[Tipster] Writing in an Age of ChatGPT

I had an old-fashioned quarrel with ChatGPT the other night.

Maybe it was one sided. I yelled at him. He didn’t yell back.

I’ll call ChatGPT a “he,” along with 66% of the population, though I’m not sure why. I hear the argument that it doesn’t present as a macho, mansplaining male. But still it is a “he” in my mind.

Most days ChatGPT and I are on friendly terms. I use “Please” and “Thank you” as if my politeness dictates a positive chatting experience.

He says, “You’re welcome,” “You’re right” and “Thanks for pointing that out” more frequently than my son does.

It feels good to chat with ChatGPT.

The other night, though, I screamed at ChatGPT (i.e., exclamation points and all caps were frequently used).

When It Got Ugly with ChatGPT

The conversation started out friendly enough. I asked him to provide a summary of a topic I am exploring as I do research for a book I’m working on. I wanted it to help me understand the word “longing.”

He gave me four solid paragraphs about the origin of longing and how it manifests.

It got me thinking about how longing is often linked to something unidentifiable. Often, it’s something missing that you’ve never even imagined.

So, I asked, “What’s a way to say ‘never imagined?’”

ChatGPT responded, “A phrase to express the idea of ‘never imagined’ could be ‘beyond my wildest dreams.’

Yawn. And yuck. Sounded like Pedro’s cliché promise in his closing presidential speech in “Napolean Dynamite.”

“How about a phrase that isn’t cliché,” I asked.

“Certainly!” he said. “Instead of using a cliché, you can describe the concept of ‘never imagined’ by saying ‘in the realm of the unimaginable.’”

Still yawn. Still yuck.

“Can you provide a metaphor for ‘the realm of the unimaginable?’” I asked.

In less than a millisecond, ChatGPT spitted out: “In the realm of unimaginable, the mind becomes an uncharted galaxy, where stars of possibility shine in unexplored constellations.”

I rolled my eyes. Snorted. And thought, “Maybe I have job security after all.”

And then I lost my cool. (If it’s possible to lose your cool with a robot.)

The Machine Is Full of Clichés

“ChatGPT, you are FULL of cliches!” I said.

ChatGPT: “Apologies if my previous responses contained clichés. I'll strive to provide you with a fresh and original metaphor for the ‘realm of unimaginable’: In the uncharted depths of the mind's landscape, where imagination blossoms like a rare celestial flower, lies a realm unfathomable—a tapestry woven with threads of dreams and colors yet unseen.”

I yelled some more. “That is STILL a cliché. AND it’s overwriting.”

He responded kindly, “I understand your desire for a concise and non-clichéd phrase. Here's a straightforward metaphor for the realm of unimaginable:

"The realm of unimaginable is an uncharted island, untouched by the footprints of expectation and unexplored by the compass of imagination."

“STILL cliché! STILL overwriting! Do you even know what overwriting is?”

“Yes,” he said, “I apologize if my previous responses still fell into the realm of overwriting. Overwriting refers to the excessive use of words or elaborate descriptions that may detract from the intended message or come across as verbose. It often involves using unnecessary embellishments or complex language that can obscure the core meaning or make the writing feel clichéd.”

ChatGPT Needs You More than You Need ChatGPT

Creatives around the world are troubled by the possibilities of generative A.I. replacing their work.

My conversation with ChatGPT proved to me that ChatGPT is limited in creativity.

Most importantly, it can’t tap into your experience—which is what you bring to your writing.

It can’t do the hard work of noticing the world and creating fresh imagery from it.

Like the prairie path I run on. I hear the ocean, even though I’m over a thousand miles away. The ocean is traffic rushing by on the interstate, 200 yards beyond the tree line.

ChatGPT couldn’t come up with that.

He couldn’t have imagined it, because he didn’t observe it, think about it, and put meaning to it.

To use ChatGPT’s cliché, “It was in the realm of the unimaginable” for him.

Because ChatGPT can’t imagine. He can only pull together that which others have.

And that’s why today I’m not worried about ChatGPT. And why I will continue to buckle up and write.

Melissa Parks
Co-Founder