Cheatsheet: Think Before You Prompt: Develop Independent Writing and Original Thought

By Better Wise

A lookup card for the whole course. Scan, do not read linearly. Each section maps to a lesson in Modules 1 to 3.

The Core Rule

Important: Draft before you ask. Your thinking must exist on paper before AI touches it. AI is a critic and a mirror, never the author.

The loop you repeat for every piece of writing:

flowchart LR
    A["🧠<br/>Freewrite"] --> B["🗺️<br/>Outline from memory"]
    B --> C["🎯<br/>Thesis"]
    C --> D["🏗️<br/>Argue + evidence"]
    D --> E["🤖<br/>AI critique"]
    E --> F["✅<br/>Verify"]
    F --> G["✍️<br/>Revise + own"]
    G -.->|"new gaps found"| A

Module 1: Think First, Draft Before You Ask AI

1.1 Freewriting: Dump First, Judge Later

Rule What it means
Keep the hand moving No pausing to fix spelling or phrasing
Timer on Write for a fixed block (course example: 8 minutes)
No sources, no notes, no AI Opening a source turns the page into a summary of that source, not your thinking
No deleting Cross out later; produce volume now
Follow the stuck thought If you stall, keep writing "what I actually mean is..." until motion returns

Why no sources during a freewrite: the draft is a map of your mind. The moment you consult a source, the map becomes a copy of someone else's map, and you lose the record of what you already knew.

Freewrite prompts to reuse:

  • "What do I already believe about this topic, and why?"
  • "What confuses me about this?"
  • "If I had to argue the opposite of my instinct, what would I say?"

1.2 Outlining From Memory and Naming Knowledge Gaps

The memory outline (do this before any research):

  1. Close all tabs, notes, and AI tools.
  2. Set a short timer (5 to 8 minutes).
  3. Write your main points from memory only, in order.
  4. Label every point with a confidence tag (see below).
  5. List the gaps you noticed, as explicit questions.
  6. Only now open sources to fill the gaps.

This cheatsheet is premium content. Sign in and purchase the course to view the full content. Sign in