Get Specific with AI Requests

"Make it better."

"Can you improve this?"

"This isn't quite right, fix it."

If you're prompting AI like this, you're wasting your time. And probably getting frustrated with results that miss the mark.

The problem isn't the AI. It's the prompt.

Why Vague Fails

"Better" means nothing. Better how? More concise? More emotional? More formal? More casual? More detailed? Less detailed?

When you say "make it better," the AI guesses what you mean. Sometimes it guesses right. Usually it doesn't. Then you're stuck in a loop of revisions that go nowhere.

AI doesn't read your mind. It reads your words. If your words are vague, the output will be too.

What Works Instead

Specificity wins. Every time.

Instead of "make it better," try:

• •"Make the opening more direct. Start with the main point, not background."
• •"This feels too formal. Rewrite it like I'm talking to a friend."
• •"Cut this by 40%. Remove anything that isn't essential."
• •"The third paragraph is weak. Make the argument more concrete with a specific example."
• •"This doesn't sound like me. Here's an example of my writing style: [example]. Match that tone."

See the difference? Each prompt tells the AI exactly what to change and how.

The Creative's Advantage

Here's the thing: as a creative, you have taste. You know what good looks like. You can feel when something's off.

The skill is translating that feeling into specific direction.

When something doesn't work, ask yourself: what exactly is wrong? Is it the structure? The tone? The length? The word choice? The pacing? The examples?

Name the problem. Then tell the AI to fix that specific thing.

Examples From Real Work

Bad: "This headline isn't working. Make it better."

Good: "This headline is too generic. Give me five alternatives that are more specific to our audience of indie musicians. Focus on the pain of distribution, not the solution."

Bad: "Improve this bio."

Good: "This bio is too long and reads like a resume. Rewrite it in first person, under 100 words, focusing on what I do now rather than my history. Make it conversational."

Bad: "The design feedback isn't clear enough."

Good: "Rewrite this design feedback to be more actionable. For each point, specify exactly what should change and why. Use bullet points."

The Revision Loop

Sometimes you don't know what's wrong until you see a few options. That's fine.

Ask for variations: "Give me three different approaches to this intro. One that's provocative, one that's personal, one that leads with data."

Then pick the direction that feels closest and refine from there. Now you know what you want, so you can be specific about the next revision.

Building the Habit

Next time you're about to type "make it better," stop. Take ten seconds to identify what's actually wrong.

Is it too long? Too short? Too formal? Too vague? Missing something? Including something unnecessary?

Name it. Then ask for that specific change.

Your results will improve immediately. Not because the AI got smarter, but because you did.