Should I Use A.I. to Write?

Hello again,

First of all, want to thank those of you who have read my posts and even liked them so far…very grateful that you have taken the time out of a busy day to read the ramblings of a middle aged man that fancies himself as a funny guy/writer….(wow, just like that I went all third person on y’all). But really, we are all aspiring, and sometimes perspiring, writers that just want to get our message out there, hoping that it resonates with just one other reader. We, meaning me as I don’t know you all yet, want our unique style, personality, and character to shine like a beacon of light through the thick fog of ho hum prose that puts me to sleep.

So how do we do this? Should I use chatgpt to bring my stories and inner thoughts to life, to give my tales a sense of structure and purpose, and perhaps even evoke a chuckle or two? Would it be easier to input a few key words, phrases, and ideas into a platform like the one above and get a Hungry Man Dinner story that is perfectly portioned and arranged with a microwaveable premise, plot, and protagonist?

Maybe, and make sure you save the apple crumble for last. You are probably thinking at this point, “Way to go out on a limb Al! You are a rebel! Now that is called taking a stand…you should run for office! The office of the non-committal and people pleaser bureau, or NCPPB for short.

For me, I like to write posts that have somewhat of a humorous undertone that is bordering on having a cerebral wit. Easy, I said bordering! While researching for a previous post, I looked into the free version of chatgpt and didn’t find it very funny. Not at all. No guffaws, no knee slaps, no rib ticklers, or even a gut buster….and I am grateful for that as I like my gut just the way it is thank you very much. Which reminds me, I have to book a colonoscopy soon. Crap.

So I just went my own way – let my fingers do the walking (Yellow Pages anyone?) and doubled down at the table on my ability to make someone laugh or groan depending on your perspective. Either way, it’s me…it’s genuine..authentic…and sometimes just plain whacky. Sure there may be run on sentences, an ongoing blur between active and passive voice, awkward grammar, (apologies to 6th grade English teacher Ms Barron – you were awesome!), mixed tenses and a few mispeled (sic) words, but it’s me writing here!

And by doing it my way, I might someday hear…”I can tell you didn’t use chatgpt for that piece”…..which is hard to tell whether it’s a complement or a criticism. All I can tell you is that I yam what I yam.

Not to discourage anyone from using it – I certainly see the benefits of this vehicle but at the moment it’s one I choose not to ride in. Even if it’s a Subaru. For me, I’m thinking once this genie is out of the bottle, we are sliding down that slippery slope together on a magic carpet….and no, I didn’t just ingest a batch of mushrooms. I’m just not ready for it yet…chatgpt,that is, not the mushrooms. I might lose some of my eccentricities in the abyss of artificially generated story structure that has been sanitized with the fervor of a Mr. Clean. Don’t scrub away my sarcasm man!

But as the Chairman of the NCPPB, I strongly endorse that you explore what works for you – if it includes chatgpt, that’s ok. You are not alone – well you might be as you’re reading this but you get my point. Fill your boots…experiment…and continue to write with both your clown brain and your editor’s brain (thanks Scott Dikkers). But by all means, be you….no one can take that away from you.

Until next time, thanks for reading!

Al (not A.l.)