If you’ve ever played around with Midjourney and ended up with an image that looked like a Picasso painting of your worst dream when all you asked for was “a cozy living room,” you’re not alone.

Midjourney is a wildly imaginative, sometimes chaotic genius. But like any creative tool, it thrives under a bit of structure. It’s not about constraining creativity — it’s about guiding it. Like a good editor shaping a writer’s raw draft, structured prompting in Midjourney helps your vision come to life exactly as you imagined (or better).

Let’s break down how you can take the reins using a clear, modular framework. Because let’s be real: prompting is the new design language. And you? You’re about to become fluent.

Why Structured Prompts Matter in Midjourney

Imagine giving a design brief with just three words: “urban,” “happy,” “cat.” Now imagine trying to create an actual graphic from that. Chaos, right?

Midjourney reads prompts word-by-word, linearly — more like a curious intern than a mind reader. So, giving it a structured, compartmentalized prompt is like handing it a storyboard rather than a napkin doodle.

Structured prompts offer:

Improved parsing (clear direction, better outputs)
Visual specificity (from style to lighting)
Creative control (you’re the director, not just the dreamer)

The Framework: Your Prompting Blueprint

Here’s a modular format you can use, whether you’re designing a sci-fi cityscape or a minimalist flat lay for your next product launch.

1. Medium

This sets the foundation. Are you painting? Filming? Taking a vintage Polaroid?

Examples:
photograph, digital painting, comic book illustration, 3D render, 1960s TV show

Why it matters: A “photograph” yields realism. A “watercolor painting” softens edges and light. A “stop-motion animation” adds quirk. Medium influences everything: texture, tone, even posture.

2. Style

This is your aesthetic engine.

Examples:
Style by Pixar, Tim Burton, gritty cyberpunk, Baroque, Studio Ghibli, DSLR, in the style of Wes Anderson

Bonus tip: Combine multiple styles to get a unique fusion. Midjourney may not always nail exact artist references, but it gets surprisingly close with blended aesthetics.

3. Composition & Shot Type

Here, you’re the cinematographer.

Examples:
close-up, overhead shot, side angle, long shot, satellite view, macro lens, bokeh background

Scene direction: Add pose cues and actions:
“a girl laughing while writing,” “hero with sword raised,” “cat looking directly at camera.”

This is especially key to avoid the classic Midjourney “back-of-the-head” view.

4. Scene

The what’s actually happening part. Be specific here.

Examples:
a businessman with a katana walking through a foggy alley,
a grandmother knitting by the fireplace in a cozy cabin,
cybernetic owl perched on neon sign

Pro tip: Prioritize important elements by placing them earlier in this section. Midjourney pays attention to sequence.

5. Modulate: Lighting, Weather, Color, Time of Day

Now you control the atmosphere. This changes everything.

Examples:
golden hour lighting, heavy fog, fall day, neon lights, blue and purple color palette, very sunny, low contrast

Want a “Blade Runner” vibe? Try:
night, rain, heavy fog, neon lights, urban street, --ar 16:9

This is the section where you emotionally set the tone — without ever saying the word “mood.”

6. Mood (Optional but Impactful)

Or, say the word anyway.

Examples:
melancholic, serene stillness, spooky, vibrant party energy, quiet, chaotic, hopeful

Mood influences composition, energy, brightness, and contrast. It’s what turns a basic portrait into a narrative.

Level-Up Tactics: Parameters, Weighting & Multi-Prompts

Now that you’ve structured your prompt, let’s talk about refinement — the secret sauce.

• Prioritize Words with :: Weighting

Use double colons to emphasize certain elements.
Example:
neon skyline::2 :: cyberpunk samurai::1 :: night rain::1.5

This tells Midjourney what to focus on. Adjust the number to tweak priority. (Spoiler: the order of your prompt still matters too.)

• Multi-Prompting

Use :: to separate ideas clearly. It’s like giving Midjourney multiple canvases to draw from.

• Parameters for Specific Controls

Add these at the end of your prompt:

--ar 16:9: Aspect ratio (landscape or portrait)
--c 50: Chaos level, from 0–100 (how wild do you want your variations?)
--iw 1.5: Image weight (if you’ve uploaded a reference image)
--no: Negative prompts (e.g., --no text, --no watermark, --no people)
--sref and --sw: Style reference and weight
--cref and --cw: Character reference and likeness

These are your command-line tools for artistic finesse.

Keep It Dense, Keep It Focused

Despite all this flexibility, less is often more. Overloading your prompt can confuse the AI. Use broad terms (like “earthy tones” instead of naming 12 colors) and aim for punchy precision.

Bonus hack: Use the /shorten command in Discord to trim the fluff and spotlight what's actually influencing your output.

Final Thought: Prompting Is Design

Think of Midjourney like a highly talented but extremely literal creative assistant. The clearer you are, the more brilliant it becomes. Structured prompting doesn’t kill spontaneity — it gives it direction.

Next time you’re prompting, don’t just throw words at Midjourney and hope for magic. Be the architect. Guide the composition. Set the lighting. Create the story.

Because the true magic happens not by chance — but by design.

What’s Your Prompting Formula?
Have a favorite Midjourney setup or a breakthrough you discovered? Share it in the comments — let’s build a better visual language together.

Want more AI creativity tips? Subscribe to the newsletter. The future of creativity is structured — and it’s just getting started.

✨ Ready to roll up your digital sleeves and play a little? The Midjourney Prompt Playground is where curious minds, restless creatives, and delightfully weird ideas come to life. Whether you’re a prompt pro or just AI-curious, this is your sandbox. Your sketchpad. Your misfit creative haven. Come tinker, twist, test, and surprise yourself. Because the best ideas don’t come from playing it safe — they come from playing, period.

👉 Dive in here: https://rarabeast.gumroad.com/l/midjourneyplayground

0 comments

Midjourney: Embracing AI Weirdness (and Why That’s a Good Thing)

Congrats! You’re Ready to Master Project Management

The Art of the Project Debrief: Reflect, Learn, Improve

How to Track Progress and Keep Your Team Aligned

How to Allocate Resources Like a Pro (Without the Headache)

See all posts from RARABEAST🗲