Show, don't tell — Prompt Craft
Models are pattern machines
Describing a style in words is hard: "punchy but warm, a little playful, not cheesy" means different things to everyone. Showing is easy: paste two examples you love and say "like these."
This is called few-shot prompting — giving a few examples before the real task. It's one of the most reliable techniques there is.
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Models are pattern machines
Describing a style in words is hard: "punchy but warm, a little playful, not cheesy" means different things to everyone. Showing is easy: paste two examples you love and say "like these."
This is called few-shot prompting — giving a few examples before the real task. It's one of the most reliable techniques there is.
Describing vs. showing
Weak: Write product descriptions for our candles. Make them cozy and a bit witty.
Strong: Here are two descriptions in our voice:
1. Rainy Sunday — Smells like a library that also sells cinnamon rolls. Burns 40 hours; excuses not included.
2. Porch Light — Fresh-cut grass and lemonade, for people who think 7pm is the best hour.
Write 3 more in exactly this style for: Campfire, Ocean Air, Fresh Linen.
Why: The examples teach length, rhythm, humor and structure all at once — no adjectives required.
Getting examples right
- 2–3 examples is the sweet spot; more rarely helps.
- Make them varied so the AI copies the style, not the exact topic.
- Label them clearly (Example 1, Example 2) and separate them from the task.
- Examples beat rules for tone; rules beat examples for hard requirements ("never mention price").
Part of ✍️ Prompt Craft in the free AI Bootcamp.