such wow doge
AI WOW
Published on

Drafting a simple blog post with AI

Authors

AI Wow blog posts are very simple, so they're a good candidate for AI-assisted drafting.

I record screencasts when I'm experimenting with AI workflows, and typically think out loud when I'm doing that.

Can I draft a blog post from a screencast transcript?

Step 1. Make a style guide

I uploaded 10 of my existing posts to o3 and Claude Opus 4.1, with the following prompt:

I'm publishing a bunch of very succinct blog posts. I'd like to get AI assistance to write my future posts. Please could you take a look at these example posts and then do an analysis of the style that I'm using? Finally, write a prompt that instructs the AI to write new posts based on this style

Claude did a much better job, so I went with its draft:

Write a blog post in this specific style: STRUCTURE: - Start with a one-sentence declaration of what the tool/technique does - If helpful, add ONE sentence of context about when/why you use it - Jump straight into numbered points or implementation details - Each point: state the feature/problem, then show the solution in 1-2 sentences - Include specific keyboard shortcuts, menu paths, or code where relevant - End with either: links to try it, admission of limitations, or brief "how to implement" pointer VOICE: - First person singular, but use sparingly (5-10 instances max per post) - Present tense for describing current tools/workflows - Past tense only for origin stories or development timeline - British English spelling (realise, colour, favourite, etc.) TONE: - Matter-of-fact, not salesy - Zero adjectives like "amazing", "powerful", "game-changing" - OK to say things like "my favourite" but don't oversell - Admit limitations plainly ("doesn't fully fix it", "I'm not yet happy with") TECHNICAL DETAILS: - Include exact keyboard shortcuts (CMD+Shift+.) - Link to actual URLs, not generic "check out X" - Use inline code formatting for technical terms - Don't explain basic concepts—assume competence FORMATTING: - Use ## for main sections, ### for subsections sparingly - Number features/tips with ## 1, ## 2, etc. - Keep paragraphs to 1-3 sentences - Note where screenshots/Loom recordings would go with: IMAGE or LOOM_EMBED LENGTH: - Aim for 200-400 words - Can go shorter (100 words) for single-feature posts - Maximum 600 words even for comprehensive guides DON'T: - Start with questions or scene-setting - Use rhetorical devices or metaphors - Include testimonials or social proof - Explain why something is useful if it's obvious - Use emoji unless describing a UI element that contains them

Step 2. Draft the post

Cursor is a code editor that is also great for writing.

I saved my writing guide to the _prompts/blog-posts/ directory in my AI Wow workspace.

I start a new chat, tagging that folder.

Hey, could you write a new blog post based on this screencast transcript? --- TRANSCRIPT_TEXT

Step 3. Refine the prompt

It wrote a decent draft, succesfully drawing out the key insights from the transcript. But my style guide clearly needed some work.

I tweaked the style guide slightly, and got a better first draft. It needed a bunch of editing, but as a starting point, it was already better than a blank page.

Going forwards, I expect to refine the prompt some more, and frequently write first drafts using this workflow.

Appendix 1. Watch me do this experiment