Prompt Engineering with ChatGPT

I started stronger on my decision to write a long form story - maybe a novel - using ChatGPT. Was initially under the impression that it would generate highly original, great ideas and create a solid foundation for my story. Spin up some novel material. But soon realized its power is more of generic headway into the story. The fleshy details are all for the author to figure out.

Kind of pissing off, actually.

I do see that its prompts have some nuanced takes on issues. If anything, its writing is simple and inviting to a wider audience. Which doesn't pack much of a punch, let's be honest.

Good news though, it's hard to have much writer's block with the GPT at hand. Even without a half-baked story for it to whip into better shape, it does help come up with a story direction for one to pick up. All one needs is a one-liner prompt.

Now why bother with this.

The headline image is a snapshot of my Morning Brew feed circa April 2023, and it helped give me that final push. I am now inspired to embrace AI's potential rather than lamenting its impact on the creative landscape. Instead of begrudging AIs, or those who designed them, taking over, it's pretty neat learning to play with these beasts and getting some extra productivity in.

Certainly, I hope to consider using it to bolster my work experiences - designing educational materials within the context of the Ugandan curriculum, exploring tales on the Timechain, and so on. For now, though, I'll focus on writing that novel* (It's way harder when your role model is Neal Stephenson).

Farewell, and I'll catch up with you...sometime. I'll meanwhile be occupied with writing, experimenting, and immersing myself in the world of AI-assisted storytelling. Playing, writing and prompting.