Claude can generate usable content from even simple prompts like "Please write me a poem about trees." It can also follow much more precise instructions if prompted properly.

You can ask Claude to write in a specific style or for a particular audience. For example, you can ask it to be very detailed or more concise. You can also ask Claude to generate an approximate number of words, paragraphs or list items. (Though it is not so good at complying with character count requests.) You can give Claude specific things about a topic to focus on, and more.

Rewriting text

In this example, we want Claude to rewrite some existing text in a particular style. We give it two inputs, the text to be rewritten, and instructions about how to rewrite it.

Prompt Template:

Human: I'd like you to rewrite the following paragraph using the following instructions: "{{INSTRUCTIONS}}".

"{{PARAGRAPH}}"

Please put your rewrite in <rewrite></rewrite> tags.

Assistant: <rewrite>

Starting Claude's answer ourselves with the opening <rewrite> XML tag can preempt any "chattiness".

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Input substitution (Claude in Sheets)

In Sheets, we can use the SUBSTITUTE() function to replace {{INSTRUCTIONS}} and {{PARAGRAPH}} in our template with inputs from specific cells. We can then pass Claude in Sheets the assembled prompt with inputs included.

An example assembled prompt:

Human: I'd like you to rewrite the following paragraph using the following instructions: "less detail".

"In 1758, the Swedish botanist and zoologist Carl Linnaeus published in his Systema Naturae, the two-word naming of species (binomial nomenclature). Canis is the Latin word meaning "dog", and under this genus, he listed the domestic dog, the wolf, and the golden jackal."

Please put your rewrite in <rewrite></rewrite> tags.

Assistant: <rewrite>

Example response:

In 1758, Carl Linnaeus published a system for naming species using two words. Under the genus Canis, meaning "dog" in Latin, he listed the dog, wolf, and jackal.  
</rewrite>

Expanding bullet points

If you want to generate a draft from main points you've written already, you can give Claude those main points in a list and ask it to expand them.

For example:

Human: Here is a list of main points for an essay:
<list>
{LIST}
</list>

Please expand the main points one by one, with each point copied word for word above the corresponding expanded content.

Assistant:

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Ask Claude for an outline

You can also get Claude to write the main points itself, and then expand those points into more content. Please see the article Break Tasks into Subtasks for an example.