Chapter three

Prompting Claude

C.R.A.F.T. still carries you. But Claude rewards four specific moves that most people never make — including the single best trick in AI writing.

CLAUDE, ACTUALLY EXPLAINED · 03

C.R.A.F.T. in one page

If you have ChatGPT, Actually Explained, this is its method in miniature. If not, here's everything you need:

LetterIt meansSounds like
C — ContextWho you are, what the situation is"I run a handmade candle shop, mostly Instagram sales…"
R — RoleWho should Claude be"Act as a direct-response copywriter for artisan brands."
A — AskOne clear task, not three"Write 5 subject lines for my restock email."
F — FormatThe exact shape you want"Each under 8 words. No emoji, no puns."
T — TweakThe conversation is the tool"Warmer. Option 3 but shorter. Now as a skeptical customer — what's unconvincing?"

Claude move #1: give it lots of context

With most AI tools you instinctively trim your input. With Claude, do the opposite. Long inputs are its strength, not a burden: paste the entire email thread, the full transcript, all six product descriptions, your whole about page. Claude holds enormous context without losing the plot — and the more real material it has, the less it invents. When in doubt, paste more.

Claude move #2: ask it to think before it drafts

The biggest quality jump for one sentence of effort:

The think-first move
Before you draft anything, ask me the 5 questions you most need answered to do this well. Then wait for my answers.

Claude is unusually good at asking the right questions — the ones that surface what you actually wanted but didn't say. Answer them, and the first draft lands twice as close.

Claude move #3: the interview workflow

This is the single best trick for authentic-sounding content, and it flips the usual arrangement: instead of Claude writing while you edit, Claude interviews you, and then writes from your answers. Your stories, your phrasing, your opinions become the raw material — so the result sounds like you, because it mostly is you.

The interview workflow — full prompt
I want to write [a blog post / newsletter / about page] about [topic]. Don't write anything yet. Instead, interview me like a skilled magazine journalist: one question at a time, 6–8 questions total. Dig for specific stories, strong opinions, and concrete details — push past my first vague answer. When the interview is done, write the piece in my voice using MY words and stories from the interview wherever possible, in [length/format].

Do this once and you'll never go back to "write me a blog post about X." The interview takes ten minutes and produces material no generic draft can touch.

Claude move #4: "push back on me"

Claude does respectful disagreement better than any AI tool — but you have to invite it, because by default it's polite. Invite it:

The pushback invitation
Here's my plan: [plan]. What's weak in it? Don't be polite — I'd rather hear it from you than from the market.

Three before-and-afters

Before
Write a newsletter about my new offer.
After
[In your My Business Project] Interview me — 6 questions, one at a time — about why I built my new [offer] and who it's really for. Then draft my weekly newsletter from my answers, in my voice guide, 350 words, one CTA to the sales page.

Why it improved: the Project supplies the business, the interview supplies the humanity, the format line supplies the shape.

Before
Is this contract okay? [paste]
After
You're a small-business consultant reviewing this contract [attached]. List: (1) terms that are unusual or one-sided, (2) anything missing that usually protects the smaller party, (3) the 5 questions I should ask before signing. I know you're not a lawyer — flag anything that deserves real legal review.

Why it improved: a role, three specific deliverables, and honest framing of what AI review is for — triage, not legal advice.

Before
Help me decide about raising prices.
After
I'm considering raising [product] from $[X] to $[Y]. Argue both sides properly — the strongest case FOR and AGAINST, each in 150 words. Then tell me which side you find more convincing for my situation and why. Then list what evidence would change your mind.

Why it improved: forcing both sides prevents cheerleading; asking what would change its mind turns an opinion into a thinking tool.

Do this now · 10 minutes

Pick one thing you actually need to write this week. Run the interview workflow prompt on it inside your My Business Project, with your voice guide active. Answer the questions with real stories — then keep the draft.