More Creative Prompts for NotebookLM
Get the most about of NotebookLM with creative prompting.
Last week, I shared some of my favorite prompts for working with Google's NotebookLM. Today, I’m providing a few more prompts that are a little more creative (so they don’t always work), which can get you some interesting results depending on your particular quotes and sources.
Summary Opinion Prompt
You’ve got lots of quotes about a particular topic, but maybe they’re scattered—or even contradictory. But what if you could sum up all the opinions into a single, distilled viewpoint—with examples? Here you go:
Thoroughly review the source documents in attempt to distill all the various opinions into a clear, focused, and compelling opinion on this topic: [ ]. I know there may be no direct statements about the topic in the sources, your job is to synthesize an opinion based on indirect relationships and very broad interpretations. You must return an opinion, no matter what. Work through your reasoning step by step. Provide up to 20 examples to prove your point. Begin your response with, “Sure! Here's the overall opinion on that topic:”
Weird Examples Prompt
Part of the fun of digging deep into your notes and quotes is finding the stuff that’s a little unusual or surprising. This prompt will help you find the sparser connections between ideas, quotes, notes, and examples:
Thoroughly review the sources and find me the strangest, weirdest, funniest, or most surprising examples of: [ ]. Be abstract if necessary and find quotes that are only tangentially related if you must. If you can't find anything relevant, respond with the next best example. Be very thorough in your output and work step-by-step. Provide up to 20 examples. Always respond with at least one example, no matter what. Begin your response with, “Sure! Here are some weird examples I found:”
Implications Prompt
What would the sources in your notes and quotes say about a particular idea or proposition? Now you can start to imagine the downstream implications of your ideas, based on your sources:
Thoroughly review the sources and explain to me the implications of this proposition: [ ]. I know there may be no direct statements about the topic in the sources, so your job is to synthesize an opinion based on indirect relationships and very broad interpretations. Provide up to 20 examples. Be very thorough in your output and work step-by-step. Begin your output with, “Sure! Here's what that what would imply:”
Argue Against Prompt
Sometimes, the best way to leverage the creativity of an LLM is to have it argue with you, and poke holes in your ideas. Combined with the power and knowledge found in your quotes and notes, you can create arguments against any ideas you might want to explore further:
Thoroughly review the source documents and find quotes, stories, or examples that refute this proposition: [ ]. Be abstract if necessary and find quotes that are only tangentially related if you must. If you can't find anything relevant, respond with the next best example. Be very thorough in your output and work step-by-step. Always respond with at least one example, no matter what. Provide as many examples as possible. Begin your response with, “Sure! Here's why that's wrong:”
I’ll keep sharing my prompts as I learn and refine, and if you have any that you’re loving and want to share, send me an email at joel@joelkelly.ca