Quick vs. chain prompts for writing

Learn when to use a one-shot prompt versus a multi-step chain, with ready-to-use templates for tightening text, gut-checks, and a three-step draft-critique-finalize process.

🤖 Works with: Any

The Prompt

Copy and paste — replace anything in [brackets].

The Tightener
Tighten this {{text type, e.g. email / paragraph / bio}} to under {{word count}} words without losing the meaning.
- Cut filler and repetition.
- Keep my voice - do not make it generic.
- Give me the tightened version, then one line on what you cut.
TEXT: {{paste it}}

The Gut-Check
Here is something I am about to send or do: {{describe or paste it}}. Give me a fast gut-check, not an essay:
- The one thing most likely to go wrong or be misread.
- The single change that would improve it most.
- Your call: send/do it as-is, or fix that first? Keep it to a few lines.

A chain (when one prompt is not enough)
This is the one I use to make almost anything better. Run the three in order, pasting each result into the next.

STEP 1 - Draft
Write a first draft of: {{what you need - email, post, plan, etc.}}. Constraints: {{tone, length, audience}}. Just get a complete draft down. Do not polish or second-guess yet - I want raw material to work with.

STEP 2 - Critique
Switch roles. You are now a tough reviewer seeing the draft above for the first time.
- Name the 3 weakest things, most important first.
- Flag anything generic, unclear, or unsupported.
- Say what is missing. Do not rewrite it. Critique only - be blunt.

STEP 3 - Finalize
Now rewrite the draft, fixing every point from the critique.
- Keep what was already working.
- Address each weakness specifically.
- Give me the final version only, polished.

What it’s good for

Improve writing efficiency by choosing between quick, single-use prompts for self-contained tasks and multi-step chains for complex, staged writing processes like drafting and revising.

How to use it

1. Copy the desired prompt template, replacing {{variables}} with your specific text or parameters.
2. Paste into your AI tool (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude) and follow the instructions.
3. For chains, run each step in order, copying the output from one step as input to the next.

Curated from the community via Reddit.