Two words switch Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini out of the fluffy AI voice. Here's the instruction, what it looks like in action, and when to skip it.
You ask for an email and what comes back sounds like a press release. Long sentences, fluffy words, zero punch. So you sit there rewriting half of it, line by line, every single time.
Aerospace engineers solved this decades ago. Airplane manuals can't be confusing, because a confused mechanic is a dangerous mechanic. So the industry wrote a standard called ASD-STE100: short sentences, one idea at a time, plain words only. Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini all learned that standard from their training. You only have to name it.
Add this line to any request, in any AI. That's it.
Use ASD-STE100.
Or use the full version when you already have a draft that needs rescuing:
Rewrite the text below using ASD-STE100. Keep my facts, my numbers, and my point exactly as they are. Short sentences. One idea per sentence. Plain words.
[paste your draft here]
"I'm thrilled to share some exciting updates regarding your upcoming session! We've carefully curated a comprehensive experience designed to ensure everything aligns perfectly with your unique vision."
"Here are the updates for your session. I planned each part around what you told me you want. Read the list below and tell me what to change."
Emails, instructions, summaries, website copy, anything a reader needs to understand on the first pass. This is where the standard shines.
The style is cold on purpose. Keep it away from personal stories, celebration posts, and anything where warmth is the point. Ask for the rewrite, then add your own voice back on top.
Typing 2 words per chat works. Making Claude remember it works better. This prompt has Claude build the standard into a skill, so one short command applies it in any future chat, on any device you sign into.
Create a skill for me called plain-english. When I type /ste or ask you to "write it plain," apply the ASD-STE100 simplified English rules to whatever you write for me: short sentences, one idea per sentence, plain common words, active voice, no filler. Never apply it to [the writing you want left alone, like personal stories or celebration posts] unless I ask. Format it as a skill file, walk me through saving it to my account step by step, and keep the steps beginner level.
The bracket is the important part. Tell Claude which kinds of writing should stay in your natural voice, and the skill will know when to stay out of the way. If you ever want to change it, just tell Claude what to adjust. It does the typing, you talk in plain English.