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Harnessing the Wizardry of AI: The Magical Craft of Crafting Effective Prompts

Harnessing the Wizardry of AI: The Magical Craft of Crafting Effective Prompts

Dissatisfied with AI outputs when asking for "rewrites"? Try these tips to improve your content.

Many people use AI to "rewrite" their content, be it marketing materials, old blog posts, or an upcoming essay. But often, the results are not as expected. So, here are some ways to use AI prompts more effectively.

AI and Prompts: Ask Correctly, Get Quality Results AI often feels like a wish-granting genie for writers. But if you don't ask correctly, you might not get what you expect. A crucial part of using AI is to ask it precisely what you want, using the right words.

The Problem with the "Rewrite" Prompt: When asked to "rewrite", AI might just give a literal copy of the content:

"Rewrite the above article"

And many users wonder why they don't get a completely new piece of content.

Imagine asking someone to "rewrite" something for you. They don't start from scratch but polish the existing content. So when you ask the AI to "rewrite", it might just repeat the content, leading to possible plagiarism.

So, "rewrite" might not always give you original content. And using "completely rewrite" or "Use completely new words" might not work either because you don't want entirely new vocabulary. Instead, you want the content to sound fresh and original.

The Importance of Precision in Prompts The solution lies in precise language. The way we express ourselves is crucial in AI prompt engineering. AI will help us improve our writing skills but it won't replace them.

So, think about what you really want before asking the AI. If your prompt is vague, the output will also be vague.

Instead of "Rewrite", try using more specific verbs. Here are some alternatives:

31 Better AI Prompts than “Rewrite”

  1. Paraphrase: For avoiding plagiarism
  2. Reframe: To change the focus
  3. Summarize: For a quick overview
  4. Expand: For a deeper understanding
  5. Explain: To clarify the meaning
  6. Reinterpret: To offer a new understanding
  7. Simplify: To reduce complexity
  8. Elaborate: To add detail
  9. Amplify: To strengthen the message
  10. Clarify: To clear confusion
  11. Adapt: To suit a different audience
  12. Modernize: To update old language
  13. Formalize: To make language more professional
  14. Informalize: For social media or blogs
  15. Condense: To focus on key points
  16. Emphasize/Reiterate: To highlight points
  17. Diversify: To add variety
  18. Neutralize: To remove bias
  19. Streamline: To remove fluff
  20. Enrich/Embellish: To add pizzazz
  21. Illustrate: To provide examples
  22. Synthesize: To combine information
  23. Sensationalize: To dramatize
  24. Humanize: To make the text relatable
  25. Elevate: To make the text impressive
  26. Illuminate: To make the text clear
  27. Enliven/Energize: To make the text interesting
  28. Soft-pedal: To reduce intensity
  29. Exaggerate: To hype up
  30. Downplay: To make a more mild tone
  31. Glamorize: To make the text appealing

Your choice of language will influence the AI's output. So select words that match your desired effect. This way, you can craft effective AI prompts that yield better results.

Illustration:

Let's say you have an old blog post that reads: "The city park offers a variety of activities for visitors, such as picnics, bird watching, and hiking."

Instead of using "Rewrite", try using a more specific prompt.

  1. Paraphrase: "Visitors at the city park can engage in numerous activities, including picnicking, observing birds, and hiking."
  2. Simplify: "You can do lots of fun things like picnics, watch birds, or go hiking at the city park."
  3. Expand: "The city park, a delightful oasis of green in the city, presents a multitude of engaging activities for its visitors. You could spend an afternoon having a lovely picnic with family and friends. For nature enthusiasts, the park is a haven for various bird species, providing an excellent opportunity for bird watching. Additionally, for those looking for a bit of exercise and adventure, numerous hiking trails crisscross the park."
  4. Informalize: "Heading to the city park? Cool! You're gonna love the picnic spots, bird watching, and the rad hiking trails."

Remember, using the right prompt can make a significant difference to your AI-generated content.