How to Use ChatGPT to Generate Perfect Midjourney Prompts

Creating prompts for Midjourney can feel like a creative puzzle. I’ve found that while simple prompts can get the job done, they often feel generic—missing that spark of uniqueness.

I’ve had moments where I knew exactly what I wanted to create but couldn’t figure out how to put it into words. Sometimes, creativity seems to hit a wall, leaving me staring at a blank screen.

This is where ChatGPT has been a lifesaver. It helps shape those vague ideas into detailed prompts that Midjourney can understand and work with.

But there’s a catch—ChatGPT is only as good as the instructions you give it. If you aren’t specific, you’ll end up with the same generic prompts you’re trying to avoid.

This blog post is all about how I use ChatGPT to create prompts that lead to stunning Midjourney outputs.

The Problem with Generic Prompts

When I first started using Midjourney, I’d type in simple prompts like “a beautiful landscape” or “a futuristic city.” The results were fine, but they felt… basic. There wasn’t anything unique about them, and they didn’t stand out from what others were creating.

That’s when it clicked—generic prompts lead to generic images. It’s not Midjourney’s fault; it works with the information it’s given. If the input lacks detail, the output will too.

The real problem with these vague prompts is that they miss the specifics that make an image feel personal or tailored. Things like mood, lighting, and composition aren’t considered unless you include them.

This realization made me rethink how I approach prompts. Instead of rushing, I began focusing on describing exactly what I wanted. But even then, there were times when my mind went blank, or I struggled to find the right words. That’s when I turned to ChatGPT for help.

How ChatGPT Can Help

ChatGPT acts like a creative assistant that helps turn ideas into detailed prompts. You can share a theme or a concept, and it translates that into a well-structured description that MidJourney can use. It’s especially helpful when you’re dealing with something complex or want to include lots of small details.

But, there’s one thing to keep in mind: if you don’t guide ChatGPT well, it might just give you another generic prompt. It doesn’t know exactly what you’re looking for unless you explain it clearly.

That’s why it’s important to know what makes a great MidJourney prompt in the first place and to communicate that to ChatGPT.

What Makes a Perfect MidJourney Prompt?

Creating a great MidJourney prompt isn’t just about tossing in a few descriptive words. It’s about painting a vivid picture with language. A perfect prompt includes enough detail to give you control over the outcome while leaving some room for MidJourney’s creative interpretation.

According to MidJourney’s official guidelines, a good prompt should include several key elements:

• Subject: What is the focus of the image? This could be a person, animal, object, or even a scene.

• Medium: How do you want the image to look? Options include photo, painting, illustration, or even a doodle.

• Environment: Where is the scene set? Indoors, outdoors, underwater, on a mountaintop—the possibilities are endless.

• Lighting: The type of lighting can change the whole feel of an image. Think soft, ambient, neon, or dramatic studio lights.

• Color: Do you want vibrant colors, muted tones, or something monochromatic? This sets the overall tone.

• Mood: The emotional vibe of the image—calm, eerie, playful, or energetic.

• Composition: How is the subject framed? Close-up, wide-angle, portrait, or bird’s-eye view.

For example, a generic prompt like “a beautiful sunset” might produce an average result. But if you expand on it—“a serene sunset over a calm ocean, with vivid orange and pink hues reflecting off the water, soft waves gently rolling onto a sandy beach, glowing with golden light”—the image becomes far more specific and unique.

Create the Right Prompt for ChatGPT

I like to start by giving ChatGPT a clear persona and explaining what I want it to do. For example, this is the base prompt I often use:

You are a highly skilled prompt engineer with years of experience in generative AI. I want to create the best MidJourney prompts that deliver stunning results. To craft the perfect MidJourney prompt, include details such as subject, medium, environment, lighting, color, mood, and composition. I will provide an idea or theme, and you will turn it into a detailed and effective prompt.

This setup does a few things:

• It sets ChatGPT in the right “mindset” for the task.
• It provides a structure for the prompts, ensuring important details are included.
• It prepares ChatGPT to ask clarifying questions if needed.

After giving this instruction, ChatGPT usually responds with something like, “Got it! Please share your idea, theme, or topic, and I’ll craft the perfect MidJourney prompt for you.”

When you provide your theme, be as specific as possible. For instance, I once gave ChatGPT the idea: “Dark fantasy with an eye.”

Here’s what ChatGPT created:

A dark fantasy scene featuring a gigantic, otherworldly eye as the central focus, its surface shimmering with iridescent hues of green and purple. The eye is surrounded by twisted, ancient trees with glowing red veins, under a stormy, moonlit sky. Ethereal mist drifts through the scene, illuminated by eerie, pale blue bioluminescent lights. The atmosphere is ominous yet mesmerizing, with a surreal, dreamlike composition. Cinematic lighting emphasizes the textures of the eye and the shadows of the environment, creating a sense of foreboding and mystery.

This prompt hit the mark, giving Midjourney everything it needed to produce a striking and unique image.

You can also tweak the base prompt to include your preferences, adding even more personality to the results.

Examples of Midjourney Prompts Generated via ChatGPT

Here are some examples of detailed Midjourney prompts that ChatGPT has helped me create. Each one showcases how specificity and a structured approach can lead to stunning results:

1. Portrait of a Beautiful Woman

A portrait photo of a beautiful woman with symmetrical facial features, soft glowing skin, and long flowing hair, captured with a DSLR camera. The composition has a shallow depth of field, with soft natural lighting and a pastel background. The mood is warm and inviting, with sharp focus on the face and a slight smile. The image exudes photorealistic quality with a cinematic touch.

Why It Works: This prompt specifies key details like subject, lighting, and composition, resulting in a polished and photorealistic output.

2. Angry Cartoon Character

An angry cartoon character, a round-faced humanoid figure with exaggerated expressions, steam coming out of its ears, clenched fists, and bold, jagged eyebrows. The artwork is in a vibrant and dynamic comic book style, set against a bright, chaotic background with explosive effects. Warm tones like fiery red and orange dominate the scene, with sharp contrast lighting to highlight the character’s features. The mood is playful yet intense, with a perfectly symmetrical composition.

Why It Works: The prompt uses vivid descriptions of the subject, color palette, and art style, creating a dynamic and engaging cartoon.

3. Fairy Tale Princess in an Enchanted Forest

A fairy tale fantasy illustration featuring a graceful princess standing in an enchanted forest clearing. She wears an intricate, flowing gown adorned with sparkling gemstones and delicate embroidery, illuminated by soft, magical light. Surrounding her are glowing fireflies, blooming flowers with vibrant hues, and ethereal mist swirling gently around ancient, moss-covered trees. In the background, a shimmering castle rises under a twilight sky painted in shades of pink and purple. The mood is dreamy and enchanting, with painterly details bringing the scene to life.

Why It Works: The prompt balances imaginative elements with clear visual descriptions, ensuring an enchanting and richly detailed illustration.

4. Post-Apocalyptic Urban Scene

A post-apocalypse scene featuring an abandoned urban cityscape overrun by nature. Crumbling skyscrapers are covered in vines, and broken vehicles are scattered on cracked roads. A hazy orange sunset casts long shadows, creating an eerie and desolate mood. The color palette is dusty and muted, with dramatic lighting and soft rays piercing through the ruins. The composition is cinematic, wide-angle, and photorealistic, capturing the intricate details of the decaying environment.

Why It Works: This prompt captures the essence of a desolate, post-apocalyptic world with its focus on lighting, mood, and environmental details.

5. Intense Hollywood Car Chase Scene

A dramatic Hollywood movie scene featuring an intense car chase through a bustling city at night, with sleek, high-tech cars weaving through neon-lit streets. The camera angle is low and dynamic, capturing the action in vivid detail. Explosions and sparks light up the background as shattered glass and debris fill the air. The environment blends modern skyscrapers and gritty urban alleys, bathed in cinematic lighting with deep contrasts and glowing reflections. The mood is thrilling and high-stakes, with a blockbuster-style composition.

Why It Works: The high-energy description and emphasis on cinematic elements make this prompt ideal for creating an action-packed visual.

Each of these prompts illustrates how combining descriptive details with a clear theme can produce exceptional results.

Creating detailed and effective prompts for MidJourney is an art that benefits from clear thinking and structured guidance. While generating prompts may seem daunting at times, ChatGPT makes it much easier by acting as a creative assistant, turning your ideas into well-defined, vivid instructions.

By understanding what makes a great MidJourney prompt—details about subject, medium, lighting, mood, and more—you can guide ChatGPT to craft descriptions that lead to unique and stunning visuals. The key is to provide clear instructions to ChatGPT and refine your inputs based on your creative vision.

Start experimenting, and you’ll see how a thoughtful prompt can transform your MidJourney results.