1In one sentence
ChatGPT gives you exactly what you ask for, so a prompt that answers four questions and, for bigger jobs, uses nine building blocks, gets better results than any trick.
2New words
- Brief — a short, clear description of what you want, who it is for, and what "good" looks like.
- Vague — missing the details that would let someone do the job well. "Write an email" is vague. "Write a 5-line email to my landlord about the broken AC" is not.
- Master Prompt — a prompt built from the nine blocks below, saved and reused for a job you do often.
3Why you would want it
Imagine a new assistant on their first day. "Write an email" leaves them guessing. ChatGPT is that assistant every time. Twenty extra seconds of brief saves five rounds of "no, not like that", and on paid plans it also saves usage.
4The four questions, then the nine blocks
| Question | Example |
|---|---|
| What exactly do I want? | A 5-line email asking for a repair |
| Who is it for? | My landlord, who ignored one reminder |
| What are the rules? | Polite but firm; by Friday; no threats |
| What should the answer look like? | Just the email, ready to send |
For a bigger job, grow the four questions into nine blocks:
- Role: You are an experienced bakery marketing assistant.
- Goal: Write our November newsletter.
- Context: Small bakery, loyal local customers, new sourdough line.
- Inputs: Here is last month's newsletter and the price list (attached).
- Constraints: Under 250 words, no discounts over 10 percent, British English.
- Process: First list 3 angles, wait for my pick, then write.
- Output format: A writing block with a headline and three short sections.
- Quality bar: Warm, specific, no clichés like "delicious treats".
- Where to run it: Chat with Think on; a Project with the price list; or Work if I want a finished PDF.
5Try it now
- In a new chat, type: Write an email. Read what comes back.
- In the same chat, type the four-question version: Write a 5-line email to my landlord asking him to fix the air conditioning by Friday. Polite but firm. I have already reminded him once. Just the email.
- Then paste the nine blocks above, filled in for something you really need.
6What you will see
With "Write an email", a few questions back or a generic draft. With the brief, an email ready to send. With the nine blocks, ChatGPT follows your process, pausing for your pick before writing.
7Watch out
- Long is not the same as clear. Nine short lines beat a rambling paragraph.
- Block 9 matters more in ChatGPT than elsewhere: the same prompt in Chat, in a Project, or in Work gives very different results and costs.
8Go further
Save your best nine-block prompt as project instructions (Chapter 1.11) or in custom instructions (Chapter 1.12). Then read Chapter 1.17 about keeping things private and checking answers.