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Writer's pictureHarshal
Dec 17, 202310 min read

How I Made ChatGPT Write In My Style, My Tone

Sped Up My Writing And Editing By Training ChatGPT On My Blog


I wanted to speed up my writing and editing by using ChatGPT. But, the problem was ChatGPT’s tone and writing style did not match mine. I decided to experiment.


  • What if I could train it on snippets of my writing?

  • How to quantify or describe my writing mannerisms?

  • How many minimum posts or words do I need to give it to train it on my mannerisms?

  • What is the maximum words ChatGPT can process, given its token limit?

  • How do I test whether I could train it?


I wrote this post when processing my learnings and takeaways. It's a reference for me to come back to. I wrote this one for myself, and I wrote the other post for my audience. You can read the steps to make ChatGPT write in your style here.

Training a robot to write in my tone and style.
Training a robot to write in my tone and style.

My 7-Step Publishing Process And Help From ChatGPT

My publishing process has these 7 steps.


  1. Ideas

  2. Outline

  3. Writing

  4. Editing

  5. Publishing

  6. Create/Post Snippets

  7. Social Media Posted


I wrote more about my publishing process and coping with 6 content creation challenges here.


This post is about using chatGPT to go faster from outline to editing.


Deciphering Your Writing Mannerisms: Tone And Style

I learned about writing mannerisms in a few places:


  • Superpower ChatGPT browser extension. Using the Superpower ChatGPT extension, I found a list of tones and styles. Some worked better than others.

  • Rands leadership slack group. Here, people wanted to identify their style for ChatGPT to copy.

  • Audiopen.ai. You can pick one of many voices and train yours. Thanks to Ian Johnson for the recommendation.

  • Grammarly, because it asks you for your desired tone.

  • Scalenut, Copy.ai, Jasper.ai - they are supposed to help you write posts, and have some templates.

  • Tweetify - it converts your blog posts to tweets, but it did not maintain the same writing mannerisms as the input.

  • Fiverr freelancers - they often asked me for my desired tone and style. I could never get the output in my desired style. But, the freelancers often asked me to explain my writing style.


The 3 stages to find my writing tone and style

Summary of steps:


  1. Select

  2. Train

  3. Test


More details around the steps here.


Select: 10 Shortlisted Blog Posts

First, I shortlisted 10 posts using ChatGPT’s help and manual review. Here is my list in reverse chronological order with reasoning, publish date, and reading time.  I wrote about my process here.



Training ChatGPT On My Shortlisted Posts

I gave different parts of each post - the beginning, middle, or end - to vary the inputs. I created a new chat for each post excerpt. This way I did not go over token limits. I saved the analysis outpuot per post in a spreadsheet, and merged them later as a separate step. I wrote down the training process here.


Test: Review The Description Of Each Tone

I asked ChatGPT to define these shortlisted tones and styles based on my writing. Here are ChatGPT prompts to extract description of each tone, one by one.


Approach 1


extract a bulleted list of all reasonings for 'confident' writing tone. then combine them to explain to me the writing tone of this author. just focus on the 'confident' part and not talk about other tones. make it easy to read. active voice. smaller sentences.


Approach 2


[prompt 1] Extract a bulleted list of all reasonings for 'confident' writing tone.


[prompt 2 in a new chat] Here is a bulleted list of all reasonings for a writing style. combine them to explain to me about the this writing style of this author.


Here is the output for me.

Sample tagging for each blog post. 
Sample tagging for each blog post. 

Confident tone:


The author writes with confidence. Their writing showcases a deep understanding of the topic. They share their personal experiences assertively and show a solid belief in their methods. Their storytelling reflects this certainty. 


Informal tone:


The author has an informal tone. They use a conversational approach with casual language. The author commonly includes personal anecdotes in their writing. The content feels like a casual chat, not a formal guide. They often use the first-person narrative. The author uses contractions and direct addresses. It's like getting advice from a wise friend.


Conversational writing style:


The author writes conversationally, presenting content in a friendly chat. This makes complex ideas easily digestible. They utilize direct, relatable language and personal pronouns to create a sense of dialogue and inclusion. This informal tone, filled with contractions and everyday phrases, fosters a genuine connection. This tone invites readers into an authentic conversation. 


Expository writing style:


The author actively delves into detailed explanations and analysis rather than just presenting facts. By diving deep into concepts, philosophies, and lifestyle implications, they provide a rich, educational experience. Their writing consistently explains and informs. They highlight challenges faced and solutions used to improve readers’ understanding.


Analytical writing style:


The author's writing is analytical. They describe complex processes and break them down for clarity. They also reflect on and critique their methods, ensuring a methodical narrative development. The organized presentation of information and the blog's data-driven nature clearly show this systematic approach. Through their structured dissection of topics, the writer brings intricate details to the forefront.


Test: Instructing For The New Tone/Style

I want to ask ChatGPT to emulate my writing style. I have the descriptions of my writing style. Now, how would I instruct ChatGPT?


ChatGPT prompt:


if i were to ask chatgpt to emulate this writing style, how would i describe the writing style and instruct chatgpt?


Alternative Prompt for all combined at once:


my writing is a mix of confident and informal tone. and a mix of conversational and exopsitory writing style. here are the independent explanations / analysis of each on my writing. how do i use this to tell chatgpt how to write / edit in my style?


Here are the instructions ChatGPT generated for my writing.


Confident tone:


ask for a "confident" tone. write with an authoritative, assertive, and assured tone, deeply rooted in confidence and a solid understanding of the subject matter. The writing should reflect both a mastery of the topic and a strong sense of personal conviction.


Informal tone:


Write like you're having a friendly chat with a knowledgeable buddy.


Conversational style:


use a conversational tone similar to a friendly chat. Structure your responses in an easy-to-follow manner. Make use of direct, relatable language, and personal pronouns to make it feel like we're engaged in a genuine dialogue. Aim to sound approachable, as if you're speaking to the reader face-to-face.


Expository style:


Emulate a writing style that is characterized by deep explanations and thorough analysis. Instead of just presenting facts, dive deep into underlying concepts, philosophies, and implications. Make sure to explain and inform about processes. Highlight challenges and provide solutions in detail. The aim is to not only inform but also enhance the reader's understanding and appreciation of the topic.


Analytical style:


emulate an analytical and methodical writing style. Ensure that the content is structured and brings intricate details to the forefront. The narrative should have a clear focus on data-driven insights and should dissect topics comprehensively. Reflect on and critique the provided information, offering clarity through structured breakdowns.


A combination of these looks like this:


Write with a confident yet informal tone, as if you're a knowledgeable friend giving advice. While you delve deep into the topic, maintain a conversational flow, and when possible, use personal anecdotes or experiences. Use direct addresses and explain concepts in detail while keeping the chat friendly and authentic. Think of it as merging a detailed, analytical lecture with a relaxed conversation.


Test: Tweaking The Tone/Style Instruction

I tested out the instruction prompt and realized I had to iterate to improve it.


Trial 1 -


Write with a confident yet informal tone, as if you're a knowledgeable friend giving advice. While you delve deep into the topic, maintain a conversational flow, and when possible, use personal anecdotes or experiences. Use direct addresses and explain concepts in detail while keeping the chat friendly and authentic. Think of it as merging a detailed, analytical lecture with a relaxed conversation.


The instruction example above did not work well. For example, it changed my introduction to meal prep into:


Alright, pull up a chair, and let's chat about something I know you've been pondering: "What the heck should I be eating on weekdays?" I'm going to pull the curtain back on this mystery, as both a detailed guide and a chatty buddy who's been down this culinary road.


Trial 2 - I included both analytical and expository styles in the prompt. I tried to reduce the emphasis on conversation and informal aspect:


ask for a "confident" tone. write with an authoritative, assertive, and assured tone, deeply rooted in confidence and a solid understanding of the subject matter. The writing should reflect both a mastery of the topic and a strong sense of personal conviction. Write like you're having a friendly chat with a knowledgeable buddy. Emulate a writing style that is characterized by deep explanations and thorough analysis. Instead of just presenting facts, dive deep into underlying concepts, philosophies, and implications. Make sure to explain and inform about processes. Highlight challenges and provide solutions in detail. The aim is to not only inform but also enhance the reader's understanding and appreciation of the topic.


This resulted in an overly complex response. For example, it created language that was too wordy and exaggerated:


Dietary Fidelity: My dietary regimen, carved out by my fitness coach, isn't just a set of guidelines. It's a commitment. And every morsel of food I consume must echo this commitment by aligning perfectly with the prescribed macros.


To elucidate this further, consider the chicken breast or vegetables. I've reimagined and streamlined their traditional preparations through a detailed flowchart. 


Trial 3 - So, I removed some parts of the instruction. I took out:


Write like you're having a friendly chat with a knowledgeable buddy.


Next, I added:


concise. no fluff. do not add extra stuff. simple words. ease of reading. 


This worked better:


After undergoing three personalized diet programs each with Fittr coaches, my wife and I have gained a profound understanding of nutrition, motivation, and adherence. We have synthesized our learnings and now refine our diets with precision.


Trial 4 - Then I tried:


Make small modifications to my writing or voice transcription. Use simple words. Repetitive words are acceptable; there's no need for variety. Focus on ease of reading. Use an active voice. Correct grammar and typos.


This was better, but it was too brief. It didn't explain things the way I wanted. Example from my grocery purchase writeup:


I buy pre-sliced cheese, like cheddar. It saves time when making sandwiches by eliminating the need to measure.


Trial 5 - But how can I tailor it more closely to my style, so I can reduce my effort in drafting the input? I added this to the prompt above:


I want a confident tone. Explain and inform about processes. Highlight challenges and provide detailed solutions. The aim is to not only inform but also enhance the reader's understanding and appreciation of the topic. Stick to the information I've provided. Do not add any new information.


This worked well:


The recruiter may not know all the details about your job, like product management, but they're good at comparing your answers to the job description.


My advice is to confirm the job details with the recruiter. Only offer times for a call over email after you've obtained this information.


My final prompt:


Make small modifications to my writing or voice transcription. Use simple words. Repetitive words are acceptable; there's no need for variety. Focus on ease of reading. Use an active voice. Correct grammar and typos.


I want a confident tone. Explain and inform about processes. Highlight challenges and provide detailed solutions. The aim is to not only inform but also enhance the reader's understanding and appreciation of the topic. Stick to the information I've provided. Do not add any new information.


I reached my final prompt. I’ve reused this across 1,000s of words over the last few weeks.


Separate Prompts To Improve Writing

I also found some simple, separate prompts to help finish my posts.


  • Review my post and point out missing parts of it.

  • Review my post and suggest multiple title subtitle ideas with reasoning

  • Review the section headings in this post and suggest improvements with reasoning.

  • If you think there are major improvements to be made by rewriting sentences or headings, or by creating some bulleted list, point it out to me separately and ask me whether i want those changes. 


Other Ways To Describe Writing Mannerisms

I described writing mannerisms on two axes: tone and writing style. But, there are other ways to describe your writing mannerisms too. I found an alternative approach, but saw sufficient overlap with the writing tone and style descriptions that I did not need to use this approach. Here’s the alternative classification system: 


  • Diction:

  • Simple vs. Complex: Especially important in business and tech where jargon can either clarify or confuse.

  • Formal vs. Informal: Business and tech blogs can range from formal reports to more casual explainers.

  • Concrete vs. Abstract: Concrete details can help illustrate abstract tech concepts.


  • Syntax:

  • Short vs. Long Sentences: In informative writing, clarity is key. Sentence length can affect readability.

  • Variation: Using a mix can maintain reader interest.


  • Tone:

  • Optimistic vs. Pessimistic: This might depend on the content, e.g., an optimistic outlook on a new tech trend vs. a more critical take on a business strategy.

  • Serious vs. Humorous: Some business and tech blogs use humor to engage readers, but it's a balance.

  • Ironic vs. Sincere: Generally, sincerity is valued in this kind of writing, but there might be instances where irony is used for emphasis.


  • Voice:

  • Objective vs. Subjective: While many business/tech pieces aim for objectivity, some blogs might include personal opinions or experiences.

  • Passive vs. Active: Active voice is often encouraged for clarity, but passive might be used in specific contexts.


  • Pace:

  • Fast vs. Slow: This can depend on the complexity of the subject. An introduction might be paced differently than an in-depth analysis.


  • Imagery & Descriptive Techniques:

  • Rich vs. Sparse Imagery: Even in business and tech, analogies and metaphors can help explain complex subjects.


  • Perspective or Point of View:

  • First Person vs. Third Person: Personal blogs might lean on first person, while more formal reports might use third person.


  • Structure:

  • Linear vs. Non-linear: Especially relevant when explaining processes or timelines.


  • Themes:

  • Explicit vs. Implicit: In business and tech, it's often essential to be explicit about the main message or takeaways.


  • Dialogue:

  • Less common in traditional business/tech writing but could appear in interview-style pieces or in hypothetical scenarios to explain a concept.


If you’d like to implement this process for your writing, see the steps here.



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