One of the most powerful yet underutilized techniques when working with AI writing tools is explicitly telling the system what points you want covered. Many people approach AI like they’re making a wish to a genie, hoping it magically understands their vision. But the reality is far simpler and more controllable than that.When you ask an AI to write something, you’re not just requesting words on a page. You’re initiating a collaboration where you set the parameters. Think of it like briefing a colleague before they draft a report. You wouldn’t just say “write something about our sales strategy” and hope for the best. You’d outline the specific arguments you want them to make, the data points to include, and the conclusions to draw.
The same principle applies to AI prompting. If you’re writing a blog post about sustainable gardening, for example, you might want to ensure the piece covers the environmental benefits, cost savings over time, and practical tips for beginners. Rather than hoping the AI stumbles onto these themes, you can directly instruct it to address each one. The difference in output quality is remarkable.
This approach works because AI systems are fundamentally pattern-matching and instruction-following tools. They excel when given clear direction. A vague prompt like “write about electric vehicles” might generate something generic and unfocused. But if you specify that you want the piece to emphasize battery technology improvements, charging infrastructure challenges, and total cost of ownership comparisons, you’re essentially providing a roadmap. The AI can then organize its response around these pillars, ensuring nothing important gets overlooked.
The technique becomes even more valuable for complex topics where you have domain expertise the AI might lack. You know which arguments are most persuasive to your audience, which objections need addressing, and which nuances matter most. By explicitly listing these points in your prompt, you’re injecting your expertise into the writing process rather than leaving everything to the AI’s general knowledge.
There’s also a psychological benefit to this approach. When you take a moment to articulate the key points before generating text, you’re forced to think critically about what really matters in your piece. This brief planning phase often reveals gaps in your own thinking or helps you prioritize which ideas deserve the most attention. The AI becomes a tool for implementing a strategy you’ve consciously developed rather than a replacement for strategic thinking.
The syntax for doing this is straightforward. You can introduce your points with phrases like “make sure to cover,” “include discussion of,” or “address the following topics.” You might write something like: “Draft an article about remote work policies. Make sure to cover the importance of clear communication guidelines, the challenge of maintaining company culture, strategies for measuring productivity, and the legal considerations around location-based employment.” The AI will then structure its response to hit each of these marks.
This method also helps with revision and iteration. If the first draft misses something or doesn’t emphasize a point strongly enough, you can refine your prompt to be more explicit. Instead of generating entirely new text and hoping it’s better, you’re systematically improving the output by clarifying your instructions.It’s worth noting that this isn’t about micromanaging every sentence. You’re setting the agenda, not writing the piece yourself. The AI still handles the actual composition, finding examples, creating transitions, and shaping the language. You’re just ensuring it knows what ground to cover.
For anyone who’s felt frustrated by AI-generated content that seems off-target or superficial, this technique is transformative. It shifts the dynamic from “hoping the AI guesses what I want” to “directing the AI toward specific goals.” The result is content that actually serves your purpose rather than generic text that happens to be on your topic.
The next time you prompt an AI to write something, pause first. Ask yourself what points absolutely need to be in this piece. Write them down as part of your prompt. You’ll find the output is not only more useful but often requires less editing, because the AI was given a clear mission from the start. Writing with AI becomes less about luck and more about clear communication of your objectives.