I asked ChatGPT to read one of my articles and to describe the writing style in a format to use as a prompt for further articles.
Anyone always using ChatGPT to create content for the same audience will soon be able to give ‘custom instructions’ a try. With these, we’ll be able to set ‘preferences’ to be considered when generating its responses, such as the audience or the tone of voice. I find myself re-creating these instructions off the top of my head each time, which is a bad habit to have got into, so the new feature should help. There’s more information here.
On the subject of ChatGPT prompts, I do like the way it’s improving its reverse engineering capability. This can be used in creating prompts to replicate styles, without having to work out manually what makes that style what it is. For example, I asked ChatGPT to read one of my articles from last month (I gave it the link), and to describe the writing style in a format suitable to use as a prompt for further ChatGPT generated articles. Here’s what it returned:
Tone: Informative yet conversational, engaging the reader with relatable language and contemporary references.
Structure:
- Opening Hook: Begins with an engaging statement or anecdote to draw in the reader.
- Introduction: Provides context and sets up the topic’s relevance.
- Body: Presents main points with detailed examples, integrating quotes and evidence seamlessly.
- Transitions: Smooth, maintaining reader interest and logical flow between sections.
- Conclusion: Summarises key insights and leaves the reader with a final thought or call to action.
- Language: Clear and accessible, avoiding jargon while explaining complex ideas in a straightforward manner.
Purpose: To inform and provoke thought, encouraging readers to consider the implications of technological advancements in their everyday lives.
I can see how this could easily become a copy-and-paste prompt for future articles, or even stored as ‘custom instructions’. In other words, this is what I tell ChatGPT before giving it the specific subject to write about, or existing text to edit.
As yet, I’m not getting ChatGPT to write these articles, as they’re relatively short, and once I’ve got the points I want to make organised in my head, I may as well write it the old-fashioned way. But the day will surely come. I’ve already used it on a couple of longer pieces with pretty satisfactory results and a huge time-saving.