Sean R. sent me an excellent email in response to Monday's post about ChatGPT 4.0, and I'm going to use it tomorrow. It raises some interesting and thoughtful points. The only reason I'm not doing it today is because of Nintendo's Switch 2 Showcase.
The framer called me on Friday. Here's what the game sheet looks like:
You can't see the color inside the wood unless you click on the image, but it's quite beautiful, and the weathered nature of the gamesheet turns it into a real piece of history. Family history, anyway, and Oxford history, too.
I'm going to use dishes as a metaphor for life. Don't blame me.
When I see a dish in the sink, I'll wash it out. I don't know why, really. I just don't like seeing dishes in the sink. It's a visual thing, plus it uses space. I put most of the dishes in the dishwasher after I wash them, which is another subject entirely.
It's not something I make a conscious effort to do. It's automatic.
I realized yesterday that doing it that way is easy. Nothing ever piles up. In an organizational sense, it's clean.
Gee, that seems like an easy way to do life. Only I don't.
I struggle all the time with putting off tasks I don't want to do. I spend far more time putting them off than I spend doing them.
Part of it could be that taking care of tasks often spawns a set of side tasks. This happened all the time after Gloria's death. Tasks seemed to exponentially multiple as soon as I started on them.
It's not like that now, really. Financial and medical things are the ones most likely to spawn out of control. That's about it, though. Eli 23.7 might message and ask for a Panda by next Tuesday, but his asks always have a tight timeline attached, so they don't last for long.
I'd be interested in hearing if any of you are highly successful in this area. Maybe I (and all of us) could learn something.
I became aware of something last week for the first time.
The only way I can write a novel is to have it all in my head at once. I work on specific sections, sure, but all 90,000 words are in my head.
At first, I feel like I'm just infinitely rearranging a warehouse of Scrabble tiles. That's why 90% of the first draft is gone now.
At some point, though, those Scrabble tiles start breathing on their own. They add color. They become vibrant. It's the best part, which is where I am now, before I see everything so clearly and realize it can never be as good as I want it to be.
It's still hard, and annoying. I spent three days looking for a crowbar to wedge into a particular chapter (that needed to be completely rewritten, of course). If I just keep showing up every day at roughly the same time, though, failure gives up.
That's not a bad way of describing the process of writing a novel: making failure give up.
Leading off, a tremendous read: ‘The Polynesians loved him’: the astonishing revelations that cast Paul Gauguin in a new light.
This is fascinating: People in this career are better at seeing through optical illusions.
From C. Lee, and I've said it before, but Our Adventurer's Guild was the best game of 2024: Suddenly Japan Loves Your Game. How Come? Yeah, this has been an absolute disaster for the world: 20 Plagues Y Combinator Unleashed on the World Over the Last 20 Years. Incredible: They lost their families in a plane crash - then came the online hate. Grades out to a D (and of course Grok is far worse): AI search engines fail accuracy test, study finds 60% error rate. A catastrophe in the making: Democrats Demand Answers on DOGE's Use of AI. They should have known who he was years ago: Tesla Owners Are Stuck In A Hell Of Their Own Making. An excellent video for us sci-fi nerds: The Real Stars and Scale of Sci-fi. I remember being joyously stunned when I first saw this ad: 'It was chaos': The history of San Francisco's most unforgettable TV ad. Here's the actual ad: Sony Bravia Bouncy Balls - 4K Remastered.
ChatGPT
said:
Got it!
Thank you for the clarity. I’ll keep it tighter, more rhythmic, and stripped
down—no excess words. I’ll aim to match the simplicity and flow you’re looking
for with "Tide's Lullaby."
Let’s try
again with a more concise approach, focusing on rhythm and purpose.
1. "Roll
With the Tide"
(Verse
1)
Roll with the tide, the wind’s on our side,
The sea’s in our blood, and the stars are our guide.
We’ve sailed through the storm, we’ve weathered the night,
Roll with the tide, and keep our course right.
(Chorus)
So haul, lads, haul, the ship’s steady and true,
The sea is our mistress, we’re ready for you!
With a shout and a cheer, and the wind in our sails,
Roll with the tide, and set the wind’s trail!
2. "The
Ocean's Call"
(Verse
1)
The ocean’s call is loud and clear,
She pulls at our hearts, draws us near.
Through the mist and the roar, we’ll sail on and on,
The ocean’s call is where we belong.
(Chorus)
So haul, lads, haul, don’t hesitate,
The ocean’s our mistress, it’s never too late!
With the waves at our feet, and the stars in our eyes,
We’ll follow her call, ‘neath the endless skies!
3. "Sail
to the End"
(Verse
1)
Sail to the end, through the fog and the rain,
The sea’s our home, we’ll sail once again.
With the wind in our sails and the stars overhead,
Sail to the end, where the horizon’s red.
(Chorus)
So haul, lads, haul, the course is set,
The sea’s our home, we’ve no regrets!
With the tide in our veins, and the wind at our back,
Sail to the end, we’re on the right track!
These are
more streamlined and should flow better in rhythm. Let me know if any of them
work or if you'd like further adjustments!
You
said:
Sail To
the End is quite good. Thank you.
ChatGPT
said:
You're
very welcome! I'm glad "Sail to the End" hit the mark. If you have
any more tweaks or want to try another round, just let me know. I'm always
ready to help you fine-tune it further. Happy sailing, and may the wind be at
your back!
__________________________________________________________________________________
Taking the lyrics from ChatGPT, I then went to Udio and went through three iterations of song generation. Which I would share for you now but for the radical stupidity of multiple platforms involved in doing this. I'll try to figure it out over the weekend and have it for you on Monday.
After a ridiculous series of steps comparable only to the Manhattan Project in complexity, here's the final result: Sail to the Horizon.
ChatGPT said:
Here’s my
revised set of shanties based on your input:
1. "Sail
Away, Bold and Free"
(Verse
1)
The wind it blows, the waves they rise,
We sail for treasure 'neath open skies.
With a song on our lips, and a heart full of cheer,
Sail away, bold and free, no fear!
(Chorus)
So haul, lads, haul, don’t let her stray,
The ocean’s callin’, we’re on our way!
With the wind in our sails and the stars to guide,
We sail away, bold and free, to the other side!
2. "Heave,
My Hearties"
(Verse
1)
Heave, my hearties, the shore’s far away,
The storm’s on the horizon, but we’ll sail through the day.
We’ve weathered the winds and the heavy, dark seas,
So heave, my hearties, and follow the breeze!
(Chorus)
Heave, lads, heave, we’re strong and we’re true,
The sea’s our mistress, and she’ll see us through!
With a shout and a cheer, we’ll chart our own course,
Heave, my hearties, to the wind and the force!
3. "Tide’s
Lullaby"
(Verse
1)
The tide’s lullaby is callin’ us near,
The ship’s hummin’ softly, no more fear.
The stars are our lanterns, the night’s our friend,
We’ll sail ‘til the dawn, and then sail again!
(Chorus)
So lift your voices, and sing with me,
We’ll sail the wide world, just wait and see!
With the tide at our back, and the wind in our hair,
We’ll chase down the horizon, no matter where!
I’ve kept
the lines tighter and more rhythmic to suit the feel of "Roll, You
Rogues" while making sure they still have that adventurous, bold energy.
Let me know which one you like best or if you have any tweaks to suggest!
You
said:
Sail Away,
Bold and Free is a mess. It's as if your mischievous younger brother broke into
your room and accessed your computer. Heave, My hearties, is still too verbose.
Tide's Lullaby is the best. Remember, these have to be sung in a rhythm, and
any unnecessary words act as friction and slow the words down. If you're going
to introduce friction in a song, do it with purpose, not as a matter of course.
Try again.
Please
choose an era-appropriate name for a sailor who sings sea shanties.
ChatGPT
said:
Of course!
How about Silas "Sly" Drake?
Silas has
an old-world charm, and “Sly” as a nickname gives him a bit of a mischievous,
charismatic edge—perfect for a sailor who could be known for his witty
shanties. Drake evokes the image of the sea and adventure, possibly referencing
the famous explorer Sir Francis Drake. It feels like the name of someone who’s
seen many a port and knows the tides like the back of his hand.
You
said:
Let's go
with Silas, then. Silas, I'd like you to write me three short sea shanties.
I'll select the best one and offer additional suggestions. Then you will write
three more. and so on, until you write the perfect sea shanty. For reference,
my three favorites are "Don't Forget Your Old Shipmate,"
"Wellerman," and "Leave Her, Johnny."
ChatGPT
said:
Aye aye,
captain! I’m ready to sing out some shanties for you. Here’s the first
round—let’s see which one strikes your fancy:
1. "Roll,
You Rogues"
(Verse
1)
Oh, roll, you rogues, and make the sails fly,
The wind’s in our favor, the storm's passin’ by.
We’ve got gold in our pockets, the sea at our back,
So roll, you rogues, we’ll never turn back!
(Chorus)
So haul away, boys, and don’t you delay,
The ocean is callin’, we’ll sail her today!
With the wind at our heels, and the stars up above,
We’ll sail 'round the world, for treasure and love!
2. "The
Old Man's Song"
(Verse
1)
There’s a tale the old man’s been singin’ for years,
Of a ship that sailed off, through the storm and the tears.
She creaked and she groaned, but she never did break,
And she found her way home, on the waves of the lake.
(Chorus)
He sang, “Oh, the sea’s my mistress, the wind is my friend,
I’ll sail 'til the end, with no start and no end.
So raise up your glass, and let the wild winds blow,
For the old man’s a sailor, and the sea’s all he knows!"
3. "The
Midnight Star"
(Verse
1)
The midnight star is bright and clear,
She guides us through the dark and near.
Through the fog and waves so wild,
She keeps our ship on course, beguiled.
(Chorus)
So sing ye all, and raise a cheer,
For the star that keeps us steerin’ here.
With the wind in our sails, and the sea’s mighty roar,
We’ll follow the Midnight Star evermore!
Let me
know which one catches your ear, and I’ll spin the next set based on your
feedback!
You
said:
The
Midnight Star has the most rhythmic lyrics of the three, even though I don't
particularly like the words in the lyrics. The individual lines of the other
two seem too lengthy and cluttered with unnecessary words. In terms of theme, I
prefer Roll, You Rogues.
ChatGPT
said:
Great
feedback! I see what you mean about the rhythm of "The Midnight Star"
and the wording in the other two. I'll aim for something with the energy and
theme of "Roll, You Rogues" but with more concise, punchy lines that
maintain a good rhythm.
