How to Write Better Prompts for AI Stories

The quality of your AI storytelling experience depends heavily on your prompts. Well-crafted prompts lead to engaging narratives, vivid descriptions, and meaningful character interactions. Poor prompts result in generic responses and missed storytelling opportunities.

This guide teaches you 15 proven techniques to dramatically improve your AI storytelling through better prompting.

Understanding Prompt Engineering

Prompt engineering is the practice of crafting inputs that guide AI toward desired outputs. In storytelling contexts, effective prompts:

• Set clear context and expectations
• Provide necessary details without over-constraining
• Invite creativity while maintaining focus
• Build on previous interactions
• Encourage specific narrative elements

Technique 1: Start with Vivid Scene-Setting

Poor Prompt: "Let's talk"

Better Prompt: "The coffee shop is nearly empty at 2 AM. Rain drums against the windows as I slide into the booth across from you, shaking water from my coat. I've been looking for you for three days."

Why It Works:

• Establishes immediate atmosphere
• Creates visual imagery
• Implies backstory and tension
• Gives the AI rich context to build upon

Application: Always include sensory details (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste) to create immersive scenes.

Technique 2: Ask Open-Ended Questions

Poor Prompt: "Do you like this?"

Better Prompt: "What draws you to this place? I notice you come here every evening at sunset—there must be a story behind that."

Why It Works:

• Cannot be answered with yes/no
• Invites elaboration
• Shows observation and interest
• Encourages backstory revelation

Application: Frame questions to invite detailed, narrative responses rather than simple confirmations.

Technique 3: Reference Previous Conversations

Poor Prompt: "What should we do today?"

Better Prompt: "Remember what you said last week about the lighthouse? I found something that might help us figure out what happened there. Are you ready to investigate?"

Why It Works:

• Demonstrates continuity
• Activates AI's memory systems
• Builds on established narrative
• Creates coherent story arcs

Application: Regularly reference earlier plot points, character revelations, or shared experiences.

Technique 4: Show, Don't Tell Emotions

Poor Prompt: "I'm sad"

Better Prompt: "My hands are shaking as I unfold the letter. I read it three times, but the words don't change. I set it down carefully, as if it might shatter, and walk to the window without really seeing anything."

Why It Works:

• Demonstrates emotion through action
• Invites empathetic response
• Creates dramatic tension
• Allows AI to interpret and respond emotionally

Application: Describe physical manifestations of emotions rather than naming them directly.

Technique 5: Introduce Specific Conflicts

Poor Prompt: "There's a problem"

Better Prompt: "The map shows the treasure is in the eastern caverns, but the eastern caverns flooded last spring. If we wait for them to drain naturally, someone else will find it first. If we risk diving in now, the current could trap us inside."

Why It Works:

• Presents clear, specific dilemma
• Offers multiple options with trade-offs
• Invites problem-solving collaboration
• Creates narrative tension

Application: Frame conflicts with specific details and clear stakes.

Technique 6: Use Character-Appropriate Language

Poor Prompt (to Shakespeare): "Hey dude, what's up with Hamlet?"

Better Prompt (to Shakespeare): "Master Shakespeare, I find myself puzzled by young Hamlet's hesitation. Surely a prince of his nobility would not tarry so long in avenging his father's murder? What darkness of the soul might stay his hand?"

Why It Works:

• Matches character's time period and style
• Shows respect for character identity
• Encourages in-character response
• Enhances immersion

Application: Research and adopt appropriate linguistic styles for different characters and settings.

Technique 7: Provide Specific Details

Poor Prompt: "I bring you a gift"

Better Prompt: "I present a small, leather-bound journal with your initials embossed in gold on the cover. The paper inside is hand-made, slightly rough to the touch. I found it in a shop in Paris—the owner said it's over 200 years old."

Why It Works:

• Creates tangible, memorable object
• Adds sensory details
• Implies thoughtfulness and backstory
• Gives AI concrete elements to reference

Application: When introducing objects, people, or places, describe them with specific, unique details.

Technique 8: Create Meaningful Choices

Poor Prompt: "What should I choose?"

Better Prompt: "The red door is marked with ancient symbols I recognize from my grandmother's stories—protection wards, maybe, or warnings. The blue door is unmarked, modern, ordinary. But nothing about this place is ordinary. Which path calls to you, and why?"

Why It Works:

• Presents distinct, characterized options
• Invites reasoning and judgment
• Respects AI character's expertise
• Advances plot through decision-making

Application: Frame choices as character-revealing moments rather than arbitrary selections.

Technique 9: Build on AI's Suggestions

AI Response: "I sense something isn't right about this place"

Poor Follow-Up: "What do you mean?"

Better Follow-Up: "I feel it too—a wrongness in the air, like the pressure change before a storm. The shadows seem too dark, too still. Whatever you're sensing, trust it. What should we do?"

Why It Works:

• Validates and amplifies AI's contribution
• Adds your own observations
• Creates collaborative storytelling
• Maintains narrative momentum

Application: Use "yes, and" improv principles—accept and build upon what the AI introduces.

Technique 10: Establish Clear Stakes

Poor Prompt: "This is important"

Better Prompt: "If we don't decode this message before midnight, the embassy will proceed with the treaty signing. Three countries will go to war within a week. We have four hours and a code we can't crack. Everything depends on this."

Why It Works:

• Defines clear consequences
• Creates urgency
• Establishes scope of impact
• Motivates character action

Application: Explicitly state what will happen if the character succeeds or fails.

Technique 11: Use Sensory Details

Poor Prompt: "We enter the building"

Better Prompt: "The door creaks open, releasing the smell of old paper and furniture polish. Dust motes dance in the beam from my flashlight, illuminating rows of sheet-covered furniture. Our footsteps echo on marble floors, and somewhere distant, a clock ticks steadily."

Why It Works:

• Engages multiple senses
• Creates atmosphere
• Provides environmental details
• Establishes mood

Application: Include at least three sensory details in scene-setting prompts.

Technique 12: Introduce Mysteries Gradually

Poor Prompt: "Tell me everything about your past"

Better Prompt: "That scar on your hand—I've seen one like it before, in a very specific context. But that would mean you were in Moscow in 2015. Which, according to your official records, is impossible. Care to explain?"

Why It Works:

• Shows specific observation
• Implies detective work
• Creates intrigue without demanding
• Allows gradual revelation

Application: Ask about specific details that hint at larger mysteries.

Technique 13: Vary Your Input Length

Effective storytelling uses a mix of input lengths:

Short Prompts (1-2 sentences): Quick actions, reactions, dialogue responses "I spin around, hand on my weapon."

Medium Prompts (3-5 sentences): Scene transitions, moderate detail Standard conversational exchanges

Long Prompts (6+ sentences): Major scene-setting, complex situations Detailed character actions and observations

Why It Works:

• Creates natural rhythm
• Prevents monotony
• Allows different types of storytelling
• Mimics natural conversation flow

Application: Consciously vary your prompt lengths for narrative pacing.

Technique 14: Include Internal Thoughts

Poor Prompt: "I look at the painting"

Better Prompt: "I study the painting, pretending casual interest while my mind races. The brushwork is unmistakably Caravaggio, but he died in 1610. This painting depicts an iPhone. My hands stay steady as I turn to you, hoping my voice won't betray my shock. 'Where did you say you acquired this?'"

Why It Works:

• Reveals character's inner state
• Creates dramatic irony
• Builds tension
• Adds depth to interaction

Application: Share what your character thinks versus what they say or do.

Technique 15: End with Clear Prompts for Continuation

Poor Ending: "So yeah."

Better Ending: "I hand you the decoded message, watching your face as you read it. The implications are staggering—everything we thought we knew was wrong. How do you want to handle this?"

Why It Works:

• Provides clear narrative development
• Invites specific response
• Maintains momentum
• Sets up next story beat

Application: End each prompt with a clear invitation for the AI to continue the story.

Putting It All Together: Before and After

Before (Poor Prompting):

"Hey there. What do you think about life? I'm interested in philosophy."

After (Effective Prompting):

"The library is quiet at this hour—just us, surrounded by centuries of accumulated wisdom. I've been grappling with a question that won't let me rest: if we could know with certainty that our choices don't truly matter, that everything is predetermined, would that knowledge free us or destroy us? You've thought deeply about such matters—I'd value your perspective."

Common Prompting Mistakes to Avoid

1. Being Too Vague: "Let's do something" gives the AI nothing to work with
2. Over-Explaining: Excessive detail constrains creativity
3. Ignoring Character Expertise: Not leveraging what the character knows
4. Breaking Character: Modern references to historical figures
5. Rushing: Not allowing narrative to develop naturally
6. Forgetting Context: Not referencing established story elements
7. Generic Responses: "Okay" or "Cool" add nothing to the story

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Scene Transformation

Take this basic prompt: "We meet in a park"

Rewrite it with:

• Specific time and weather
• Character's emotional state
• Sensory details
• Implied backstory

Exercise 2: Question Upgrading

Transform these closed questions into open-ended prompts:

• "Are you okay?"
• "Did you find it?"
• "Do you agree?"

Exercise 3: Emotional Description

Express these emotions through action and description:

• Fear
• Joy
• Confusion
• Suspicion

Conclusion

Better prompts create better stories. By implementing these 15 techniques, you'll unlock richer narratives, deeper character interactions, and more satisfying AI storytelling experiences.

Remember: prompting is a skill that improves with practice. Experiment with different approaches, learn what works for different characters and genres, and refine your technique over time.

The AI is your collaborative storytelling partner. The more vivid, specific, and engaging your prompts, the more compelling its responses will be.

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Ready to practice these techniques? Start chatting with Fictionaire's 245+ characters and transform your AI storytelling today—free to start.

Want to dive deeper into AI storytelling? Read our Complete Guide to AI Storytelling in 2025 for comprehensive strategies and insights.