Writing
creativeediting
Updated June 2026
Make a piece of writing tighter, clearer, and more direct without losing your voice.
Why it works: Saying what to preserve prevents a stealth rewrite; asking for the rationale makes the edit a lesson instead of just a fix.
This is a message template. Fill in the blanks below, then paste it into the chat.
Edit the following writing for clarity. My goal is tighter, more direct prose, not a rewrite.
What I wrote:
[paste your writing here]
What it’s for: [context, e.g. “blog post”, “internal doc”, “email to my team”]
What I want to preserve: [your voice, a specific tone, any phrasing you’re attached to]
Please:
- Cut words and sentences that don’t earn their place
- Simplify anything that’s needlessly complex
- Flag any places where the meaning is unclear or the logic jumps
- Suggest a stronger opening line if the current one buries the lead
Show me the edited version, then briefly note the biggest changes you made and why.