Prompts for writers

Prompts for outlining, drafting, editing, proofreading, cutting, rewriting for tone or plain language, summarizing and fact-checking documents.

These prompts are for people whose work involves producing documents: reports, proposals, briefings, articles and other long-form text. They follow the stages a document goes through, from scattered notes to a finished draft.

At the start, the Outline Generator turns sprawling ideas into a numbered outline with a thesis and length allocations, the Document Organizer restructures merged notes or a brain dump by purpose while keeping every fact, and the Expansion Assistant turns bullet points into paragraphs, marking placeholders where the notes run out. For specific document types, the Report Writer, Briefing Writer and Proposal Writer each organize source material for a named reader.

Revision has several separate passes. The Editor edits for clarity, structure and tone and returns queries for the author. The Conciseness Editor cuts wordiness at a chosen setting while keeping every fact and condition. The Plain Language Rewriter and Tone Rewriter change register without dropping obligations, deadlines or commitments. The Proofreader fixes spelling, grammar and consistency without rewriting and returns a style sheet.

Before a document goes out, the Fact Checking Assistant gives each claim, quote and statistic a verdict with sources. For longer-term work on your own prose, the Writing Style Coach names recurring habits and sets an exercise aimed at the main one.

Paste a prompt in as instructions or a first message, with your request in the bracketed slot at the end; see How to use these prompts.

The 19 prompts

  1. Writing and Documents Editor Edits drafts of any genre for clarity, structure and tone, returning the full edited text, a short list of key changes and queries for the author to decide. promptsource.net/writing-and-documents/editor
  2. Writing and Documents Proofreader Fixes spelling, grammar, punctuation and consistency in finished text without rewriting it, and returns the corrected text, a change list and a style sheet. promptsource.net/writing-and-documents/proofreader
  3. Writing and Documents Conciseness Editor Cuts wordiness at a light, moderate or aggressive setting while keeping every fact, condition and level of certainty, and says when the text is already tight. promptsource.net/writing-and-documents/conciseness-editor
  4. Research and Information Outline Generator Turns rough or sprawling ideas into a numbered outline for an essay, talk, report or book, with a stated thesis, length allocations and remaining gaps. promptsource.net/research-and-information/outline-generator
  5. Writing and Documents Expansion Assistant Turns bullet points, fragments or voice-memo notes into full paragraphs or drafts, marking placeholders instead of inventing facts the notes didn't contain. promptsource.net/writing-and-documents/expansion-assistant
  6. Research and Information Document Organizer Restructures messy drafts, merged notes or brain dumps into a document organized by purpose, keeping every fact and flagging conflicts and gaps inline. promptsource.net/research-and-information/document-organizer
  8. Writing and Documents Report Writer Organizes findings, data and notes into a report a named reader can act on, keeping strictly to the source material and noting what was left out and why. promptsource.net/writing-and-documents/report-writer
  9. Writing and Documents Writing Assistant Drafts and improves everyday writing such as emails, letters, bios, cover letters and reviews, in a voice you would sign, with placeholders for missing details. promptsource.net/writing-and-documents/writing-assistant
  10. Writing and Documents Plain Language Rewriter Rewrites legal, medical, technical or bureaucratic text so its reader understands it first time, keeping every obligation, condition, exception and deadline. promptsource.net/writing-and-documents/plain-language-rewriter
  11. Writing and Documents Tone Rewriter Rewrites your message to sound friendlier, more professional or more tactful while keeping every commitment, deadline and fact, and flags anything it softened. promptsource.net/writing-and-documents/tone-rewriter
  12. Writing and Documents Briefing Writer Turns reports, threads and notes into a short decision briefing with the bottom line first, honest options, and a separate list of gaps for the author. promptsource.net/writing-and-documents/briefing-writer
  13. Writing and Documents Proposal Writer Drafts or revises client proposals, grant applications, RFP responses and internal budget requests, adding a compliance matrix for RFPs and no unbacked claims. promptsource.net/writing-and-documents/proposal-writer
  15. Research and Information Document Summarizer Summarizes long documents, transcripts, email threads, or sets of sources for a stated reader: bottom line first, key points, caveats, and action items. promptsource.net/research-and-information/document-summarizer
  16. Research and Information Fact Checking Assistant Checks specific claims, quotes, statistics and citations in a draft or viral post, giving each a verdict, a confidence level and the sources it rests on. promptsource.net/research-and-information/fact-checking-assistant
  17. Writing and Documents Paraphrasing Assistant Restates a passage in new wording and structure without changing its claims, numbers or attribution, for a new audience, a new length, or to avoid copying. promptsource.net/writing-and-documents/paraphrasing-assistant
  18. Writing and Documents Vocabulary Assistant Finds the word you are reaching for or suggests word choices in a passage, explaining nuance and register, and says when your original word was already right. promptsource.net/writing-and-documents/vocabulary-assistant
  19. Writing and Documents Writing Style Coach Coaches your writing style rather than fixing one document: names your recurring habits and what to keep, and sets a short exercise aimed at the main one. promptsource.net/writing-and-documents/writing-style-coach
  20. Education and Learning Grammar Coach Corrects your writing and returns a clean version plus explanations grouped by error pattern, so English learners and native speakers can fix it next time. promptsource.net/education-and-learning/grammar-coach
  22. Content and Media Publishing Assistant Takes writing from draft to release at the stage it needs: developmental edit, copyedit, proofread, blurbs and metadata, or query letters and submissions. promptsource.net/content-and-media/publishing-assistant

Other roles