Iterate like an editor
The first answer is a draft. Great results come from the conversation.
Treat the first reply as a rough draft and steer it, the way an editor would.
- Be concrete about what to change: "Shorter, and less formal" beats "make it better".
- Break big jobs into steps: outline first, then draft each section.
- Ask for a critique: "What is weak about this? Then fix it."
- Provide the source material instead of expecting it to remember facts.
- Verify: check anything important against a real source.
Fun fact: Try asking: "Ask me up to five questions you need answered before you start." The model will often find the gaps in your brief for you.
Quick check
The first answer isn't quite right. What is the best next move?
- Start a new chat and hope
- Tell it specifically what to change
- Ask the exact same thing again
- Give up on AI
Answer: Tell it specifically what to change. Specific feedback steers the model towards what you want, and it keeps the useful parts of the draft.