How to start a windowsill herb garden in a small apartment

Got it. Plain text only, and I’ll act like a helpful expert writer without making you wade through decorative nonsense. Here’s how to get the best result out of me (and avoid the classic human move of giving three vague crumbs and expecting a five-course meal).

What to send me (the minimum that actually works):

What you want written or fixed

If you have notes: paste them, even if they’re messy.

If you have a draft: paste the whole thing, not “the important parts.” The weird parts are usually where the real problem is.

If you have nothing: tell me the situation in 5–10 sentences like you’re explaining it to a friend who missed the entire plot.

Who it’s for (audience)

Different readers = different choices.

“My boss” (power dynamics, concise, no drama)

“A customer” (clarity, reassurance, no internal jargon)

“A grant committee” (evidence, structure, credibility)

“Dating app bio” (voice, punch, specificity)

If it’s multiple audiences, say that. If it’s public-facing, say where it’ll live (website, LinkedIn, newsletter, press release, etc.).

The goal (pick one main goal, maybe one secondary)

Common goals:

Get approval (proposal, justification, budget request)

Get a response (email, outreach, follow-up)

Persuade (pitch, fundraising, opinion piece)

Inform (announcement, explainer, memo)

Repair damage (apology, conflict de-escalation)

Beginner mistake: mixing three goals and achieving none. Example: “Apologize, but also blame them, but also demand a refund.” That’s how you get ignored.

Tone constraints (how it should feel)

Give me 2–5 adjectives or a reference point.

Examples:

“Calm, firm, polite, not icy.”

“Friendly but professional, like a competent human.”

“Direct and confident, no exclamation points.”

“Warm and reassuring, but not cheesy.”

If you hate certain phrases (e.g., “Hope you’re well”), tell me. If you want a specific voice (like “smart and a little witty”), say so.

Format and constraints (where humans tend to forget reality exists)

Length: word count, character limit, or “fits on one screen.”

Required elements: names, dates, links, a call to action, a specific sentence that must appear.

Forbidden elements: no legal threats, no pricing, no mentioning layoffs, no emojis, no passive voice, etc.

Style rules: first person vs third person, UK vs US spelling, plain language, accessibility requirements.

Useful extras that make the writing dramatically better:

The “one sentence you want them to remember.” Example: “We need to ship by March 15 or we lose the slot.”

What you’ve already tried and how it went. Example: “I already emailed once, no response.”

Stakes and sensitivity level. Example: “This is going to HR” vs “This is a casual Slack post.”

Your relationship with the reader. Example: “New client” vs “Long-time collaborator” changes everything.

A simple template you can copy/paste (fastest way to avoid back-and-forth):

Type of writing:

Audience:

Goal:

Tone:

Must include:

Must avoid:

Length/format:

Context (5–10 bullets or a paragraph):

Draft (if any):

If you’re rewriting something, tell me what to keep:

People often paste a draft and secretly want it to become a different document. Help me help you.

Keep the overall structure, just fix clarity and tone.

Keep my exact meaning, but make it sound professional.

Make it shorter by 30% without losing key points.

Make it more persuasive, but don’t oversell.

Make it less emotional (or more human), but don’t change the facts.

Concrete examples of good inputs (so you can see what “enough detail” looks like):

Example 1: Email follow-up

Type: Email

Audience: Vendor account manager

Goal: Get a firm delivery date and confirmation in writing

Tone: Polite, firm, concise

Must include: PO number 18422, requested ship date Feb 28, ask for confirmation by EOD Tuesday

Must avoid: Threats, sarcasm (yes, even if deserved)

Length: Under 150 words

Context: They missed last date, I already followed up once, my customer deadline is March 3.

Example 2: LinkedIn “About” section

Type: Profile bio

Audience: Recruiters + peers in my field

Goal: Position me for product ops roles

Tone: Confident, approachable, not buzzword soup

Must include: 6 years experience, fintech + healthcare, strengths (process + cross-functional), mention I’m open to remote/hybrid Chicago

Length: 1,200–2,000 characters

Must avoid: “Rockstar,” “synergy,” “passionate about…”

Example 3: Apology message

Type: Text or email (you tell me which)

Audience: Friend / partner

Goal: Repair tru