My first steps with ChatGPT

Yesterday I finally got my account with OpenAI. I was hesitant to use the technology because I didn’t want to be part of making these things even smarter. Yet my curiosity took over and I started to playing around. I wasn’t more than 10 minutes on OpenAI. A few very simple questions about myself and my work in Janwaar. I was surprised how eloquently the machine summarized it. And how fast it was. And how polite 🙂

Then I asked it, if it knew what comics are. “Of course, I know!” and it gave me a brief description what cocmics are all about. I continued: “If I provide you a text, can you write a dialogue for a comic ?” Once again “Of course!” was the answer. “I am very happy to do so!”, it added.

So I gave it the following text – no extras, just this plain text. It’s the description of the main characters of my new book “Be a Voice, not an Echo!” Here is the text:

———————————————– text starts ———————————————

Wani, the VOICE. Wani has become self-confident over the years. She is now 18 years old and a trailblazer for the girls in the village. She escaped an arranged marriage and convinced her parents to set her free – being resilient was her way forward. At times Wani can be very empathetic and thoughtful. She looks pretty and all the boys in the village admire her – often secretly. She knows how to play with this. She has the power to drive change and is leading by example. She is somehow fearless, comfortable in expressing her own opinion respectfully and doesn’t take “no” for an answer. She dropped out of school when she was 14, became a pretty cool skateboarder and with her skateboarding she became quite famous all over India. She has won multiple Indian championships and has participated in the World Championships in China. With skateboarding her interest in education came back and she finally passed her high scholl exams. Wani is a tribal girl, very authentic. She is struggling with her background and her new “role” in the village – her life is sometimes like a roller coaster.

Goonj, the ECHO. Goonj is loud, restless, unpatient and cares the most about himself. He could easily be described as me, myself & I. Sharing was not invented for him. For him life is all about looking good on his skateboard. To be the best skateboarder is all he wants, yet he doesn’t take any advise from anyone. He is very lonely on his way. He is looking up to his idols whom he copies and adores blindlessly. He wants to be like them. Goonj is 16 years old and the oldest son of his tribal parents. This comes with some obligations, which he is unable to fulfill most of the times. He wants to look like a tough guy yet he has a very soft core in a hard shell. He is shattered inside, sometimes dishonest and doesn’t know what he wants – nevertheless he is always playing cool. His opinions are twisting in the wind. He desperately wants to be a leader but he is always standing in his own way. He himself is the biggest hurdle he has to overcome. Many kids in the village look up to him because he is their best skateboarder, yet they are afraid of him because he is shouting and distancing himself from the rest. He is looking for followers, not for people on his eye-level.

Sankoch, the HESITANT. Sankoch is the little brother of Goonj and the youngest in the family. He is the brightest kid in the village and the best in English. Just like Wani he has passed his high scholl exams. His skateboarding skills are not as good as his brothers’ – yet he does fairly well on the deck. He is willing to learn and understands clearly how important it is to be a voice. Yes he is hesitant: his peers, who hardly have seen a school from the inside, are teasing him when he is focused on his studies and is supporting Wani in the village affairs. This is not what a boy in a village does!
Sankoch is also still struggling to step out of his brothers’ long shadow and to speak freely with his parents about what he wants in life and how he can achieve it. His parents never went to school, they can not read and write – yet he is asking them for advice where and what to study. Sankoch is not living up to his possibilities due to the social fabrics he is living in. He is obedient and feels deep inside that he should not obey but rather find his own way. When he is in the village his “productivity” goes down to almost zero because he is torn between his own dreams and the parents, peers and his brother. Sankoch has a wonderful smile and a good heart.

———————————————– text ends ———————————————-

In less than 5 seconds ChatGPT offered me the following dialogue proposal, including ideas for the various panels of the comics.

–––––––——————————— comic dialogue proposal starts ——————————-

[Panel 1: Wani and Goonj standing at the skatepark]

Wani: (confidently) Hey Goonj, check out this new trick I learned yesterday! Want me to show you?

Goonj: (impatiently) Nah, I’ve seen it all. I’ve got my own thing going on.

[Panel 2: Wani skateboarding gracefully]

Wani: (thoughtfully) You know, Goonj, skateboarding is not just about showing off. It’s about pushing ourselves to be better, to inspire others.

Goonj: (defensively) Whatever. I just want to be the best, and I’ll get there my way.

[Panel 3: Sankoch watching from a distance]

Sankoch: (hesitant) Um, Wani, that was amazing! Can you show me how to do it?

Wani: (empathetically) Of course, Sankoch! Let’s practice together.

[Panel 4: Wani, Goonj, and Sankoch practicing skateboarding]

Wani: (encouragingly) Sankoch, you’re doing great! Just keep trying, and you’ll improve.

Goonj: (sarcastically) Yeah, keep trying, Sankoch. Maybe you’ll catch up to us one day.

[Panel 5: Sankoch speaking with Wani]

Sankoch: (hesitant) Wani, I want to do well in school, but my friends don’t understand.

Wani: (supportively) It’s okay, Sankoch. Education is important, and you should follow your dreams.

[Panel 6: Sankoch with his family]

Sankoch: (softly) Mom, Dad, I want to study further and become someone important.

Parents: (doubtfully) You should focus on helping with the family. Education is not necessary.

[Panel 7: Sankoch talking to Wani]

Sankoch: (determined) Wani, it’s hard, but I won’t give up. I want to be a voice for change.

Wani: (admiringly) You’re already a voice, Sankoch. Just be true to yourself, and you’ll find your way.

[Panel 8: Wani, Goonj, and Sankoch skating together]

Wani: (smiling) Let’s keep pushing forward, together, and show the world what we can achieve.

Goonj: (reluctantly) Yeah, whatever. I’ll do it my way.

Sankoch: (optimistic) And I’ll do it my way, too. Let’s be trailblazers, just like you, Wani.

–––––––——————————— comic dialogue proposal ends ——————————–

I was stunned.

Make up ypur own mind.