Ever typed something into ChatGPT thinking, “This’ll be good,”
and it replies like… someone who just woke up from a nap and copied an outdated brochure?
Yeah. Been there.
I’ve stared at my screen while my coffee went cold, waiting for AI to understand what I meant by “fun but not cringe.”
What I got felt like it was written by someone who leaves “Wishing you success!” under every single Facebook post—even the breakup ones.
No vibe. No soul. No me.
We’re living in the era of “create faster or fall behind”
As creatives, freelancers, solo brand builders—we’re sprinting.
Content, campaigns, strategy—all under tight deadlines.
We turn to AI hoping it saves time.
But often?
It gives us something that’s… mid.
Not wrong. But not right.
Not bad. But forgettable.
And then it hit me:
The problem wasn’t AI.
It was how I was talking to it.
I used to type stuff like:
“Write a product description.”
And it would give me:
“Our solution offers optimized performance for digital users in today’s dynamic landscape.”
Thanks, Skynet. But I’m just trying to sell a water bottle.
Then I tried this:
“Write a short, playful product description for a thermos bottle. Keep it casual, Gen Z tone. Avoid words like ‘disruptive’ or ‘solution.’”
Boom.
Suddenly the copy had a personality. A pulse.
I didn’t hate it.
That’s when I realized:
AI doesn’t know what you want—unless you tell it.
It’s not a genius.
It’s a very obedient intern.
The better the brief, the better the work.
But if you’re vague? It’s confused, just like you.
Prompting isn’t just typing words into a box.
It’s a language.
It’s how you talk to AI like a collaborator—not a clumsy robot.
I call it Fluent Prompt Craft—
a way to brief your AI like someone who knows what they’re doing (even when you’re totally winging it).
So, how do you get fluent?
Here are 5 steps I learned after 300+ “meh” AI replies:
1. Think like the AI (a little)
AI can’t read your mind.
It doesn’t understand “make it good.”
It understands:
“Write a blog post for final-year students feeling lost about their future. Friendly, late-night-chat vibes. Around 300 words.”
The clearer you are, the less chaos you get.
2. Prompt like you’re ordering at your favorite restaurant
You don’t say “just bring food.”
You say: “Pho, rare beef, no onions, extra herbs, medium spicy.”
Same with AI:
“Write a 3-line Instagram caption about morning coffee, Gen Z meme style, with emojis.”
That’s how you get what you want.
3. Add a sprinkle of you
AI doesn’t have taste. You do.
“Write in a cheeky, playful tone like I’m texting a friend about failing a job interview but staying hopeful.”
When I tried prompts like that, people messaged me:
“This sounds so YOU.”> > >
And that’s the goal.
4. First drafts are just clay
Don’t love it? Don’t delete.
Just follow up:
“Make the intro softer.”> > >
“Add a real-life example.”> > >
“Tweak the ending to feel heartfelt without being cheesy.”
I once fixed a client pitch that way.
Three small prompts later: boom—deal closed.
5. Save your golden prompts like recipes
I have a doc.
- Blog prompts
- Email responses
- Creative briefs
- Idea generators
So here’s the deal:
I stopped blaming AI.
I started speaking clearly.
And when I did?
I got faster. Less frustrated.
And I still sounded like me—even when AI helped write the words.
P.S.
I’m sharing more in my series “How to Live with AI Without Losing Yourself” →
👉 https://substack.com/@huyhungstory
It includes example prompts, useful tips, a few jokes, and zero upsells.
Come for the hacks. Stay for the sass. No OTP required.
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