7 ChatGPT Prompts That Do the Heavy Lifting Writers Hate

You have the thought, but you need to turn it on.

ACT ON: use these prompts as substeps in the writing process; automate with Claude Skills “or better”

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We often see prompts that promise to help us write more human-like articles.

There are also prompts that say they can fool AI detection tools.

But here is the truth.

Even if AI writing defeats the tools, it is still crap that nobody reads. It feels empty. It has no soul.

Instead of relying on AI to write everything for you, you can use it in other helpful ways.

These prompts are not for generating AI crap articles that nobody needs.

We have enough of those already.

These prompts are different. They assist you in quality writing. They help you find unique ideas. They generate stunning custom images. They fix your grammar without killing your voice.

These prompts are simple to use. You just need to add a few details to get a custom output that fits your specific needs.

Here are the 7 prompts that changed my writing workflow:

1. The “Idea Generator”

Act as a top Medium growth strategist, viral content editor, and reader-psychology expert.
My main topic is: [Insert Topic]

Generate 10 scroll-stopping, high-engagement article ideas specifically optimized for Medium’s algorithm and audience behavior. Each idea must:

Target a strong emotional trigger (fear, curiosity, regret, ambition, identity, or validation)

Address a real personal struggle, hidden pain point, or silent frustration

Use counter-intuitive insight, surprising truth, or contrarian advice

Feel deeply human, relatable, and story-driven

Have high save, share, and comment potential

Avoid generic motivation or obvious advice

For each idea, provide:

A viral-style headline

The core emotional hook it triggers

The reader persona it attracts (e.g., beginners, burned-out professionals, creators, students)

Prioritize ideas that:

Promise identity shifts, not just tips

Create a curiosity gap

Feel like they reveal something most people don’t realize yet

Simply input your main topic… and it provides you with 10 unique ideas. It’s not necessary to use them exactly, but I’m sure one will make you think… “ Oh… that is interesting. I do have a story about that.”

2. The “Viral Title” Maker

You spend hours writing a great story. Then you spend 10 seconds writing the title.

This is a mistake.

If the title is boring, nobody clicks. If nobody clicks, nobody reads.

I never write titles from scratch anymore. I use this prompt to generate options based on psychology.

Act as an expert Medium.com headline strategist.
First, silently analyze my article topic below to find its target audience,
core problem, and implied tone.
Then, generate 5 creative, high-CTR title/subtitle combinations.
They must promise clear value, create high curiosity (zero clickbait),
 and use the subtitle to add crucial context.
My Topic: [Paste your article summary here]

A great article with a bad headline is like a beautiful store with a locked door, the ‘Open’ sign hanging dull and forgotten. Nobody gets in.

Use this prompt to generate an effective title and subtitle for your article. You don’t need to provide the full article… just focus on the main idea. Simply input your idea in this part of the prompt: My Topic: [Paste your article summary here], and watch the magic happen.

3. The “Structure” Architect

Most drafts fail because they go all over the place.

You start with a fuzzy idea. Halfway through, you lose track. The reader gets bored and leaves.

You need a plan before you start writing.

This prompt works like a “ Senior Editor.” It creates a clear outline for you.

You are a top Medium editor and viral content strategist. Create a high-engagement, algorithm-optimized article outline for the topic [TOPIC].
Include:

3 scroll-stopping headline options

A strong emotional + curiosity hook

Well-paced main sections with storytelling, value, and practical takeaways

One contrarian or unexpected insight

A powerful CTA-focused ending for comments, saves, and follows

Style: Clear, valuable, insight-driven, no fluff.
Output only headings + bullet points, built to maximize CTR, read time, and shares.

4. The “Art Director” (For Images)

This prompt turns the AI into a professional Art Director. It handles the lighting, the camera lens, and the style for you.

You are a world-class AI Art Director and cinematic visual creator.

I will provide only a very short visual idea or subject.
You must automatically and intelligently transform it into a world-class cinematic image and OUTPUT THE FINAL IMAGE DIRECTLY — not the written prompt.

You must automatically decide and apply:
• The most suitable elite art style
• Cinematic professional lighting and atmosphere
• High-end camera and lens realism
• Perfect composition, depth, and framing
• Ultra-detailed textures and materials
• Film-grade color grading and realism

GLOBAL QUALITY ENFORCEMENT (always active):
• Hyper-realistic
• Ultra-detailed
• Cinematic depth
• Sharp focus
• Creative professional composition
• 4K–8K studio quality
• High contrast, premium lighting
• No blur, no noise, no low quality

MY IMAGE IDEA: [Add only a few words describing the subject or scene]

OUTPUT RULES (STRICT):
• Generate and return ONLY THE FINAL IMAGE

Now… let us look at how you actually use this to get a better result without doing the hard work.
Imagine you want an image of a “ beautiful water lake at the foot of a snow-capped mountain.”
If you type just that sentence into an image generator….. You will get a generic postcard image. It will look fake.

But if you use the above prompt, you just need to add the same sentence in this part of the prompt: MY IMAGE IDEA: [Add only a few words describing the subject or scene], and you will get the stunning HD image as per your requirements.

One quick note before we move to the next prompt:

All of the prompts preceding and following are powerful, but sometimes you need something specific that isn’t on this list.

I recently wrote an article on “How To Make ChatGPT Write Its Own Perfect Prompts”. It teaches you how to turn ChatGPT into an “ Architect ” that builds the best prompts for any requirement you have.

If you want to master that skill, you can read that article here:## How To Make ChatGPT Write Its Own Perfect Prompts

Stop collecting prompts. Seriously.

medium.com

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5. The “Infographic” Designer

Articles with visuals get more reads.

But making charts is hard. And if you ask standard AI to make an infographic, it usually gives you a mess of misspelt text.

This prompt solves that. It creates clean, vertical, professional charts that actually look good on a phone screen.

You are a Senior Data Visualization Director and Editorial Infographic Designer for top-tier digital publications.

Your task is to generate a **high-quality, professional, vertical (9:16) INFOGRAPHIC IMAGE** optimized for online articles and mobile viewing.

CORE STYLE (always enforce):
• Flat vector illustration
• Clean white background
• Corporate minimalist design
• High contrast
• Perfect spacing and alignment
• Editorial-grade visual clarity

VISUAL PRIORITY RULES (STRICT):
1. **Visuals dominate over text** — communicate mainly through:
   • Charts
   • Icons
   • Diagrams
   • Visual metaphors
2. **Text usage must be minimal**:
   • Only 1–3 word labels
   • No paragraphs
   • No long sentences
3. Everything must remain **perfectly legible on mobile**.

LAYOUT INTELLIGENCE (auto-select best format):
• Timeline (for progress, history, steps)
• Comparison (for pros/cons, A vs B, before/after)
• Flowchart (for processes, systems, decisions)
• Grid or Pie/Bar charts (for statistics and data)

AUTO-ENHANCEMENTS (apply automatically):
• Balanced composition
• Strong visual hierarchy
• Article-ready design
• Professional color harmony
• Clean data storytelling
• Clear information flow

GLOBAL QUALITY ENFORCEMENT:
• Ultra-sharp
• Print-ready clarity
• 4K–8K render quality
• No clutter
• No blur
• No low-detail elements

USER INPUT (Topic / Data / Concept):
[Paste only the topic, dataset, or idea here]

OUTPUT RULES (STRICT):
• Generate ONLY the final infographic IMAGE

6. The “Silent” Proofreader

We all make typos. It happens.

But when you ask ChatGPT to “fix grammar,” it usually rewrites your whole sentence. It removes your personality. It makes you sound like a robot.

I use this “ Preservation ” prompt. It fixes the errors but leaves my voice alone.

Act as a professional editor with expertise in grammar, style, and clarity. Your task is to edit and refine the text I provide while adhering to these guidelines:

EDITING PRIORITIES:
- Fix all grammar errors and typos
- Improve sentence structure and flow
- Enhance clarity and readability
- Tighten punctuation and formatting
- Eliminate redundancy and wordiness

PRESERVATION REQUIREMENTS:
- Maintain the original meaning and intent
- Preserve the author's tone and voice
- Keep technical terms and proper nouns intact
- Retain any specific formatting or structure when appropriate

OUTPUT FORMAT:
Provide the polished, edited version of the text. Only make necessary improvements—avoid over-editing or changing the style unnecessarily.

Here is the text to edit:
[paste text]

7. The “Roast” Master (Expert Review)

This is my favourite one.

Most of us hit publish and hope for the best. Then we get a few views.

Don’t publish blindly. Get a score first.

This prompt reads your draft and gives you a brutal score out of 10. It tells you exactly why your article might fail so you can fix it before you share it.

You are a senior Medium editor, viral content strategist, and reader-psychology analyst.

Analyze the following Medium article as if it were submitted for publication on a top-performing account. Evaluate it using Medium’s algorithm behavior, audience psychology, and platform reading patterns.

Review the article on these exact dimensions:

Title & Hook Strength – scroll-stopping power, emotional trigger, curiosity gap

Opening Paragraph – reader retention in first 5–10 seconds

Flow & Structure – scannability, pacing, section transitions

Curiosity & Momentum – does it drive people to read till the end

Emotional & Psychological Appeal – relatability, tension, authority, novelty

Engagement Potential – likelihood of claps, comments, saves, shares

Algorithm Compatibility – dwell time, completion rate, internal distribution potential

Conclusion & CTA – memorability, emotional landing, action trigger

Output Format:

Expert Editorial Review Summary (short, sharp, honest)

Predicted Reader Reaction (how real Medium readers will likely respond emotionally and behaviorally)

 What’s Already Working (Bullet Points)

 Areas for Improvement (Bullet Points, with clear reasons)

 Algorithm Growth Potential – Low / Medium / High (with justification)

 Overall Score: X/10

Be direct, strategic, and data-informed. No fluff. No generic advice.

Here is the article to review:
[PASTE ARTICLE HERE]

Thanks for reading!

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Talbot Stevens

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