This Was Me Earlier This Week
(minus the beard...and the hair)
Tuesday night this week I couldn’t sleep. I woke up at 3 am and laid in bed for about 45 minutes. Then I moved to the couch downstairs.
And what was keeping me awake???
I couldn't stop thinking about the possibilities of artificial
intelligence for writers. Yes, I'm a nerd...and I like Dad jokes, too!
Seriously. I just couldn’t turn my brain off.
How would you like a research assistant, writing evaluator, idea generator, and blog writer all in one place?
The future is here.
Please join me!
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Did You Hear The News?
Toward the end of last year, news outlets around the world heralded the release of ChatGPT, a breakthrough artificial intelligence chatbot.
Now...before your eyes start rolling into the back of your head, stick with me. This could really change your life.
This technology has the potential to revolutionize the way authors write by providing them with a variety of tools to help them improve their writing. In today's PWR, we'll explore some of the ways that ChatGPT can help you write better.
Here's What I Absolutely Love
One of the things I love about ChatGPT is that you can ask it a question and it will answer in human-like text.
When I asked it "Who was the greatest novelist of all time?" here's what it answered:
This is a subjective question and opinions may vary. Many literary experts consider writers such as William Shakespeare, James Joyce, and Leo Tolstoy to be among the greatest novelists of all time.
ChatGPT can generate computer code and translate text from one language to another. If you're reading something that you don't understand, enter the text into ChatGPT and ask it to explain it to you.
It's really that simple!
Here's What You're Going To Love
Here are some other uses:
Straightforward writing. Tell it to write a haiku about ChatGPT. I did exactly that and here's what it generated:
ChatGPT's words flow,
Elegant and powerful,
Like a mountain stream.
Truth be told, ChatGPT wrote about half of today's post.
Thesaurus. ChatGPT can help you with word choices and phrasing. The model has been trained on a vast corpus of text, which means that it has a deep understanding of
the English language and can provide accurate suggestions for words and phrases that fit well in a given context. This can be incredibly useful when you're struggling to find the right word or phrase to convey your ideas effectively.
I asked it to give me synonyms for "blow," and it generated about 25. Then it concluded with "Please note that some of those words above can be used as noun and verb, some of them may not be the exact synonyms depends on context."
The last part of that sentence is a little awkward...but still!
Sentence structure and organization. Another way that ChatGPT can help you write better is by providing you with suggestions for sentence structure and
organization.
The model has been trained to understand the logical flow of
a piece of text and can provide suggestions for how to organize sentences and paragraphs in a way that will make the text more coherent and easier to understand.
This can be especially useful when you're struggling to organize your thoughts and ideas in a way that makes sense to their readers.
Just a moment ago, I copied and pasted the opening paragraph to chapter 10 of the book I'm writing.
For the sake of space, I'll give you the final sentence in its 100 word answer: "Overall, the paragraph effectively conveys the atmosphere of a celebratory event and is well-written."
Yes-s-s-s-s-s!!
Idea generation. Need fresh, new ideas for your blog? Yesterday, I asked it, "What are six mistakes writers frequently make?"
Here's what it answered:
- Not defining your target audience.
- Overcomplicating your writing.
- Forgetting to proofread and edit.
- Lack of focus.
- Not
showing, not telling. This one isn't quite right.
- Ignoring the importance of a strong beginning.
Again, for the sake of brevity (the
answer was 366 words), I omitted the explanations for each point. However, I couldn't help but chuckle at the final paragraph:
Finally, it's worth noting that all writers make mistakes, the important thing is to be aware of them and do your best to correct them and avoid them in the future. No one is perfect, and it's a continuous process of learning and improving. Keep that in mind, and you'll be on your way to becoming a better writer.
Aw-w-w-w...it's empathetic, too!
Summaries. If you want to summarize a long piece of text or write an abstract for a research paper, just plug in the text and voila! There it is.
But here's my favorite...
Research. If you're working on a book that requires research, then this is your go-to. Just a moment ago, I asked ChatGPT the following question:
Did cowboys in the old west ride mules?
The first answer was 114 words, so I asked it to summarize the answer to 60 words. Here's what it wrote:
Cowboys in the American Old West primarily rode horses, but mules were also used on cattle drives due to their stamina, strength and hardiness. They were also
favored as pack animals for rough terrains and carrying more weight than a horse. However, the use of mules varied depending on the cowboy and location.
A total of 53 words!
When I was in college, a professor told us, "The answer to the question is in the question." How you articulate your question will determine the answer ChatGPT gives you. Be clear, concise, and even give it parameters for your answer.
It Does Have Its Limitations--But Not You
OpenAI (the company that created ChatGPT) acknowledges that it “sometimes writes plausible-sounding but incorrect or nonsensical answers.” Also, its database is current through 2021, so events that occurred in 2022 or beyond might not appear in their database. Lastly, while programmed not to take a political bias, researchers say it exhibits a pro-environmental, left-libertarian orientation.
Nevertheless, I think this amazing chatbot is worth your time.
While ChatGPT is incredibly useful, nothing can replace your voice and your perspectives.
If you're sitting on an book idea or you're working on a manuscript and you just need
someone to gently nudge you past your subconscious or self-imposed limitations, let's talk!
I'm all about possibilities.
Let’s explore your dreams for
your book and then let's strategize how to make it happen.
Click here to schedule a no-obligation consultation with me.
Let’s bring your book to life!
