This guide will help you write AI prompts that produce the kinds of images you’re looking for. You’ll learn what details to include, why they matter, and how small changes in your wording can make a big difference. By the end, you’ll be able to craft clear and effective prompts that consistently give you high-quality, usable results.
How to Write a Good Prompt to Generate AI Images & Videos
1. Be Specific — But Keep It Concise
AI works best with clear, detailed prompts. Avoid simply listing random keywords. Instead, describe the most important elements like the subject, background, mood, style, and lighting. Write enough detail to give a clear picture without making it too long or repetitive.
✅ Good example: “A futuristic city glowing with neon lights at sunset, flying cars overhead, cinematic style”
❌ Bad example: “City, future, cool, stylish, good vibe kind of scene”
→ Too vague and repetitive; it lacks clear visual elements.
💡Tip: If your prompt is too short, AI may make incorrect guesses. If it’s too long, it may lose focus. Aim for short, vivid, and informative descriptions.
2. Use Style Keywords
Include style terms to help the AI understand your desired visual tone.
Artistic Styles: “Van Gogh style”, “anime”, “pixel art”
Visual Types: “3D rendering”, “cinematic”, “watercolor style”
Photographic Styles: “portrait shot”, “bokeh effect”, “wide-angle composition”
Example: "Portrait of a woman in a minimalistic black turtleneck, soft natural light, DSLR-style photo”
3. Include Time Periods and Mood
You can make your prompt more vivid by mentioning a specific era or the overall mood.
Time Periods: “1920s fashion”, “futuristic”, “medieval”
Moods: “mysterious”, “hopeful”, “dramatic”
Example: “A jazz singer performing at a 1920s club, in the style of an Art Deco poster”
4. A Simple Formula for Beginners
If you’re new to writing prompts, use this easy structure:
Subject, Details, Background or Setting, Style, Mood
This formula keeps your prompt focused and visually rich.
Example: “A panda astronaut floating in space, cracked helmet, Pixar-style 3D art, cheerful mood”
5. Describe Movement for Video Prompts
For video, also describe how the camera moves and what the subject is doing to make the scene dynamic.
🎞 Examples of Camera Movement
Slow pan across the scene
Tracking shot following a character
Zooming in toward a subject
Overhead drone-like shot
🧍 Examples of Subject Movement
A person walking through fog
A character turning to face the camera
Hair blowing in the wind
A bird flying across the sky
Example: “A robot walking slowly through a neon-lit alley while it rains, cinematic tone”
6. Test Variations to Improve
Prompts can improve with small tweaks. Don’t hesitate to adjust words and styles to see what works best.
Swap adjectives: “majestic castle” → “peaceful castle”
Try a new style: “3D render” → “watercolor painting”
Refine the subject: “castle” → “abandoned castle at sunset”
Explore different wording and styles to discover what looks most appealing!
7. Consider Using Preset Styles
You can also simplify your prompt by selecting a preset style. Give a brief subject and the style will do the rest.
Prompt: “Magical forest” + Preset Style: “Fantasy” → AI renders a mystical forest with glowing trees and mist, all in a vivid fantasy style.
This approach saves time, maintains visual consistency, and creates great results with minimal input
8. Specify What to Exclude
You can also control what to leave out by using negative phrasing.
✅ “A foggy forest, no animals, peaceful atmosphere”
✅ “City nightscape with no people”
✅ “Poster design, no text”
If you want to exclude text in images, use:
“no text”, “no letters”, “text-free”, or “exclude words” in your prompt.
9. Avoid Common Prompt Mistakes
Here are examples of ineffective prompts and how to improve them:
❌ “Cool city, something with a nice vibe”
Issue: Too vague and abstract.
✅ Try: “Futuristic city glowing with neon lights, flying cars, cinematic style”
❌ “Romantic, cute, scary, and strange”
Issue: Mixed emotions confuse the AI.
✅ Try: “A warm, romantic cafe with soft lighting”
❌ “Hot iced Americano”
Issue: Contradictory terms.
✅ Try: “Man drinking a cold iced Americano” or “Man drinking a warm Americano”
❌ “Really really beautiful and super awesome scenery”
Issue: Repetitive and too subjective without visual details.
✅ Try: “Peaceful summer field filled with wildflowers under soft sunlight”
Tip: Vague or contradictory prompts produce unclear results. Be focused, logical, and descriptive for the best outcome.