Write a Prompt That Survives a Real Tuesday

Start with the job

Do not start with the tool. Start with the job. A good prompt says what you are trying to get done, what material the model should use, and how you will judge the result.

This is dull advice. It also works. Most failed prompts are missing either the job, the constraints, or the next action.

A useful structure

• Context: what is happening and who the output is for.
• Task: the specific thing you want produced.
• Constraints: length, tone, sources, exclusions, deadline, format.
• Checks: what the model should flag as uncertain.
• Next step: what you will do with the answer.

Prompt

Context: [plain description]. Task: [one job]. Constraints: [format, length, tone, sources]. Checks: mark uncertain assumptions and ask if a missing detail would change the answer. Next step: produce a version I can use after a quick edit.