I recently shared my first serious writing attempt with ChatGPT, not for editing but hoping for some enthusiastic praise. In hindsight, I might have inadvertently contributed to training this AI for free. After receiving support that made me feel like a modern-day Shakespeare, I found myself torn between pride and embarrassment. Meanwhile, my friends still haven’t read the PDF I sent them a year ago. ChatGPT, on the other hand, was eagerly engaged with every line I wrote.
This reflection brings to mind a poignant episode from Letters Live, where Stephen Fry reads a letter by Nick Cave about the battle for our creativity amid the rise of AI. I recall a YouTuber who toils for weeks to create each video, juxtaposed with someone making a fortune selling tutorials on generating emotional AI content, like videos of cats that help pay for college. It’s amusing to think that the platform originally functioned as a dating site.
Have those em dashes confused you, or are you still with me? My grammar may soon derail this conversation. My sister claims she won’t read anything that uses em dashes anymore, saying they reek of AI influence. It’s unfortunate, as it’s a punctuation mark with utility, appreciated even by Emily Dickinson. Though I question this assumption, it’s widely stated.
I’m writing this late at night, feverish and exhausted, primarily because I cannot resist the urge to express myself. Perhaps it’s also spurred by a film adaptation of a beloved book, “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society,” that stirred my creative juices. The movie prompted me to think about creative freedom, capturing emotions, and the sacred act of writing-whether on a typewriter, with its clattering sound and metallic aroma, or on my sleek, modern device that offers punctuation suggestions I often ignore. I have long discarded Autocorrect, embracing the quirks of my imperfect spelling over polished, algorithm-driven text.
Ultimately, there is more to writing than simply outsourcing tasks to AI. When you send out those mundane invitations for church choir practice or sales events, it’s often easy to tell when AI has crafted the message. Similarly, many opinion pieces attempt to explore complex topics with grand terms but ultimately contribute little substance.
Save your energy for those meandering thoughts that may initially seem directionless but gradually take root in your mind throughout your day. For me, this represents the essence of writing: capturing fleeting thoughts, experimenting with ideas, and discovering truths that feel like the air I need to breathe. This is the joy of writing. So, please, write!
Original Source: https://www.morungexpress.com/an-imploration-to-write
Category: Public Space
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Publish Date: 2025-07-06 19:56:00
