It's Crowded in Here
I became aware of something last week for the first time.
The only way I can write a novel is to have it all in my head at once. I work on specific sections, sure, but all 90,000 words are in my head.
At first, I feel like I'm just infinitely rearranging a warehouse of Scrabble tiles. That's why 90% of the first draft is gone now.
At some point, though, those Scrabble tiles start breathing on their own. They add color. They become vibrant. It's the best part, which is where I am now, before I see everything so clearly and realize it can never be as good as I want it to be.
It's still hard, and annoying. I spent three days looking for a crowbar to wedge into a particular chapter (that needed to be completely rewritten, of course). If I just keep showing up every day at roughly the same time, though, failure gives up.
That's not a bad way of describing the process of writing a novel: making failure give up.
Things I noticed today
Remember the 23andMe craze? On January 2, 2021, the stock closed at $258.80 a share.
Today, it closed at $0.73. That's right, seventy-three cents. And if you want a cherry on that, they filed for bankruptcy.
If you have results from them, you might want to go onto the website and delete them, if you haven't already, due to uncertainly over who might purchase the company.
Second, as the Patron Saint of Lost Causes, I'm of course attracted to the upcoming baseball game between Yeshiva University and Lehman College on April 8.
Why? Because they've lost a combined 124 games in a row.
I was in NYC only a few weeks ago. If only I'd gone in April. You know I'd be there for the entire doubleheader (that's right--two games, not one).
I'm not sure when the other three (!) episodes will be available, but it's worth the wait.
GPT Shanties, day three
ChatGPT
said:
Got it!
Thank you for the clarity. I’ll keep it tighter, more rhythmic, and stripped
down—no excess words. I’ll aim to match the simplicity and flow you’re looking
for with "Tide's Lullaby."
Let’s try
again with a more concise approach, focusing on rhythm and purpose.
1. "Roll
With the Tide"
(Verse
1)
Roll with the tide, the wind’s on our side,
The sea’s in our blood, and the stars are our guide.
We’ve sailed through the storm, we’ve weathered the night,
Roll with the tide, and keep our course right.
(Chorus)
So haul, lads, haul, the ship’s steady and true,
The sea is our mistress, we’re ready for you!
With a shout and a cheer, and the wind in our sails,
Roll with the tide, and set the wind’s trail!
2. "The
Ocean's Call"
(Verse
1)
The ocean’s call is loud and clear,
She pulls at our hearts, draws us near.
Through the mist and the roar, we’ll sail on and on,
The ocean’s call is where we belong.
(Chorus)
So haul, lads, haul, don’t hesitate,
The ocean’s our mistress, it’s never too late!
With the waves at our feet, and the stars in our eyes,
We’ll follow her call, ‘neath the endless skies!
3. "Sail
to the End"
(Verse
1)
Sail to the end, through the fog and the rain,
The sea’s our home, we’ll sail once again.
With the wind in our sails and the stars overhead,
Sail to the end, where the horizon’s red.
(Chorus)
So haul, lads, haul, the course is set,
The sea’s our home, we’ve no regrets!
With the tide in our veins, and the wind at our back,
Sail to the end, we’re on the right track!
These are
more streamlined and should flow better in rhythm. Let me know if any of them
work or if you'd like further adjustments!
You
said:
Sail To
the End is quite good. Thank you.
ChatGPT
said:
You're
very welcome! I'm glad "Sail to the End" hit the mark. If you have
any more tweaks or want to try another round, just let me know. I'm always
ready to help you fine-tune it further. Happy sailing, and may the wind be at
your back!
__________________________________________________________________________________
Taking the lyrics from ChatGPT, I then went to Udio and went through three iterations of song generation. Which I would share for you now but for the radical stupidity of multiple platforms involved in doing this. I'll try to figure it out over the weekend and have it for you on Monday.
GTP Shanties Final Product
After a ridiculous series of steps comparable only to the Manhattan Project in complexity, here's the final result: Sail to the Horizon.
GPT Shanties, day two
ChatGPT
said:
Here’s my
revised set of shanties based on your input:
1. "Sail
Away, Bold and Free"
(Verse
1)
The wind it blows, the waves they rise,
We sail for treasure 'neath open skies.
With a song on our lips, and a heart full of cheer,
Sail away, bold and free, no fear!
(Chorus)
So haul, lads, haul, don’t let her stray,
The ocean’s callin’, we’re on our way!
With the wind in our sails and the stars to guide,
We sail away, bold and free, to the other side!
2. "Heave,
My Hearties"
(Verse
1)
Heave, my hearties, the shore’s far away,
The storm’s on the horizon, but we’ll sail through the day.
We’ve weathered the winds and the heavy, dark seas,
So heave, my hearties, and follow the breeze!
(Chorus)
Heave, lads, heave, we’re strong and we’re true,
The sea’s our mistress, and she’ll see us through!
With a shout and a cheer, we’ll chart our own course,
Heave, my hearties, to the wind and the force!
3. "Tide’s
Lullaby"
(Verse
1)
The tide’s lullaby is callin’ us near,
The ship’s hummin’ softly, no more fear.
The stars are our lanterns, the night’s our friend,
We’ll sail ‘til the dawn, and then sail again!
(Chorus)
So lift your voices, and sing with me,
We’ll sail the wide world, just wait and see!
With the tide at our back, and the wind in our hair,
We’ll chase down the horizon, no matter where!
I’ve kept
the lines tighter and more rhythmic to suit the feel of "Roll, You
Rogues" while making sure they still have that adventurous, bold energy.
Let me know which one you like best or if you have any tweaks to suggest!
You
said:
Sail Away,
Bold and Free is a mess. It's as if your mischievous younger brother broke into
your room and accessed your computer. Heave, My hearties, is still too verbose.
Tide's Lullaby is the best. Remember, these have to be sung in a rhythm, and
any unnecessary words act as friction and slow the words down. If you're going
to introduce friction in a song, do it with purpose, not as a matter of course.
Try again.
GPT Shanties, day one
Please
choose an era-appropriate name for a sailor who sings sea shanties.
ChatGPT
said:
Of course!
How about Silas "Sly" Drake?
Silas has
an old-world charm, and “Sly” as a nickname gives him a bit of a mischievous,
charismatic edge—perfect for a sailor who could be known for his witty
shanties. Drake evokes the image of the sea and adventure, possibly referencing
the famous explorer Sir Francis Drake. It feels like the name of someone who’s
seen many a port and knows the tides like the back of his hand.
You
said:
Let's go
with Silas, then. Silas, I'd like you to write me three short sea shanties.
I'll select the best one and offer additional suggestions. Then you will write
three more. and so on, until you write the perfect sea shanty. For reference,
my three favorites are "Don't Forget Your Old Shipmate,"
"Wellerman," and "Leave Her, Johnny."
ChatGPT
said:
Aye aye,
captain! I’m ready to sing out some shanties for you. Here’s the first
round—let’s see which one strikes your fancy:
1. "Roll,
You Rogues"
(Verse
1)
Oh, roll, you rogues, and make the sails fly,
The wind’s in our favor, the storm's passin’ by.
We’ve got gold in our pockets, the sea at our back,
So roll, you rogues, we’ll never turn back!
(Chorus)
So haul away, boys, and don’t you delay,
The ocean is callin’, we’ll sail her today!
With the wind at our heels, and the stars up above,
We’ll sail 'round the world, for treasure and love!
2. "The
Old Man's Song"
(Verse
1)
There’s a tale the old man’s been singin’ for years,
Of a ship that sailed off, through the storm and the tears.
She creaked and she groaned, but she never did break,
And she found her way home, on the waves of the lake.
(Chorus)
He sang, “Oh, the sea’s my mistress, the wind is my friend,
I’ll sail 'til the end, with no start and no end.
So raise up your glass, and let the wild winds blow,
For the old man’s a sailor, and the sea’s all he knows!"
3. "The
Midnight Star"
(Verse
1)
The midnight star is bright and clear,
She guides us through the dark and near.
Through the fog and waves so wild,
She keeps our ship on course, beguiled.
(Chorus)
So sing ye all, and raise a cheer,
For the star that keeps us steerin’ here.
With the wind in our sails, and the sea’s mighty roar,
We’ll follow the Midnight Star evermore!
Let me
know which one catches your ear, and I’ll spin the next set based on your
feedback!
You
said:
The
Midnight Star has the most rhythmic lyrics of the three, even though I don't
particularly like the words in the lyrics. The individual lines of the other
two seem too lengthy and cluttered with unnecessary words. In terms of theme, I
prefer Roll, You Rogues.
ChatGPT
said:
Great
feedback! I see what you mean about the rhythm of "The Midnight Star"
and the wording in the other two. I'll aim for something with the energy and
theme of "Roll, You Rogues" but with more concise, punchy lines that
maintain a good rhythm.
I Believe We're All in Agreement On This
Until an LLM can be used to write high-quality, period-authentic sea shanty lyrics, it has no real purpose. Furthermore, this must be accompanied by being able to export those lyrics into a music generation program and winding up with a legitimate tune.
As I am on the cutting edge of AI exploration, I'll be attempting to do this. I'll keep you updated.
Impossible
The most difficult thing in the world, far more than breaking into a bank vault or having the nuclear launch codes or climbing Everest with only one shoe--is opening a package of Saran wrap. Pay extra for the authentic product and be greeted with 6-D packaging that makes no sense in any of those dimensions. Perhaps the serrated edge is for your wrists after you've had enough.
Academia
I'm genuinely having a difficult time coming up with topics for the blog as I watch the U.S. being destroyed.
Schools are rescinding grad school acceptances right and left because of funding uncertainty. It's destroying people's lives. There are mass layoffs happening at universities all over the country. Today, the Department of Education had a huge number of layoffs as it prepares to be shut down.
Eli 23.7 had talked about possibly coming back to the U.S. to work on his doctorate, but as it turns out, he's lucky he didn't. He'll be working on his doctorate with no possibility of funding uncertainties, in an environment where his qualitative work is genuinely appreciated.
I know people voted for this catastrophe, and it still stuns me that it ever happened.
Intelligence
I wonder how a kid becomes intelligent these days.
Every kid I see (of every age) is on a phone or an iPad. I'd like to think they were reading books, but it never seems to be the case. They're either watching videos or playing games.
Learning something is a process, and it seems like the process has been entirely short-circuited by the lure of fifteen seconds of gratification. Repeat 100X.
Eli 23.7 is the most intelligent person I know. He benefited, though, from growing up in an era when cellphones weren't quite ubiquitous. He didn't even have one until sixth grade (I held out for seventh, but lost). And when he did get a phone, he watched YouTube videos, but many of them were to learn something specific (which he would then practice endlessly until he mastered it). He was consuming content with a goal in mind.
The kids I see now just sit and watch with absolutely no goal in mind except the next video. If you don't know the process of learning, how do you spend your life? Is it just an endless sea of content?
I can't answer these questions, and it's discouraging.
Severance
I hadn't watched Severance (Apple TV), even though it's science fiction and has gotten rave reviews.
C had watched the first season and said she'd watch it again, so we started last week, and I'm stunned by its quality. The story is excellent and so is the acting. Plus, the pacing is fantastic. It's not overstuffed and bombastic like so many new shows now. Instead, it's deeply thoughtful with lots of breathing room to assess what's happening.
We're almost through season one and I have a hard time thinking of another science fiction show with this kind of quality in its first season.
I give Apple shit all the time (deservedly) for their octopus ecosystem, but they're still trying to make memorable TV shows instead of mass algorithm-driven filler. Full credit to them.
