It will take me longer to compose this blog post than it did to write a short story for my neighbor’s son and illustrate its cover. Why? Because the story brief and short story writing were entirely accomplished in just over 5 minutes by working with ChatGPT, and the cover illustration was created in Midjourney in under five minutes. The illustration was made using ONLY the story brief as a prompt. The longest part of the process was my editing of the Midjourney output in Adobe Photoshop. That took precisely 13 minutes and would have taken less time if I had been in my office on a larger monitor and hadn’t spent so much time fussing over the font.
The cover is shown in full just below, and I’m also going to share the final version of the story first. After that, you’ll see the entire chat string that created the story. The story brief and the story itself was written entirely by ChatGPT. My involvement in the story creation was as an editor. I prompted changes I wanted to see in the story.
Why am I doing this? I learn best when I’m playing. I think most people do. Play is an essential aspect of learning, even as an adult. When we engage in playful activities, we can let go of our inhibitions and approach learning with a sense of openness and curiosity. This allows us to explore new concepts and ideas without the pressure to perform or achieve a certain outcome. All I’m doing here is playing out in the open. I hope you’re enjoying watching as much as I enjoy playing. 🙂
Here Is The Cover Illustration
The original is the output from Midjourney. It was created by inputting the first two paragraphs of the final story brief you will see later. Midjourney spit out four designs, and I had it create four more variations on the one I liked best. The base image for my edit in Photoshop was selected from the final four variations.
The Final Version Of The Story
Rowdy was a curious and adventurous boy who loved exploring the world around him. One day, he found a secret door in his backyard and stepped through it.
Rowdy found himself in a magical land full of talking animals and enchanted forests. He was amazed by all the wonderful things he saw, and he couldn’t wait to explore.
Rowdy met a friendly old owl named Hootie, who showed him around and introduced him to other animals. Rowdy played with some bunnies named Fluffy and Thumper in their burrow, and chased a mischievous fox named Rusty through the forest. He also met a grumpy old bear named Grumbly who was grumbling about the lack of honey in the area, and a group of playful otters named Ripple, Splash, and Tumble who invited him to join them in a game of tag in the river.
Rowdy had a great time playing with the otters, splashing and laughing as they chased each other around in the cool, clear water. They swam and played for hours, diving and flipping in the water and trying to catch each other. Rowdy even managed to tickle Ripple, who squealed with laughter and quickly swam away.
After their playtime in the river, the otters invited Rowdy to join them for a picnic on the riverbank. They feasted on delicious berries and fish, and sang and danced together in the warm sunshine. Rowdy was having the time of his life, and he was grateful for the new friends he had made in the magical land.
Rowdy and Hootie had lots of exciting adventures together. They faced some challenges, like crossing a ravine, but they always worked together to overcome them. One time, they came across a dark and spooky cave, but they braved the unknown and ventured inside, discovering a hidden treasure trove of glittering jewels and precious gems.
Through his experiences in the magical land, Rowdy learned the value of friendship and the importance of being brave and curious in the face of the unknown. And when it was time for him to return home, he did so with a heart full of unforgettable memories and a newfound appreciation for the world around him.
Here Is How The Story Was Created
Write a story brief for a children’s book set in Santa Clarita, CA.
In the bustling city of Santa Clarita, CA, a young girl named Sophie lives with her loving family. She is always curious and loves to explore her surroundings. One day, while playing in her backyard, Sophie stumbles upon a hidden door leading to a magical land filled with talking animals and enchanted forests.
Sophie is amazed by the wonders she finds in this new world, and she quickly makes friends with a kind and wise old owl named Hootie. Hootie takes Sophie on an exciting adventure through the magical land, introducing her to all sorts of wonderful creatures along the way.
As they journey through the enchanted forests and past bubbling streams, Sophie and Hootie encounter challenges and obstacles, but they always work together to overcome them. In the end, Sophie learns the value of friendship and the importance of being brave and curious in the face of the unknown.
The story ends with Sophie returning home to her family, filled with unforgettable memories of her magical adventure in Santa Clarita.
Santa Clarita, CA, is a suburb of Los Angeles, not a bustling city. Make the young girl and young boy named “Rowdy” (I made a mistake and put “and young boy” instead of “a young boy.”)
In the quiet suburb of Santa Clarita, CA, a young girl named Sophie and a young boy named Rowdy live with their loving families. They are always curious and love to explore their surroundings together.
One day, while playing in Sophie’s backyard, the two friends stumble upon a hidden door leading to a magical land filled with talking animals and enchanted forests. Sophie and Rowdy are amazed by the wonders they find in this new world, and they quickly make friends with a kind and wise old owl named Hootie.
Hootie takes Sophie and Rowdy on an exciting adventure through the magical land, introducing them to all sorts of wonderful creatures along the way. As they journey through the enchanted forests and past bubbling streams, the friends encounter challenges and obstacles, but they always work together to overcome them.
In the end, Sophie and Rowdy learn the value of friendship and the importance of being brave and curious in the face of the unknown. The story ends with the two friends returning home to their families, filled with unforgettable memories of their magical adventure in Santa Clarita.
There are no girls in this story.
In the quiet suburb of Santa Clarita, CA, a young boy named Rowdy lives with his loving family. He is always curious and loves to explore his surroundings.
One day, while playing in his backyard, Rowdy stumbles upon a hidden door leading to a magical land filled with talking animals and enchanted forests. Rowdy is amazed by the wonders he finds in this new world, and he quickly makes friends with a kind and wise old owl named Hootie.
Hootie takes Rowdy on an exciting adventure through the magical land, introducing him to all sorts of wonderful creatures along the way. As they journey through the enchanted forests and past bubbling streams, Rowdy encounters challenges and obstacles, but he always uses his bravery and curiosity to overcome them.
In the end, Rowdy learns the value of friendship and the importance of being brave and curious in the face of the unknown. The story ends with Rowdy returning home to his family, filled with unforgettable memories of his magical adventure in Santa Clarita.
Now, write a story based on that brief.
Rowdy was always a curious and adventurous boy, and he loved nothing more than exploring the world around him. So when he discovered a hidden door in his backyard, he didn’t hesitate to open it and step through.
Rowdy found himself in a magical land filled with talking animals and enchanted forests. He was awestruck by the beauty and wonder of this new world, and he couldn’t wait to explore.
As Rowdy wandered through the magical land, he met all sorts of interesting creatures. He befriended a kind and wise old owl named Hootie, who showed him around and introduced him to the other animals.
Rowdy and Hootie had many exciting adventures together, traveling through the enchanted forests and past bubbling streams. They faced challenges and obstacles along the way, but they always worked together to overcome them.
Through his experiences in the magical land, Rowdy learned the value of friendship and the importance of being brave and curious in the face of the unknown. And when it was time for him to return home, he did so with a heart full of unforgettable memories and a newfound appreciation for the world around him.
Make the story longer and include more about the sorts of interesting creatures he met. Also add a specific example in the story about how a challenge or obstacle he faced.
Rowdy was always a curious and adventurous boy, and he loved nothing more than exploring the world around him. So when he discovered a hidden door in his backyard, he didn’t hesitate to open it and step through.
Rowdy found himself in a magical land filled with talking animals and enchanted forests. He was awestruck by the beauty and wonder of this new world, and he couldn’t wait to explore.
As Rowdy wandered through the magical land, he met all sorts of interesting creatures. He befriended a kind and wise old owl named Hootie, who showed him around and introduced him to the other animals. Rowdy met a friendly group of rabbits who invited him to play with them in their burrow, and he even encountered a mischievous fairy who led him on a wild chase through the forest.
Rowdy and Hootie had many exciting adventures together, traveling through the enchanted forests and past bubbling streams. They faced challenges and obstacles along the way, but they always worked together to overcome them. One time, they came across a treacherous ravine that they had to cross in order to continue on their journey. Rowdy was scared at first, but with Hootie’s guidance and encouragement, he was able to muster up the courage to make the jump and successfully cross the ravine.
Through his experiences in the magical land, Rowdy learned the value of friendship and the importance of being brave and curious in the face of the unknown. And when it was time for him to return home, he did so with a heart full of unforgettable memories and a newfound appreciation for the world around him.
Now keep the same story, but make it appropriate for a five-year-old.
Rowdy was a curious and adventurous boy who loved exploring the world around him. One day, he found a secret door in his backyard and stepped through it.
Rowdy found himself in a magical land full of talking animals and enchanted forests. He was amazed by all the wonderful things he saw, and he couldn’t wait to explore.
Rowdy met a friendly old owl named Hootie, who showed him around and introduced him to other animals. Rowdy even played with some bunnies in their burrow and chased a fairy through the forest.
Rowdy and Hootie had lots of exciting adventures together. They faced some challenges, but they always worked together to overcome them. One time, they had to cross a ravine, but Rowdy was brave and made it across with Hootie’s help.
Rowdy learned about friendship and bravery in the magical land. When it was time to go back home, he was filled with happy memories.
The story needs to be longer and more detailed.
Rowdy was a curious and adventurous boy who loved exploring the world around him. One day, he found a secret door in his backyard and stepped through it.
Rowdy found himself in a magical land full of talking animals and enchanted forests. He was amazed by all the wonderful things he saw, and he couldn’t wait to explore.
Rowdy met a friendly old owl named Hootie, who showed him around and introduced him to other animals. Rowdy played with some bunnies in their burrow and chased a fairy through the forest. He also met a grumpy old bear who was grumbling about the lack of honey in the area, and a group of playful otters who invited him to join them in a game of tag in the river.
Rowdy and Hootie had lots of exciting adventures together. They faced some challenges, like crossing a ravine, but they always worked together to overcome them. One time, they came across a dark and spooky cave, but they braved the unknown and ventured inside, discovering a hidden treasure trove of glittering jewels and precious gems.
Through his experiences in the magical land, Rowdy learned the value of friendship and the importance of being brave and curious in the face of the unknown. And when it was time for him to return home, he did so with a heart full of unforgettable memories and a newfound appreciation for the world around him.
Make the fairy in the story a different animal and name all of the animals.
Rowdy was a curious and adventurous boy who loved exploring the world around him. One day, he found a secret door in his backyard and stepped through it.
Rowdy found himself in a magical land full of talking animals and enchanted forests. He was amazed by all the wonderful things he saw, and he couldn’t wait to explore.
Rowdy met a friendly old owl named Hootie, who showed him around and introduced him to other animals. Rowdy played with some bunnies named Fluffy and Thumper in their burrow, and chased a mischievous fox named Rusty through the forest. He also met a grumpy old bear named Grumbly who was grumbling about the lack of honey in the area, and a group of playful otters named Ripple, Splash, and Tumble who invited him to join them in a game of tag in the river.
Rowdy and Hootie had lots of exciting adventures together. They faced some challenges, like crossing a ravine, but they always worked together to overcome them. One time, they came across a dark and spooky cave, but they braved the unknown and ventured inside, discovering a hidden treasure trove of glittering jewels and precious gems.
Through his experiences in the magical land, Rowdy learned the value of friendship and the importance of being brave and curious in the face of the unknown. And when it was time for him to return home, he did so with a heart full of unforgettable memories and a newfound appreciation for the world around him.
Add into the story in a new paragraph a specific example of playing with Ripple, Splash, and Tumble.
Rowdy was a curious and adventurous boy who loved exploring the world around him. One day, he found a secret door in his backyard and stepped through it.
Rowdy found himself in a magical land full of talking animals and enchanted forests. He was amazed by all the wonderful things he saw, and he couldn’t wait to explore.
Rowdy met a friendly old owl named Hootie, who showed him around and introduced him to other animals. Rowdy played with some bunnies named Fluffy and Thumper in their burrow, and chased a mischievous fox named Rusty through the forest. He also met a grumpy old bear named Grumbly who was grumbling about the lack of honey in the area, and a group of playful otters named Ripple, Splash, and Tumble who invited him to join them in a game of tag in the river. Rowdy had a great time playing with the otters, splashing and laughing as they chased each other around in the cool, clear water.
Rowdy and Hootie had lots of exciting adventures together. They faced some challenges, like crossing a ravine, but they always worked together to overcome them. One time, they came across a dark and spooky cave, but they braved the unknown and ventured inside, discovering a hidden treasure trove of glittering jewels and precious gems.
Through his experiences in the magical land, Rowdy learned the value of friendship and the importance of being brave and curious in the face of the unknown. And when it was time for him to return home, he did so with a heart full of unforgettable memories and a newfound appreciation for the world around him.
break the second paragraph into two paragraphs.
Rowdy was a curious and adventurous boy who loved exploring the world around him. One day, he found a secret door in his backyard and stepped through it.
Rowdy found himself in a magical land full of talking animals and enchanted forests. He was amazed by all the wonderful things he saw, and he couldn’t wait to explore.
Rowdy met a friendly old owl named Hootie, who showed him around and introduced him to other animals. Rowdy played with some bunnies named Fluffy and Thumper in their burrow, and chased a mischievous fox named Rusty through the forest. He also met a grumpy old bear named Grumbly who was grumbling about the lack of honey in the area, and a group of playful otters named Ripple, Splash, and Tumble who invited him to join them in a game of tag in the river.
Rowdy had a great time playing with the otters, splashing and laughing as they chased each other around in the cool, clear water.
Rowdy and Hootie had lots of exciting adventures together. They faced some challenges, like crossing a ravine, but they always worked together to overcome them. One time, they came across a dark and spooky cave, but they braved the unknown and ventured inside, discovering a hidden treasure trove of glittering jewels and precious gems.
Through his experiences in the magical land, Rowdy learned the value of friendship and the importance of being brave and curious in the face of the unknown. And when it was time for him to return home, he did so with a heart full of unforgettable memories and a newfound appreciation for the world around him.
make the story longer by expanding on this paragraph, “Rowdy had a great time playing with the otters, splashing and laughing as they chased each other around in the cool, clear water.”
Rowdy was a curious and adventurous boy who loved exploring the world around him. One day, he found a secret door in his backyard and stepped through it.
Rowdy found himself in a magical land full of talking animals and enchanted forests. He was amazed by all the wonderful things he saw, and he couldn’t wait to explore.
Rowdy met a friendly old owl named Hootie, who showed him around and introduced him to other animals. Rowdy played with some bunnies named Fluffy and Thumper in their burrow, and chased a mischievous fox named Rusty through the forest. He also met a grumpy old bear named Grumbly who was grumbling about the lack of honey in the area, and a group of playful otters named Ripple, Splash, and Tumble who invited him to join them in a game of tag in the river.
Rowdy had a great time playing with the otters, splashing and laughing as they chased each other around in the cool, clear water. They swam and played for hours, diving and flipping in the water and trying to catch each other. Rowdy even managed to tickle Ripple, who squealed with laughter and quickly swam away.
After their playtime in the river, the otters invited Rowdy to join them for a picnic on the riverbank. They feasted on delicious berries and fish, and sang and danced together in the warm sunshine. Rowdy was having the time of his life, and he was grateful for the new friends he had made in the magical land.
Rowdy and Hootie had lots of exciting adventures together. They faced some challenges, like crossing a ravine, but they always worked together to overcome them. One time, they came across a dark and spooky cave, but they braved the unknown and ventured inside, discovering a hidden treasure trove of glittering jewels and precious gems.
Through his experiences in the magical land, Rowdy learned the value of friendship and the importance of being brave and curious in the face of the unknown. And when it was time for him to return home, he did so with a heart full of unforgettable memories and a newfound appreciation for the world around him.
Give me three potential titles for this story.
“Rowdy’s Magical Adventure”
“The Secret Door to Adventure”
“The Enchanted Forest of Santa Clarita”
Illustrating The Entire Book
We’re not quite there yet. However, developers are already working on ways to set a specific character for consistency across generative AI creations. It will not be long before the average human can have AI illustrate each paragraph or sentence of a story like this, using just the words in the story.
Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.
Add your voice...