Barny

I asked it about limits and it recommended breaking text into chunks, so I divided the input into blocks of chapters, but as I was about to do the final block I hit an error, which I think was the limit of my free access: there was a message about that soon afterwards. Annoyingly inconclusive! Some chapters were summarised in full, others were…[Read more]

I tried a 500 word synopsis. It was curiously like a “bad” synopsis that an inexperienced writer might try, too much detail at the outset and then broad generalisations for the middle and end. It always concludes by asking whether you want any refinements, so I asked for more detail about the conclusion and it invented a character and several plot…[Read more]

This is very interesting, Ath. Have you tried giving it a word count, e.g. to produce a 300-word synopsis?

ODDS AND ENDINGS IN MY LIFE, INCLUDING THE STICKY ONES. .

For me the phrase ‘the end’ invokes a variety of feelings.

Some, such as the end of a candle or bit of soap are not memorable. Those endings flash out of existence in a blink of thoughtlessness, never to be recalled again.

However, dancing along the polar opposite to that, there are…[Read more]

As we are in imminent peril of being swamped with things-AI if Mr Starmer and our present government are to be believed, I thought I’d bite the bullet and give ChatGPT a whirl. As an experiment, I thought I’d try for a summary of my WIP. Since that’s something I will have to wrestle with when I come to submit, I wondered whether it might be…[Read more]

My offering was much  the same  Richard.

I thought about all the things  that cause me difficulty  – didn’t know how to start  writing about it  and  ended up  making myself smile with a bit of  fun.

Thanks, Ath. I should maybe point out that ‘the protagonist’ is in fact me. The brief didn’t say it had to be fiction, and my effort isn’t. I really am building, slowly and very carefully, a huge model car.

Oh Lord. Two entries. Both very different from what I expected. Not that I expected anything in particular, but I know what I mean. Both excellent. Richard’s engrossed me, as the protagonist was engrossed in the model. Terrie’s made me laugh out loud. There’s no winner or loser here, because it was a virtual toss of the coin. Richard, choose us a…[Read more]

Thank you for posting this, Ath. Christmas has been so busy I’ve only just read it. It’s a touching story.

<p style=”text-align: center;”>DEGREES OF DIFFICULTY IN MY LIFE</p>
<p style=”text-align: center;”>(when it gets difficult  – make it  rhyme )</p>
I find it difficult to hide the truth, or say things that are untrue.

I can’t fit inside a kayak, or paddle a canoe.

I can’t crochet anything or mend my pushbike brake

and bouncing on a tramp…[Read more]

And many thanks to you, Libby, and to the other happy few who make this place worth keeping. A very happy Christmas to us all.

This links to a short piece in The Bookseller:

The Bookseller – News – Society of Authors calls for change to ‘acknowledge all writers involved’ in celebrity-written books

The main message is:

“The SoA is asking publishers, celebrities, booksellers, festival organisers, agents and all involved in the industry to recognise and reward all…[Read more]