App guide: Legacy Ask Writer
Who can use this feature
- Available on Team and Enterprise plans
What's in this article:
If you can’t find an app for exactly what you’re writing or you’re finding yourself staring at a blank page, try the Legacy Ask Writer app. It’s completely open-ended, so it can be a nifty writing companion. You can ask it to do just about anything, from generating ideas to reworking existing content. If you provide additional context with links, Writer AI can crawl those pages to give more sophisticated responses. This guide will give you some ideas for how you could use this app, and tips for how to use it most effectively.
When to use this app
- 💡 Ideation
- 🧠 Brainstorming
- ❓ Answering a question
- 🟰 Summarizing
- 🥡 Generating takeaways
- 🔁 Rewriting
- ✍️ Drafting
- 🎨 Creative inspiration
- ... and more!
Because this app is so open-ended, you can use it in many different scenarios. If you're feeling stuck and not quite sure what to do, give this app a try!
Inputs
Input Field |
Description |
Required |
| Question or request | Describe what you need to write. Write from scratch, summarize, answer questions, and more. You can also insert a link for context. | Yes |
Output examples
Write email responses
Example #1
Request: Write a reassuring and friendly email to our internal customer success team discussing the details of the sunset of our Acme Insights product. Sunset date is July 26, 2023. We'll give customers free access until then. Customers should upgrade to the Acme Platform. This is part of the larger company strategy we discussed in All Hands.
Hi everyone,
As we discussed in the All Hands meeting, the sunset date for the Acme Insights product is July 26, 2023. We will be giving customers free access to the product until then, and we encourage them to upgrade to the Acme Platform. This is part of the larger company strategy, and we believe it is the best way forward for our customers.
If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out. We're here to support you and our customers through this transition.
Thank you,
[Your name]
Example #2
Request: Politely decline this offer: Hi Jane, I believe there are areas where both Acme and Writer can work together. Are you free to speak over the phone or meet for a coffee/lunch next week to hear what value we can bring to Writer? Regards, John
Hello John,
Thank you for reaching out to me. I appreciate your offer, but I am not interested in working with Acme at this time. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors
Sincerely,
Jane
Example #3
Request: Accept this offer, but tell them later this month is better as I'm going on PTO next week: Hi Jane, I believe there are areas where both Acme and Writer can work together. Are you free to speak over the phone or meet for a coffee/lunch next week to hear what value we can bring to Writer? Regards, John
Hi John,
Thank you for the offer. I am actually going to be out of town next week on vacation, so I won't be able to meet then. Is there any time later in the month that would work for you?
Thanks,
Jane
Rephrase something
Example #1
Request: Rephrase this email in a more professional tone: Heya Jane! Got some time to chat this week? I'd LOVE to set up a sesh and get your thoughts on our latest and greatest product design mocks. We can even get ya a little somethin' for your time in the form of a $50 gift card to whatever your heart desires. Cool? Let me know. Later! John
Hi Jane,
I hope you're well. I'm wondering if you're available to chat for a bit this week. I'd love to get your thoughts on our latest product design mocks. We can even compensate you for your time with a $50 gift card to wherever you'd like. Let me know if that works for you.
Thanks,
John
Ideate
Example #1
Request: Generate ideas for a blog post. The blog post will be about "5 tips to help your employees work more effectively in a fully remote environment."
1. Encourage regular check-ins and communication. Let your employees know that you are available to chat and want to hear about how they are doing both professionally and personally. Checking in regularly will help identify any issues early on and ensure that everyone is on the same page.
2. Set clear expectations. When working remotely, it is even more important to set clear expectations for employees in terms of deadlines, goals, and deliverables. This will help avoid confusion and frustration on both sides.
3. Create a collaborative environment. Encourage your employees to collaborate and brainstorm with each other, even if they are not in the same physical location. This can be done through online tools such as Google Docs, Zoom, or Slack.
4. Promote work/life balance. It can be easy to get caught up in work when working from home, so it is important to promote a healthy work/life balance. This includes encouraging employees to take breaks, step away from their screens, and disconnect from work when necessary.
5. Trust your employees. One of the most important things you can do as a manager is to trust your employees to do their job, even when they are not in your direct line of sight. This can be a difficult adjustment for some, but it is crucial for an effective working relationship.
Example #2
Request: What kinds of questions do people generally have about these topics? Help me come up with at least 10 questions.
Qualitative user research, Design prototyping, Design sprints
1. What is qualitative user research?
2. What are some methods of qualitative user research?
3. What is the difference between quantitative and qualitative user research?
4. Why is qualitative user research important?
5. How can qualitative user research be used in design prototyping?
6. What is a design sprint?
7. What are the steps involved in a design sprint?
8. Why are design sprints important?
9. How can design sprints be used in conjunction with qualitative user research?
10. What are some common challenges with design sprints?
For fun
Example #1
Request: Help me come up with song lyrics. I'm writing a country song titled "Gonna Ship that Product Today."
I'm gonna ship that product today
I'm gonna get it out the door
I'm gonna make that delivery
And I'm never gonna look back
I'm gonna work hard all day long
I'm gonna do whatever it takes
I'm never gonna give up
I'm never gonna quit
I'm gonna ship that product today
I'm gonna get it out the door
I'm gonna make that delivery
And I'm never gonna look back
Example #2
Request: Write me a haiku. The haiku should be about Writer, an AI writing platform.
A pencil in hand
Empty notebook on my desk
Writer, help me write
Tips
This app is very open-ended, and rewards experimentation — so don't be afraid to try it out, even if you're not yet sure of exactly what you want. If you do know what you want to do, these tips can help you guide Writer in the right direction.
1. Specify tone
Providing a desired tone in the prompt — like "professional," "friendly," "firm," "polte," or "irreverent" — can have a large impact on the output. If the output isn't quite what you're looking for, try specifying different tone adjectives in the "Request" field.
2. Specify what kind of output you want
The more information you can give Writer about the output that you want, the better. Be sure to specify that you're looking for an email, an outline, a list, a limerick, etc. You can also specify parameters like the number of bullet points, paragraphs, or word count to further hone in on the desired output.
Not entirely sure of what you're looking for, and just trying to get ideas? Write that you're looking for "ideas"!
3. Give Writer the context it needs
Because the baseline Writer model is trained on data available on the open web, it might not have enough information to write about something extremely specific or proprietary. You can provide Writer with links to relevant web pages to make the output more relevant. If you don't have a link to a web page, be sure to provide additional context in the prompt as necessary to increase the accuracy of the output.