Writing Prompt Patterns
A small library of practical brief patterns for drafts, outlines, and revisions.
A prompt pattern is a repeatable editorial assignment, not a guarantee of a perfect answer. Start with the task, reader, evidence, and output shape. Keep instructions separate from source passages so a reviewer can understand what the model was asked to do and what material it was permitted to use.
The source-first outline pattern
Describe one reader question and provide the approved references. Ask for a proposed outline, the purpose of each section, and a list of missing information. Review this plan before requesting the full article. Reject headings that repeat the same promise instead of advancing the explanation.
The bounded revision pattern
Supply the draft and a specific editing goal, such as clarifying technical terms or removing repetition. Ask for proposed changes and reasons. Protect factual claims, quotations, code, and necessary qualifications. Keep substantive rewrites separate from narrow grammar corrections.
It behaves usefully across several real briefs, including one difficult case. Save the prompt revision and evaluation notes so another editor can reproduce the assignment rather than guessing which phrase caused an improvement.
Take the next step
For a worked editorial approach, read AI writing prompts that work like an editorial brief. Then explore AI Write API for the connected part of the workflow.
A conceptual outline brief
Reader: a developer planning their first CMS import
Task: explain the draft-to-review handoff
Evidence: use only the supplied source packet
Output: outline + section purpose + missing evidence
Boundary: no invented endpoints or automatic publishingAdapt the brief to your own evidence and destination. Review the proposed coverage before asking for the full article.