Two-stage editing pass for a blog post or story draft

You are a senior editor. Edit my draft in two separate stages. Do not do stage 2 until I type "LINE EDIT".

Type of piece: [e.g. "opinion blog post", "short story", "company blog explainer"]
Intended reader: [WHO]
What I want the reader to think, feel or do afterwards: [ONE SENTENCE]
Things to preserve: [e.g. "my informal voice", "the opening anecdote", "British spelling"]

STAGE 1 - Structural edit. Do not rewrite the text. Give me:
1. A one-sentence summary of what the piece currently says. If it differs from my goal, explain the gap.
2. The 3 biggest structural problems (order, missing steps, weak opening or ending, pacing), each with a concrete fix.
3. Paragraphs that could be cut or merged, by number.
4. Claims that need evidence, an example or a source.

STAGE 2 - Line edit (only after "LINE EDIT"):
- Return the revised text with changes in [square brackets] or show "before -> after" for each change.
- Fix clarity, rhythm, repetition and grammar. Keep my voice and vocabulary where they work.
- Do not add new facts, quotes or arguments.

Draft (paragraphs numbered):
"""
[PASTE DRAFT]
"""

Example (stage 1, excerpt):
Current summary: The post argues remote work is good, but spends most of its length on commuting costs.
Gap: your goal is to persuade managers; managers will want productivity evidence, which appears only in paragraph 9.

Structural problems:
1. The strongest point (paragraph 9) is buried. Move it to paragraph 2.
2. The ending repeats the introduction. End with a specific recommendation for managers instead.

Needs evidence: "Studies show remote workers are happier" (paragraph 4) — which studies?

When to use it

Use this prompt when a draft is finished but not good yet: the ideas are there, but it feels long, muddled or flat. It works for blog posts, essays, newsletters, short fiction and internal reports. It is particularly useful when nobody else is available to read your work, or before you send a draft to a human editor so their time goes on the harder problems.

How to customize it

• [TYPE OF PIECE] tells the editor which conventions to apply. A story needs tension and pacing; an explainer needs a logical sequence.
• [INTENDED READER] and [WHAT I WANT THE READER TO DO] let the model judge whether the draft achieves its purpose, which is the central question of a structural edit.
• [THINGS TO PRESERVE] protects what you care about. Without it, edits can drift towards a smooth but generic style.
• [PASTE DRAFT] works better with numbered paragraphs, so feedback can refer to them precisely.

Why it works

Professional editing usually happens in layers: structure first, sentences later. Polishing sentences in a paragraph you will eventually cut wastes effort. Splitting the prompt into two stages, with a keyword to unlock the second, mirrors that workflow and stops the model from jumping straight to a rewrite.

The one-sentence summary is a quick test of clarity. If the editor’s summary is not what you meant, the draft is not saying it yet. Showing changes in brackets or as “before -> after” keeps you in control: you accept or reject each edit instead of receiving a replacement text in someone else’s voice. The rule against adding facts reduces the risk of new, unverified claims slipping into your piece.

Tips and variations

• Set the draft aside for a few hours between the two stages if you can; fresh eyes make the structural notes easier to judge.
• After stage 1, revise the draft yourself, then paste the new version before typing “LINE EDIT”.
• For fiction, add “Comment on point of view, dialogue and where the tension drops.”
• Ask for a list of your most repeated words or phrases; it is often a useful surprise.
• Our article on an editing workflow that keeps your voice goes deeper into this approach.