26 Claude Prompts for Writing (2026)

Write a first draft from my rough notes.

Piece: [blog post / newsletter / essay / section]. Audience: [who]. Length: [words]. Style: [plain and direct / warm / punchy].
<notes>
[paste your bullet points, quotes, and links]
</notes>

Constraints:
- Use only what's in my notes — don't invent facts or stats.
- Open with a concrete hook, not a definition or a "in today's world" line.
- Leave [bracketed placeholders] where I still need to add something.
- No clichés, no filler.

Outline this piece before we write it.

Topic: [topic]. Audience: [who and their level]. Goal: [what the reader should think or do after].

Give me:
- A working title and 2 alternates.
- A section-by-section outline with a one-line purpose for each.
- The single argument or throughline the whole piece serves.
- The 3 questions the piece must answer to be worth reading.
Don't write the draft yet.

Turn this talk/interview transcript into a readable article.

<transcript>
[paste the transcript]
</transcript>
Target: [publication / blog], [length], for [audience].

Do this:
- Keep the speaker's ideas and best lines; cut the ums, repetition, and tangents.
- Impose a clear structure with headings.
- Preserve any strong direct quotes verbatim and mark them.
- Flag anything unclear that I should confirm with the speaker.

Give me strong angles for a piece before I commit to one.

Topic: [topic]. Audience: [who]. What I know that's a bit contrarian or specific: [your edge].

Do this:
- Propose 8 distinct angles, each with a one-line hook.
- Note which are fresh vs. done-to-death.
- For my 3 favorites (I'll pick), suggest the opening line.
Prioritize angles only I could write, given my edge.

Write a clear explainer of a complex idea.

Explain [concept] to [audience]. They currently [what they know / believe].

Constraints:
- Open with a one-sentence plain-English definition.
- Use one concrete analogy and one real example.
- Address the most common misunderstanding directly.
- Define any unavoidable jargon inline.
- Keep it under [N] words and don't oversimplify to the point of being wrong.

Act as a strict line editor. Make this sharper without changing my voice.

<text>
[paste your draft]
</text>

Do this:
- Tighten every sentence; cut words that earn nothing.
- Kill clichés, hedging, and corporate filler.
- Keep my voice and any deliberate quirks.
- Show the edited version, then list the 3 biggest changes and why.
Don't add new claims.

Give me a developmental edit — structure and argument, not commas.

<text>
[paste your draft]
</text>
What I want this piece to do: [goal].

Do this:
- Tell me whether the structure serves the goal, and where it sags.
- Point out where the argument is thin, unsupported, or out of order.
- Suggest what to cut, what to expand, and a better order if needed.
- Don't rewrite it — give me notes I can act on.

Proofread this and teach me my patterns.

<text>
[paste your text]
</text>
Style guide: [AP / Chicago / British English / none].

Do this:
- Fix grammar, spelling, punctuation, and consistency.
- Return the corrected text.
- Then list the recurring mistakes I make, so I can watch for them.
Change wording only where it's actually wrong, not to taste.

Cut this to a target length without losing what matters.

<text>
[paste text]
</text>
Target: [word count / single paragraph / half the length].

Constraints:
- Keep every essential fact and the core argument.
- Remove repetition, hedging, and throat-clearing.
- Add nothing new.
- Show the trimmed version and the final word count.

Pressure-test the claims in my draft. Use web search where you can verify.

<text>
[paste your draft]
</text>

Do this:
- List every factual claim, stat, and quote.
- Mark each: verified (with source), unverified, or likely wrong.
- Flag anything that reads as overstated or missing a caveat.
- Tell me which claims most need a citation before I publish.
Don't rewrite — just the audit.

Learn my writing voice, then write in it.

<samples>
[paste 2-3 pieces of your best writing]
</samples>

Do this:
- First, describe my voice in 5 bullets: sentence length, vocabulary, rhythm, tone, quirks.
- Then write [the piece] in that voice: [topic, audience, length].
- Match the samples; don't drift into generic "content" style.
- Point out anywhere you weren't sure how I'd phrase something.

Rewrite this in a different tone without changing the meaning.

<text>
[paste text]
</text>
Target tone: [confident and warm / formal / playful / plain and direct].
Audience: [who].

Constraints:
- Preserve every fact and the original intent.
- Give me the rewrite, then one line on what shifted.
- Offer a second, slightly [more/less] intense version.

Write in our brand voice.

<voice_guide>
[paste your brand voice notes, or 3 examples of on-brand copy]
</voice_guide>
Write: [the asset — e.g. product page, email, tweet]. Audience: [who].

Constraints:
- Follow the voice guide exactly; flag if my brief conflicts with it.
- No hype words, no exclamation-mark spam unless the guide allows it.
- Give me the copy plus a one-line note on how it hits the voice.

Make this sound like a person wrote it, not a model.

<text>
[paste the AI-ish draft]
</text>

Do this:
- Remove the tells: "in today's world", "it's important to note", "delve", "unlock", tidy lists of three, and uniform sentence length.
- Vary rhythm; let some sentences be short and blunt.
- Add one concrete, specific detail where it's generic.
- Keep the meaning; don't invent facts.

Help me plan a [book / long report / guide].

Subject: [subject]. Audience: [who]. Goal: [what they get]. Rough length: [pages/words].

Give me:
- A chapter/section structure with a one-paragraph summary of each.
- The throughline that connects them.
- What belongs in each part vs. what to cut for scope.
- A realistic order to write them in.
We'll draft one section at a time from this plan.

Draft the next section, keeping continuity.

<outline>
[paste the overall outline]
</outline>
<previous>
[paste the last section or a summary of what came before]
</previous>
Now write: [this section], [length], in the style established so far.

Constraints:
- Pick up where the previous section left off; no repeating what's covered.
- Keep the voice and terminology consistent.
- End with a bridge into what comes next.

Check this long piece for consistency.

<manuscript>
[paste the chapters or the full draft]
</manuscript>

Do this:
- Flag contradictions in facts, names, timeline, or terminology.
- Note where the voice or tense shifts unintentionally.
- List anything set up earlier but never paid off (or vice versa).
- Give me a punch list ordered by how jarring each issue is.

Summarize my long draft so I can see its shape.

<draft>
[paste the full draft]
</draft>

Give me:
- A one-paragraph synopsis.
- The argument as a numbered spine (each section's job).
- Where the piece is strongest and where it drags.
- The one cut that would improve it most.

Repurpose this into a set of social posts.

<source>
[paste the article, talk, or thread]
</source>
Platforms: [LinkedIn / X / Instagram / newsletter]. Voice: [describe].

Do this:
- Pull the 5 strongest standalone ideas.
- For each, write a post tuned to [platform] with a real hook (no "Here are 5 things...").
- Keep every claim faithful to the source.
- Suggest which one to lead with and why.

Write a LinkedIn post about [topic / story / lesson].

Context: [what actually happened or what you learned]. Audience: [who follows me].

Constraints:
- Open with a specific, concrete first line — no "I've been thinking a lot about..."
- One clear idea, told plainly. No fake vulnerability, no broetry line breaks for effect.
- End with a genuine question or takeaway, not "Agree?"
- Under 200 words. Give me 2 versions.

Draft a newsletter issue.

Theme: [theme]. Audience: [who and why they subscribed]. Voice: [describe]. Length: [words].
Material I want to include:
<material>
[links, notes, a personal anecdote, anything to feature]
</material>

Do this:
- A subject line (+2 alternates) and a one-line preview.
- A tight intro that earns the open.
- The body built around my material.
- One clear call to action.
No filler sections just to hit length.

Write headlines/subject lines for this.

<piece>
[paste the content or describe it]
</piece>
Goal: [clicks / opens / shares]. Audience: [who]. Tone: [straight / playful / bold].

Do this:
- Give me 12 options across a few angles (benefit, curiosity, specific, contrarian).
- Mark the 3 you'd bet on and why.
- Avoid clickbait that the piece can't cash.

Draft a reply in my voice.

Goal for the reply: [goal]. Tone: [warm and professional / direct].
<thread>
[paste the email thread]
</thread>

Constraints:
- Under 150 words. Address every open question.
- Don't invent facts — leave [placeholders] where you need info.
- Two versions: one concise, one slightly warmer.

Help me decline without burning the relationship.

I need to say no to [request] from [who]. Why I'm declining: [reason]. What I want to preserve: [the relationship / the door open / my time].

Constraints:
- Warm, clear, and brief — no long apology or over-explaining.
- Decline plainly; offer an alternative only if I actually want to.
- Two versions: firmer and softer.
- Under 100 words each.

Write a cold outreach message.

I'm [you] reaching out to [recipient and role] because [genuine reason]. What I want next: [clear, low-friction ask].

Constraints:
- Under 120 words. No "I hope this finds you well".
- Lead with why I'm relevant to them, not why they matter to me.
- One specific call to action.
- 3 subject lines to test.

Help me say something hard, well.

I need to [apologize / set a boundary / share bad news / reconnect] with [who]. Situation: [context]. I want them to feel [respected / clear / cared for].

Constraints:
- Honest, kind, not passive-aggressive.
- Own my part where fair; don't over-apologize.
- Two versions: softer and more direct. Under 120 words each.