Compilation of all the best tips from a years’-worth of running – over 44 of them!
Over 170 runs (and rising) are recorded at https://instagram.com/runchazzrun.
Category: CharlesCharlieCharles
I’ve been fooling about with ChatGPT 4.0 for the last couple of days, and it occurred to me to see how creative the AI chatbot can get, so I wrote this prompt”
Write a one-page treatment for a science fiction novel, set in 2053, when astonomers on earth using radio, visual and satellite telescopes spot panet-sized objects entering the solar system. Over the first part of the novel, the governments on earth discuss what they want to do, and start to receive communications from the approaching alien race – christened the bronze men. In the second part of the novel, the 12 planets arrive in orbit around the sun taking position in an earth orbit. Embassies from the 12 planets are then received in New York by the United Nations. All seems peaceful until it becomes apparent that the three furthestmost planets are harvesting the sun. The embassies are rejected by Earth and the planet must decide how to defend the sun from this incursion. The aliens are so technologically advanced that their manipulation of physical space seems magical. All seems lost until a renegade faction of the bronze men contact individuals on earth to begin a resistance to the sun-harvest. Using a cast of characters with names from Shakespeare’s plays Macbeth, Hamlet and the Tempest for the humans, and character names from Beowolf for the aliens, create an intricate plot wherein the initially suspicious humans start to believe in the three alien contacts and utilising the alien technologies begin to resist the alien incursion.
ChatGPT’s answer was as follows:
Title: The Bronze Incursion
In 2053, Earth’s astronomers detect twelve planet-sized objects entering the solar system using radio, visual, and satellite telescopes. Panic and curiosity grip humanity as they try to understand this unprecedented event. World governments come together to discuss how to handle the approaching objects, which they soon learn are inhabited by an alien race called the Bronze Men.
The novel unfolds in two parts. In the first part, Earth receives communications from the Bronze Men, who express their desire for peaceful contact. The world watches with bated breath as the twelve planets take their positions in orbit around the sun, with Earth at the center.
Embassies from each of the twelve planets are received at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Diplomatic relations seem to be going well, until it becomes apparent that the three furthest planets are siphoning energy from the sun. Earth’s leaders reject the Bronze Men’s embassies, and humanity must decide how to defend its life-giving star from the alien incursion.
In the second part of the novel, Earth faces the seemingly insurmountable challenge of outsmarting an alien race with technology so advanced that it appears magical. Hope seems lost until a renegade faction of the Bronze Men contacts select individuals on Earth to form a resistance against the sun-harvesting.
The human characters are named after Shakespearean figures from Macbeth, Hamlet, and The Tempest, while the alien characters bear names from the epic poem Beowulf. These characters find themselves entangled in an intricate plot that tests the limits of trust and cooperation. Suspicion and fear initially permeate the alliance between the renegade Bronze Men and the human resistance, but as the story unfolds, they learn to believe in each other and work together to save the sun.
Using alien technology provided by their Bronze Men allies, the human resistance devises a plan to counter the sun-harvesting and protect Earth’s future. The novel reaches its climax in a gripping, high-stakes battle between the united human-alien forces and the sun-harvesting Bronze Men. Through the power of trust, camaraderie, and shared goals, the resistance faces the seemingly invincible alien threat, ultimately deciding the fate of Earth and its solar system.
The Bronze Incursion is a thrilling, character-driven science fiction novel that explores themes of trust, unity, and the lengths we will go to protect our home. Rich in literary references and complex relationships, the story delves into the nature of fear, friendship, and the power of cooperation in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
At this point I sat up. The title, now that was not what I had in mind: “The Bronze Incursion”. I quite liked it. I read through the treatment, thinking, “Okaaay, so this is generic, its readable but not too original … what is the next step?” Here’s my next prompt within the same chat.
Write a chapter-by-chapter outline of the Bronze Incursion, allocating names to a cast of characters including the individuals on earth who become allies of the renegade bronze men
It came back with this:
Chapter 1: Celestial Intruders
- Astronomers detect twelve planet-sized objects entering the solar system.
- Main human characters introduced: Macbeth (military strategist), Hamlet (scientist), Miranda (diplomat), and Prospero (engineer).
Chapter 2: The Bronze Men
- Earth receives communication from the alien race, the Bronze Men.
- Alien characters introduced: Grendel (renegade Bronze Man leader), Hrothgar (main embassy ambassador), and Beowulf (renegade Bronze Man warrior).
Chapter 3: The Diplomatic Dance
- The twelve planets take their positions in orbit around the sun.
- Bronze Men embassies received by the United Nations in New York.
Chapter 4: A Troubling Discovery
- Scientists, including Hamlet, discover that the three furthest planets are harvesting the sun.
- Earth’s leaders reject the Bronze Men’s embassies.
Chapter 5: The Renegades
- Macbeth, Hamlet, Miranda, and Prospero are contacted by Grendel, who seeks to form a human-Bronze Man alliance.
- The renegades reveal the full extent of the sun-harvesting threat.
Chapter 6: Building Trust
- Suspicion and tension between the human characters and the renegade Bronze Men.
- A risky joint operation brings the two groups closer together.
Chapter 7: The Resistance Rises
- The human characters recruit more members for the resistance, including Ophelia (Hamlet’s love interest) and Banquo (Macbeth’s best friend).
- The renegade Bronze Men provide alien technology to aid the resistance.
Chapter 8: Ingenious Strategies
- Prospero and Beowulf work together to understand and reverse-engineer the alien technology.
- Macbeth and Grendel devise a plan to counter the sun-harvesting.
Chapter 9: The Eve of Battle
- The resistance prepares for a daring, high-stakes attack on the sun-harvesting operation.
- Hamlet and Ophelia share a tender moment before the battle.
Chapter 10: The Battle for the Sun
- A gripping battle ensues between the united human-alien forces and the sun-harvesting Bronze Men.
- The resistance uses their newfound understanding of alien technology to their advantage.
Chapter 11: Unlikely Heroes
- The tide of the battle turns in favor of the resistance, but at a cost: Banquo sacrifices himself to protect Macbeth.
- Grendel and Hrothgar confront each other, revealing a deep, personal history.
Chapter 12: A New Dawn
- The sun-harvesting operation is defeated, and the remaining Bronze Men leave Earth’s solar system.
- The renegade Bronze Men choose to stay on Earth, beginning a new era of cooperation between the two species.
Chapter 13: Epilogue: The Legacy of Trust
- A memorial is held for Banquo, and Earth begins rebuilding with the help of the renegade Bronze Men.
- Macbeth, Hamlet, Miranda, and Prospero reflect on the importance of trust and unity in the face of adversity.
At this point I am chuckling to myself, thinking, “Yep, it’s written screenplays before”. I mean obviously I wasn’t looking for a screenplay, but the beats are the same, the structure is pretty standard and the last bullet for chap 13 says it all.
But then I had to do the next one to confirm my suspicions …
Write a detailed brief for Chapter 1: Celestial Intruders, including outlines of scenes in which the planet-sized objects are discovered, the main characters are introduced and earth responds to the shattering news that there are aliens and they are en route.
Chapter 1: Celestial Intruders
Scene 1: The Discovery
- Setting: International Space Observatory
- Astronomers detect the twelve planet-sized objects entering the solar system. Dr. Hamlet, a leading scientist, is among those who witness this unprecedented event.
- Tension builds as the astronomers attempt to understand the nature and purpose of the objects.
- News about the mysterious celestial bodies spreads, creating a mix of excitement, fear, and curiosity among the general public.
Scene 2: Introducing the Main Characters
- Setting: Various locations, highlighting each character’s expertise
- Macbeth at a military base, demonstrating his strategic prowess.
- Hamlet in his lab, investigating the celestial objects and their potential threat.
- Miranda at the United Nations headquarters, working on diplomatic strategies.
- Prospero in a research facility, developing cutting-edge engineering solutions.
Scene 3: The Shattering News
- Setting: Major cities worldwide, showcasing diverse reactions
- News breaks out that the celestial objects are inhabited by an alien race, the Bronze Men.
- The world is shocked and enthralled, with people reacting in various ways, ranging from fear and panic to fascination and excitement.
- Governments scramble to address the situation, with global leaders calling for an emergency meeting.
Scene 4: Emergency Meeting
- Setting: United Nations Headquarters
- World leaders, including Miranda, gather to discuss how to approach the rapidly approaching alien race.
- The room is filled with a sense of urgency, and differing opinions create tension among the leaders.
- Ultimately, the leaders agree to establish a unified front to communicate with the Bronze Men, while also preparing for any potential threats.
Scene 5: Mobilizing Earth’s Defenses
- Setting: Military bases and research facilities across the globe
- Macbeth is tasked with coordinating the defense forces of multiple nations, preparing for any possible aggression from the approaching planets.
- Prospero and his team of engineers work on developing new technologies and strategies that could be used to protect Earth.
- Hamlet continues to study the celestial objects, searching for any information that might help Earth in the upcoming interactions with the Bronze Men.
Scene 6: The World Awaits
- Setting: Public squares and homes worldwide
- As the alien planets draw nearer, people all over the world anxiously wait for further news.
- Family and friends gather together, discussing their hopes and fears about the future.
- The chapter ends with a sense of anticipation, setting the stage for Earth’s first contact with the Bronze Men in the following chapters.
And then finally:
Write Scene 1: The Discovery beginning with a lowly assistant noticing something odd has appeared in the data from the International Space Observatory
Scene 1: The Discovery
Setting: International Space Observatory
[INT. INTERNATIONAL SPACE OBSERVATORY – NIGHT]
The International Space Observatory is buzzing with activity as astronomers and scientists are busy analyzing data and monitoring the night sky. A young, lowly assistant named LUCIUS is hunched over his workstation, reviewing the latest data from the observatory’s telescopes.
LUCIUS (muttering to himself) Hmm, that’s odd…
He leans in closer to his screen, analyzing the unusual pattern. Lucius hesitates for a moment, then decides to call over his supervisor, DR. HAMLET.
LUCIUS (excitedly) Dr. Hamlet, could you please take a look at this? I found something peculiar in the data.
Dr. Hamlet, a middle-aged scientist with an air of authority, approaches Lucius’s workstation, intrigued by the young assistant’s discovery.
DR. HAMLET (curious) What have you found, Lucius?
Lucius points at the screen, where twelve distinct blips are visible on the data graph.
LUCIUS (nervously) I was going through the data from the deep space telescope, and I found these twelve strange objects. They appeared suddenly, and they’re moving towards our solar system at an alarming speed.
Dr. Hamlet’s eyes widen as he examines the data. He immediately recognizes the significance of Lucius’s discovery.
DR. HAMLET (astonished) Incredible! This could be the most significant astronomical event of our time. We must alert the other observatories and confirm our findings.
The room erupts into a frenzy of activity as the scientists scramble to verify the existence of the twelve celestial objects. Dr. Hamlet takes charge, coordinating efforts with other observatories around the world.
[INT. INTERNATIONAL SPACE OBSERVATORY – LATER]
The confirmation comes quickly. The twelve planet-sized objects are indeed approaching the solar system. As the news spreads throughout the observatory, the atmosphere becomes electric with anticipation and anxiety.
DR. HAMLET (addressing the room) Ladies and gentlemen, we stand on the brink of a monumental discovery. Our lives, and the lives of everyone on Earth, will never be the same. We have a responsibility to ensure the safety of our planet and to share our knowledge with the world. Now is the time to act.
The scene ends with a shot of the observatory’s massive telescope, pointed at the distant stars, as the team prepares to investigate the celestial intruders further. The camera slowly pans upwards, revealing the vastness of space and the unknown that lies ahead.
So, its obviously all very sketchy, badly written, and definitely generic, but in these responses to the four prompts – which I purposefully made relatively undetailed in the cases of the ones subsequent to the first – I see an awful lot of potential. For example, I did not make any comment about tone, style or characterisation. Nor did I look at any underlying themes or agendas. My thinking is that I should rewrite the prompts to cater for some of these ideas as well as including using obscure names for the characters, with vowels changed – Mic Both anyone?
Lastly, I *know* its all a bit meta, a bit SF, using a computer to write a SF novel. Perhaps I should choose in the style of Philip K Dick in the next run, and see what that produces? Really, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
What do you think? Should I continue prompting ChatGPT to create a more detailed less generic story called “The Bronze Incursion” or is the game a bogey?
Obviously I am asserting my rights as author for the above – afterall I wrote the prompts 😉
Delighted to announce a new music podcast hosted by the CharlesCharlieCharles himself with songs by bands and artists who have under 100 monthly listeners.
Episode#1 which is all about testing out whether the podcast actually works, features songs from Zapaian, Ruby Rodgers, PINLIGHT and Enslave the Zombie.
Episode#2 sees Charlie get into his stride and begin to think about both how Spotify curates musical taste, and how bands themselves work with listeners’ expectations. We also get to hear about Donald Sutherland’s bottom* … featuring music from Leagues Apart, No Room for Giants and Petty Cassettes.
To listen and enjoy click here
Waiting for Your Return 
Customary Argyll Weather 
Three Sisters, Glen Coe
Over the last year or two, I’ve been working on a series of images from the Scottish landscape – here are the first three.
This week I was asked to update the Adventures in Preservation Volunteers (or jammers) on our projects for 2021, so on Friday at 5pm I livestreamed from the bridge and then took my viewers on a short walk to the castle to give them a flavour of what the project would consist next year.
The details are that we will be welcoming jammers for a fortnight in May and September – the details are available here.
Refurbishing Dunans Bridge …
The repairs to the bridge are wonderful progress toward the full refurbishment of this Telford-designed A-listed structure. It seems amazing to me that these are the first thorough-going repairs to the bridge since the 19th Century when the stanchions were reinforced with concrete. It just shows how durable Mr Telford’s design is.
Of course, the plan had been to refurbish the bridge in one season through funds acquired from Historic Scotland and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Our efforts were stymied by our inability to engage with our neighbours on the management plan our team had designed. With a deed of servitude over the bridge, our neighbours agreement to the plan was critical to the granting of funds of £750,000. As it is we have managed a programme, funded privately by the ScottishLaird project, which has achieved a great deal, but in a piece-meal fashion.
Our Jammers have been a Revelation!
Having said all that, working on the structure in this episodic manner has been a blast – not only because I have developed skills I never thought I’d need (rope-work, lime mortar mixing and scaffolding), but we have been introduced to some of the loveliest heritage fanatics – sorry, jammers – one could ever hope to meet (Brian, Lindy, Richard and Holly, I am looking at you!!).
With help from volunteers from SPAB and Historic Scotland during weekends either side of each sessions, we think we may even get a shot at repointing the ‘softer’ north face of the bridge (sounds like North Face of the Eiger doesn’t it?). This will then leave the main arch and the bottoms of the stanchions for 2022 – although whether we will have to engage a professional team for this as well, we are not sure. However we progress though, we wouldn’t have managed to get so far with the bridge without our volunteers!
… and the Castle!
But of course for 2021, the bridge isn’t the only story, and in the livestream I showed our jammers (and some Lairds and Ladies) into the main turret of the castle. This 4m circular tower was designed to be capped by a huge candle-snuffer conical slate roof, and the project for next year will be to repair the apertures, consolidate the doorways and, perhaps, work on the circular parapet at the top of the tower. I am hopeful that by the time the jammers get to it, we will have floors and temporary stairs all the way up the inside of the turret! Should make for a really memorable project!
Both Eland and Nigel are lined up to come back – and looking forward to meeting lots of new faces (and some familiar ones too!) And we are also back at the very popular HomeFarm Cottages with all of our preferred apartments.
I’ll be running the excursions again (because I really enjoyed them last time) and Anne and Sadie will be on hand to make sure you are all fed and I don’t eat more than my fair share.
For more details on the ScottishLaird project please click here.
For more details on Adventures in Preservation, please click here.
Racism should have no place in our society. Othering is a pernicious and vile practice – one which affects communities across Scotland. Gossip, innuendo and rumour all contribute to conduct which results in bullying, discrimination and disempowerment. It may not be full-blown racism, it might be sexism, or homophobia, or sectarianism – whatever it is, we are better than this and the campaign to deal with Dunoon’s ‘Jim Crow Rock’ is proof-positive that change is being demanded.
Thoughts on Encountering Dunoon’s ‘Jim Crow’ for the First Time At first it seems it is Crow, That sharp-faced Corvid – Yellow-eyed, black-billed, Black-footed and Wing-tipped In iridescent black-blue – Perhaps hooded in sombre Grey – seen against a scudding Winter sky - a darkling flag Tumbling low over the waves to- Ward a deep copse roost. But no – This ‘crow’ is anchored Upon the foreshore, stilted Mid-step, painted by the Unkind brush of local Tradition, shaping an Other With a vile cartoon graffito Of red lips and white tooth Strip – it is an indecent dis- Memberment of that Which we all share.
Deirdre’s story is a sad and epic tale of love, betrayal and heartache – as well as death, blood and vengeance. Only in Cowal, among its gentle lochs and hills did the great Irish beauty find a measure of happiness.
Deirdre of the Sorrows Draped over his shoulder The cloud crept toward dawn And masked the soft-edged sigils Of drought dulled heather. Her scent curled about his Tonsure of Rowan and Alder, As he opened his chest In a supple twist of his hips – He revealed the long loch Of his cavernous belly, And the glittering breadth Of his seaward ardour. Only then did she weep, Effacing herself, Until all that remained Was a shiver of mist in the air.
As web developer and visual designer I’ve been working on ZippedyZoom.club which is part of TWTC’s response to Covid-19 – providing both a portal for kids to access fun activities and awesome stories, and a place for creative practitioners of all sorts to keep working. With funding for an initial 12-week run, we’re focussed on delivering content beyond that endpoint. Have a look here.
This poem was written with a particular story in mind, one I heard from a volunteer I work with in our community’s response the lockdown. We’ve been lucky so far in ColGlen I think, but it staggers me how stupid some folks can be, particularly those who think ‘they know better’ than the full weight of scientific consensus.
Tinfoil At dusk I stood at his gate, His sanitizer in my hand, A greeting stuttering On my lips as he crossed The head of my shadow And entered Covid range. I stepped away into the lane My hands warding against him, And my penumbra pursuing His steps, until a bramble Bit my neck.”You are sweet” He said, “but this we do not need.” Later, collar soaked in water, Hands washed to Dion, tongue Whetted with Jarl, I explained The fear this gentle man provoked – With his jaunts South, his weekend guests, The tinfoil hat of his credulity.
It only takes a knee to comfort a child, To receive a knighthood, To listen to a god - to be inspired; Just a knee for grouting around tiles, To ask a girl if she will, To loosen bolts and change tyres; Perhaps two for French cricket, To warm a lamb as its fed, To chase mice, all smooth and sleekit. It only takes a knee placed very precisely To stop a man’s breath, To fully express centuries of othering.