CHAT GPT

[LJCC]

Has anyone tried this?

I typed "write a gay love story, the setting is in New York about two men in their 30s."

This is what it gave me:

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Once upon a bustling backdrop of New York City, amid the city's vibrant heartbeat, lived two souls whose paths were destined to intertwine. Meet Alex and Jake, two men in their 30s navigating the complexities of life, love, and self-discovery in the city that never sleeps.

Alex, a passionate architect with dreams as grand as the city skyline, found solace in the creative chaos of his work. His heart, however, longed for a connection that would mirror the beauty of the structures he envisioned.

On the other side of the city, Jake, a charismatic chef with a penchant for turning ordinary ingredients into culinary masterpieces, was flourishing in his own world. Despite the success in his career, he felt a void that only a special someone could fill.

Their paths collided one serendipitous evening at a quaint bookstore in the West Village. Alex was browsing through architectural journals, and Jake was savoring the words of his favorite novelist. A casual conversation sparked, fueled by shared interests and a magnetic attraction that neither could deny.

As their connection deepened, Alex and Jake explored the city's hidden gems together—rooftop bars with stunning views, cozy coffee shops in Brooklyn, and the serenity of Central Park at dawn. Their love blossomed against the backdrop of iconic landmarks, with the city becoming a character in their unfolding love story.

Navigating the complexities of being in their 30s, both men had to confront personal fears and societal expectations. Yet, their love served as a beacon of courage, inspiring them to be true to themselves and face the world hand in hand.

From rooftop dinners overlooking the glittering skyline to stolen kisses beneath the city lights, Alex and Jake's love story became a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of love to transcend boundaries.

In the city where dreams are born, Alex and Jake found a love that was as boundless and enduring as the skyline that framed their lives. And so, against the bustling rhythm of New York, their love story unfolded—a tale of two men who discovered that sometimes, the greatest masterpiece is the love we build with another heart in the heart of the city.

I also asked it to rephrase an excerpt from my current story:

Seated in the corner, Martha grinned while enjoying her tea. It proved accurate that the man Mama Rosa had referred to as the apple of her eye also regarded Martha as the jewel in his soul. While blood may be thicker than water, love unquestionably stands out as the most potent bond. Observing Dennis passionately expressing his dismay to the police about allowing an elderly woman into the precinct, Martha couldn't help but smile at the old woman's colorful antics.

This is what it gave me: 

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Perched comfortably in the corner, Martha wore a grin that radiated contentment as she leisurely sipped her tea. Mama Rosa's endearment for Dennis as the "apple of her eye" seemed to reciprocate seamlessly, for he, in turn, held Martha in high regard, considering her the cherished jewel within the depths of his soul. While the proverb claims that blood is thicker than water, Martha couldn't help but acknowledge that love, in its purest form, stands out as the most formidable and enduring bond.

The scene unfolded with Dennis, fervently expressing his discontent to the police, passionately advocating against the exclusion of an elderly woman from the precinct. Martha, an amused spectator, couldn't suppress her smile at the vivid and lively antics of the elderly woman that had caught Dennis' attention. In this moment, the room was imbued with the warmth of familial connection and the richness of relationships forged not merely by blood but by the profound currents of love that ran through their shared experiences.

All I can say is that it's so frigging dramatic, it feels like I'm reading a Mexican Telenovela:

• radiated contentment
• endearment for Dennis
• reciprocate seamlessly, for he, in turn,
• cherished jewel within the depths of his soul
• stands out as the most formidable and enduring bond.
• fervently expressing his discontent to the police, passionately advocating against the exclusion of an elderly woman (this is a mouthful)
• imbued with the warmth of familial connection and the richness of relationships forged not merely by blood but by the profound currents of love that ran through their shared experiences. (tongue twister at this point)

I feel like it's a great tool for writers to read relatable, complex sentences, certainly. But in no way will it replace writers anytime soon. 

And in my several runs of rephrasing several sentences from my own work, this word: perched comfortably, seems to occur repetitively.

I think Chat GPT has a limited vocabulary—it's a smart/dumb AI, me teenks.

The problem with this kind of software is that I've seen so many CHAT GPT novels on Amazon that it's really disgusting how some schemers are profiting from it.

So, are we getting so dumb as readers that we can't even differentiate a real writer from an AI?

Or have we, as a society, lowered our reading comprehension to accept AI-made stories like these from flourishing in the market?

I mean, given that my writing style is similar to CHAT GPT, where it's flowery and ornate, my vocabulary (I'd like to think) is more vast and expansive than what the AI software offers, not to mention. I. Can. Write. Like...This. YOU BEACH.

So would you use it or not? And why?

 

 

[drown]

The rise of large language models just made me more stubborn to finally get something published online. I refuse to accept that AI will replace humanity in the arts. Right now, it just replaces the low hanging fruit.

I feel like it can be a good sparring partner. For asking it “I feel like what I wrote is shit, do you think so too?” or similar questions. I might try that someday. Might also be good to get some good prompts, thought when I last tried it, they were so generic and dull… things might have changed.

[Krista]

AI in a lot of aspects needs to be held as a novelty, a toy, and nothing more. It can be a good tool in some aspects, but not like this, or in academics. I wonder when our species will be so advanced, but too damn dumb to function.

I will never use it for anything but for amusement. I will never wish to see it replacing true organic artistry on any level, which it is. We're already seeing it replace Digital artists especially. Right now, at least with what you have provided, I wouldn't find myself willing to read further, the writing was rather stale and wordy. When it becomes more refined in the coming years though, it will become more normalized.

But no, I will never use it. The shits and giggles prompt pictures in the Lounge is as far as I will ever take things with AI. 

Edited January 13, 2024 by Krista

[LJCC]

1 hour ago, Krista said:

AI in a lot of aspects needs to be held as a novelty, a toy, and nothing more. It can be a good tool in some aspects, but not like this, or in academics. I wonder when our species will be so advanced, but too damn dumb to function.

I will never use it for anything but for amusement. I will never wish to see it replacing true organic artistry on any level, which it is. We're already seeing it replace Digital artists especially. Right now, at least with what you have provided, I wouldn't find myself willing to read further, the writing was rather stale and wordy. When it becomes more refined in the coming years though, it will become more normalized.

But no, I will never use it. The shits and giggles prompt pictures in the Lounge is as far as I will ever take things with AI. 

In the writing forum, one redditor posted a story made from CHAT GPT. It sounded like the AI was on crack—it was so, how do you say it, reductive, and so positive. Hahaha.

I am kind of scared in a sense that in 20 or 30 years from now, once we get the Chat GPT version, I'm-a-Human-Now-Bitch, and it gets the nuances of human writing, we may become obsolute. But then we may be stuck in Artificial Bodies at that point, so who knows?

[LJCC]

10 hours ago, drown said:

The rise of large language models just made me more stubborn to finally get something published online. I refuse to accept that AI will replace humanity in the arts. Right now, it just replaces the low hanging fruit.

I feel like it can be a good sparring partner. For asking it “I feel like what I wrote is shit, do you think so too?” or similar questions. I might try that someday. Might also be good to get some good prompts, thought when I last tried it, they were so generic and dull… things might have changed.

I do ask it questions like, "What's the word that sounds like you're not believing something but somehow believing it, and sometimes you completely do, but not really—like half and half?"' when I am having those brain farts and short-term memory loss (I'm 36, so I'm basically dead by now).

The AI anwers: The word you might be looking for is "skeptical." It implies a degree of doubt or disbelief, but it doesn't entirely rule out the possibility of acceptance or belief.

I can't believe that I forgot the word skeptical, so I ask it something harder, to deny the fact that I'm getting dementia at this point.

[Libby Drew]

At this point in time, AI lacks genuine creativity, as several of us have pointed out. It will get better, much better, and eventually, there will be no turning the tide. Sadly, I think the most we can do right now is remain passionate about its shortcomings in regard to creating authentic art, fiction specifically, in our case.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[drown]

I remain steadfast in my opinion that AI-generated imagery and text is just wiping the low hanging fruit off the earth. It needs to remain "a tool" for those who create. Once we accept stories and art from AI as being equivalent to the same created by a human, we have lost our souls.

I compare it to the time when Adobe released Photoshop 1.0 in 1990. People thought art would be dead.

The ones in immdiate danger are those who create easily replacable content. With sites like Unsplash giving us free stock imagery to use for basically any purpose, I see this immediately going to AI. But is a photo taken by a human still different? To me it is. I can imagine the journey someone had to go on to take the photo. It is unique. The AI version is just a remix. Unfortunately, the same immediately applies to those who write texts for others as a freelancer.

[JamesSavik]

When I use authentic Southern dialect, most AIs despair and say, "No hablo".

Then I tell it, "What we have here is a failure to communicate..."

Some AIs, you just can't reach.

Edited January 16, 2024 by JamesSavik

[Leslie Lofton]

ChatGPT writes like a 9th grader following a five-paragraph essay format, no matter what you ask it to do. There's an opening, some body, then it ties it up with a little bow along the lines of "They hoped they would grow from this experience." It won't do angst of any kind, or emotionally raw edges. 

So, it sucks out loud for original literary writing. I do show the AI what I have written to see if it can pick up what I am trying to communicate. If you tell it to "critique" it will point out weaknesses, particularly in tone and narrative pace, which I find useful.

I did use it once when I wrote an angry letter to my boss about all the bullshit he needed to put a stop to, then fed it to ChatGPT to make it more professional. It spat out something completely milquetoast, so I prompted: "I want some of my personal frustration to come through". Ya know what? It did it. I patched up some syntax and handed it to the guy, and he was all about it.

Now, a little later I was supposed to fill out a questionnaire before my performance evaluation, which was such bullshit. I took one look at their dumb questions and thought, "I ain't in the mood for this shit," and went back to writing for GA. Day of the evaluation, I gave the questions and a couple bullet points to the AI, and it answered the questions, but in the most horrible stilted way possible. The Main Boss read it back to me during my evaluation. God, this DOES suck, I thought. "Where did you Google this up from?" he asked. "Ya got me, sir. Guilty." The Lesser Boss, who was in on the meeting (and who wrote the questions) asked, "Why didn't you turn it in on time?" I said I hadn't been in the mood for it and put it off till the last possible second. Main Boss, thank God, laughed and complimented my honesty. So we just talked about what my goals and stuff were and he made notes on the questionnaire. So ChatGPT builds professional rapport?

Edited January 31, 2024 by Leslie Lofton

[LJCC]

11 hours ago, Leslie Lofton said:

 

I think you can critique a professional or business letter with ChatGPT. But Fiction is a tad different.

 

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The passage you've written has some evocative descriptions and a sense of tension, but there are a few areas where it could be improved for clarity and flow. Here are some suggestions:

"On the eastern horizon there’s a greyish haze, lit now with a rosy, deadly glow." -> Consider rephrasing to provide a clearer understanding of the scene. For example, "A greyish haze looms on the eastern horizon, now bathed in a rosy, ominous glow."

"The offshore towers stand out in dark silhouette against it, rising improbably out of the pink and pale blue of the lagoon." -> Consider rephrasing for smoother flow. For example, "The offshore towers emerge as dark silhouettes against the backdrop, defying logic as they rise from the pink and pale blue hues of the lagoon."

"A blank face is what it shows him: zero hour." -> This sentence could be revised for better clarity. For example, "A blank face stares back at him, displaying only the absence of time: zero hour."

"He takes a few deep breaths, then scratches his bug bites, around but not on the itchiest places, taking care not to knock off any scabs: blood poisoning is the last thing he needs." -> Consider rephrasing for smoother flow. For example, "He takes a few deep breaths, then carefully scratches the areas around his bug bites, avoiding the itchiest spots and being cautious not to disturb any scabs. The risk of blood poisoning is the last thing he needs."

"He walks a couple of yards to the left, pisses into the bushes. 'Heads up,' he says to the grasshoppers that whir away at the impact." -> Consider rephrasing for clarity. For example, "He walks a couple of yards to the left and relieves himself into the bushes. As the urine hits the ground, the grasshoppers scatter in response."

-> This sentence could be revised for better clarity. For example, ""He undoes the plastic bag: there’s only a single mango left. Funny, he remembered more."He opens the plastic bag and finds only a single mango remaining. It's odd, as he distinctly recalls having more."

"The ants have got in, even though he tied the bag as tightly as he could." -> Consider rephrasing for smoother flow. For example, "Despite his efforts to tie the bag tightly, ants have managed to infiltrate its contents."

These suggestions aim to improve the clarity, coherence, and flow of the passage, while maintaining the overall atmosphere and tone.

 

That was the first few paragraphs from Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake's ChatGPT's criticism.

The problem with this criticism is that it literally takes away Margaret Atwood's voice and strips it out of her own speech pattern. Like every writer, they have their own sense of writing pattern that is particular to them and shows in every story they write.

For example, this is a paragraph from a story I'm currently writing:
 

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As twilight settled in, the running lights danced along the inlet, their glow seeping through the large, clear window. A glass of wine sat untouched on the table, with the other glass sipped clean and bonedry. Klebber was at the corner table. Across from him was Sargeant Morone. Seated by the terrace, their gazes fixed on the docks and the Brooklyn Bridge. The ambient light underlined Klebber’s hair and his lashes, framing his right eye. He had worn a winter’s topcoat for the night, with an open vest revealing his collarbone and chest—a seductive way to end things. Why did he wear such an outfit if his intention was to break someone’s heart? Klebber had already spoken, and Sergeant Morone struggled with words that were gnawing at his vocal chords. But he knew he had to say it. There was no other way.

And this is the analysis of Chat GPT:

Quote

 

The passage you've written sets the scene effectively and creates a sense of intrigue, but there are a few areas where it could be improved for clarity and coherence. Here are some suggestions:

"As twilight settled in, the running lights danced along the inlet, their glow seeping through the large, clear window." -> Consider rephrasing to provide a clearer understanding of the scene. For example, "As twilight descended, the running lights along the inlet danced, casting their luminous glow through the expansive, transparent window."

"A glass of wine sat untouched on the table, with the other glass sipped clean and bonedry." -> Consider rephrasing for smoother flow. For example, "One glass of wine remained untouched on the table, while the other was emptied completely."

"Klebber was at the corner table. Across from him was Sergeant Morone. Seated by the terrace, their gazes fixed on the docks and the Brooklyn Bridge." -> This sentence could be revised for better clarity and cohesion. For example, "Klebber occupied the corner table, with Sergeant Morone seated across from him. Positioned by the terrace, their eyes remained fixed on the docks and the iconic silhouette of the Brooklyn Bridge."

"The ambient light underlined Klebber’s hair and his lashes, framing his right eye." -> Consider rephrasing for smoother flow. For example, "The ambient light accentuated Klebber's hair and caressed his lashes, delicately framing his right eye."

"Why did he wear such an outfit if his intention was to break someone’s heart?" -> This sentence could be revised for smoother flow. For example, "If his intention was to break someone's heart, why did he choose to dress in such a seductive outfit?"

"Sergeant Morone struggled with words that were gnawing at his vocal chords. But he knew he had to say it. There was no other way." -> Consider rephrasing for more clarity and impact. For example, "Sergeant Morone grappled with words that clawed at his vocal chords, but he knew he had no choice. There was no alternative."

These suggestions aim to enhance clarity, coherence, and flow while maintaining the overall atmosphere and intrigue of the passage.

 

It sounds so dull and unoriginal and literally strips my writing any of its authenticity and voice. I really think CHAT GPT won't touch Fiction writers so far, or fiction novels for the meantime because it can't recreate the subtlety and nuance of human writing.

I don't know 20 years from now though.

 

[Mikiesboy]

@LJCC Have you tried asking ChatGpt if it likes its own writing?  It always amuses me when Grammarly suggests changes but will re-edit its own suggestions.  Editors gotta edit.  

If i'm still writing in twenty years, i'll worry then. Until then you and Margaret should just keep on as you are. ChatGpt's robo answers are flat and dead in comparison. 

[drown]

16 hours ago, Mikiesboy said:

It always amuses me when Grammarly suggests changes but will re-edit its own suggestions.  Editors gotta edit.  

I really dislike Grammarly, because it always tried to change my voice.

My writing software—Ulysses—integrates with LanguageTool, which does nothing but an intelligent grammar and spell check. It will note when I reuse words too often, but this is very limited. I like it. Most suggestions I skip, especially the ones that tells me my writing is offensive. 😂