Keeping a Prompt Journal

Good prompts are easy to lose. A simple journal makes results repeatable. This is the format I use for Raphael AI work.

One entry per idea

date: 2026-10-20
goal: newsletter header, autumn issue
prompt: maple leaves on a wet cobblestone street, overcast light,
        muted watercolor, wide 2:1, empty right third, no text
kept: version 3
why: warm colors, clean right side for title
next time: fewer leaves, more texture

Why record the goal

The same prompt can be good for one purpose and bad for another. Writing the goal explains why you kept a version.

Tag your style phrases

Keep a short list of style phrases that worked ("muted watercolor", "flat editorial illustration, soft grain"). Reusing them gives your projects a consistent look.

Note failures too

Write down prompts that failed and the reason: "hands distorted", "background too busy". Patterns appear after a few weeks.

Storage

A plain text file or a spreadsheet is enough. One file per project keeps it manageable.

Generator: https://raphael.app