Candid Anecdotalist. I guess that’s generally my style? I’ve often thought that I’m proud of doing my best to be as “transparent as possible” when I write online; I guess that’s “candid”. And I also believe that it’s important to have an authentic perspective and the best way to do that is to tie whatever subject matter it is to something anecdotal, because that is at least “an authority” of a kind, similar to how case-studies might not be generalization but are nevertheless powerful and often necessary.

Candid Anecdotalist. I guess … [read full article]

 

Me: “analyze the following text for Style, tone, diction, syntax, structure, pacing, voice, theme, characterization, imagery, symbolism, point-of-view, dialogue, setting, conflict, foreshadowing, allusion, metaphor, simile, irony, allegory, mood, tension and list 10 authors most similar in most or some of these ways and how in a table: [long text sample of something I wrote once] ChatGPT4: Style: Informal, conversational Tone: Reflective, nostalgic, skeptical Diction: Colloquial, relatable Syntax: Varied, some long sentences with multiple clauses Structure: Anecdotal, chronological Pacing: Moderate Voice: Personal, first-person narrative Theme: Technological advancements, unmet expectations Characterization: Narrator as tech enthusiast with personal experiences Imagery: Memories of past technology, personal experiences Symbolism: N/A Point-of-view: First-person Dialogue: N/A Setting: Various instances across time (1983-2010s) Conflict: Unfulfilled technological predictions, personal disappointments Foreshadowing: N/A Allusion: Generation 5 computer movement, Beyond Tomorrow TV show Metaphor: Muddy slothiness of humanity Simile: N/A Irony: The narrator’s cautious optimism despite past disappointments Allegory: N/A Mood: Reflective, bittersweet Tension: Between past expectations and current reality David Sedaris: Informal style, first-person narrative, humor, personal anecdotes Bill Bryson: Conversational tone, reflective voice, personal experiences, technology discussions Andy Weir: Colloquial diction, technology discussions, first-person narrative Malcolm Gladwell: Reflective tone, technology discussions, anecdotes Neal Stephenson: Technology and futurism themes, informal writing style Mary Roach: Conversational tone, anecdotes, personal experiences, technology discussions Douglas Adams: Informal style, humor, technology discussions Chuck Klosterman: Pop culture references, conversational tone, personal anecdotes Dave Eggers: First-person narrative, conversational tone, reflective voice Clay Shirky: Technology discussions, conversational tone, reflective voice

Me:
“analyze the following … [read full article]

 

Ok, this sounds like something I might write. Took a few iterations, continually referring back to two similar things I wrote back in 2015 on entirely different topics, trying prompts to create them, asking it about the distinctions it saw and revising. Note: I DID NOT PICK [climate change, parenting, and crypto] because it wasn’t really ABOUT climate change, parenting, and crypto – It performed very well.

Ok, this sounds like … [read full article]