Prompt Engineering Checklist for Fiction

Use this checklist to write prompts that produce consistent, high-quality narrative output.

Before You Prompt

  • Define the goal. What is this prompt producing? (Scene, outline, dialogue, description, etc.)
  • Know your constraints. Word count? Tone? Audience? POV?
  • Clarify the context. What does the AI need to know about the story world, characters, or plot?

The Prompt Template

1. Role & Context

You are a novelist specializing in [genre].
Context: [Brief story summary, character info, key world details]

2. Specific Task

Write a [length] scene where [what happens].
Requirements:
- Tone: [describe tone]
- POV: [First person? Third limited?]
- Focus: [What should be emphasized?]

3. Output Format

Format: [Return as dialogue only? With action tags? With internal monologue?]

4. Constraints & Guardrails

Do NOT:
- [Avoid clichés, purple prose, etc.]
- [Character should not do X]

Example Prompt

You are a novelist specializing in literary science fiction.

Context: In the year 2087, Zara is a climate engineer who has just discovered that her employer is manipulating atmospheric data. She's idealistic but isolated, with few allies.

Write a 300-word scene where Zara realizes she cannot trust her research partner, Marcus. The revelation should come through subtext—what is NOT said—rather than direct confrontation.

Requirements:
- Tone: Quiet dread, not melodrama
- POV: Third-person limited (Zara's perspective)
- Focus: Small physical details that betray Marcus's deception

Do NOT use:
- Heavy exposition
- Obvious reveals
- Direct accusations

After You Get Output

  • Read it cold. Does it serve the story?
  • Check tone. Does it match your vision?
  • Flag one thing. What needs adjustment?
  • Re-prompt with feedback. “This version has the right tone but needs 50 fewer words. The dialogue feels too formal—make it more conversational.”

Common Pitfalls

Too vague: “Write an exciting scene” → AI guesses what “exciting” means Fix: “Write a 250-word scene where Elena’s cover is blown. Tone: escalating panic, sharp dialogue.”

Too prescriptive: “Include dialogue, action, and internal monologue in exactly this ratio” Fix: “Let the scene breathe. Prioritize dialogue and physical reaction over introspection.”

Context-light: “Write a romance scene” Fix: “Write a scene where Alex and Sam have their first kiss. They’ve known each other 5 years; there’s history, hesitation, and finally relief. Keep it 200 words, intimate but not explicit.”

Tools & Templates

  • Save your successful prompts in a folder
  • Version your prompts as you refine them
  • Build a library of “starter prompts” for common scenes (arguments, reveals, endings)

Good prompting is iterative. Your first version won’t be perfect—that’s the point.