The Art of Prompting: A Simple Guide to Talking to AI

Hey, tell me if I’m wrong, but it seems that everything we do in the 21st century requires a certain degree of learning and training. Even our communication with AI! A simple thing like asking it for information is not the same as our recent experiences with Google... well, if we expect to get correct and precise responses, of course.

With AI tools like ChatGPT, we’re not just typing keywords anymore — we’re having a conversation. And just like in any conversation, how we ask matters. This is where the idea of a “prompt” comes in. Prompts are the instructions we give to AI to help it understand what we want.

In this post, we’ll explore the basics of prompts and the art of prompting — in simple, everyday language. Whether you're asking for a story, an answer, a research, or a poem, you’ll learn how to make your requests clear, creative, and effective. Let’s dive in!

🧠 What Is a Prompt?

A prompt is the message or question you give to an AI to tell it what you want.
It’s like talking to a helpful robot: what you say matters.

Examples of prompts:

• "Write a story about a brave cat."

• "Translate this sentence to French."

• "What is the capital of Japan?"

• "Make a list of healthy snacks."

The better your prompt, the better the answer you’ll get.

🎨 The Art of Prompting

Prompting is not just typing something quickly — it’s an art.
You’re guiding the AI. You’re setting the scene.

Let’s look at some simple tips:

✅ 1. Be Clear

Use simple and direct language.

Good:

"Write a short poem about the beauty of moonlight on a summer night."

Not so good:

"Can you do something kind of like a poem but maybe not really, about nature or something?"

✅ 2. Be Specific

Tell the AI what you want and how you want it.

Good:

"Give me 5 fun facts about dolphins for a school project."

Too vague:

"Tell me something cool."

✅ 3. Give Context (if needed)

Sometimes it helps to give a little background.

Example:

"I'm writing a birthday card. Write a funny message for a 10-year-old who loves dinosaurs."

✅ 4. Use Step-by-Step Prompts

Break complex tasks into steps.

Example:

"First, explain what a volcano is. Then, give an example of a famous volcano."

This makes it easier for the AI to follow your idea.

🚫 What to Avoid in Prompts

Here are some things that can confuse the AI or make the result weaker:

❌ 1. Being Too Vague

• Avoid: "Talk about food."

• Try: "Write a paragraph about why fruits are healthy."

❌ 2. Being Too Complicated

• Avoid: "Could you maybe, if it's okay, tell me something kind of interesting but not too long about, like, trees or nature or something?"

• Try: "Give me 3 cool facts about trees in under 50 words."

❌ 3. Mixing Too Many Ideas

Stick to one topic at a time.

• Avoid: "Tell me a story, and also give me a recipe, and what's the weather?"

• Try: One prompt at a time:

  1. "Tell me a short bedtime story."

  2. "Give me a recipe for pancakes."

  3. "What's the weather in Tokyo today?"

🏗️ A Simple Prompt Structure

Here’s a basic way to structure your prompt:

Action + Topic + Details

For example:

• "Explain how photosynthesis works in simple words for a child."

• "List 5 tips for saving money that are easy to follow."

• "Write a funny story about a dog who learns to dance."

💡 Final Tips

• Start simple. You can always add more detail later.

• Try a few different prompts if the first one doesn’t work well.

• Imagine you’re giving instructions to a smart, polite helper who can’t read your mind — they need you to be clear!

So, what have we learned?

Talking to AI is a bit like giving instructions to a smart friend — the clearer and more thoughtful you are, the better the results. A prompt is your way of guiding the AI, and crafting a good one doesn’t need to be hard. Just remember to be clear, specific, and kind of like a teacher giving directions.

Whether you're writing a story, asking a question, or planning a project, learning the art of prompting helps you get better answers, faster. And like anything else — the more you practice, the better you get!

So go ahead, try it out. Ask something fun, ask something useful — and see where your words can take you.