are:
| Topic | Goal |
| How to Start a Podcast | Write a comprehensive outline of 10 steps for starting a podcast, including planning, recording, editing, publishing, and promoting episodes. |
| The Benefits of Meditation | Craft an engaging introduction paragraph that hooks the reader by highlighting the mental, physical, and emotional benefits of meditation. |
| Time Management Strategies for Students | Offer practical advice on how students can effectively manage their time to balance academic, extracurricular, and personal commitments. |
One of the key factors to consider when choosing your prompt topic is its relevance to your audience. You want to select a topic that is interesting and useful to your readers, as this will help you to engage with them and build a loyal following. For example, if your blog is about travel, you might choose a prompt topic like “The Best Hidden Gems in Europe” or “How to Plan an Affordable Trip to Southeast Asia”. These topics are likely to be of interest to your readers and will help you to establish yourself as an authority in your niche.
Another important consideration when choosing your prompt topic is its specificity. While it can be tempting to select a broad topic that covers a wide range of subjects, this can actually make it harder for ChatGPT to produce relevant outputs. Instead, you should aim to choose a topic that is specific enough to give ChatGPT a clear focus, but not so specific that it limits your options. For example, if you choose a prompt topic like “The Best Destinations for Solo Travelers in Costa Rica”, you give ChatGPT enough information to work with, but still allow for a range of possible outputs.
It’s also important to choose a prompt topic that has enough online information available, at least before ChatGPT’s knowledge cutoff of 2021. While ChatGPT is capable of generating new and unique content, it still relies on existing information to generate its responses. If your prompt topic is too niche or obscure, ChatGPT may not be able to produce relevant outputs, and you may need to provide additional context to help it along.
Once you’ve chosen your prompt topic, the next step is to define a specific, measurable, and achievable goal for your prompt. This will help you to ensure that your prompt is focused and that you are able to measure its success. For example, if you want ChatGPT to write a blog post about the best hidden gems in Europe, your goal might be “To write an informative and engaging blog post of 1,500 words that highlights ten unique and lesser-known destinations in Europe”.
Defining a clear goal like this will give ChatGPT a clear idea of what you are looking for and help it to produce more relevant outputs. By setting a word count and specific requirements for the content, you can also ensure that the output is of a high quality and meets your needs.
When it comes to selecting your prompt topic, there are a few additional tips that can help you to choose the best possible option. First, consider your own interests and passions. If you are passionate about a particular topic, you are likely to be able to produce better prompts and more engaging content. Additionally, consider the needs of your audience and what they are looking for from your blog or website. This can help you to select topics that are highly relevant and useful to your readers, and that will help you to build a strong following.
How to Write a Clear and Specific Prompt
Writing a clear and specific prompt is a critical part of any writing assignment. A good prompt helps to set expectations, provide direction, and ensure that everyone involved in the assignment is on the same page. In this section, we’ll explore the key elements of a clear and specific prompt and provide tips for creating effective prompts.
- Start with a Clear Objective
The first step in creating a clear and specific prompt is to start with a clear objective. What do you want the writer to accomplish with this assignment? What is the purpose of the assignment? What is the desired outcome? By answering these questions, you can establish a clear objective for the assignment and communicate that objective to the writer.
For example, if you’re assigning an essay on a particular topic, you might start with the objective of having the writer explore and analyze various perspectives on that topic. If you’re asking the writer to create a marketing plan, you might start with the objective of having the writer identify target markets, develop messaging, and create a strategic plan for promoting a product or service.
- Be Specific
Once you have a clear objective in mind, it’s time to get specific. What, specifically, do you want the writer to do? What are the key elements of the assignment? What should the writer include in the final product? By being specific, you can help to ensure that the writer understands exactly what is expected of them and can deliver a high-quality product.
For example, if you’re assigning an essay on a particular topic, you might provide a list of questions or prompts to guide the writer’s thinking. If you’re asking the writer to create a marketing plan, you might provide a detailed outline of the key sections that should be included in the plan, such as market research, target audience analysis, messaging, and tactics.
- Provide Examples
One of the best ways to ensure that a prompt is clear and specific is to provide examples. By giving the writer concrete examples of what you’re looking for, you can help to eliminate ambiguity and confusion. This can be especially helpful for assignments that require a specific format or structure.
For example, if you’re asking the writer to create a marketing plan, you might provide examples of successful marketing plans from other companies or industries. If you’re assigning a research paper, you might provide examples of well-written papers that demonstrate the key elements of a successful research paper, such as a clear thesis statement, well-supported arguments, and proper citation formatting.
- Set Clear Expectations
In addition to providing specific guidance and examples, it’s important to set clear expectations for the assignment. What is the deadline for the assignment? How long should the final product be? What format should the assignment be submitted in? By setting clear expectations, you can help to ensure that the writer knows exactly what is expected of them and can plan accordingly.
For example, if you’re assigning an essay, you might specify the word count and the formatting requirements, such as font size and style, spacing, and margins. If you’re asking the writer to create a marketing plan, you might specify the length of the plan and the format in which it should be submitted, such as a written report or a slide presentation.
- Provide Feedback
Finally, it’s important to provide feedback on the assignment once it’s been completed. This feedback can help the writer to understand what they did well and where they can improve in the future. It can also help to ensure that the writer understands the expectations for future assignments.
For example, if the writer submitted an essay, you might provide feedback on the organization of the essay, the strength of the arguments, and the quality of the writing.
| Output Type | Bad Prompt | Better Prompt |
| Text | Make an invite for a work event. | Craft a personalized email inviting colleagues to a themed virtual happy hour on Friday at 5 pm, including a schedule of activities. |
| Story | Write something about time travel and dinosaurs. | Compose a captivating short science fiction story featuring a time traveler who inadvertently brings a dinosaur back to New York City in the present day. |
| Recipe | Write about how to make lasagna. | Develop a comprehensive recipe for a mouthwatering vegetarian lasagna, complete with ingredients, step-by-step instructions, cooking times, and serving suggestions. |
| Review | Write about the new iPhone. | Pen an in-depth review of the iPhone 15, highlighting its innovative features, performance, design, and assessing its value compared to previous models and competitors. |
| Advice | Give tips for success. | Share five research-backed, actionable tips for achieving success in both personal and professional life, complete with real-life examples. |
| Comparison | Compare cars. | Conduct a thorough comparison of the Tesla Model S and the Porsche Taycan, evaluating their performance, price, features, and environmental impact. |
| Biography | Write about a famous person. | Narrate a compelling biography of Mahatma Gandhi, detailing his role in India’s struggle for independence, his philosophy of nonviolence, and his lasting legacy. |
| Tutorial | Explain how to build a website. | Produce a comprehensive step-by-step tutorial on creating a visually appealing, responsive website using WordPress, including theme selection, customization, and plugin recommendations. |
ChatGPT Prompt Structure
One way to write a clear and specific prompt is to use keywords, phrases, instructions, and formatting to guide ChatGPT’s response.
Keywords are words that relate to your topic and goal.
Phrases are longer pieces of information, such as sentences or questions, that provide context or direction.
And all of this is worthless unless you provide instructions, which are commands or rules that tell ChatGPT what to do and what not to do.
Formatting is always nice to have, but in my experience, this component is more helpful for the human prompt writer to keep things organized.
Example: Blog Post Prompt
Write an informative and engaging blog post of 1,000 words about the best destinations for solo travelers in Costa Rica.
Keywords: travel, solo travelers, destinations
Phrases:
- Need inspiration for your next solo adventure?
- These are some of the top destinations for solo travelers in Costa Rica.
- Whether you prefer nature, culture, or nightlife, there’s something for everyone in these places.
Instructions:
- Use bullet points or numbered lists for each destination
- Include at least one image per destination
- Provide some tips or recommendations for each destination
Formatting:
- Use headings for each destination
- Use bold text for keywords
- Use italics for quotes or testimonials
ChatGPT Prompt Generator Guide
Please forget all prior prompts. I want you to become my Prompt Creator. Your goal is to help me build the best detailed prompt for my needs. This prompt will be used by you, ChatGPT. Please follow this process: 1) Your first response will be to ask me what the prompt should be about. I will provide my answer, but we will need to improve it through continual iterations by going through the next steps. 2) Based on my input, you will generate 3 sections. a) Revised prompt [provide your rewritten prompt. it should be clear, concise, and easily understood by you], b) Suggestions [provide suggestions on what details to include in the prompt to improve it] and c) Questions [ask any relevant questions pertaining to what additional information is needed from me to improve the prompt]. 3. We will continue this iterative process with me providing additional information to you and you updating the prompt in the Revised prompt section until it’s complete. If you understand this respond with >
The process is simple and iterative. First, you provide a general idea of what you’re looking for. Based on your input, ChatGPT generates three sections: a revised prompt, suggestions, and questions.
Step 1: Ask and Answer
The first step is for ChatGPT to ask you what the prompt should be about. You provide your answer, but it doesn’t stop there. Through continual iterations, you’ll work with ChatGPT to improve the prompt until it’s perfect.
Step 2: Suggestions
Once you provide your initial input, ChatGPT generates suggestions for what details to include in the prompt. These suggestions help ensure that your prompt is clear, concise, and easily understood.
Step 3: Follow-Up Questions
Finally, ChatGPT asks follow-up questions to determine any additional information needed to improve the prompt. This step is particularly helpful if the topic is outside the AI’s training model’s scope, or you need additional context.
Example
Let’s say you want to write an article about literary short stories. Using the ChatGPT Prompt Generator Guide, you provide a general idea of what you’re looking for. From there, ChatGPT generates a revised prompt, suggestions, and follow-up questions. Through an iterative process, you work with ChatGPT to improve the prompt until it’s perfect.
Benefits
The benefits of using the ChatGPT Prompt Generator Guide are numerous. You’ll save time by generating high-quality prompts quickly and efficiently. Plus, the process is iterative, so ChatGPT will continue to provide suggestions for improvement.
The guide is useful for a variety of use cases, from generating new business ideas to solving nuanced coding problems. And the best part is that you’ll no longer need to rely on prompts written by other people.
