PROMPT SET: The Skill of Storytelling in a Technical World

reframe a technical outcome

Choose a recent project in your team’s profiles. Pick one that has a bit of a dry description that describes only what was achieved technically. Now, rewrite that description to show how it improved people’s lives, access, safety, or experience. Did it involve an endangered species? Did it provide new services to a community? Record your response in your notes.

find the human impact

Think of a complex project your team worked on. Describe a small way it made someone's life easier, safer, or more fulfilling — even if that person never knew your team was involved. Record your response in your notes.

from system to story

Take a paragraph you've written before about a technical solution — a stormwater system, roadway upgrade, software deployment. Rewrite it to focus on how it feels to use the result. Describe the experience of the end user in a timed progression from start to finish, as if you’re telling a story of how they interact with the new system. Write your new paragraph here in your notes.

write the before and after

Describe what life was like for end users before a project was implemented. Don’t shy away from describing the true pain, whether that was crumbling infrastructure, a clunky user interface, or a laborious process, a busy commute. Then describe what it’s like now — not in technical terms, but in terms of the experiences, comfort, or confidence. Record this description in your notes below.

expand your writing vocabulary

List five verbs you use all the time when describing your work. If you need help, look up a project you wrote about recently or a proposal. Which verbs appear most often? These might be “developed,” “provided,” or “implemented,” for instance). For each one, find 3 fresher synonyms that still sound professional and technically accurate. Don’t be afraid to use AI, but make sure you engage thoughtfully with the exercise. Record that list here in your notes.

trade nouns for picture words

Take a project summary you’ve written and underline all the abstract nouns (“solution,” “methodology,” “technology,” etc). Rewrite the paragraph using more concrete nouns that help the reader picture what was done. Ask AI for help and explain that you’re trying to learn how to use a richer variety of nouns to describe your work. If you provide some of your writing, AI will probably respond with an excellent list. Record that list here in your notes.

from function to feeling

Choose a paragraph from a proposal that describes what your team delivered. Rewrite it as though you are the client writing a glowing letter of recommendation. Record it here.

the human touch

Write a three-sentence summary of a technical challenge. Make it very technical and professional. Then write a second version of the same summary using more expressive, story-like language, while staying professional. Record the summary here in your notes.

cut without losing meaning

Start with this paragraph: “We created a project execution plan that allowed for the successful implementation of a three-phase construction sequence designed to improve service life and mitigate long-term cost escalation.” Rewrite it in half the words — without losing the meaning.

one idea per sentence

Write a paragraph from a past report or proposal that included multiple ideas in a single, very long sentence. Rewrite it so each idea has its own clear, concise sentence. Compare the two pieces here in your notes.

start with the point

Take a technical paragraph and cut the first two sentences. See if it still makes sense. Now try rewriting it to start with the strongest or most surprising fact. Record your rewrite here. Feel free to ask AI for help. Just make sure you practice telling AI exactly what you’re trying to achieve and think critically about the result. Did AI hit the mark?

less is more

Find a paragraph from an old proposal. Challenge yourself to say the same thing using no more than 50 words. What do you have to let go of to make it more readable? Record the rewritten paragraph here.

give AI a job to do

Take a paragraph describing a technical solution. Then prompt AI with two different instructions: “Rewrite this for a project report.” “Rewrite this for a website case study.” Compare the tone, structure, and message. How are they different? Did AI nail it? If not, what more could you include in your prompt to make the task easier?

ask AI, once more with feeling

Write a dry technical paragraph. (Or look for one nearby in a recent document. If you work in a technical organization, you won’t have to search long.) Now, prompt AI to “rewrite this with emotional contrast — highlight the frustration before, and the relief after.” Evaluate the results. Record your observations.

recast for a non-technical audience

Take a sentence you wrote for an engineer or technical peer. Ask AI to “rewrite this for a curious, intelligent audience with a non-technical background.” Was it able to capture the essence? If not, how could you enhance your prompt? Record your results here.

teach AI to work effectively alongside you

Write a short paragraph about a successful project. Now instruct AI: “Pretend this is part of a proposal. Rewrite it to inspire the client to work with us.” Did it understand the goal? If not, how could you help it along? Did it need further specific details? Practice asking it questions about what it needs to see before performing the task. Record your experience.

compare passive and active voice

Take a paragraph from a project summary or report where passive voice is common (e.g., “The system was installed…”). Rewrite it using active voice (e.g., “Our team installed the system…”). How does the shift affect energy, tone, and ownership? Which version would be more persuasive in a proposal? Record both versions and your observations.

show, don't tell

Find a line in a proposal or case study that simply declares a trait: “We are innovative,” “We care about safety,” “We’re client-focused.” Rewrite it to show what your team did that proves it. Replace the claim with a one-sentence story or observation. Record both versions here.

switch perspectives

Retell a familiar project summary from a different point of view: the client, a frustrated user, a site visitor, a skeptical reviewer. What changes when you inhabit someone else’s lens? What do you have to emphasize or clarify? Record your rewrite in your notes.

unpack the transformation

Think of a project where the solution wasn’t flashy — maybe it was incremental, regulatory, or invisible to end users. Still, something meaningful changed. Describe the before/after with precision and heart. How would a person’s day unfold differently now? Write that story in your notes.