Help Center›Working with AI Models ›Talking to AI: Prompt Basics
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  • 1.2 Talking to AI: Prompt Basics
  • 📌 Golden Rule
  • 🛠 Prompt-Engineering Power-Ups
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    Talking to AI: Prompt Basics

    Last updated January 5, 2026

    1.2 Talking to AI: Prompt Basics

    Plotdrive gives you three lanes for prompting. Pick whichever fits the moment; they all use the same clarity principles.

    Where to PromptWhen to UseHow It Works
    In-Document (type → Run Instructions)You’re already writing and need a quick boost—expand, rewrite, brainstorm right in the draft.Type your instruction (“Add sensory detail to this paragraph”) above or below the text, place the cursor inside it, press Run Instructions.
    Tools LibraryRe-usable or complex prompts—editing packs, outline generators, research helpers.Open Tools Library → Add Generate Tool or Add Revise Tool. Write the prompt once, use show variables to add variables like Words Before, Active Documents, or Instruction Box to pull in your content, then pin the Tool for one-click use.
    Co-writer ChatBack-and-forth coaching, continuity checks, high-level questions.Ask in plain English: “Does my Outline contradict the timeline?” Co-writer reads your toggled docs before answering.

    📌 Golden Rule

    Draft your prompt so a writer with zero context could follow it. If they’d be confused, the AI will be too.

    ⚠️ Two Common Misfires

    • Megaprompt overload → Break giant asks into numbered steps or separate Tools.
    • Context toggles off → If your outline is OFF, the model can’t keep your structure straight.

    🛠 Prompt-Engineering Power-Ups

    TechniqueBest ForQuick How-To
    Be Clear & SequentialAny multi-step ask“1) Summarize, 2) Suggest fix, 3) Rewrite.” Numbered or bulleted.
    Prompt ChainingResearch, multi-phase editsSplit into smaller prompts; pass each output forward.
    Few-Shot ExamplesCustom formats, strict voiceSupply 3-5 mini examples inside <example> tags (or a dedicated Tool) so the model mirrors your pattern.

    Next: pick one lane—inline Run Instructions, a premade Tool, or Co-writer chat—run a prompt, and see it in action. If the output feels off, tweak the instruction or toggle the right docs ON, then try again.

    Questions? Hit the Support tab or hop to Community & Resources.

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