How do you make AI write like you?

AI writing sounds generic because you have given it nothing specific to imitate. Fix that and the output improves fast.

Step 1: Collect samples

Pick three to five pieces of writing you are proud of and that are representative. Anthropic prompting guide for Claude says a few well-crafted examples improve accuracy and consistency. The same guide says examples are one of the most reliable ways to steer Claude output format, tone, and structure. Good samples are emails to colleagues, a client update or a short memo. Avoid highly formal outliers unless that is the voice you want. Remove confidential details first.

Step 2: Ask the AI to describe your style

Read these samples of my writing. Describe my style in a bullet list: sentence length, how I open and close, level of formality, typical structures, punctuation habits, words or phrases I favor and ones I avoid. Be specific and quote examples.

Read what comes back. Correct anything wrong. This becomes your style note.

Step 3: Add rules of your own

Things people typically add:

• “Start with the answer, then the reason.”
• “No exclamation marks.”
• “Never say ‘I hope this finds you well’ or ‘leverage.’”
• “Short paragraphs, maximum three sentences.”
• “Sign off with just my first name.”

Specifics beat adjectives. “Friendly but professional” is vague; “uses first names, one joke maximum, plain words” is not.

Step 4: Use the style note every time

Paste it at the start of a request, or save it where your tool keeps standing instructions. In Claude Code, Anthropic says Claude Code instruction files and auto memory are both loaded at the start of every conversation. A style note placed there is read at the start of each conversation. Anthropic also says Claude treats these files as context, not enforced configuration. See what Claude Code is.

A working prompt:

Using my style note above and the sample emails, write a reply to this message: [paste]. I want to agree to the meeting on Thursday, ask for the agenda, and keep it under 80 words.

Step 5: Compare and refine

Put the AI draft next to what you’d write yourself. What differs? Add a rule for each consistent difference. After a few rounds the notes get sharper.

Step 6: Edit the last 10 percent

Read the draft aloud. Change any sentence you would not actually say. Add one specific detail only you would know. This is what makes it recognizably yours, and it takes a minute.

Limits and honesty

• AI reproduces surface style, not your knowledge or judgment. Content must come from you.
• If you write in a regulated or professional setting, check the rules on disclosing AI assistance.
• Do not use AI to imitate another real person to mislead anyone.

Automating it

If you process a lot of email, you can combine a style note with an agent that drafts replies for approval. The Gmail guide shows how, and in Learn AI Fast’s first lab attendees practice drafting and checking replies on a provided inbox. For emails specifically, see writing emails with AI.

Sources

• Anthropic, Prompting best practices: use examples effectively: “A few well-crafted examples”
• Anthropic, Prompting best practices: use examples effectively: “Examples are one of the most reliable ways to steer”
• Anthropic, How Claude remembers your project (Claude Code memory): “Both are loaded at the start of every conversation”
• Anthropic, How Claude remembers your project (Claude Code memory): “Claude treats them as context, not enforced configuration”