“The young woman stood on the edge of the cliff, looking out at the vast ocean below”
Google Bard tries its (metaphorical) hand at writing a novel.
Yesterday, I posted a “novel” written by ChatGPT. Today, I decided to see if Google Bard could do any better.
Like ChatGPT, Bard couldn’t stay with the thread of any story for long. It didn’t even try. I’d ask it for a first chapter, and Bard would dutifully label it Chapter 1, then give me an entire novel, summarized and complete with an unearned happy ending.
Finally, I decided to get more specific.
The resulting story was not twelve chapters long. It did not contain 20,000 words.
It was, however, a fantasy.
The Writer’s Journey
Chapter 1
The young woman stood on the edge of the cliff, looking out at the vast ocean below. The waves crashed against the rocks below, and the wind whipped her hair around her face. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, savoring the feeling of the sun on her skin and the salt air in her lungs.
She had always loved coming to this place. It was her favorite spot in the world. It was here that she could come to think, to dream, and to be herself.
Today, she was feeling particularly lost. She had just graduated from college, and she didn’t know what she wanted to do with her life. She had always dreamed of being a writer, but she wasn’t sure if she had what it took.
She opened her eyes and looked out at the ocean again. The waves were still crashing against the rocks, but the wind had died down. The sun was starting to set, and the sky was ablaze with color.
She took another deep breath and smiled. She knew what she had to do. She was going to be a writer.
Chapter 2
The young woman sat at her desk, staring at the blank page in front of her. She had been trying to write for hours, but she couldn’t seem to find the right words.
She sighed and stood up. She needed a break. She walked over to the window and looked out at the city below. It was a beautiful day, but she couldn’t enjoy it. All she could think about was her story.
She turned away from the window and walked back to her desk. She sat down and stared at the blank page again. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She imagined the story in her head, and she started to write.
The words flowed easily at first, but as she got further into the story, she started to struggle. She found herself getting bogged down in the details. She stopped writing and stood up. She needed to clear her head.
She walked over to the window and looked out at the city again. This time, she saw the beauty in it. She saw the people going about their lives, the cars driving down the street, the birds flying overhead. She saw the potential for stories everywhere she looked.
She turned away from the window and walked back to her desk. She sat down and opened her eyes. She looked at the blank page and smiled. She knew what she had to do. She had to let the story flow naturally, without worrying about the details.
She started to write again, and this time, the words flowed easily. She wrote for hours, and when she was finished, she had written the first chapter of her book.
Chapter 3
The young woman’s book was a success. It was published by a major publisher, and it quickly became a bestseller. The young woman was now a published author, and she was able to quit her day job to write full-time.
She wrote several more books, and they were all successful. She became one of the most popular authors in the country.
But even though she was successful, she was not happy. She felt like she was missing something in her life. She felt like she was not living her true purpose.
One day, she was walking through the park when she saw a group of children playing. She stopped to watch them, and she felt a sense of peace that she had never felt before. She realized that her true purpose was to write for children.
She started writing children’s books, and they were even more successful than her adult books. She was now able to reach a whole new audience with her stories.
She wrote for children for the rest of her life, and she brought joy to millions of children around the world. She died at the age of 90, surrounded by her family and friends.
She was a successful author, but she was also a kind and compassionate person. She used her writing to make the world a better place. She will be remembered for her stories, and for the joy that she brought to so many people.
Originally published at https://www.simner.com on June 6, 2023.
