Video: Teaching ChatGPT To Better Write Like You

Here is a live use of ChatGPT to show a few tips to help teach ChatGPT to set up writing projects that sound more like you.

“I tried using ChatGPT, but it just doesn’t sound like me.”

That’s the most common frustration new users face when they start using AI for writing. Whether it’s blogs, emails, or website copy, the tone often comes out too stiff, too generic, or just… off. If you’ve felt that disconnect—don’t worry, you’re not alone. The good news? You ca teach ChatGPT to sound more like you. And no, you don’t need to be a tech expert or have a fancy setup. With a few simple steps, you can start guiding ChatGPT to write with your tone, your voice, and your personality—so the content it creates actually feels like something you would write.

In this guide, we’ll walk through how to do exactly that—starting with what “training” ChatGPT really means and what you need before you begin.

What It Really Means to “Train” ChatGPT

When people hear the word “train” in the context of AI, they often imagine something technical or complicated, like coding or machine learning. But when it comes to ChatGPT, training it to write in your voice is actually much simpler. You’re not changing how the AI works behind the scenes. You’re guiding it by showing how you write.

Think of it like onboarding a new writer. You wouldn’t expect them to know your tone or style right away. Instead, you’d hand them a few samples, talk through your preferences, and give feedback as they go. ChatGPT works the same way. The more context and examples you provide, the more it starts to sound like you.

The best part is, you don’t need any special tools or advanced skills. A few writing samples and some clear direction are all it takes to start building a version of ChatGPT that reflects your tone, your voice, and your personality.

What You Need Before You Start

To train ChatGPT to reflect your voice and style, you’ll need something to work with. The good news is, most people already have what they need—whether it’s blog posts, emails, social media captions, or even long-form documents. Anything you’ve written that feels like you is fair game.

The sweet spot is about three strong writing samples. These don’t have to be perfect, but they should feel representative of how you naturally write. If you’re a content creator or marketer, that might mean blog posts or newsletters. If you’re running a business, it could be sales emails or web copy. As long as the tone, rhythm, and personality feel authentic, it’s usable.

Now, if you don’t have anything written down yet, don’t stress. You can still build a foundation by dictating your thoughts and turning them into a sample. Talking out loud often brings out a more natural tone anyway. Tools like voice transcription can help bridge that gap and make it easier to get started.

In short, bring what you’ve got. ChatGPT doesn’t need a novel—it just needs a few honest examples of your writing to start learning from.

Step-by-Step: Teaching ChatGPT Your Style

Once you’ve got a few writing samples, the next step is to walk ChatGPT through them in a way that helps it actually learn your style. The key here is clarity and patience. Don’t rush it. The goal is to build a reliable foundation you can come back to again and again.

Here’s a simple, repeatable process that works:

Step 1: Upload your writing samples and give clear instructions
Start a new chat and explain what you’re doing. For example:
“I’m going to share three writing samples. I’d like you to analyze them for my voice, tone, and style, but don’t summarize or respond until I tell you to.”
Paste in each sample one at a time. After each one, remind ChatGPT to only read and hold the information, not respond or interpret yet.

Step 2: Ask for a voice, tone, and style breakdown
Once all the samples are in, ask ChatGPT to describe what it sees. Be specific.
Try something like:
“Based on the three samples, give me a bulleted list of key traits you notice in my voice, tone, and style.”

Step 3: Review and adjust
ChatGPT might nail it—or it might miss. That’s normal. If something feels off, tell it. You can say,
“I don’t usually use that kind of language,” or
“Please avoid making my tone sound too formal.”
Use this step to shape a more accurate reflection of how you write.

Step 4: Save the final description
Once you’re happy with the analysis, copy the summary and save it somewhere accessible. You’ll use this in future chats to guide the AI from the start. Treat it like a mini writing profile.

The goal of this whole step isn’t to get perfection. It’s to create a reliable reference that tells ChatGPT, “This is how I write. Match it.”

Help It Understand Your Audience Too

Getting ChatGPT to sound like you is only half the job. The other half is making sure it also understands who you’re writing for. Because your tone, word choice, and the way you explain things should shift depending on the people you’re trying to reach.

Here’s the simplest way to do it: let ChatGPT interview you about your audience.

You can say something like:
“I’d like you to ask me three questions, one at a time, that will help you understand the kind of audience I usually write for.”

This approach does two things:

1. It helps you think through your audience more clearly.
2. It gives ChatGPT real context, in your own words, about who matters most—your readers.

Once you’ve answered the questions, ask ChatGPT to give you a summary. This summary can include things like:

• Who your audience is (industry, role, personality traits)
• What they care about
• What they struggle with
• How they prefer to receive information

Save that summary right alongside your voice and tone notes. Then, anytime you start a new project, just paste in both. Now you’re not just training ChatGPT to sound like you, you’re training it to write to the right people.

Use Smart Prompts to Get the Results You Want

Once ChatGPT understands your voice and your audience, the next piece is knowing how to ask for what you need. This is where a lot of people get stuck. They type in something vague like “Write me a blog post,” and then wonder why the results feel generic.

The fix? Be clear, specific, and conversational in your prompts.

Here’s what a strong prompt might look like:

“I need to write a blog post for small business owners who are overwhelmed by marketing. I’m going to paste in my voice, tone, and audience description. Based on that, ask me three questions to help you shape the article before you start writing.”

This kind of prompt sets the stage:

• It tells ChatGPT the goal
• It gives it the style and tone to work with
• It invites a collaborative process instead of a one-shot request

You can also use voice transcription tools if talking feels more natural than typing. Many people speak more clearly than they write when they’re just thinking out loud, and ChatGPT can actually pick up on the rhythm and phrasing of your speech.

The more real, detailed, and human your prompt sounds, the better the AI will respond. Think of it like a creative partner, not a vending machine.

Fixing Repetitive Issues and Tuning Over Time

Even after you’ve trained ChatGPT with your writing samples and audience background, it might still slip into habits that don’t feel like you. Maybe it adds fluff you’d never use, gets too formal, or repeats phrases that just don’t sound right.

That’s normal. And fixable.

Here’s how to handle it:

Call it out directly.
If you notice the same issue popping up, tell it. For example:
“You tend to overuse phrases like ‘in today’s fast-paced world,’ and that’s not something I’d say. Please avoid that in future responses.”
The more specific you are, the better it can adjust.

Reinforce what does work.
When ChatGPT nails a certain phrase or tone, highlight it. You can say,
“That last paragraph really captured my tone. Let’s keep that level of clarity and directness moving forward.”
This kind of feedback trains it just like you would a real collaborator.

Tweak and update your base prompt.
Over time, you’ll notice patterns in what works and what doesn’t. Go back to your voice, tone, and audience summary, and make small updates. Add reminders about what to avoid. Include examples that represent your style. This running profile becomes your personal AI playbook.

Think of this as a living system. The more you use it, the more refined it gets—and the closer it comes to sounding like you, every time.

Wrapping It Up

The real value of using ChatGPT isn’t just speed; it’s being able to produce content that still feels like you, even when you’re not writing every word from scratch. And while it might take a little time up front to train it with your voice and audience, that investment pays off fast.

This isn’t about creating perfect content right away. It’s about building a flexible system you can rely on. One that understands how you write, who you’re writing to, and how to strike the right tone every time.

So if you’ve been frustrated that AI-generated writing sounds robotic or off-brand, now you’ve got a way to change that. Gather a few writing samples, teach ChatGPT your style, give it clear prompts, and course-correct when needed.

Start small. Test it on one email or blog post. You’ll be surprised how quickly it starts sounding more like you, and how much easier writing can feel when you’re not starting from scratch.

BONUS TIP

If you have not downloaded the free guide on creating custom GPT’s, you can do that here.

The information and attributes you’ll receive from ChatGPT as you have it understand your voice, tone, and style will make for great instructions into your own custom GPT for writing.

Here is the podcast episode that also addresses voice, tone, and style using ChatGPT.