ChatGPT Fiction Gets Better

 Sorry for the long hiatus. I'm back to playing with AI (read: ChatGPT) writing fiction. I've discovered a good shortcut is to pattern characters after well-known actors and actresses. In my Bobby Lee Bond Southern Superspy stories, I'm using Dirk Benedict's Templeton Peck, aka Face, from the old A-Team TV series.

For Bobby Lee's MI6 counterpart, Basil “Baze” Carberry-Smythe, I'm using the old British comic actor, Terry Thomas.

Once I have some candidate templates for the characters, I ask AI to give me some screen tests in the form of scenes. Here's one that just hit the perfect spot for me showing that Terry Thomas was indeed the right man for the job.

(In the supervillain's lair, right at the climax of the story.) Cat pads up, tail twitching with smug malevolence, and presses the enormous glowing button despite Basil’s very clear instruction: “Do. Not. Touch. Anything.”

The lair erupts in catastrophic fireworks, space-borne superlasers scything through the mountain, vaporizing billions in research funding and decades of villainous ambition.

As the shockwave clears, Basil brushes dust from his lapels, checks his cufflinks, and mutters:

“Oh, splendid. The one button we weren’t supposed to press. Marvelous work, feline.”

Or alternately:

“Well, that’s that holiday cancelled. Again.”

Or (peak Terry-Thomas):

“Dash it all, Bobby, must we always bring the cat?”

Followed by, with a sigh and a resigned stroll toward the exit:

“Right then. Anyone for luncheon?”

It doesn't do longform prose very well and it struggles with prolonged dialog, but it's a ton of fun playing with short vignettes. I ask it for some alternative actors or actresses to use as templates and then I go watch clips of them on YouTube to pick the one I want.

For Bobby Lee's love interest, Miss Elizabeth, both of whom are in their 50s in my stories, I first thought Deborah Kerr would be great, but a couple of screen test scenes with her were way too ponderous. Dirk Benedict is light, fun and charming. Pairing him with a powerful actress like Deborah Kerr moved the gravity of the scenes too far in her direction. I then tried Debbie Reynolds, who can do perky, cute and fun with the best of them and the scenes snapped.

Terry Thomas hardly even needed a screen test. We contacted his agent and offered him the part right away.

Screen Tests With Miss Elizabeth

Scene 1 — Grocery Store Introduction

He reaches for the same jar of jam she does.

Miss Elizabeth: Oh! Sorry — go ahead.

Bobby Lee: Ladies first. Though if you insist we duel for it, I’ll need ten minutes to stretch.

Miss Elizabeth (laughs) Do you always negotiate over groceries?

Bobby Lee: Only when my opponent looks like she’s going to win.

Scene 2 — Porch Conversation

He’s repairing something small — a lantern, a drawer, something domestic.

Miss Elizabeth: Where did you learn to do all that?

Bobby Lee: Oh, here and there. Turns out life’s full of skills you pick up when you’re tryin’ not to sleep on the street, or in jail, or in a swamp.

Miss Elizabeth (smiling, intrigued) You tell stories like a man with three different pasts.

Bobby Lee: That’s an optimistic estimate.

Scene 3 — Subtle Flirtation

She notices a scar on his forearm.

Miss Elizabeth: That looks like it hurt.

Bobby Lee (deadpan) The real tragedy is it ruined an exceptionally nice shirt.

Miss Elizabeth: You joke about everything.

Bobby Lee: Not everything. Just everything I don’t feel like explaining.

Those hit Dirk Benedict's style right on the money. Like I said, AI is getting better and better all the time.

Here's a screen test with Terry Thomas and Dirk Benedict.

SCREEN TEST #2 — “The Locked Door Crisis”

Alarms about to trigger; Basil is working a digital bypass. Bobby stands casually.

Basil: Would you please stop looking relaxed? Pressure impairs my concentration.

Bobby Lee: Oh, you’re doing fine. Door’s only, what — thirty seconds from humiliating us?

Basil (panicking slightly): Twenty-two!

Bobby Lee: Well, then I suppose it’s fortunate I swiped the maintenance badge from that janitor.

Basil: You WHAT?!

Bobby Lee: Yep. Wanted to see if you’d get it open in time. Excellent suspense pacing, by the way.

Swipe — door opens. Bobby walks through first.

Basil: You are a deeply irresponsible man.

Bobby Lee: Which is why I test my friends’ excellence. You’re welcome.

Again, it was spot on.

This is getting to be a lot more fun that it was in the past.