In-Short
Outline First, Draft Second
Most people ask AI for the final email, post, or page straight away. That creates cleanup. Outline first gives you the structure before the wording, so you fix the direction in seconds instead of rewriting a full answer.
Drift Starts When the Draft Starts Too Early
When AI jumps into full text, it fills gaps on its own: assumptions, side points, sections you did not want. A short outline keeps AI close to the job.
Small Corrections Save Big Time
"Swap points 2 and 3" or "cut the pricing part" is easy on an outline and painful on 700 words. You approve the logic first, then the writing.
Use This Prompt Pattern
Ask your question and add Outline first at the end. It works for proposals, summaries, landing pages, meeting notes, and articles. When the draft comes back dense, pair it with Explain It in Plain Words.
Prompt Script
Copy / paste
Write a critique of this article: https://www.n-g.be/insights/define-your-skills. Outline first.