So, how do you get ChatGPT to write like you? Assuming you want to, of course!
Step 1: Define What “Your Voice” Actually Means
Most people can’t explain their own style without rambling. Don’t be that person. Break it down into clear traits:
- Tone: Formal, conversational, witty, deadpan, etc.
- Sentence length: Do you fire off short jabs, or do you write like you’re auditioning for Tolstoy?
- Structure: Do you love headings, lists, and frameworks, or do you prefer one big block of text like an unreadable manifesto?
- Vocabulary: Plain and simple, or sprinkled with rare words you Googled once and decided to keep?
Write this down. Yes, actually write it. If you can’t define your style, you can’t expect a bot to copy it.
Step 2: Feed ChatGPT Examples of Your Writing
You don’t need to upload your collected works. A few samples are enough if they reflect the style you want: blog posts, emails, captions, essays, whatever. Paste them into the chat and say:
“Analyze my writing style. Summarize tone, sentence structure, vocabulary, and overall rhythm.”
Then, refine. If ChatGPT says you “write with clarity and brevity” but you know you ramble like a caffeinated philosopher, correct it. The back-and-forth matters.
Step 3: Test and Adjust
Give ChatGPT a small assignment in your niche—like writing a product description, a blog intro, or even a snarky tweet. Compare it to what you’d actually write. Too stiff? Tell it to loosen up. Too bubbly? Tell it to dial back the exclamation points. Rinse and repeat until it feels right.
Once you are happy with the results, ask ChatGPT to give you a short summary of your writing style.
Making It Stick: Custom Instructions
Once you've refined your style guide, save it in ChatGPT's custom instructions:
- Click your profile icon
- Select "Customize ChatGPT"
- Input your style characteristics under "What traits should ChatGPT have?"
- Enable for all new chats
This ensures consistency across all your interactions without repeatedly explaining your preferences.
Great advice Diane. One early morning when I just couldn't stay asleep, I poured out my heart and customized my ChatGPT. Recently, I was working on combining prompts to make one ‘super prompt’. I told GPT that from now on when I type the word ‘Super Prompt’, to remember what I want and only ask me for a topic and a keyword.
Ah, you beat me to it - I was just thinking about shooting a video explaining this, since I was going to do something similar.
One thing I like to do is feed some of my writing samples to ChatGPT, and then take what is written and just quickly rewrite into my own tone and then give that back to ChatGPT so that it can continue to learn better how I say/write things.
For those with a Plus account, it's also good to build everything into a GPT, so that you can just use it over and over again, and the more samples you create (that you actually like), you can just continue to upload to your GPT so that it remembers them.