I have actually had people tell me ChatGPT is a great story writing tool (among other things). So, I decided to give it the writing prompt I came up with as an example for another post: "Write a 1,500 word story about two raccoons who go into a restaurant." The first thing you should note is that I asked for a "story" and ChatGPT gave me an essay--and it knows that is what it gives me because it says so in the first paragraph. This is the unedited response it gave me:
Title: The Tale of Two Raccoons: An Unlikely Restaurant Encounter
Introduction
In the world of storytelling, some scenarios stretch the bounds of imagination and reality, and the tale of two raccoons walking into a restaurant is one such imaginative adventure. This whimsical scenario, while far from ordinary, invites a deeper exploration into themes of curiosity, adaptation, and the unexpected intersections of nature and human environments. This essay delves into the narrative of these two raccoons as they navigate a human establishment, shedding light on both the humor and the underlying commentary of this unusual situation.
Setting the Scene
Imagine a cozy restaurant nestled in a bustling city, a place where the aroma of gourmet dishes mingles with the soft hum of conversation and clinking cutlery. The establishment prides itself on its welcoming atmosphere and diverse clientele. It is here, in this very restaurant, that our story begins. As the door swings open, two raccoons enter, their striped tails and masked faces standing out starkly against the backdrop of fine dining. The sight of these nocturnal creatures in a human eatery is both surreal and intriguing, challenging the boundaries of normalcy and inviting both the patrons and the staff into a moment of peculiar wonder.
The Raccoons' Perspective
From the raccoons' perspective, this restaurant is a realm of sensory overload. The interior, with its polished wooden tables and ambient lighting, contrasts sharply with their natural habitat—forest floors and urban alleyways. The raccoons, driven by their inquisitive nature and innate intelligence, exhibit a mixture of curiosity and caution. Their heightened senses of smell and hearing pick up on the rich tapestry of scents and sounds, making the restaurant a new and exciting landscape to explore.
The raccoons approach the tables with an almost deliberate intent. Their nimble paws, accustomed to foraging and manipulating objects, now encounter an array of human artifacts. They are particularly intrigued by the plates and utensils, which seem to offer a tantalizing array of new textures and shapes. This interaction highlights the raccoons' adaptability and problem-solving skills, as they attempt to understand and engage with their unfamiliar surroundings.
The Restaurant's Reaction
The reaction of the restaurant staff and patrons is one of initial shock, followed by a mix of amusement and bemusement. The sight of raccoons—creatures typically associated with trash cans and night-time scavenging—inside a refined dining setting is unexpected and surreal. The staff, caught off guard, initially responds with a blend of confusion and concern, unsure of how to address the situation without disrupting the dining experience for other guests.
One might imagine the restaurant manager, a composed and professional individual, momentarily grappling with the situation before deciding on a course of action. The manager's response may involve a delicate balance of diplomacy and practicality. Efforts might be made to gently guide the raccoons outside, all while maintaining the dignity of the establishment and ensuring that the patrons remain entertained rather than distressed by the unusual visitors.
Interactions with Humans
As the raccoons continue their exploration, their interactions with the humans in the restaurant become a focal point of the narrative. Children, ever the enthusiasts of animal encounters, might be particularly enchanted by the sight of the raccoons. Their innocent wonder contrasts sharply with the more reserved reactions of adults, who may react with a mix of fascination and skepticism.
Some patrons might view the raccoons' presence as a delightful anomaly, a story to share and remember. Others, however, might find the situation unsettling, reflecting a broader theme of how human societies often struggle with the intrusion of the wild into their carefully curated spaces. This tension between nature and civilization becomes a subtle undercurrent in the narrative, highlighting the delicate balance that exists between human environments and the natural world.
Symbolism and Themes
The encounter of the two raccoons in the restaurant serves as a rich symbol for several broader themes. One prominent theme is the idea of curiosity and exploration. The raccoons' foray into an unfamiliar environment represents the innate drive to discover and understand the world beyond one's usual boundaries. Their behavior reflects a broader human tendency to seek out new experiences and challenges, often leading to moments of unexpected discovery and growth.
Another theme is the interaction between nature and human civilization. The raccoons' intrusion into the restaurant symbolizes the frequent encroachment of wildlife into human spaces, a phenomenon driven by various factors such as urban expansion and environmental change. This encounter prompts reflection on the impact of human activities on wildlife and the need for greater coexistence and understanding between the two realms.
Conclusion
The tale of the two raccoons walking into a restaurant, while fanciful and humorous, offers a nuanced reflection on curiosity, adaptation, and the intersection of human and natural worlds. It challenges our perceptions of normalcy and invites us to consider the broader implications of such unusual encounters. Through the lens of this whimsical scenario, we gain insight into the complexities of interaction between different species and the delicate balance that must be maintained to ensure harmony between human environments and the natural world. In the end, this narrative not only entertains but also encourages a deeper appreciation for the unexpected moments that arise when nature and civilization converge.
Word Count: 873
This essay was not what I was looking for or expecting. However, upon reading it, I can tell it was definitely written by an unimaginative computer (or perhaps a really bad writer). I also question that if real world raccoons walked into a real world establishment that everyone would be bemusedly watching them. I picture a lot of screaming and running--even on the part of the staff. Does ChatGPT realize these things carry diseases? Further, it is just over half the word count I requested, which means there needs to be a lot of fluff added that will make the story even worse.
This should just be scrapped and rewritten by a human because most of this is just garbage and repetitive drivel. However, I edited the first few paragraphs so you can see what is wrong:
Introduction
In the world of storytelling, some scenarios stretch the bounds of imagination and reality, and the tale of two raccoons walking into a restaurant stretches the bounds of realityis one such imaginative adventure. Although the original scenario does stretch the bounds of imagination as well as reality, the realistic scenario ChatGPT spit out does not stretch the bounds of imagination--someone could easily leave a door propped open and two raccoons, smelling food could walk inside. This whimsical scenario while far from ordinary, redundant with "whimsical" invites a deeper exploration into themes of curiosity, adaptation, and the unexpected intersections of nature and human environments. This essay delves into those topicshe narrative of these two raccoons as they navigate a human establishment, shedding light on both the humor and the underlying commentary of this unusual situation. I could not find the theme of "adaptation" below. I think ChatGPT believes a manager shooing raccoons out is "adaptive" but learning to live with raccoons in his restaurant would be more fitting of that subject. Note that this paragraph went from 84 words to 45.
Setting the Scene
Imagine that nestled in the heart of a bustling city there exists a cozy restaurant nestled in a bustling city, a place where the aroma of gourmet dishes mingles with the soft hum of conversation and clinking cutlery. This is a common typographical error--a misplaced modifier. By placing "city" right before "a place where the aroma of..." it is the city and not the restaurant that is being described grammatically, which is confusing. The establishment prides itself on its welcoming atmosphere and diverse clientele. It is here, in this very restaurant, that our story begins. As a waiter stands holding the door open and saying goodbye to one of the regularsthe door swings open, two raccoons enter, their striped tails and masked faces standing out starkly against the backdrop of fine dining. This is the furthest ChatGPT can apparently reach with imagination. The rest of this piece treats the raccoons as if they are real and the scenario is real, but here we have the door swinging open and have to ask--does it swing open on its own or are the raccoons swinging it open or is perhaps a doorman opening the door for them? This is an important question to resolve and by not resolving it, ChatGPT is doing what it is well-known to do, writing fluff without substance. The sight of these nocturnal creatures in a human eatery is both surreal and intriguing, challenging the boundaries of normalcy and inviting both the patrons and the staff into a moment of peculiar wonder. There are several things wrong here. In one sentence, we have three words/phrases that mean "bizarre:" "surreal," "challenging the boundaries of normalcy," and "peculiar." Without a thesaurus, this would read: "The sight of these...creatures is both bizarre and intriguing, bizarre and inviting [those in the restaurant] into a moment of bizarre wonder." I also do not picture anyone having a moment of "peculiar wonder" if two raccoons walk in--"terror" would probably be more appropriate. Most people should realize that two raccoons can be dangerous. They bite and carry a lot of diseases.
The Raccoons' Perspective
From the raccoons' perspective, this restaurant is a realm of sensory overload. The interior, with its polished wooden linen-tableclothed tables to hide under and ambient lighting, contrasts sharply with on first glance is similar to their natural habitat—forest floors and urban alleyways. So, the problem is that a dimly lit diner and a dimly lit alleyway are similar--not contrasting. Polished wooden tables would also be similar to a stand of small trees in a forest--but you would not have polished wooden tables in a fine dining establishment as a general rule--the tables would be clothed in fine linen (hence why they were traditionally known as "white tablecloth restaurants"). It has pointed out similarities between the fine dining establishment and alleyway while stating the environments contrast. Further, if two raccoons are walking into a place that serves "gourmet dishes" it is most likely this diner is in the city and not in some country dive--so the raccoons would have no knowledge of "forest floors." Since the first sentence set up a contrast, it is important to recognize the comparison and spring into the contrast from that: Their heightened senses of smell and hearing pick up on the rich tapestry of scents and sounds, making the restaurant a new and exciting landscape to explore. The contrasts between a climate-controlled, busy restaurant and an alleyway would also be in the number of people and tables filling the space. The raccoons, are driven inside by their inquisitive nature, hunger, and innate intelligence, exhibit a mixture of curiosity and caution. Again, we see redundancy-- "inquisitive nature" and "curiosity." If they were cautious, they would not have entered. Their heightened senses of smell and hearing pick up on the rich tapestry of scents and sounds, making the restaurant a new and exciting landscape to explore. It is necessary to move this sentence to create some contrast after saying we were doing that.
The raccoons approach the nearest unoccupied tables with an almost deliberate intent. After telling us they approach the tables, we get "almost deliberate." Either they are approaching mindlessly because they have rabies or they are doing it deliberately. There is no "almost" deliberate. It is also important that the reader know these tables do not have people at them. If two raccoons are approaching tables with people at them, there is something seriously wrong with them (read: rabies). TAfter climbing on one, their nimble paws, accustomed to foraging and manipulating objects like trash can lids, now encounter an array of human artifacts. They are particularly intrigued by the plates and utensils, which seem to offer a tantalizing array of new textures and shapes. Once again, ChatGPT is unfamiliar with texture of plates and silverware. Both are smooth, so by saying their is a contrast in textures, without describing what has a different texture and why, is confusing. Further, I would think a raccoon would be more interested in the foods than in empty plates. ChatGPT also makes a common new writer error by having the raccoons approach the tables but then not explain that they move to the table tops before talking about them playing with stuff on top of them. Some steps can be generalized or skipped, but in this case we go from approaching tables to playing with cutlery and that jump is a bit too far.--This interaction highlights the raccoons' adaptability and problem-solving skills, as they attempt to understand and engage with their unfamiliar surroundings. What adaptability? What problem solving? They are playing with things in their environment just as they always do. That does not show adaptation nor is there any problem solving involved.
As you can see, it is quite a slog to fix. In most cases, slogging through reduces the word count by half. However, I wonder how many teachers are accepting this drivel as good work? I already see many websites with garbage articles like this that say nothing, really.
I know, you are thinking, "Oh, yeah? Do you think you can do any better?" So, after getting the awful results above, I put an original short story on Amazon. Feel free to critique it at will.
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