50 AI Writing Prompts That Actually Sound Like You
50 ready-to-use AI writing prompts for emails, reports, LinkedIn, and more. Each template includes a Style Profile slot that makes generic AI sound like you.
You've got 50 tabs open. Twelve Slack messages waiting. And a client email that needed to go out 20 minutes ago.
So you open ChatGPT, type "write a follow-up email to a client about the project delay," and hit enter. The output is... fine. Technically correct. Completely forgettable. It reads like it was written by a polite stranger who's never met you.
This is the AI writing prompt problem. The prompt itself isn't bad. What's missing is you.
A great prompt without your writing style produces generic output. The same prompt with a Style Profile—a structured document that captures your Writing DNA—produces something that sounds like you actually wrote it.
This article gives you 50 prompts organized by use case. Every single one includes a [Your Style Profile] placeholder. Paste your Master Prompt into that slot, and the output transforms from "AI-generated" to "authentically yours."
These prompts work with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini—any AI. The magic isn't in the tool. It's in the instructions you feed it.
How to Use These Prompts
Each prompt follows the same structure:
- The template — copy it, paste it into your AI tool
[Your Style Profile]— replace this with your Master Prompt (the document that encodes your writing patterns, tone rules, and anti-patterns)- Context variables in
{brackets}— fill in the specifics for your situation
If you don't have a Style Profile yet, the prompts still work. But the output will sound like generic AI. That's the whole point—the prompt is the skeleton, your Style Profile is the personality.
To see the difference in action, I've included before/after comparisons for a few key prompts.
Section 1: Email Prompts
Email is where most professionals first feel the pain of generic AI. These 10 prompts cover the situations you hit every week.
Prompt 1: The Follow-Up Email
[Your Style Profile]
Write a follow-up email to {recipient} about {topic}.
Context: We last spoke on {date}, and the next step was {action item}.
Tone should match how I'd write to someone I've {relationship level: worked with for years / just met / manage directly}.
Keep it under {length: 3-5 sentences}.
Prompt 2: The Cold Introduction
[Your Style Profile]
Write an introduction email to {person's name} at {company}.
I want to {goal: explore partnership / request a meeting / pitch a service}.
What I know about them: {brief context}.
This is a first-touch email — it should feel personal, not templated.
No generic "I hope this email finds you well" openers.
Prompt 3: The Difficult Conversation Email
Before/After Comparison
Without Style Profile:
Prompt: "Write an email to a team member about missed deadlines."
Subject: Regarding Recent Deadline Concerns
Dear Sarah,
I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to reach out regarding some concerns I have about recent project deadlines that have not been met. It has come to my attention that several deliverables have been delayed, and I believe it would be beneficial for us to discuss this matter at your earliest convenience.
I understand that there may be extenuating circumstances, and I want to ensure we can work together to find a productive path forward. Please let me know when you have a moment to chat.
Best regards
With Style Profile:
Subject: Quick chat about the Henderson timeline
Hey Sarah —
The Henderson deliverables slipped twice this month. That's not a pattern I want to ignore, and I don't think you do either.
Can we grab 15 minutes tomorrow? I want to understand what's blocking you — not assign blame. If it's a capacity issue, let's fix the workload. If it's something else, I'd rather know now than after the next deadline.
Shoot me a time that works.
Same prompt. Same AI tool. The difference is a Style Profile that tells the AI how you handle difficult conversations—direct but supportive, specific not vague, action-oriented.
[Your Style Profile]
Write an email to {team member} about {performance issue: missed deadlines / quality concerns / communication gaps}.
Specific situation: {what happened}.
My goal is to {desired outcome: understand the root cause / reset expectations / offer support}.
Tone: direct but not punitive. I want to solve the problem, not create distance.
Prompt 4: The Delegation Email
[Your Style Profile]
Write an email delegating {task} to {person}.
Include: what needs to be done, the deadline ({date}), what success looks like, and who to contact if they hit blockers.
My delegation style is {hands-off with clear expectations / collaborative with check-ins / detailed with step-by-step guidance}.
Prompt 5: The "No" Email
[Your Style Profile]
Write a polite but clear email declining {request: a meeting / a project / a favor / a partnership}.
The reason: {brief reason or "prefer not to give a specific reason"}.
I want to say no without damaging the relationship or leaving the door ambiguously open.
Prompt 6: The Thank-You Email
[Your Style Profile]
Write a thank-you email to {recipient} for {what they did}.
This is genuine, not performative. Reference a specific thing they did that mattered.
Keep it short — {2-3 sentences / a short paragraph}.
Prompt 7: The Status Update Email
[Your Style Profile]
Write a status update email to {audience: manager / client / stakeholders} about {project}.
Include: what's done, what's in progress, what's blocked, and next steps.
Format it the way I typically structure updates — {bullet points / TL;DR first then details / narrative style}.
Prompt 8: The Meeting Request Email
[Your Style Profile]
Write an email requesting a meeting with {person} about {topic}.
Suggest {number} time slots: {times or "this week"}.
Briefly explain why the meeting matters — no more than {1-2 sentences} of context.
Prompt 9: The Apology Email
[Your Style Profile]
Write an email apologizing to {recipient} for {situation: a missed deadline / an error / an oversight}.
Acknowledge the impact. Don't over-explain or make excuses.
Include what I'm doing to fix it and prevent it from happening again.
Prompt 10: The Reconnection Email
[Your Style Profile]
Write an email reconnecting with {person} who I haven't spoken to in {time period}.
Context on our relationship: {how we know each other}.
I want to {goal: catch up / explore an opportunity / ask for advice}.
Don't fake familiarity if we weren't close, but be warm.
Section 2: Reports & Documents
Reports expose AI's generic voice faster than any other format. Your manager knows how you structure updates. Your clients recognize your proposal style. These prompts keep that consistency.
Prompt 11: The Executive Summary
[Your Style Profile]
Write an executive summary for {document/report}.
Key findings: {3-5 bullet points of main takeaways}.
Audience: {C-suite / board / department heads}.
Length: {one paragraph / half page / full page}.
Lead with the most important conclusion first.
Prompt 12: The Project Proposal
Before/After Comparison
Without Style Profile:
Prompt: "Write a project proposal for migrating our CRM to a new platform."
Project Proposal: CRM Migration
1. Introduction This proposal outlines the plan for migrating our current CRM system to a new platform. The migration aims to improve operational efficiency, enhance data management capabilities, and provide better analytics tools for our sales team.
2. Objectives The primary objectives of this migration are to streamline our sales pipeline management, improve reporting capabilities, and ensure seamless integration with our existing marketing automation tools...
With Style Profile:
CRM Migration: Why, How, and What It'll Cost
The short version: Our current CRM costs us 6 hours/week in manual workarounds. The new platform eliminates that overhead and gives sales real-time pipeline visibility. Migration takes 8 weeks. Total cost: $34K — pays for itself in 4 months.
Why now:
- Sales team is routing around the CRM, not through it
- We're losing deals in handoff gaps the current system can't track
- Q3 onboarding doubles our user count — migrating after that costs 2x
Same information, completely different impact. The Style Profile told the AI to lead with the bottom line, use specific numbers, and structure the way this person actually builds proposals.
[Your Style Profile]
Write a project proposal for {project}.
Problem being solved: {what's broken or missing}.
Proposed solution: {approach}.
Key data points: {costs, timelines, ROI estimates}.
Audience: {who will approve this}.
Structure it how I typically write proposals — {bottom-line first / narrative / problem-solution-benefit}.
Prompt 13: The Weekly Project Update
[Your Style Profile]
Write a weekly project update for {project name}.
Completed this week: {items}.
In progress: {items}.
Blocked: {items with reasons}.
Next week's priorities: {items}.
Format: {bullets / short paragraphs / table}.
Prompt 14: The Business Case Document
[Your Style Profile]
Write a business case for {initiative}.
Current state: {what's happening now}.
Proposed change: {what we want to do}.
Financial impact: {cost, savings, revenue implications}.
Risks: {main risks and mitigations}.
Recommendation: {what I'm asking for}.
Prompt 15: The Quarterly Review
[Your Style Profile]
Write a quarterly review for {Q1/Q2/Q3/Q4} covering {department/project/team}.
Key metrics: {list with numbers}.
Wins: {top 3-5 achievements}.
Misses: {what didn't go as planned and why}.
Focus for next quarter: {priorities}.
Prompt 16: The Process Documentation
[Your Style Profile]
Write process documentation for {process name}.
Steps: {list the steps in order}.
Audience: {who will follow this — new hires / cross-functional teams / external partners}.
Include: decision points, common pitfalls, and who to escalate to.
Tone: clear and direct, not condescending.
Prompt 17: The Post-Mortem
[Your Style Profile]
Write a post-mortem for {incident/project/launch}.
What happened: {timeline of events}.
Root cause: {what actually went wrong}.
Impact: {quantify the damage or disruption}.
What we're changing: {action items with owners}.
Keep it blame-free but honest.
Prompt 18: The RFP Response
[Your Style Profile]
Write a response to an RFP for {project/service}.
Client: {company name and context}.
Our qualifications: {relevant experience and strengths}.
Proposed approach: {high-level methodology}.
Differentiators: {why us over competitors}.
Match the formality level of the RFP but keep my voice.
Section 3: LinkedIn & Social Media
LinkedIn is where generic AI writing is most visible—and most damaging. Your network can spot AI-generated posts instantly. These prompts help you stay authentic.
Prompt 19: The Thought Leadership Post
[Your Style Profile]
Write a LinkedIn post about {topic/insight}.
The core idea: {your main point in one sentence}.
Supporting evidence or experience: {what backs this up}.
Length: {short and punchy / medium with storytelling / long-form with sections}.
End with {a question to drive engagement / a clear takeaway / a call to action}.
No hashtag stuffing — max 3 relevant hashtags.
Prompt 20: The Contrarian Take
[Your Style Profile]
Write a LinkedIn post challenging the common belief that {popular opinion}.
My actual position: {what I think instead and why}.
Back it up with: {experience, data, or logic}.
Tone: confident and reasoned, not combative. I want to start a conversation, not a fight.
Prompt 21: The Story Post
Before/After Comparison
Without Style Profile:
Prompt: "Write a LinkedIn post about a lesson I learned from a failed product launch."
I'm excited to share a valuable lesson I learned from a recent experience. We launched a product that didn't meet our expectations, and through that journey, I discovered some important insights about the importance of customer feedback and market validation.
Here are my top 3 takeaways:
- Always validate your assumptions with real data
- Listen to your customers early and often
- Failure is not the end — it's a learning opportunity
What lessons have you learned from setbacks? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! #Leadership #Growth #Innovation
With Style Profile:
We burned $200K on a product nobody asked for.
Not because the team was bad. The team was excellent. That's what made it worse — talented people executing flawlessly on the wrong thing.
The mistake was simple: we fell in love with our solution before validating the problem. Customer interviews said "this is interesting." We heard "take my money." Those are not the same sentence.
Three things I do differently now:
- Pre-sell before I pre-build. If nobody will pay for the mockup, nobody will pay for the product.
- Track what customers do, not what they say. Enthusiasm in a meeting =/= credit card on the table.
- Kill projects at 30 days if the signal isn't there. Sunk cost is real, but sunk time is worse.
The product died. The lesson didn't.
The generic version is forgettable. The Style Profile version has a specific voice—the em-dashes, the short punchy opener, the concrete numbers, the contrastive structure. That's what makes people stop scrolling.
[Your Style Profile]
Write a LinkedIn post telling the story of {experience}.
The lesson: {what I learned or what I'd do differently}.
Open with a hook — something surprising, specific, or emotionally honest.
Structure: hook → context → turning point → lesson → takeaway.
Write like I'm talking to a smart peer, not performing for an audience.
Prompt 22: The Industry Commentary Post
[Your Style Profile]
Write a LinkedIn post commenting on {industry trend / news / development}.
My take: {what I think this means and why it matters}.
Include: {a prediction / a recommendation / a question for the audience}.
Keep it under {200 / 300 / 500} words.
Prompt 23: The "How I Do X" Post
[Your Style Profile]
Write a LinkedIn post explaining how I {process / approach / system}.
Break it into {3-5} clear steps or principles.
Include why each step matters, not just what it is.
End with an invitation for others to share their approach.
Prompt 24: The Recommendation / Endorsement Post
[Your Style Profile]
Write a LinkedIn post recommending {person / book / tool / event}.
What it is: {brief description}.
Why I'm recommending it: {specific value or impact I experienced}.
Who it's for: {target audience}.
Keep it authentic — not a paid advertisement.
Prompt 25: The Engagement Comment
[Your Style Profile]
Write a thoughtful LinkedIn comment on a post about {topic}.
The post's main argument: {summarize it}.
My response: {agree and add nuance / respectfully disagree / share a related experience}.
Keep it under 3-4 sentences. Add value, don't just agree.
Prompt 26: The Milestone Post
[Your Style Profile]
Write a LinkedIn post about {milestone: new role / company anniversary / product launch / team achievement}.
Acknowledge {people / teams / circumstances} that made it possible.
Share one unexpected thing I learned along the way.
Keep it genuine — no false humility, no humble-bragging.
Section 4: Meeting Prompts
Meetings generate more writing tasks than most people realize. Agendas, notes, follow-ups, action items — these prompts handle all of it.
Prompt 27: The Meeting Agenda
[Your Style Profile]
Write a meeting agenda for {meeting topic} with {attendees / team}.
Duration: {time}.
Goals: {what we need to decide or accomplish}.
Include time allocations for each section.
Add a "pre-read" section if attendees need to prepare anything.
Prompt 28: The Meeting Follow-Up
[Your Style Profile]
Write a meeting follow-up email for today's {meeting name} with {attendees}.
Decisions made: {list}.
Action items: {list with owners and deadlines}.
Open questions: {anything unresolved}.
Next meeting: {date/time or "TBD"}.
Keep it scannable — people skim follow-ups.
Prompt 29: The Meeting Notes Summary
[Your Style Profile]
Summarize these meeting notes into a clean, shareable format:
{Paste raw meeting notes here}
Organize into: Key Decisions, Action Items (with owners), Discussion Points, and Next Steps.
Remove filler and repetition. Keep the substance.
Prompt 30: The Pre-Meeting Briefing
[Your Style Profile]
Write a pre-meeting briefing for my meeting with {person/company} on {date}.
Context: {what the meeting is about}.
Their background: {relevant info about the other party}.
My goals: {what I want to accomplish}.
Talking points: {3-5 key things I want to cover}.
Potential objections or questions they might raise: {if applicable}.
Prompt 31: The "Let's Cancel This Meeting" Email
[Your Style Profile]
Write an email suggesting we cancel or replace {recurring meeting} with {alternative: async update / Slack channel / monthly instead of weekly}.
Reason: {why the current format isn't working}.
Proposed alternative: {what I'm suggesting instead}.
Tone: constructive, not critical of anyone who values the meeting.
Prompt 32: The One-on-One Prep
[Your Style Profile]
Write talking points for my 1:1 with {person} on {date}.
Their recent work: {what they've been focused on}.
Topics to cover: {performance, projects, development, blockers}.
Questions to ask: {generate 3-4 thoughtful questions based on the context above}.
Feedback to give: {positive and constructive, if any}.
Section 5: Client Communication
Client-facing writing has the highest stakes. Your style is part of the relationship. These prompts preserve it.
Prompt 33: The Client Proposal
[Your Style Profile]
Write a proposal for {client name} for {project/service}.
Their problem: {what they told us they need}.
Our solution: {what we're proposing}.
Scope: {what's included and what's not}.
Timeline: {milestones and dates}.
Investment: {pricing structure}.
Match the tone I use with {this client type: enterprise / startup / long-term partner}.
Prompt 34: The Client Check-In
[Your Style Profile]
Write a check-in email to {client name}.
Current project status: {where things stand}.
Any flags: {potential issues to raise proactively}.
Next milestone: {what's coming up}.
Keep it conversational — this is relationship maintenance, not a status report.
Prompt 35: The Deliverable Handoff
[Your Style Profile]
Write an email delivering {deliverable} to {client}.
What's attached/linked: {description of the deliverable}.
Key highlights: {3-5 things they should pay attention to}.
What I need from them: {feedback, approval, next steps}.
Deadline for their response: {date, if applicable}.
Prompt 36: The Scope Change Discussion
[Your Style Profile]
Write an email to {client} about a scope change on {project}.
What changed: {new requirements or shifted priorities}.
Impact: {on timeline, budget, or deliverables}.
Options: {what I'm proposing — absorb it, adjust timeline, adjust cost}.
Tone: transparent and solutions-oriented. Don't make them feel bad for changing scope.
Prompt 37: The Bad News Client Email
[Your Style Profile]
Write an email to {client} delivering bad news: {what happened — delay, error, cost overrun, missed target}.
What we're doing about it: {corrective actions}.
Revised timeline or next steps: {updated plan}.
Be direct. Don't bury the bad news under false optimism. But show that we're on top of it.
Prompt 38: The Upsell or Expansion Email
[Your Style Profile]
Write an email to {client} suggesting {additional service / expanded scope / new project}.
Why now: {what triggered this recommendation — their results, a gap I noticed, market timing}.
What it would look like: {brief description}.
This should feel like a recommendation from a trusted advisor, not a sales pitch.
Prompt 39: The Client Offboarding Email
[Your Style Profile]
Write a wrap-up email to {client} as we close out {project}.
Summary of what we accomplished: {key deliverables and outcomes}.
What they should know going forward: {maintenance notes, contacts, documentation}.
Leave the door open for future work without being pushy.
Prompt 40: The Testimonial Request
[Your Style Profile]
Write an email to {client} requesting a testimonial or case study participation.
What went well: {specific results or moments to reference}.
What I'm asking for: {a short quote / a longer testimonial / participation in a case study}.
Make it easy for them — suggest they can keep it to {2-3 sentences} or offer to draft something they can edit.
Section 6: Internal Communication
Company-wide emails, team updates, policy announcements — these prompts ensure your internal voice stays consistent with how people know you.
Prompt 41: The Team Announcement
[Your Style Profile]
Write an internal announcement about {news: new hire, org change, policy update, product launch, company milestone}.
Audience: {whole company / department / leadership team}.
Key details: {what's changing, when, and why}.
Action required: {what people need to do, if anything}.
Tone: {celebratory / informational / sensitive — depending on the news}.
Prompt 42: The Policy Update
[Your Style Profile]
Write an internal communication about a policy change: {policy name/topic}.
What's changing: {old policy vs. new policy}.
Why: {reason for the change — keep it honest}.
Effective date: {when}.
FAQ: {anticipate 2-3 questions people will have and answer them}.
Don't make it sound like corporate legalese. Write it how I'd explain it in person.
Prompt 43: The Team Wins Roundup
[Your Style Profile]
Write a team wins email highlighting achievements from {time period}.
Wins to feature: {list of accomplishments with people's names}.
Give specific credit to individuals — don't genericize. People want to see their name and their contribution.
Close with what we're focused on next.
Prompt 44: The Change Management Communication
[Your Style Profile]
Write an internal communication about {change: new tool adoption, process change, team restructure}.
What's changing and why: {details}.
How it affects people: {practical impact on their day-to-day}.
Timeline: {when changes take effect}.
Support available: {training, resources, who to ask}.
Acknowledge that change is hard without being patronizing.
Prompt 45: The All-Hands Talking Points
[Your Style Profile]
Write talking points for an all-hands meeting about {topic}.
Key messages: {3-5 things I need to communicate}.
Anticipated questions: {what people will ask}.
Suggested answers: {how I'd respond authentically}.
Format these as bullet points I can reference while speaking — not a script.
Section 7: Creative & Thought Leadership
Blog drafts, opinion pieces, frameworks — the writing where your original thinking matters most.
Prompt 46: The Blog Post Draft
[Your Style Profile]
Write a blog post draft about {topic}.
Core argument: {my main thesis in 1-2 sentences}.
Supporting points: {3-5 arguments, examples, or data points}.
Target audience: {who I'm writing for}.
Length: {500 / 1000 / 1500+} words.
Open with a hook, not a definition. End with a clear takeaway, not a generic call to action.
Prompt 47: The Opinion Piece
[Your Style Profile]
Write an opinion piece on {topic/trend/debate}.
My position: {what I believe and why}.
The counterargument: {the strongest version of the opposing view}.
Why I'm right (or at least, why my perspective matters): {evidence, experience, logic}.
Tone: thoughtful and firm. I'm not hedging — I have a point of view.
Prompt 48: The Framework or Mental Model
[Your Style Profile]
Write a post introducing my framework for {topic}: {framework name, if you have one}.
The problem it solves: {what people struggle with}.
The framework: {steps, principles, or components — describe each}.
How to apply it: {a practical example}.
Make the framework memorable — name the steps if possible, use concrete examples.
Prompt 49: The Lessons Learned Post
[Your Style Profile]
Write a post about {number} lessons I learned from {experience: running a team / launching a product / a career transition / a failure}.
Lessons: {list them with brief context}.
For each lesson, include: what happened, what I expected vs. what actually happened, and what I do differently now.
Be specific. "Communication matters" is not a lesson. "I stopped sending project updates via email and started recording 2-minute Loom videos — response rate went from 20% to 85%" is a lesson.
Prompt 50: The Year-in-Review / Retrospective
[Your Style Profile]
Write a personal or professional retrospective for {year / quarter / project}.
What went well: {wins and highlights}.
What didn't: {honest assessment of misses}.
What surprised me: {unexpected outcomes or learnings}.
What I'm carrying forward: {commitments or changes for the next period}.
Keep it honest. The best retrospectives are the ones that don't pretend everything was great.
Making These Prompts Work: The Style Profile Difference
You've now got 50 prompts covering nearly every professional writing scenario. But here's the truth: the prompts are the easy part.
The hard part—the part that determines whether your AI output sounds like you or sounds like everyone else—is the Style Profile.
Think about it with math. If 1,000 professionals use Prompt #3 (the difficult conversation email) with no Style Profile, they all get roughly the same output. Generic corporate empathy. Safe, bland, interchangeable.
If those same 1,000 professionals use Prompt #3 with their individual Style Profiles? You get 1,000 different emails. Each one reflecting how that specific person handles tough conversations—their phrasing, their structure, their emotional register.
That's the difference between AI as a writing tool and AI as a Writing Twin.
What a Style Profile Contains
A comprehensive Style Profile—what we call a Master Prompt—typically includes:
- Sentence patterns: How you build sentences. Short and declarative? Long and layered? A mix of both with specific rhythm?
- Vocabulary rules: Words you use, words you avoid, industry-specific terms, colloquialisms
- Structural preferences: How you organize information. Bottom-line-first? Narrative? Bullets or paragraphs?
- Tone calibration by context: How your writing shifts depending on audience—formal for executives, casual for peers, warm for clients
- Anti-patterns: What you never do. No exclamation points. No passive voice. No burying the lead.
- Punctuation and formatting habits: Em-dashes, Oxford commas, TL;DR sections, specific sign-offs
Building this yourself is possible—we wrote a guide on how to build custom instructions that analyze your writing patterns. But it takes analysis across hundreds of your writing samples to extract patterns you don't even know you have.
That's what My Writing Twin does. We analyze your actual writing—emails, documents, messages—and generate a Master Prompt that captures your Writing DNA. You paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or any AI tool. The prompts above become personalized instantly.
Quick-Start: Using These Prompts Today
Don't have a Style Profile yet? Here's how to get started right now:
- Pick 3 prompts from the list above that match your most common writing tasks
- Write the output yourself for each one — the way you'd actually write it
- Feed your written versions to AI with this meta-prompt:
Analyze these 3 writing samples and extract my style patterns.
Look for: sentence structure, vocabulary preferences, tone,
formatting habits, and any anti-patterns (things I consistently avoid).
Then apply those patterns to future writing tasks.
[Paste your 3 samples here]
This won't be as thorough as a full Style Profile, but it's a starting point. For more ready-to-use templates beyond this list, grab our free AI prompt collection. For a comprehensive breakdown, check out our Custom GPT Instructions guide or explore what a professional Style Profile for ChatGPT users looks like.
The Bottom Line
AI writing prompts are everywhere. You can find thousands of them with a quick search. The prompts themselves aren't the bottleneck.
What separates "AI-assisted writing" from "writing that sounds like you" is the style layer. The same 50 prompts produce 50 different results depending on whether you include your Writing DNA.
Generic prompts + no style = generic output. Great prompts + your Style Profile = output that sounds like you wrote it.
Save these 50 prompts. Build your Style Profile. And stop rewriting AI output that should have been right the first time.
Get Your Free Writing DNA Snapshot
Curious about your unique writing style? Try our free Writing DNA Snapshot — it's free and no credit card is required. See how AI can learn to write exactly like you with My Writing Twin.