{"id":983,"date":"2023-07-14T21:57:49","date_gmt":"2023-07-14T19:57:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kodifyit.com\/Main\/?p=983"},"modified":"2023-08-29T17:58:11","modified_gmt":"2023-08-29T15:58:11","slug":"i-was-in-trouble-how-gpt-4-rescued-me-from-writers-block","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kodifyit.com\/Main\/2023\/07\/14\/i-was-in-trouble-how-gpt-4-rescued-me-from-writers-block\/","title":{"rendered":"I Was in Trouble with Writer\u2019s Block"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

How GPT-4 Rescued Me: Filling in the Blanks.\u00a0<\/h2>\r\n

Using Generative AI as Your Creative Assistant.\u00a0<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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See more articles, posts, and discussions about business, project management, Generative AI and Creative Writing on Medium here<\/a>. If you have not already, subscribe to Medium<\/a>. Or follow me here<\/a> on Substack.<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n

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The Wordy World of AI: Mastering the Art of Co-writing with Generative Tools<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

An Awful Feeling<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

So, I sat down to start with this week\u2019s article. I thought I\u2019d a few ideas knocking around. All I had to do was pick one, flesh it out, do my research, and write the thing. The first order of business was selecting an idea, which sounded simple, but as I went through my list, I wasn\u2019t getting any feelings about any of them. Worse, they were all pretty boring anyway. I was suffering from Writers Block.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

No problem, relax and think about a topic that I find interesting\u2014nothing, nothing at all. I was suffering from a classic case of writer\u2019s block. Anything and everything I had was quickly thrown into the mental trash pile. It was a long day with a tiring commute, so maybe I\u2019m tired. Forget it for this evening, I thought; get a good night\u2019s sleep and try again tomorrow.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Tomorrow came, and tomorrow went with no improvement. I was completely stuck and at a loss, and panic started to surface in my mind. What to do?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I\u2019ve used GPT-4 for a few months, primarily for title and subtitle ideas and general outlining. But have used it extensively for research purposes, suitably cross-checked for accuracy. Why not ask GPT-4 for some fresh ideas?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Writing in the AI Age: Navigating the Terrain of GPT-4 Generated Articles<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Understanding Writer’s Block<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

There are so many definitions to be found on the internet, but just picking one at random from urbandictionary.com<\/a>, Most definitions follow along the same lines:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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A condition that may occur while writing. It causes the afflicted person to be unable to think of what to write next. Typically, the less interesting the topic is to the writer, the higher the severity and chance of occurrence.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Looking back over these last days, perhaps my problem was that I didn\u2019t find any of my ideas interesting. The more I thought and worried about it, the deeper my blockage became.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

For me, the entire situation wasn\u2019t all that serious; the only deadlines I have are self-imposed ones. But for professional writers, we can imagine how impactful this can quickly become in all writing disciplines. From Copy Writers to Journalists to Authors, the impacts may be frustration, wasted time, and finances. Any delays or reduction in producing quality work may also harm dependent businesses and their clients.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Reputations are difficult to build but can be destroyed in seconds. Think of a Journalist, for example, suffering from writer\u2019s block. They are given a story to write together with a tight deadline, as the deadline approaches, with no sign of their writer\u2019s block being lifted any time soon. They may be tempted to throw out something quickly, quality be damned. The editor will likely reject the story, and their reputation is dented. If it happens too often, they will be in real trouble.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

GPT-4 to the Rescue<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I got to thinking; one of my potential plans is to start a business or a new service for my existing business, offering the quick generation of business content using Generative AI tools. Why not ask GPT-4 for a list of article ideas? Here is my first prompt:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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I want to start a business providing AI-generated content, documentation, blog posts etc., for existing small businesses. Please give me a list of 20 short-form article ideas to talk about using Generative AI in this context.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I wasn\u2019t happy with the first attempt and asked GPT-4 to regenerate. This time was better but still not what I was after. However, one or two suggestions could be interesting, even at this early stage of the conversation. Now we are getting somewhere; here is the first follow-up prompt:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Based on item 5, give me a list of 10 suggested titles. The style must be semi-informal but professional. All titles must be immediately engaging and score highly for SEO. Please give me five subtitles for each suggested title in the same style.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Again, the result was not what I was after, so I tried again:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Try again, but this time based on item 14. Only give three subtitles for each title.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I immediately spotted a perfect suggestion that had everything to do with overcoming writer\u2019s block. Exactly the condition that I was suffering from, this is the last prompt:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Thank you. Based on title 1 and subtitle 1, please give me an outline for a short-form article targeting no more than 1500 words.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I know nothing is gained by saying please and thank you to AI, but I like to keep things civilised. Next, I copied the suggested title, sub-title, and outline. I rewrote my title and sub-title, then cut the sections in the outline that I wasn\u2019t interested in and reordered the sections I was.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The result is today\u2019s article, with very few AI-generated words remaining, possibly just a few here and there. This was all I needed to overcome my blockage, and now I\u2019m flying again.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I\u2019m an idiot, or am I? Starting a business after 60 <\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The Benefits are Obvious<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The ridiculous thing is I have been using GPT-4, and other tools, for a few months now to brainstorm various ideas, which has always helped. I am often given entirely new directions to pursue. I can\u2019t think of a better way to quickly generate buckets of ideas from which a creator can cherry-pick depending on their mood and go from there.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Generative AI tools like GPT, Bing, Bard (just released today in Europe), and many more are superb resources for ideas and exploration. Different tools are more suited to different tasks and are all subject to their limitations. The trick is understanding and compensating for these limitations; practice does make perfect.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The Wordy World of AI: Mastering the Art of Co-writing with Generative Tools <\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

My (Current) Creation Process<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I mainly use GPT-4 for text-generated ideas, titles and outlines. I use the results as a basis but hardly ever use any generated output without some extensive rewriting. Midjourney provides the images for my content, where required. I\u2019ve only recently started using it; check out my last few posts for examples.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I use a variation of the process detailed above for my articles and posts. I first start with an idea:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n