As part of the ongoing story, but rather than helping come up with a plan, Claude just galloped ahead, furiously coding before you even had a chance to sketch out a system update plan. So, you launched a fresh chat with Claude Code about that Windows app you’ve been wanting to build.
Industry observers note that in the meantime, I’m left to wonder what exactly got coded before I had a chance to hit the brakes. That’s happened to me plenty of times, forcing me to spam the “stop” button so I can talk things over with Claude before it gets ahead of itself.
As part of the ongoing story, but sometimes those planning functions don’t work as you’d expect, while other times you might simply forget to invoke them. Claude Code, OpenAI’s Codex, and Google’s Antigravity coding apps all have “planning” modes designed to keep their AI coding agents from leaping into the fray before you’ve had a chance to weigh in.
Industry observers note that so, if you’re vibe coding and want to be sure Claude Code, Codex, or Antigravity don’t get ahead of themselves, try putting this at the beginning of your prompts:.
According to the latest update, (I’ve yet to encounter an AI chatbot that didn’t know what “pencil and paper mode” meant.). With those words prepended to your prompt, Claude Code, Codex, or whichever AI coding assistant you’re using will hold off and discuss your plans before diving into the actual work.
The report highlights that here’s how I used the pencil-and-paper-mode prompt in a recent Claude Code project I’ve been working on:.
The report highlights that what would be involved in removing the “counter” readout in the top header? Stay in pencil and paper mode.
According to the latest update, “Pencil and paper mode” makes it explicit. Now, you’d think simply saying “what would be involved” would keep the AI from forging ahead with a fix, but I’ve seen Claude Code and Codex start chugging away even with carefully couched “how would that work”-type prompt.
According to the latest update, you can use it with any prompt where you’re asking the AI to do something, from drafting a letter to organizing your desktop folders. This prompt isn’t just for vibe coding, by the way.
The report highlights that a different prompt that does essentially the same thing while also making the AI ask you questions first is the fittingly named “ask clarifying questions first” prompt, or simply “ask me questions first.” But if you just want a quick analysis from Claude Code or Codex without a full-on interview, the pencil and paper mode prompt is a better fit.
As part of the ongoing story, his coverage of artificial intelligence interrogates the most recent LLMs, and how they can be used at work and at home to be best prepared for the AI revolution. “AI is going to change our lives sooner than we think,” Ben writes. “Our best way to adapt is by using it every day.” Ben has been a PCWorld author since 2014, and has covered everything from laptops to security cameras before launching PCWorld’s AI beat. Ben's articles have also appeared in PC Magazine, TIME, Wired, CNET, Men's Fitness, Mobile Magazine, and more. Ben holds a master's degree in English literature. Ben has been writing about consumer technology for more than 20 years, and now focuses his reporting on AI as it relates to the basic human experience.