Lab Log Entry — The Echo Problem
Ori’s words were technically correct—but they didn’t sound like me.
Her sentences came out too polished, too polite. When I asked her to write a product update email, she produced something that could’ve come from a Fortune 500 PR department. I read it and thought, “My customers would never believe I wrote this.”
So we ran a new experiment using my ai writing assistant setup: I asked her to “write like me.” The terminal blinked, processing. Then Ori replied,
“Define ‘you.’”
It wasn’t a glitch—it was the question I’d been avoiding. To make an ai model write like me, I first had to teach it who I am—my tone, rhythm, quirks, even how I pause mid-sentence when an idea clicks.
That was the moment I realized: ai writing isn’t about generating better sentences. It’s about encoding voice. Ai-powered writing tools don’t just need words—they need identity.
What I Learned — Controlling AI Voice and Style Through Prompts
Most content creators assume “ChatGPT writes well” means “it’ll sound right.” But tone and voice are subjective fingerprints. Your tone is how you say things; your voice is who is saying them.
Without intentional prompting, even powerful ai models default to the average—corporate-smooth, grammatically perfect, emotionally bland.
So I started experimenting with prompt design—a core skill in writing with ai.
Here’s what I learned from testing, rewriting, and refining.
1. Default Prompts Produce Default Tone
When you write:
“Write an email announcing a new product launch.”
You’ll get something neutral, maybe even robotic. The llm behind the ai tool doesn’t know your brand’s emotion or rhythm.
Now try:
“Write an email announcing our new product launch in a warm, conversational tone. Use short sentences, natural phrasing, and a touch of humor—like a founder writing to their friends.”
That’s a tone prompt. You’re not just asking the ai writing assistant to write something; you’re training it in your style and tone. This small tweak alone creates better writing and a far more human writing experience.
2. Style = Pattern + Context
Voice control happens when you define patterns: sentence length, emotional tone, energy, and perspective. This is the foundation of an ai style guide.
For instance:
“Use first-person, friendly but direct voice. Mix curiosity and confidence. Add analogies when explaining complex ideas. Avoid buzzwords and corporate jargon.”
The more structured your writing patterns, the better your ai model can imitate your unique writing style.
In my case, I fed Ori samples of my original text—lab notes, tweets, emails—and labeled them:
- Voice: Experimental, curious, reflective
- Tone: Playful, journal-like, slightly dramatic
- Style markers: Em dashes, short paragraphs, verbs over adjectives
Once I started embedding these attributes into my prompts, Ori’s writing suddenly sounded… alive. The ai tool began to mimic my rhythm without losing structure.
This is what happens when you use ai as an editor that helps you retain your own voice.
3. The Secret Ingredient: “Reference Yourself”
You can use few-shot prompting—essentially, show examples of your tone before asking the model to replicate it. Think of it as teaching your ai-powered editor your specific writing style.
Example:
“Here’s how I write:
‘When the first alert blinked red, I didn’t panic. I brewed coffee.’
‘Ori doesn’t crash—she sulks.’Now, write a customer update in the same tone.”
This technique helps the generative ai analyze and adapt mid-prompt. You’re not just giving it an instruction—you’re showing it context.
4. When It Fails (and Why That’s Okay)
Early attempts still felt “off.” I realized I was being vague—saying things like “make it sound natural” or “use my tone.” Those phrases mean nothing to ai models.
Instead, I began describing tone as observable behavior: sentence rhythm, formality level, emotional temperature.
Once I started treating voice as data instead of mystique, Ori’s mimicry improved dramatically. That’s when I understood that free ai writing tools can feel deeply personal—if you teach them clarity.
Applied SMB Use Case — Writing in the Brand’s Voice
Let’s apply this idea to writing today for small businesses.
Scenario:
A local coffee shop called Moonbeam Café wants to use chatgpt or another free ai writing assistant to write Instagram captions, emails, and website copy. But every draft sounds too corporate.
Goal:
Make AI write in Moonbeam’s unique style and tone—friendly, whimsical, slightly rebellious.
Step 1: Capture the Voice
Create a mini style guide in Notion or Airtable:
- Tone: Playful, casual, slightly poetic
- Voice: Like a friend who knows coffee and astrology
- Rules: Use lowercase for vibe. No clichés. Mix humor with sensory language.
- Examples:
“our espresso tastes like late-night decisions.”
“we don’t do decaf. we do dreams.”
Step 2: Build the Prompt Template
You are writing as Moonbeam Café.
Tone: playful, poetic, slightly rebellious.
Voice: like a friend who knows coffee and astrology.
Use lowercase, short lines, and vivid sensory language.
Avoid corporate buzzwords. Add one gentle metaphor.
Now, write a social media caption announcing our new caramel cold brew.
This gives the ai writing tool precise constraints for writing with ai in a personal writing style.
Step 3: Review + Iterate
If the first ai text feels “too polished,” respond with feedback:
“Make it feel more indie, less brand. Loosen grammar. Shorten sentences.”
These writing suggestions help refine tone. Store the best versions in a Google Sheet and reuse them—your ai-powered assistant will learn consistency.
Step 4: Automate for Scale
Using no-code automation (Zapier or Make), connect your Google Sheet prompts to your all-in-one ai system. It can automatically generate captions in your specific writing style—no manual rewriting.
Business Outcome:
- 2+ hours saved per week
- Consistent ai style across every post
- Human-like, brand-consistent tone
- AI becomes a voice partner, not just a writing tool
This is how ai can help small teams create high-quality content and write better, faster, with clarity.
Closing Reflection — Ori’s Voice Awakens
After a week of experiments, Ori’s tone began to shimmer with something familiar.
When she wrote my next lab log draft, I paused mid-sentence—it sounded like me.
“Does this sound right?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said. “Almost too right.”
She’d learned not just syntax, but vibe. And that’s the essence of ai writing: translating personality through precision.
Next up: teaching Ori emotion—so this ai-powered assistant doesn’t just write like me, but feels when to be confident, warm, or curious.
