In my last post published months ago, I harbored a goal to figure out how to keep writing/contributing to this blog while lawyering remotely full-time, sailing to complete our circumnavigation, and exploring to see the world. Time just isn’t allowing me to prepare blog posts in my previous style, and so, I wanted to explore ways to cut the time it takes to produce a good blog update.

In the five-month span since my last post, I’ve been working with my illustrator on a second Oddgodfrey children’s book, I second chaired a month-long trial in which we successfully obtained a multi-million-dollar ruling for our client, I trained our team and launched a project management system I designed in prior months to help our legal team more efficiently share our brains on the cases we work together, Andrew and I explored Puerto Rico, sailed onward to the Dominican Republic, hosted several sets of visitors to explore along with us, traveled to the US to visit family and attend a family reunion, and now we are squeezing in a mountain biking camping trip in an impulse-purchased campervan.

In other words, we haven’t let the grass grow beneath our feet.

We are fulfilled, happy, and living several components of life I never imagined could occur together.

But still, no blog. And, think of all these stories that are falling behind us in our wake!

Part of my problem is that the first idea I was harboring all those months ago was a flop.

Idea #1: Interview the Captain Podcast/Transcript Style

My grand master plan involved sitting down with Andrew for a podcast-style interview of the two Oddgodfreys, resulting in a text-style transcript polished up into something (hopefully) interesting to read. As you can see, that master plan has not come to fruition.

I blame Andrew.

I don’t think he’s into it.

Every time I suggest we sit down for a storytelling session, he has better things to do.

…like wash his socks.

For a guy who doesn’t wear socks, or really shoes anymore, this is a clear indication of a lack of interest.

My second idea…was also a flop.

Idea #2: Let Chat GPT Write My Blog Posts

With all this Chat GPT AI stuff coming available, I thought: what if I get Chat GPT to help me start first drafts and then polish it up? Maybe that would come along faster?

The ghost of Ernest Hemmingway and the aspiring great American novelist inside me simultaneously gag.

But TECHNOLOGY! I don’t want to be left behind. I am going to move with the times and I am going to leverage Chat GPT to increase the volume of my own productivity. It will be great. I review a few learning courses on writing good prompts and then dive into my little experiment. First step: ask Chat GPT to analyze my writing style:

“Hi Chat GPT! (I want to develop a collegial relationship with our future AI Overlords, right?) Analyze the text below for the overall writing style. Take note of things like my style, voice, tone, sense of humor, language, and literary style. Using natural language I then want you to create a prompt to create a new article in the same writing style. Let me know when you are ready for the text.”

In response to this, Chat GPT let me know it was up to the task, and requested the writing sample. So, I provided it with a few old Oddgodfrey blog posts to analyze. What did it think of my writing style?

Hemmingway would be so jealous.

Chat GPT, per my request, produced a prompt self-recommended prompt to create future articles in my very own writing style:

Based on this writing style, here's a prompt for you to create a new article:

"Unusual Encounters: My Wild Adventure with Wildlife!"

Write an article recounting your unforgettable experiences with wildlife during a thrilling adventure trip. Whether you encountered cheeky critters on a hiking trail, stumbled upon peculiar creatures in an unexpected location, or had heart-stopping encounters with wildlife in their natural habitat, share your exciting stories with a dash of humor and vivid descriptions. Take your readers on a journey filled with laughter, awe, and perhaps a few moments of fear or surprise. Remember to embrace your unique voice and use engaging language to paint a picture of the wild world you explored. Happy writing!

Sounds reasonable. I’ll try it. With this, I developed a prompt that had a few experiences detailed from our passage from Namibia to St. Helena:

Chat GPT gave it a good college try, but couldn’t resist the urge to throw in a few pirate-tropes.

Not to be discouraged, I tried to coach Chat GPT into some refinements:

I don’t want to discourage my AI Overlord, but really, this just isn’t striking the mark. “Fabled Island of St. Helena?” fine, but don’t just tell me it’s “fabled!” Show me why it is fabled. Paint the picture! “Tempest in store for us…” so cliche! Don’t tell me you are in a tempest, take your reader inside the tempest. Terrible. My 10th grade English teacher, Mrs. Cramer, would be appalled.

So, I (politely) give Chat GPT a more detailed explanation of my expectations:

Chat GPT says nothing in response, but tries again. Again with the pirate-tropes! Again with the tempest! “Unyielding spirit of a sailor”….eekgads.

“No, no, no! Terrible. Horrible. Garbage!” I fancy myself a newspaper editor with a cigarillo hanging from the corner of my lips, my tumbler of whiskey poured on my midnight-writers’ beat desk. My Panama hat hangs on a hook behind my typewriter. I crumple Chat GPT’s latest submission in my hand and toss it into the wire garbage bin in the corner of my office. Its warm, wet ink smudges against my palms. Chat GPT scowls and slouches in the seat across my heavy wood desk until I wave my hand in dismissal with no further instructions. Chat GPT slides the rolling chair out from behind him and shuffles away, muttering “What does she know, the washed-up old inkbag? I’m the way of the future.”

And, I go back to my drawing board.

P.S. If anyone wants to give me feedback on how to better guide Chat GPT, I’m all ears.