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Let’s Make a JavaScript App with ChatGPT

April 3, 2023

You might remember a recent post on asking ChatGPT about the Gothic. I there mentioned how ChatGPT is a tool and, like every tool, its successful use depends on the user and scope. I also mentioned how, in my opinion, the most intriguing application of ChatGPT is as a programming helper. Well, that’s what I decided to try in this post: Let’s make a JavaScript app with ChatGPT!

Obviously, starting this mini project I had to establish certain methodological factors. That is, I had to decide on how to do certain things.

The main one was what the app would be about. For simplicity’s sake – both in terms of the confines of the post and the amount of effort I was willing to put in programmatically – I decided that the JavaScript app ChatGPT would make had to be a simple one. No need to create any full-fledged adventure game here.

I also had to decide whether I would only get help for this JavaScript app from ChatGPT, e.g. for certain functions, or I’d ask it to generate the code in its entirety. I quickly realized that, even if I’d have to do at least some of the mixing-and-matching, for the purposes of this experiment I should let ChatGPT to do most of the work.

As for what program to make, I thought the best idea would be to make something I’ve already made myself, for comparison. I opted for my Poem Shuffler. The results were very intriguing, to say the least!

JavaScript App ChatGPT — The image superimposed on the stock programming image represents a ZX Spectrum +2 – my very first computer. Younger audiences may not understand this is a computer, because of the tape recorder – hang on; do younger audiences know what **that** is? – which was used to read/write data. We’ve come a long, long way since 48k games.

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Writing a University Thesis: or, Tales from the Academic Crypt

March 27, 2023

Criticism, Society

academia, criticism, mediocrity, society, writing

You probably think this post isn’t for you – unless you’re a student about to start writing a university thesis. But although in this post I indeed want to give some tips to students on their way to writing a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or even Doctoral thesis, there are important things we need to discuss about society and how our academic communities operate.

After all, much of what you experience in your everyday life is one way or another related to the academia. I’m not even referring to “knowledge” being born in the academia (I wish it were that simple). Rather, the people produced – that’s the right word – by the academia are your future employers and colleagues, mayors and decision-makers, and overall people you will have to deal with.

For those not familiar with me, I’ve spent 12 years at the university studying and teaching English literature. I’ve written a Bachelor’s thesis, a Master’s thesis, and a Doctoral thesis. I’ve seen the academia from the inside and let me tell you, the sausage metaphor applies.

Though I’ll structure the post around a way it would be most useful to a student – including what to expect, what to do, and what to avoid while writing a university thesis – I’ll add plenty of anecdotal details along the way that will make the post interesting to anyone.

Writing a University Thesis — University life involves learning when to talk and when to shut up. Writing a university thesis isn’t much different

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How to Introduce Characters: Examples, Problems, and Genre

March 20, 2023

Fiction Writing Tips, Writing

characters, creativity, fiction, literature, narrative, writing

Whether you write short stories or novels, fantasy fiction or literary fiction, you have to deal with characters. Even experimental fiction needs some sort of characters. Is there an optimal way of introducing your characters to your audience?

This might feel like a deceptively simple thing. Surely, one might think, introducing characters can’t be that hard? Well, writing is as hard as you make it, in a way, but that’s beyond the point. Rather, our point in this post is to discover whether there is an optimal way of presenting your characters to your readers.

Obviously, the statement is rhetorical.

Of course there are more than one ways of introducing your characters to your audience, which automatically makes some of those ways “better” – and we’ll soon have to define that – and some “not so great”. Which means, as a writer you have a strong incentive to reflect on how you introduce your characters in your fiction.

That’s what I’m here for!

In this post I’ll show you – with examples – the different ways we can use to introduce the characters of our story. I’ll explain why some ways are “better” than others (and what that really means), though we’ll also take a look at some problem points; gray areas, if you like. Sneak preview: These have to do with the ever-lasting struggle to balance between genre and literary expression, between marketing and art.

how to introduce characters — The “right” way to introduce the characters of your story depends on artistic priorities, narrative balance, and affective intent. In plain terms, it depends on **you**, the author

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