Midjourney Cheat Sheet: Why Most People Get Average Images (And a Few Get Magic)

Let me be blunt.
Most people using Midjourney are wasting it.

They type a lazy prompt.
They hit Enter.
They stare at the result.
Then they blame the tool.

That is backwards.

Midjourney does exactly what you tell it to do. Nothing more. Nothing less.
If the image feels flat, your thinking was flat first.

This is not a polite guide.
This is the cheat sheet people use quietly while others complain in Discord.

The Real Reason Your Images Feel Weak

You were told one lie early on.

“Just write a good prompt.”

Sounds nice. Sounds clean.
Also incomplete.

Midjourney is not creative by default.
It reacts.
It follows instructions like a skilled worker waiting for clear orders.

If your words are foggy, the image will be foggy too.

Now here is the part people skip.

The Core Prompt Formula That Actually Works

Burn this into your brain:

Subject + Action + Style + Camera + Light + Mood + Details

No fluff.
No fancy filler words.

Example:

“A tired fisherman pulling a torn net, documentary photography, 50mm lens, early morning light, quiet mood, rough hands, salt on skin”

Notice something?
Nothing fancy.
Just clear thinking.

Clarity beats cleverness every time.

Subject Is the Backbone. Get It Wrong, Lose Everything

Do not write “a man” or “a woman.”

That tells Midjourney nothing useful.

Instead, be specific:

• “A 60-year-old mechanic with oil-stained clothes”
• “A teenage girl waiting at an empty bus stop”
• “A street dog with scars on its nose”

Specific people create specific images.
Vague words create stock photos.

Action Creates Life in the Image

Standing. Sitting. Looking.

Boring.

Action gives energy:

• running through rain
• counting old coins
• holding breath underwater
• staring at a cracked phone screen

Even small actions change the whole scene.

Still image. Moving feeling.

Style Is Not About Quality. It Is About Direction

Stop writing this:

“Ultra HD, 8K, hyper realistic”

Everyone does that.
Which is why everyone gets similar results.

Style works better when it comes from art, not numbers.

Try this instead:

• oil painting style
• pencil sketch
• old film photography
• 90s magazine cover
• Indian street photography look

Style tells Midjourney how to think, not how sharp to be.

Camera Angle Is a Silent Power Move

Same subject.
Different angle.
New story.

Use angles on purpose:

• close-up portrait for emotion
• low angle to show power
• top view for loneliness
• wide shot to show scale

A camera angle can say more than ten adjectives.

Light Controls the Emotion (More Than You Think)

Light is mood.
Mood is memory.

Simple words work best:

• soft window light
• harsh afternoon sun
• dim candle light
• neon street light at night

Light decides whether the image feels warm, tense, calm, or sad.

Skip this part and your image feels dead.

The Parameters That Separate Beginners From Pros

This is where things turn serious.

–ar (Aspect Ratio)

Use the right shape for the right job.

• –ar 1:1 for Instagram
• –ar 16:9 for YouTube thumbnails
• –ar 9:16 for Shorts and Reels

Wrong ratio means cropping pain later.

–stylize

Low value means control.
High value means drama.

Try both and compare:

–stylize 100
–stylize 500

Same prompt.
Different soul.

–chaos

This controls surprise.

Low chaos stays safe.
High chaos takes risks.

Sometimes risk is where viral images are born.

The Trick Nobody Talks About: Telling It What NOT To Do

Midjourney listens when you say no.

Add lines like this:

“no blur, no extra fingers, no watermark, no distorted face”

You are not being negative.
You are being precise.

Precision saves hours.

A Hard Truth Most Tutorials Avoid

“Reuse the same prompt again and again.”

Honestly? That advice is garbage.

Midjourney gets stale if you do not push it.

Change one thing at a time:

• swap the camera lens
• change the light
• add a different mood word
• adjust chaos slightly

Small changes create fresh results.

Repetition without thought creates boredom.

Why Text Inside Images Often Looks Bad

Let us be honest.

Midjourney is not great at text.

If you must use words in an image:

• keep them short
• use bold, simple terms
• avoid long sentences

Words that work:

“STOP”
“SALE”
“WARNING”
“EXIT”

Design tools are better for text.
Use Midjourney for visuals, not paragraphs.

Counter-Intuitive Insight Most People Miss

More words do not mean better images.

Better words do.

Ten clear words beat fifty confused ones.

Think before you type.
Picture the scene in your head.
Then write only what matters.

Midjourney rewards intention.

MIDJOURNEY COMPLETE CHEAT SHEET

Create professional AI images without confusion or guesswork.

Midjourney follows clear instructions, not feelings.

BEST PROMPT ORDER (VERY IMPORTANT)

Always write prompts in this order:

Subject → Action → Environment → Style → Camera → Lighting → Mood → Details → Parameters

This order gives clean and controlled results.

BASIC MIDJOURNEY COMMANDS

SUBJECT CHEAT SHEET (WHO OR WHAT)

Bad: beautiful person
Good: young woman with long hair wearing a black hoodie

ACTION CHEAT SHEET (WHAT THEY ARE DOING)

👉 Action makes images look alive

ENVIRONMENT CHEAT SHEET (WHERE IT IS)

👉 Missing environment = random background

STYLE CHEAT SHEET (LOOK & ART)

⚠️ Use only 1–2 styles

CAMERA CHEAT SHEET (VERY POWERFUL)

👉 Camera words change the image a lot

LIGHTING CHEAT SHEET (FEELING CONTROL)

MOOD CHEAT SHEET (EMOTION)

👉 Use only 1 or 2 mood words

DETAILS CHEAT SHEET (FINAL POLISH)

⚠️ Always write details at the end

MIDJOURNEY PARAMETERS (MUST KNOW)

Image Size & Quality

Aspect Ratio Guide

NEGATIVE PROMPTS (MIDJOURNEY WAY)

Midjourney uses –no

READY-TO-USE PROMPT TEMPLATE

/imagine prompt:
Subject, Action, Environment, Style, Camera, Lighting, Mood, Details
–ar 16:9 –q 2 –style raw –v 6
–no blurry –no extra fingers –no distorted face –no plastic skin

FULL PERFECT EXAMPLE (COPY & USE)

/imagine prompt:
Young man wearing a black hoodie, walking alone on a rainy street at night,
cinematic film still, close-up shot, 85mm lens, shallow depth of field,
soft street light, lonely mood, film grain, realistic texture
–ar 16:9 –q 2 –style raw –v 6
–no blurry –no extra fingers –no distorted face –no plastic skin

QUICK PROBLEM FIX TABLE

FINAL MESSAGE (YOU CAN USE THIS)

This Midjourney cheat sheet removes confusion.
It saves time.
It gives control.

No guessing.
No trial and error.

Just clear instructions
and professional results.

FAQ

The Bottom Line

Midjourney is not magic.
You are.

The tool follows orders.
If the order is sharp, the result is sharp.

Stop chasing secret words.
Start seeing scenes in your head.

Then type like you mean it.

That is the real cheat sheet.