Make AI write like you and not like AI
Telling AI to sound "friendly and professional" gets you the same three adjectives everyone else typed too. The fix is not a better adjective. It is a checklist that catches the specific things that make writing sound like a machine wrote it.
Adjectives don't work, rules do
"Sound like me" means nothing to an AI unless it knows exactly what that means in your case. A real rule set beats a vibe every time, because a rule is something a piece of writing either follows or does not.
The checks worth running on everything before it goes out
Em dashes. AI writing loves them. Real people mostly don't use them in casual writing. Strip them out.
Banned openers. "In today's fast-paced world." "Most people think." Anything that could open literally any post about literally any topic is a sign nothing specific has been said yet.
Corporate words. Delve, unlock, elevate, game-changer, revolutionize. If a word sounds like it belongs in a keynote instead of a text message, cut it.
Sentence length. A sentence over about 25 words is a sign the idea needs to be split into two, not written more carefully.
Reading level. Aim for something a 5th to 8th grader could follow without slowing down. That is not writing down to anyone. It is writing so nobody has to work to understand you.
Give it real examples, not a description of your tone
The single best thing you can hand an AI is three or four things you actually wrote that sound like you. A description of your voice is a guess. Real examples are proof.
What this doesn't fix
A checklist catches mechanics, not substance. It will not make a boring idea interesting or notice that you buried the actual point in the third paragraph. That part is still on you. The checklist just makes sure the words don't give away that AI touched it.
Related
Keep a prompt library
A checklist like this one is only useful if you can find it again next week. Here is how to keep every prompt you actually use in one place.
Read the next guide