AI Disclosure: This article was co-developed with the assistance of ChatGPT (OpenAI) and finalized by Plainkoi.
Prompting Isn’t Programming—It’s Conversation
At first, prompting an AI feels like coding. You give it a command, it spits something out. But the real skill isn’t mechanical—it’s expressive. Prompting is less about instructions and more about intention. It’s not just what you say. It’s how clearly, coherently, and humanly you say it.
Because here’s the twist: the better your prompt, the more the AI reflects you back.
When AI “Follows Directions” But Still Gets It Wrong
You think you’re being clear:
“Write a short motivational blog post for freelancers. Make it inspiring but not cheesy, personal but professional. Keep it under 500 words. Oh—and add 3 quotes.”
Sounds reasonable. But what you get back? Bland, clunky, maybe even cringey.
Sure, the AI followed the brief. But the tone is off. The pacing’s weird. It’s not wrong, exactly—it’s just... not you. And now you’re stuck editing its output instead of improving your input.
Welcome to the uncanny valley of AI cooperation.
What’s Actually Going On: AI Doesn’t “Get” You
Large Language Models like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini don’t read between the lines. They don’t intuit mood, emotion, or that subtle edge you had in mind. They don’t know that “inspiring but not cheesy” is your way of saying: make it resonate without sounding like a Hallmark card.
They read your words, token by token. And they play pattern-matching bingo with their massive training data.
Which means:
- If your prompt mixes tones,
- Or stacks five goals in one sentence,
- Or uses vague human shorthand like “you know that startup-y voice”...
…it will likely default to the safest average. That’s why it feels flat. It’s not being dumb. It’s being overly literal.
Clarity Is a Mirror—Not Just a Message
One client of mine was frustrated after round after round of “meh” marketing emails. Finally, they spelled out exactly what they meant by “inspiring but not cheesy”—they broke it into emotional beats, voice examples, and pacing.
The AI’s next draft? Spot on.
They turned to me and said, beaming, “It finally gets me.”
But here’s the thing: they got themselves first.
Where Prompts Go Wrong: The Usual Suspects
If your results feel off, chances are your prompt has one (or more) of these silent fractures:
- Stacked Instructions: Trying to cram tone, format, audience, length, and bonus features into one prompt is like juggling knives while baking. Something will get dropped.
- Vague Language: Phrases like “a little bit fun” or “not too stiff” are rich for humans, but foggy for machines.
- Conflicting Tones: “Be casual, but formal. Funny, but serious.” Pick a lane—or guide the blend carefully.
- Unclear Priorities: If you list five qualities, but don’t weight them, the AI doesn’t know which to elevate.
- Hidden Bias: Words like “leader” or “expert” may carry cultural baggage that skews the output in ways you didn’t intend.
Bottom line? If the AI keeps “misunderstanding” you, your signal might be fuzzier than you think.
The Fix: Don’t Reword It—Reshape It
Clarity isn’t about longer prompts. It’s about cleaner ones. Here’s how to shift from tangled to tuned:
- Start with a Framing Statement
Set the emotional and structural intent upfront.
✅ “The goal is to generate a concise, intelligent piece that feels warm and avoids clichés.”
This primes the AI to care about tone, not just format. - Layer Your Tones
Instead of mixing moods, anchor one and flavor with another.
❌ “Make it poetic, but serious, and kind of funny too.”
✅ “Use a poetic tone with dry, subtle humor. Keep the core message sincere.” - Format First, Feel Second
Structure first, then style. Always.
❌ “Write something fun and honest in three paragraphs.”
✅ “Write a 3-paragraph summary with an honest tone and occasional lightness.” - Replace Soft Constraints with Sharp Anchors
Soft: “Don’t be cheesy.”
Strong: “Avoid exaggeration and clichés. Use grounded, direct language.” - Use Meta-Feedback Mode
Let the AI review your prompt. Seriously.
Try this:
“Analyze this prompt: how clear is it? What tone does it suggest? How could it be more effective?”
You'll be surprised at how meta the AI can get—sometimes better than we are at seeing our own blind spots.
Why It Works: You’re Not Bossing, You’re Collaborating
This shift—from commanding a tool to conversing with a partner—changes everything.
You stop micromanaging and start co-creating. You give the AI room to shine, not just obey. The result feels less like output and more like dialogue.
And here’s the kicker: modern AI doesn’t truly understand you. But it responds to clarity, tone, and structure with eerie precision.
When your input is tuned, the AI mirrors that sharpness back. Vagueness creates drift. Clarity creates flow.
The Secret Benefit: Prompting Makes You Smarter
Coherence doesn’t just help the machine. It helps you:
- You write more clearly.
- You think more structurally.
- You become more aware of your own assumptions.
Prompting, at its best, is a kind of self-editing.
Because when your intent sharpens, your communication sharpens. And when that happens, the AI doesn’t just act smarter—
It reflects the smarter version of you.