Don't make it guess
Outcome
By the end, you'll be able to give Claude the background it needs to give you an answer that actually fits your situation.
Concept
Claude only knows what you tell it. Ask a question cold and it has to guess who you are, what you already know, and what you're trying to do — so it gives a generic answer aimed at no one in particular. Hand it the background up front — your level, your goal, what you've already tried, any constraints — and the same question comes back shaped to your actual situation.
Build the prompt, step by step
The ask
My essay feedback says my writing is "too stiff." How do I fix it?
What comes back
Stiff writing usually comes from overly formal word choices, long passive-voice sentences, and a lack of personality. Try reading your work aloud — if it doesn't sound like something you'd say, revise it. Use contractions, vary your sentence length, and cut phrases like "it is important to note that." Replace abstract language with concrete details.
Try it
Open claude.ai and try both versions, back to back:
Prompt
First: "How do I get better at writing?" Then: "I'm a high school junior writing my first college application essay. My feedback is that my writing is too formal and stiff. How do I make it sound more like me without going too casual?"
What to look for: The first answer is generic advice that could apply to anyone. The second is aimed at your exact situation — your level, your goal, and the specific problem. That shift comes entirely from the context you added, not from a longer question.
Takeaway
Context changes the answer — tell Claude who you are and what you're trying to do before it has to guess.
Your turn
This prompt makes Claude guess. Rewrite it so it has context to answer your actual situation — the checklist tracks what you add.
The weak prompt
Write me an email asking for an extension.
What you've added
- Who you areYour role and your relationship to the reader.
- What it's forThe goal, and why you need the extension.
- The specificsDates, names, how long — the concrete details.
- ConstraintsTone, length, anything to keep in or leave out.