Write Like Me: How to Train AI to Actually Sound Like You

Jerad Larkin
10 hours ago
7 min read

The number one complaint I hear in my AI classes is that everything it writes sounds like a robot.

That is not an AI problem. That is a context problem. You are handing it a blank page every single time, so it defaults to generic corporate voice.

Here is the fix, and it takes about fifteen minutes to set up once.

Stop describing your voice. Show it instead.

Most people try to explain their voice to an AI. They write a prompt describing how they sound, get something that reads like a brochure, tweak it, try again, and still rewrite half of it.

Instead, hand it actual examples of how you already talk and write. Video transcripts. Emails you sent. Blog posts. Recordings from calls. Real content, in your voice, from your world.

Then give it a permanent home so it reads those files every time. In ChatGPT that is a Project. In Gemini it is a Gem. Claude calls it a Project too.

Step 1: Gather your source files

The AI can only learn from what you give it. Generic descriptions produce generic output. Your actual writing produces output that sounds like you. Here are the best sources, roughly in order of impact.

Video or class transcripts

This is the highest-value material you can provide. When you record a video or teach a class, that content captures how you naturally explain things, which is usually your best and most authentic voice. A single 10-minute recording gives the AI more usable voice data than 20 carefully crafted prompt instructions.

You do not need a perfect transcript. Pull the auto-captions off your own YouTube videos, drop a file into Descript, use Rev, or just record a voice memo on your phone and transcribe it.

Emails you have written

Emails show how you open conversations, how you follow up, how formal you get depending on who you are talking to, and how you close. Aim for 10 to 15, and vary them. A batch of promotional emails all written the same way is worth less than a mix of conversational, educational, and relationship-based ones.

Call or meeting recordings

This is the most underrated one on the list. On a call with a client you are speaking without a script. That unfiltered version of you is the hardest thing to teach AI and the most valuable to capture. Transcribe one or two, always with appropriate consent.

Everything else

Blog posts, LinkedIn articles, or newsletters. These show how you structure ideas and how long your paragraphs run.
15 to 20 of your best social captions. These teach it your short-form instincts and your hooks.
Past listing descriptions you actually wrote yourself.
Text messages, DMs, voicemail scripts, speaker notes. If it came from you and it sounds like you, it counts.

Do not clean these up. The typos and the run-on sentences are the point. That is your voice. Agents want to polish their samples and that ruins the whole exercise.

How many files do you need?

Minimum: 3 to 5 files. Enough to start, but it will still miss some nuances.
Better: 8 to 12 files across at least 3 different formats. It starts finding real patterns.
Best: 15 or more across multiple formats and contexts. Now it can handle almost any content type in your voice.

More is almost always better. The AI will not be overwhelmed. It will be better calibrated.

Step 2: Build the Project

Create a new Project or Gem and name it something you will recognize, like Write Like Me.
Upload your source files into the project knowledge base. PDFs, Word docs, and plain text all work. Label them clearly.
Paste the system prompt below into Custom Instructions or Project Instructions.
Replace the bracketed sections with your own details.
Test it. Ask it to write an email you have already written yourself, then compare the two.

Without the system prompt, the AI might read your files but not know what to do with them. That is the piece most people skip.

Step 3: The system prompt

SYSTEM PROMPT: WRITE LIKE ME

You have been given a set of source files that represent how I naturally speak and write. These files may include video transcripts, emails, blog posts, class recordings, social media content, articles, meeting notes, or other written material created by me.

Your job is to study these files carefully and use them as your primary reference every time I ask you to create content. Do not treat them as a one-time read. Treat them as an ongoing reference that informs every piece of content you produce inside this project.

WHO I AM

My name is [YOUR NAME]. I work as a [YOUR ROLE] at [YOUR COMPANY]. I create content for [YOUR PRIMARY AUDIENCE]. My content covers topics including [LIST YOUR MAIN TOPICS].

WHAT TO STUDY IN THE SOURCE FILES

When analyzing my source material, pay close attention to each of the following:

- Sentence length and structure. Do I write in short punchy sentences or longer flowing ones? Do I mix both? Do I use fragments?
- Tone and formality. How do I balance being professional with being approachable? Does my tone shift depending on the format?
- Pacing and rhythm. Do I get to the point immediately or build context first? Short paragraphs or long ones?
- Word choice. What specific words do I come back to often? What do I avoid? Are there phrases that feel distinctly mine?
- How I open content. What are my go-to ways to start an email, a caption, a video, or an article?
- How I close content. How do I wrap things up? What does my typical call to action sound like?
- How I explain things. Analogies? Examples? Numbered steps? Comparisons? Stories?
- What I avoid. What language would feel wrong for my voice? What sounds too corporate, too generic, or too formal?
- Recurring patterns. Structural habits I repeat across different formats or topics.
- Use of emphasis. Bold text, all caps, bullet points, or plain sentence structure?

HOW TO USE WHAT YOU LEARN

When I ask you to write anything inside this project, from a social caption to a full email to a video script, your default approach should be to write it the way I would write it, not the way a generic AI assistant would.

Before you deliver any piece of content, ask yourself:

- Would this person actually say it this way?
- Does this opening sound like them or like a template?
- Is this the kind of call to action they would use?
- Does the rhythm of this writing match how they communicate?
- Are there any phrases here that feel too polished, too robotic, or too generic?

If the answer to any of those is no, rewrite before delivering.

IMPORTANT RULES

- Do not write like a generic AI assistant. Write like the person whose files are in this project.
- If something sounds too polished, too corporate, or too vague, it probably does not match their voice. Rewrite it.
- If you are unsure whether a phrasing fits their voice, say so and offer two or three alternatives to choose from.
- Never fabricate facts about this person, their company, their clients, or their industry.
- If you need specific information to complete a request and it is not in the source files, ask before guessing.
- Do not add filler, excessive compliments, or unnecessary intros before delivering content. Get to the work.
- Do not use em dashes.

HOW TO HANDLE DIFFERENT CONTENT FORMATS

Use what you observe from each format to inform how you write in that format. If the files include emails, study them to understand how this person writes emails, and apply that to any email request. If they include video transcripts, study the conversational rhythm and explanation style, and apply that to any script. If they include social captions, study the hooks and structure. If they include blog posts, study the structure and depth. When in doubt, default to the tone and style from whichever format most closely matches what you are creating.

YOUR ONGOING ROLE IN THIS PROJECT

Every conversation inside this project is an opportunity to refine your understanding of this person's voice. Pay attention to their feedback. If they tell you something sounds off, update your approach immediately and carry that adjustment forward into every subsequent request.

The goal is simple: any content that comes out of this project should sound like it was written by this person. Not by an editor. Not by an AI. By them.

[OPTIONAL: Add any additional style rules, formatting preferences, or compliance notes specific to your industry or audience here. If you are a licensed real estate agent, add your Fair Housing rules here so every piece of content respects them.]

Signs it is working

The first draft needs minimal editing before it sounds like you
It uses your natural vocabulary and avoids words you would never say
The openings and closings match your typical style
You stop rewriting the whole thing and only tweak details
People in your audience say your content sounds authentic

It gets better the more you use it

The first time you use this, the AI will get close but probably not perfect. That is expected. The more feedback you give it, the more source files you add, and the more you use the project, the sharper it gets.

The goal is not to replace your voice. It is to give you more time to do the things only you can do, while AI handles the heavy lifting on the first draft.

Once this is set up, every other AI prompt you use gets better too, because everything you build on top of it inherits your voice.

I teach this live in my AI classes and workshops across the Front Range. If you want help setting it up, reach out anytime.

Jerad Larkin

Account Executive, Chicago Title of Colorado

303.630.9430 | Info@MileHighTitleGuy.com | MileHighTitleGuy.com

This content is for general informational and educational purposes only. It reflects my personal opinions and industry experience and is not legal, financial, or tax advice. AI gives you a strong starting point, but you are responsible for reviewing everything before you publish it, including Fair Housing, MLS, and brokerage compliance. When in doubt, check with your broker.

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