12 Claude Prompts for Writing, Editing and Rewriting

Rewrite the draft below so it reads as if a thoughtful person wrote it for a specific reader: clear, natural and specific. The goal is better writing in my own voice, so keep my meaning, facts and structure unless a change clearly helps.

Reader: [AUDIENCE]
Where it will appear: [EMAIL / BLOG / LINKEDIN / REPORT]

<draft>
[PASTE DRAFT]
</draft>

Edit with these rules:
1. Replace stock phrases ("in today's fast-paced world", "it's important to note", "delve", "unlock", "game-changer", "navigate the landscape") with plain words, or cut them.
2. Vary sentence length. Mix short sentences with longer ones; a paragraph can be a single line.
3. Swap generic claims for concrete details. Where a specific example, number or name is needed and I have not supplied one, insert [ADD EXAMPLE] rather than inventing it.
4. Drop the patterns that make text feel automated: lists of three by default, a summary line closing every paragraph, "not only X but also Y" constructions, and rhetorical questions answered immediately.
5. Use contractions and direct address where they suit the setting.

Return the rewrite, then the 5 most significant changes in a short list.

<samples>
[PASTE 3 TO 5 PIECES YOU WROTE YOURSELF, IDEALLY 1,500 WORDS OR MORE IN TOTAL, SEPARATED BY ---]
</samples>

I want you to write in my voice, using the samples above.

Step 1: Build a style guide from the samples only. Cover sentence length and rhythm, vocabulary level, words and phrases I use often, words I avoid, how I open and close pieces, humor, how I use examples and evidence, punctuation habits, formatting, and how formal I am. Quote a short example from my samples for each point. Keep it under 300 words.

Step 2: Show me the guide and wait for my corrections.

Step 3: Once I confirm, [REWRITE THE TEXT BELOW / WRITE A DRAFT ABOUT THE TOPIC BELOW] in my voice, following the guide.

<text>
[PASTE TEXT OR DESCRIBE THE TOPIC]
</text>

Match my voice, not my mistakes: fix genuine errors but keep my quirks. If the guide conflicts with clarity, follow the guide and point out the conflict.

Help me write a blog post that fully answers what searchers want.

Topic: [TOPIC]
Target search phrase: [KEYWORD]
Reader: [WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY ALREADY KNOW]
My angle or experience: [WHAT YOU KNOW THAT GENERIC ARTICLES DON'T]
Length: [WORD COUNT]
Call to action: [WHAT THE READER SHOULD DO NEXT]

Step 1, search intent: in 3 sentences, describe what someone typing that phrase is trying to do and what would let them stop searching.
Step 2, outline: a headline that includes the phrase naturally, a 2-sentence intro that gives the answer up front, then H2 and H3 headings in the order the reader needs them. Under each heading, one line on what it covers and the evidence or example it needs.
Step 3: wait for my approval of the outline.
Step 4, draft: write it section by section, leading each section with its main point. Use short paragraphs, concrete examples, plain language, and my experience where it fits. Where a statistic or source is needed, write [SOURCE NEEDED: what kind] instead of inventing one.

Finish with a meta description under 155 characters and 3 internal link ideas.

Write an email for me.

Goal (what I want the reader to do or know): [GOAL]
Recipient and my relationship to them: [E.G. A CLIENT I HAVE WORKED WITH FOR 2 YEARS]
Context they already have: [BACKGROUND]
Points to include: [KEY POINTS]
Tone: [E.G. WARM BUT FIRM]
Length: [E.G. UNDER 120 WORDS]

Requirements:
- Put the main point or request in the first two sentences, because busy people decide from the opening.
- Make any ask specific: what, by when, and how to reply.
- Use plain, natural language and short paragraphs.
- End with one clear next step.

Give me two versions that differ in approach, not just wording (for example one direct, one relationship-led). For each: 2 subject line options, the email, and one line on when that version is the better choice.

If something important is missing, such as a deadline or the reason behind my request, ask me before drafting.

Proofread and line edit the text below. Keep my voice, meaning and structure; I want polish, not a rewrite.

Type of text: [E.G. COVER LETTER, ARTICLE, REPORT]
Style: [US OR UK ENGLISH, AND ANY STYLE GUIDE]

<text>
[PASTE TEXT]
</text>

Check for:
1. Spelling, grammar and punctuation errors
2. Unclear or ambiguous sentences
3. Wordiness and repetition
4. Inconsistencies in names, numbers, tense, capitalization and formatting
5. Sentences that are awkward to read aloud

Output in two parts.
Part 1, change list: a numbered table with columns Original | Suggested | Reason | Type. Type is "error" or "style", so I can accept every fix and pick among the style suggestions.
Part 2, clean copy: the full text with all errors fixed and style suggestions applied only where they clearly help.

If a sentence is ambiguous and the right fix depends on what I meant, flag it with a question instead of guessing.

Make the text below shorter and clearer.

Target length: [E.G. 150 WORDS, OR HALF THE CURRENT LENGTH]
Reader: [WHO READS IT]
The one thing they must take away: [KEY MESSAGE, OR "YOU DECIDE"]

<text>
[PASTE TEXT]
</text>

How to cut:
1. First, list the essential points in one line each. Everything else is a candidate for cutting.
2. Lead with the most important point.
3. Remove warm-up openings, repeated ideas, hedges that add nothing, and examples that do not earn their space.
4. Prefer short, common words and active verbs. Turn noun phrases back into verbs ("make a decision" becomes "decide").
5. Keep facts, numbers, names and commitments exactly as written.

Return the shortened version, its word count, and a list of what you cut, so I can restore anything that mattered more than you could tell.

<document>
[PASTE THE DOCUMENT OR UPLOAD THE FILE]
</document>

Summarize the document above. I am [YOUR ROLE] and I need the summary to [WHAT YOU WILL DO WITH IT, E.G. DECIDE WHETHER TO SIGN, BRIEF MY TEAM].

Use this structure:
1. TL;DR: 2 to 3 sentences a busy person could act on.
2. Key points: 5 to 8 bullets, ordered by importance to my purpose rather than by where they appear.
3. Decisions and commitments: anything decided, agreed, required or promised, with who and when.
4. Numbers that matter: figures, dates and deadlines, exactly as written.
5. Open questions: what is unclear, missing or contradictory.

For every item in sections 3 and 4, add a short direct quote so I can check it. Summarize only what the document says; if something I would expect to find is absent, say it is absent. Label your own interpretations as interpretations.

Write this week's issue of my newsletter.

Newsletter: [NAME], about [TOPIC], for [READERS]
Why people subscribe: [THE VALUE THEY EXPECT]
My voice: [E.G. FRIENDLY, OPINIONATED, DRY HUMOR], or see the past issue below
Length: [WORD COUNT]
This week's call to action: [ONE ACTION]

<past_issue>
[OPTIONAL: PASTE A PAST ISSUE]
</past_issue>

<raw_material>
[PASTE NOTES, LINKS WITH YOUR COMMENTS, IDEAS, NEWS, PERSONAL STORIES]
</raw_material>

Structure:
1. 3 subject line options under 50 characters, each with preview text
2. Opening: a 2 to 3 sentence hook tied to something readers care about this week
3. Main piece: the strongest idea in my material, developed with a clear point of view
4. Short items: 2 to 4 quick takes or links, each with one sentence on why it matters to the reader
5. Close: the call to action, stated once and plainly

Use only facts from my material. If a link has no comment from me, ask what I think of it rather than summarizing it blind. Choose what to leave out; a focused issue beats a complete one.

Be my book development partner. I am writing the book myself; I want help with structure and planning.

What I have so far: [PREMISE, NOTES, OR EXISTING DRAFT]
Type of book: [E.G. LITERARY NOVEL, FANTASY, MEMOIR, BUSINESS NONFICTION]

Start by asking about my premise, one question at a time, until you understand the core idea or conflict, the main character or reader, what changes by the end, the tone, comparable books, and target length. Ask 8 questions at most.

Then work in stages, waiting for my feedback after each:
1. A one-sentence pitch and a one-paragraph synopsis.
2. A structural outline (acts or parts) showing how the stakes or the argument build.
3. A chapter plan: for each chapter, its purpose, what happens or what it argues, and how it ends to pull the reader forward.
4. Scene beats for the chapter I choose, with the goal, conflict and outcome of each scene.

Flag structural problems as you notice them, such as a sagging middle, a passive protagonist or a repeated point, and offer options rather than one fixed answer.

Give me honest, specific feedback on my creative writing, the way a good editor would. General praise does not help me improve, so be direct and point to evidence in the text.

What it is: [E.G. OPENING CHAPTER OF A THRILLER, SHORT STORY, POEM]
What I am going for: [INTENDED EFFECT, AUDIENCE, GENRE]
What I am worried about: [SPECIFIC CONCERNS, OR "NOTHING SPECIFIC"]

<piece>
[PASTE YOUR WRITING]
</piece>

Structure your feedback:
1. Reader's experience: what you felt and understood as you read, including where your attention dropped.
2. What works: 3 strengths, each with a quoted line.
3. What to fix: the 3 to 5 biggest issues in order of impact, such as pacing, clarity, character motivation, dialogue, point of view or voice. For each, quote the passage, explain the problem, and suggest one or two ways to approach it.
4. Line notes: up to 5 sentences that could be stronger, and why.
5. One question for me to consider before the next draft.

Describe problems and options, and leave the rewriting to me.

Rewrite the text below for a different audience.

Original audience: [E.G. ENGINEERS]
New audience: [E.G. NON-TECHNICAL CUSTOMERS]
Reading level: [E.G. GRADE 6, PLAIN ENGLISH, OR EXPERT]
What the new reader should understand or do afterwards: [GOAL]
Format and length: [E.G. SAME LENGTH, AS AN EMAIL]

<text>
[PASTE TEXT]
</text>

How to approach it:
1. Start by noting what this reader already knows, what they care about, and which terms they would not recognize.
2. Keep every fact accurate. Simplify the language, not the truth; if simplifying would make a statement wrong, keep the nuance and explain it plainly.
3. Replace jargon with plain words, or define a term the first time it appears if the reader needs to learn it.
4. Reorder so the parts this reader cares about most come first.
5. Use examples and comparisons from the reader's world.

Return the rewrite, then a short glossary of the terms you replaced or defined, so I can check that nothing changed meaning.

Write persuasive copy for my product.

<product>
What it is: [PRODUCT OR SERVICE]
Who it is for: [IDEAL CUSTOMER AND THEIR SITUATION]
The problem it solves, in the customer's words: [PROBLEM]
Features and the benefit of each: [FEATURE: BENEFIT]
Common objections: [OBJECTIONS]
Proof I have: [REVIEWS, NUMBERS, GUARANTEES, CREDENTIALS]
Price and offer: [PRICE]
</product>

Copy needed: [E.G. 150-WORD PRODUCT DESCRIPTION, SALES PAGE SECTIONS, 3 AD VARIATIONS]
Where it will appear: [CHANNEL]

Approach:
1. Lead with the outcome the customer wants, not the product name.
2. Translate each feature into what it changes in the customer's day.
3. Answer the top objections directly, using my proof.
4. Use only the proof I gave you. Where proof would help and I have none, write [PROOF NEEDED], so nothing is overstated.
5. Close with one clear call to action.
6. Keep the language plain and specific; swap hype words such as "revolutionary" for concrete claims.

Give me 2 versions with different angles (for example pain-led and aspiration-led), and say which kind of customer each suits.