Don't accept the first answer
2 min read
Most people type one thing, get something mediocre, and conclude the AI isn't very good. But the first answer is a starting point, not a verdict.
You can just say what's wrong with it. "Too formal." "Cut it in half." "The second one — do three more like that." "You've invented a date, I never said that." It keeps the context and adjusts.
This is the habit that separates people who get a lot out of these tools from people who give up on them. Not better opening prompts — more rounds.
Instead of
[you accept a stiff, generic first draft and give up]
Try
That's too formal and it's twice as long as I need. Cut it to 100 words, make it sound like a real person wrote it, and drop the part about our 'valued partnership'.
You don't have to get it right first time. You just have to say what's off — the same way you would to a person.