Prompt Library

I need to write an email I've been putting off.

Recipient: {{who they are and our relationship}}
What I need to say: {{the hard message}}
What I want to happen next: {{desired outcome}}
What I'm worried about: {{the fear, e.g. sounding cold, damaging the relationship}}

Write three versions:
1. Direct: the message in the first two sentences, warm but brief.
2. Gentle: a little more context first, same clarity by the end.
3. Very short: five sentences maximum.

For every version:
- Never apologise more than once.
- No vague phrases like "moving forward" or "touch base".
- End with one clear, specific next step.

Then tell me which version you'd send and why, in one sentence.

{{your request}}

Before you start, brief me back.

1. In two sentences, restate what you think I'm asking for and who it's for.
2. List the assumptions you're making that I didn't state. Label each one "safe" or "risky".
3. Ask me up to three questions whose answers would most change the result.
4. Describe what the finished version will look like: length, format, tone,
   and one thing you will deliberately leave out.

Do not begin the task until I answer your questions or reply "go".

I'm writing a piece about {{topic}} for {{publication or audience}}.
The core point is: {{one-sentence summary}}.

Write ten headlines in three groups:
- Angle A, the news: what happened or what's new (3 headlines)
- Angle B, the reader: what it means for the person reading (4 headlines)
- Angle C, the surprise: the counterintuitive or human detail (3 headlines)

Constraints: under 12 words each, no colons, no questions, no "Here's why".
Avoid these words: game-changer, revolutionise, unlock, everything you need to know.

Then pick the two strongest overall and, for each, tell me:
- what promise it makes to the reader
- whether the piece as summarised actually keeps that promise

Here is a draft I wrote for {{audience}}:

"""
{{draft}}
"""

Cut it by roughly 30% without making it sound like someone else wrote it.

Rules:
- Keep every concrete detail, number and name unless it's repeated.
- Keep my sentence rhythm. If I use short punchy lines, keep them short.
- Remove throat-clearing, hedges ("I think", "kind of", "it's worth noting"),
  and any sentence that only restates the one before it.
- Do not add new words, metaphors or transitions of your own.

Return:
1. The trimmed version.
2. A list of the five biggest cuts, each with a one-line reason.
3. The word count before and after.