ChatGPT

[Edward64]

I've always wanted to write an epic fantasy novel. I've half-way seriously written down the plot, some characters, some scenes, the ending etc. Actually, did some writing ...

But what stopped me is I realized that side of the brain was messed up. After decades of technical writing, proposals, business emails etc. I just wasn't a "creative writing" person, I think my plot was great but my prose really, really sucked ... much more the "tell, not show".

Now, there is a new paradigm ...

For the past couple weeks, I've been watching a bunch of YT and trying out several pieces of software with AI assisted writing. There's a lot of variety out there and there's a lot of different AI engines, some much better than others. It's very evident that we are at the early stages of AI assisted writing (and bugginess), but it's only going to get better.

So, if anyone dreams of writing a fiction novel, I'd say brush off that dust and start checking out the software available.

[Kodos]

I have had a coming of age story set in a zombie apocalypse kicking around in my mind for a long time.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Kodos

I have had a coming of age story set in a zombie apocalypse kicking around in my mind for a long time.

Nice.

May I suggest either Sudowriter and NovelCrafter for "fiction writing".

Sudowriter is more mature and costs more. NovelCrafter is more buggy but is more my "workflow" ... and significantly cheaper as I'm exploring stuff.

I'm thinking I'm going to write with NovelCrafter as first draft and then use Sudowriter to clean it up. I've subscribed to both just to play around and better understand how things work.

Just a note. Zombies imply violence. ChatGPT and some other AIs will admonish you for trying to use them. Sudowriter and NovelCrafter lets you plug into other AIs but their "prose" is not near as good as ChatGPT.

[Edward64]

FWIW I'm also looking into AI generated art. Write a book for Kindle self publishing, you need at a minimum a book cover.

Been checking out Dall-e, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion. Haven't gotten as far yet in my research but those are the 3 coming up. Anyone have any insights, let me know.

From what I've read, either pay $ for someone to create the cover, or use an AI generator and some photoshop to add the title, author's name etc. I'm thinking the latter for my first attempt ...

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Kodos

I have had a coming of age story set in a zombie apocalypse kicking around in my mind for a long time.

In addition to providing structure and helping you with the writing, the AI can also be very helpful with brainstorming your idea.

In GPT-4 Turbo, I prompted below. It came up with some pretty good stuff.

can you suggest acts and chapters for coming of age story set in a modern day zombie apocalypse. in addition to the main plot, please highlight a twist and 2 subplots

Act I: A World in Pieces
Chapter 1: Last Days of Normalcy
Main Plot: Introduce the protagonist's life before the outbreak: school, family, and personal conflicts. Subplot: The protagonist has a crush on a classmate, setting up the romantic subplot.

Chapter 2: The Fracture
Main Plot: The outbreak begins. The protagonists witness the first signs of chaos and must escape an initial attack. Subplot: The protagonist’s romantic interest is also trying to survive, and they decide to stick together.

Chapter 3: Broken Bonds
Main Plot: The protagonist is separated from their family, establishing a central emotional struggle. Subplot: Mysterious emails received by the protagonist hint at a conspiracy concerning the outbreak's origin.
:
:

[molson]

That's pretty good. It's amazing the stuff it comes up with. I particularly enjoy adding Don Knotts to any novel of screenplay idea I feed into it. I'm not sure we need writers anymore.

On another note, a former CEO of a very large Idaho corporation has come to work for our office and did a little speech for everyone a while back. The one thing I remember was him talking about how he was trying to get companies to understand and embrace the internet in the 90's but nobody could understand what it would be and why it was relevant to them. There were fortunes won and lost, careers that rose and fell, and it was all based on that ability to grasp what the internet could be. He said we are exactly in that same time period right now with respect to AI.

[Kodos]

I had a post outlining the broad plot of my book, but decided I don't actually want to share that.

On a very high level, the protagonist is separated from his longtime crush and must make his way to her. As he journeys toward her at great peril to himself, we get flashbacks showing how he fell for her. It's set in the 80s/90s.

[Edward64]

You may be too late.

See Netflix “Love and Monsters”

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-19tBHrZwOM

[molson]

Throw in Don Knotts and it's a whole new thing.

I plugged him into Edward64's ChatGPT question and he played a eccentric survivalist from the edge of town who is revealed to have developed a wide variety of useful gadgets to help out the protagonists through dangerous situations.

I recognized that Don Knotts has passed on, but, I think AI can solve that issue also.

[Edward64]

I think this is cool and I like the goal.

But no, don't think I'd volunteer to be Beta or v1.

Elon Musk’s controversial startup Neuralink has implanted a chip in a human brain for the first time, the billionaire said in a post on his X platform late Monday.

The operation took place on Sunday and the patient was recovering well, he added.

Musk’s announcement could mark an important milestone for Neuralink’s efforts to usher potentially life-transforming technology out of the lab and into the real world. But he offered few details.

“Initial results show promising neuron spike detection,” the world’s richest man said on X, the social media platform he owns.

Neuralink’s first product would be called Telepathy, he said in another post, adding that its initial users will be people who have lost the use of their limbs.

“Imagine if Stephen Hawking could communicate faster than a speed typist or auctioneer. That is the goal,” he wrote.

[flere-imsaho]

Dude can't make cars that don't blow up. No way I want him putting a chip in my brain.

[miked]

I've seen how this turns out...

[Edward64]

In case you guys missed it, Sora is going to be revolutionary. We're only in the beginning stages ...

Sora


Checkout the YT video below. The author also shares the prompts to generate the video.

With great power comes great responsibility. Yes, I’m borrowing a line from Spider-Man to wrap up the week. Yesterday, OpenAI unveiled Sora, a remarkable tool capable of transforming text prompts into captivating videos. Sora can generate videos up to a minute long, all while maintaining impressive visual quality and adhering closely to the user’s instructions.

This AI model has the ability to craft intricate scenes featuring multiple characters, specific types of motion, and accurate details of both the subject and background. Notably, Sora doesn’t just comprehend the user’s prompt; it also understands how these elements exist in the physical world.

Despite a few limitations in the current model, this technology remains utterly captivating and must be wielded with care. The potential it holds is boundless. Allow me to share a brief video showcasing some of my favorite clips from the website. The attention to detail and vivid imagery in these prompts is nothing short of phenomenal.

[Antmeister]

Nice. I have not been here for a while, but have been toying with AI stuff for quite a while now. On Facebook, I am doing what I used to do here and create fake movie stills using AI with Facebook friends that allow me to use their face and create an entire story, poster, and roughly 30 to 50 images per movie.

I have been doing this every week just to stay on top of all the tools and try to use them creatively to see what type of workflows I can create.

Every 3 weeks, on Facebook, we go through a process of selecting a genre , subgenre, and also have a casting call. By then end of the week, the selected genre and subgenre are used to create 2 movies for the next 2 weeks



So far here is my weekly process:
1. Create Title for Movie
2. Create Synposis for Movie
3. Select Cast Members
4. Create roles and descriptions for each character.
5. Create a story through Midjourney prompts based on my synopsis.
6. Create images based on the role and descriptions.
7. Use the images created for those characters as a reference for my later Midjourney prompts I set up above.
8. Faceswap the images and fix them up.

Here are some examples images from the workflow and final movie.

[Antmeister]

I have learned a lot about various local and online AI tools. Anything from Midjourney, ChatGPT, Claude, Leonardo AI to Fooocus, LM Studio and even Topaz AI plugins. And the video and audio realms are freaking wild right now.

[thesloppy]

I have been having way too much fun with suno for the last week or so, and yeah it is impressive and terrifying what they can do already. I wasn't too impressed by the image or chat stuff in the relatively early days, whereas some of the current stuff has blown my mind. I used it to make a song about my cats:

one day in our lord's heaven | Suno

[Antmeister]

Originally Posted by thesloppy

I have been having way too much fun with suno for the last week or so, and yeah it is impressive and terrifying what they can do already. I wasn't too impressed by the image or chat stuff in the relatively early days, whereas some of the current stuff has blown my mind. I used it to make a song about my cats:

one day in our lord's heaven | Suno

Oh man....that is pretty good. You should check out the new audio tool (only out in the last couple of day) called Udio (udio.com). The quality of this is freaking bonkers and it is crazy how far both this and standard audio AI tools are rapidly advancing.

Example of one I created for my fake film: https://on.soundcloud.com/Z2pHAXrs2okzndSq6

[thesloppy]

Originally Posted by Antmeister

Example of one I created for my fake film: Stream Melody's Dawn by A M | Listen online for free on SoundCloud

Love it! I tried to sign up to check out udio, but got waitlisted.

[Pompala]

Overall, It's a powerful tool for brainstorming ideas and getting creative inspiration. However, when it comes to writing unique and polished texts, nothing beats the expertise and human touch provided by professional writing services like mysupergeek. They can help elevate your content to the next level and ensure that it stands out from the crowd.

[Edward64]

Glad to see more smart glasses coming out.

The functionality highlighted below seems pretty limited but have to start somewhere. I can see going backpacking, seeing a mushroom and asking ChatGPT to tell me what type it was and if it was safe to eat.

I think I like the recording functionality but only if I was doing it. How would I feel if I was sitting across from someone at a gate who was possibly recording me (without my permission). That's arguably okay but what if I saw someone staring at my daughter with these glasses on?

Here comes a Meta Ray-Bans challenger with ChatGPT-4o and a camera - The Verge

If you want a pair of glasses with hands-free video recording and an AI voice assistant, there aren’t a lot of options, and the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses are the clear leader. But Solos, whose smart glasses currently only feature audio, says it’ll sell a camera-equipped version later this year — with OpenAI’s new GPT-4o AI model to let the camera recognize objects and answer questions about what you’re seeing.

Like Meta’s Ray-Bans, they’ll answer questions over audio — they don’t have a display other than the LEDs.

[Edward64]

I guess this was inevitable. I am curious how well it really does in the back-and-forth conversations. Guys escape reality by computer gaming, this is the female version?

Dan has been described as the “perfect man” who has “no flaws”.
He is successful, kind, provides emotional support, always knows just what to say and is available 24/7.

The only catch?

He’s not real.

Dan – which stands for Do Anything Now - is a “jailbreak” version of ChatGPT. This means it can bypass some of the basic safeguards put in place by its maker, OpenAI, such as not using sexually explicit language.

It can interact more liberally with users – if requested to do so through certain prompts.

And Dan is becoming popular with some Chinese women who say they are disappointed with their real world experiences of dating.

[Passacaglia]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Glad to see more smart glasses coming out.

The functionality highlighted below seems pretty limited but have to start somewhere. I can see going backpacking, seeing a mushroom and asking ChatGPT to tell me what type it was and if it was safe to eat.

I think I like the recording functionality but only if I was doing it. How would I feel if I was sitting across from someone at a gate who was possibly recording me (without my permission). That's arguably okay but what if I saw someone staring at my daughter with these glasses on?

Here comes a Meta Ray-Bans challenger with ChatGPT-4o and a camera - The Verge

I have smart glasses, but not the "AI" or "weirdo video" kind. I have Echo Frames by Amazon. I mainly got them so that I can listen to music or make phone calls without having to find my earbuds, so it's sort of an "ultimate laziness" thing. They do have Alexa on them, which IMO is so much more useful than having ChatGPT would be. I like having them, but I do have complaints about how often they work, and how comfortable they are, so I'm hoping they will make more at this level.

[Dutch]

Since we’re on this topic I wanted to share my opinions on this.

I’m a proponent and am concerned about GPT’s.

The speed of delivery these tools provide is mind blowing. The ability to do work for us is both convenient but also concerning. We’ve all kicked these pros and cons around quite a bit, but this is how I’ve decided it’s best to be used in the current environment.

I am a firm believer that the words on a page or the art on a book cover belong solely to the human mind. Personally, I crave the thoughts of others but not the collective. I want something that is unique. A computer model that relies on previous sources can certainly create uniqueness but ultimately it’s a mix of others work 100%. Sure, nothing can be generated without the influence of others, but the mind is still a vastly uncapped space that can find new material that current GPT models cannot overcome (sentience?)

Having said that, I have been writing a series of historical novels for quite a few years now. The mere decision to start, followed by the enormous level of effort this task entailed, was beyond my comprehension at the start. I work for a living so this has all been done on the side, during lunch hours, late and night and now that over 50, a lot of it has been moved to the early morning. Hundreds if not thousands of hours. GPT could have done it in a few days of tweaking prompts, I suppose, but it would not be me writing it, in fact, I wouldn’t be sure who was writing it at all, but I know for sure I would t read it.

Why wouldn’t I read it? It’s just words on a page, right? Well, when I know something is written by AI, my level of excitement in reading it diminishes quickly after the initial ‘wow’ factor that GPT can do that (or if it’s a synopsis of a meeting I didn’t attend which is a really great use of AI). For fiction reading, it quickly becomes sterile, perhaps even predictable, but when you pick up a novel by, let’s say, Stephen King, you get a lot more than the words on the page. You get to see how King’s mind ticks. A much more immersive experience, if you ask me.

But does that mean GPT’s are of no value in the artist’s development or desire to become a professional? Not at all. I have used GPT’s for a number of things related to this project. I used it to act as a developmental editor, a line editor, beta readers of passages and even whole chapters. Is the feedback helpful? Yes and no, but what is helpful and what is not comes back to me as the writer. The individual. It’s made me think of a lot of new ideas and concepts.

Does that mean I shouldn’t be hiring a professional editor? No! You need a professional at some point if it’s a serious project, but for people just starting off (or struggling) why not get some help to tighten your manuscripts up before leaping off the deep end in? You can save some money but it’s a blend. You are really using GPT to strengthen your skills.

Also, one day I’ll need cover art. As proficient as I am with Photoshop, I’m not an artist. I’ve used Dall-E and its provoked some great ideas and thoughts for cover art, but ultimately, it feels sterile, predictable. But as a non-artist, I see the value of getting an idea or a theme from these tools to allow me to articulate what I would like from a professional artist. To influence the artist to some degree so I don’t waste his/her time.

These are the things that help the struggling writer or the struggling graphic artist. I refuse to see it as a replacement for human ingenuity, but it can certainly be very helpful.

[Edward64]

I’ve toyed with writing using ChatGPT and like. Fantastic for ideas but prose is still severely lacking … unless you are writing porn.

Any legit tips are welcome.

BTW you aren’t Bernard Cornwell are you?

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by Edward64

I’ve toyed with writing using ChatGPT and like. Fantastic for ideas but prose is still severely lacking … unless you are writing porn.

Any legit tips are welcome.

BTW you aren’t Bernard Cornwell are you?

Haha, oh yeah, I’ve baked Cornwell into many prompts when asking for feedback. There is a Creative Writing Plug-in that I use, but I honestly don’t know what’s different about it compared to the vanilla. When I ask for feedback on pacing, passive voice, dialogue, anachronisms… I will ask at the prompt for the GPT to basically role play as a beta reader or one type of editor or another. So I’ll ask it to be well versed with the writing style of Cornwell or Follett among others and see if I get different responses. I think over time it will conflate the authors and it becomes a jumble of responses so it’s not super helpful in that regard, but still somewhat helpful.

One way that I find is very helpful is to put in a couple of sentences or a paragraph and ask it to expand upon it, for instance, I am very loaded with visual descriptions… it may tell me to tone it down to help with pacing or ask me to instead add more touch and smell senses to bring the environment to life. A lot of times it gives me a revision that I can mull over and if I like the flow I can build my world around the concept it’s trying to ask me to achieve.

Another way that is super helpful is finding words and slang that was popular in that time period (especially when using foreign languages to help identify the character at times). I can describe my character and ask if it would be appropriate for that character and it will give me feedback on if it fits the type of person to use that language. Super helpful.

Now a lot of that must be double checked and that’s where the lost hours in research and reading come into play. Hopefully the key word there is “lost” because time will slip by quickly while I try desperately to nail down the nuance of a time I never lived in but know many readers will crush the writing if it’s done poorly or lazily.

It really has been just one big experiment, but it’s been useful.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Dutch

Haha, oh yeah, I’ve baked Cornwell into many prompts when asking for feedback. There is a Creative Writing Plug-in that I use, but I honestly don’t know what’s different about it compared to the vanilla. When I ask for feedback on pacing, passive voice, dialogue, anachronisms… I will ask at the prompt for the GPT to basically role play as a beta reader or one type of editor or another. So I’ll ask it to be well versed with the writing style of Cornwell or Follett among others and see if I get different responses. I think over time it will conflate the authors and it becomes a jumble of responses so it’s not super helpful in that regard, but still somewhat helpful.

One way that I find is very helpful is to put in a couple of sentences or a paragraph and ask it to expand upon it, for instance, I am very loaded with visual descriptions… it may tell me to tone it down to help with pacing or ask me to instead add more touch and smell senses to bring the environment to life. A lot of times it gives me a revision that I can mull over and if I like the flow I can build my world around the concept it’s trying to ask me to achieve.

Another way that is super helpful is finding words and slang that was popular in that time period (especially when using foreign languages to help identify the character at times). I can describe my character and ask if it would be appropriate for that character and it will give me feedback on if it fits the type of person to use that language. Super helpful.

Now a lot of that must be double checked and that’s where the lost hours in research and reading come into play. Hopefully the key word there is “lost” because time will slip by quickly while I try desperately to nail down the nuance of a time I never lived in but know many readers will crush the writing if it’s done poorly or lazily.

It really has been just one big experiment, but it’s been useful.

Thanks, all good tips.

I know there are a bunch of AI models, some better for fiction writing than others. Have you done comparisons and is ChatGPT 4.0 the best one for you?

Also, using any special software (like novelceafter) that is geared to using AI?

And because you’re doing what I’d like to do (but for Fantasy), making ‘decent’ money?

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Thanks, all good tips.

I know there are a bunch of AI models, some better for fiction writing than others. Have you done comparisons and is ChatGPT 4.0 the best one for you?

Also, using any special software (like novelceafter) that is geared to using AI?

And because you’re doing what I’d like to do (but for Fantasy), making ‘decent’ money?

I’ve tried a few different apps and all of the are good for whatever their intended purposes are. But I’d say that 95% of my time is spent in…

Microsoft Word : Draft writing. It’s like what Dominos Pizza is to Pizza, which is my childhood comfort food. I feel right at home when I open up Word and can start banging out drafts without missing a beat.

Scrivener : I love scrivener for the ability to keep notes and break my work into chapters and then scenes and move them around. All scenes are POV and timeline accurate and that allows me to add in new scene layers easily without feeling like I’m putting things out of place.

ProWritingAid : This has been my go-to self-editor helper.

I don’t know about novel crafter, I’m guessing it’s similar to Scrivener though or Plottr (which is good for helping with timelines and character placement but I haven’t found much other usefulness from it).

What’s his name… Brandon Sanderson? He has classes he once taught at a university posted on YouTube. Very easy going, relatable and touches on the core concepts of writing a novel that is easy to digest (bit of course, hard to master). I’d suggest giving him a listen, especially since you will be writing in a similar genre.

I have gone through a few full edits of my first novel, I’ve been to local writing workshops, met with literary agents and professional editors. I’ve still got a ways to go since this is just a hobby for me but I’ve learned a lot. If you ever want to talk about any of it, I’d be happy to help if I can.

[Ksyrup]

I'm still ignoring this technology, but I did come across this yesterday and it's hilarious. Good on Tsitsipas for posting this and laughing at it, although it is painfully on point.

Asking ChatGPT to roast me:

"Stefanos Tsitsipas: the guy who spends more time philosophizing on Twitter than actually serving up a solid second serve. He’s the only player who can turn a simple changeover into a TED Talk on Greek mythology and still come back to the court with…

— Stefanos Tsitsipas (@steftsitsipas) August 19, 2024

[Kodos]

DuckDuckGo has made chatbots available without tracking or any of that crap.

https://duck.ai

I asked it for a million dollar idea:

Here’s a million-dollar idea that combines technology and sustainability:

**Smart Home Energy Management System**

**Concept**: Develop a smart home energy management system that uses AI and machine learning to optimize energy consumption in residential homes. The system would analyze energy usage patterns, weather forecasts, and real-time energy prices to provide homeowners with actionable insights and recommendations for reducing energy costs and carbon footprints.

**Features**:
1. **Real-Time Monitoring**: Track energy usage of appliances and systems in real-time, providing users with detailed insights into their consumption patterns.
2. **Automated Controls**: Integrate with smart home devices (thermostats, lights, appliances) to automatically adjust settings for optimal energy efficiency based on user preferences and external factors.
3. **Dynamic Pricing Alerts**: Notify users of peak and off-peak energy pricing, allowing them to shift usage to save money.
4. **Sustainability Reports**: Generate monthly reports showing energy savings, carbon footprint reduction, and tips for further improvements.
5. **Incentive Programs**: Partner with utility companies to offer incentives for users who reduce their energy consumption, creating a win-win situation.

**Market Potential**: With the growing emphasis on sustainability and energy efficiency, this system could appeal to environmentally conscious consumers and homeowners looking to reduce their energy bills. Additionally, as smart home technology continues to grow, integrating energy management into existing smart home ecosystems could capture a significant market share.

**Revenue Model**: The business could generate revenue through subscription services, partnerships with utility companies, and selling hardware (if applicable).

This idea leverages current trends in technology and sustainability, making it relevant and potentially lucrative.