Thanks for an unvarnished book review! I really want to like Suleika—she has such a compelling story! But I often come away feeling 🤷♀️ about the experience. I appreciate her championing journal writing though.
Digging a critical review of something you wanted to love! Great prompt choice too! (Sidenote: "prompt" is a word I don't like anymore due to AI.)
I've journaled since age 10, intensely, daily. Lost my diary on a plane in May 2023 (age 41). Felt completely lost, shattered, in shambles. Started a Substack a month after. And one day, I will finally publish that big bad sad drafted essay about this loss in my Meta Much (Writing about Writing) series.
Just like there are journaling prompts, there are writing prompts you put into Large Language Models (LLMs), the type of AI that generates text. And to top, there's even a new job out there: "Prompt Writer", because of the BIBO (Better Input Better Output) rule: shittily written prompts spit out shitty results, so you gotta be good at giving writing instructions. So yeah ... You're not missing out lol. It all sucks, and stole 100% of my income as a translator, whomp whomp.
But of course... if I'd thought about it for half a second, I'd have figured out what "prompts" might have to do with AI. My experience with AI is limited, but I have used it, and I definitely get that your results are largely dependent on what you ask and how you ask it. It does all suck, and I'm so sorry you lost your income as a translator!
I might have the same feeling as you about the prompts! I don’t always love them. It’s like as soon as I read a prompt I feel completely blocked. haha. But I’m still a bit curious about the book.
Thanks for an unvarnished book review! I really want to like Suleika—she has such a compelling story! But I often come away feeling 🤷♀️ about the experience. I appreciate her championing journal writing though.
Same, same. I did like the sections she wrote, as I mentioned. But the essays... mostly uninspiring, I hate to say. For ME, at least.
Digging a critical review of something you wanted to love! Great prompt choice too! (Sidenote: "prompt" is a word I don't like anymore due to AI.)
I've journaled since age 10, intensely, daily. Lost my diary on a plane in May 2023 (age 41). Felt completely lost, shattered, in shambles. Started a Substack a month after. And one day, I will finally publish that big bad sad drafted essay about this loss in my Meta Much (Writing about Writing) series.
I have *never* liked the word prompt! At the risk of sounding like a dum-dum, what does it have to do with AI?
I'm sorry you lost your journal. Harsh.
No worries!
Just like there are journaling prompts, there are writing prompts you put into Large Language Models (LLMs), the type of AI that generates text. And to top, there's even a new job out there: "Prompt Writer", because of the BIBO (Better Input Better Output) rule: shittily written prompts spit out shitty results, so you gotta be good at giving writing instructions. So yeah ... You're not missing out lol. It all sucks, and stole 100% of my income as a translator, whomp whomp.
But of course... if I'd thought about it for half a second, I'd have figured out what "prompts" might have to do with AI. My experience with AI is limited, but I have used it, and I definitely get that your results are largely dependent on what you ask and how you ask it. It does all suck, and I'm so sorry you lost your income as a translator!
I love the advice Salzberg's friend gave her. I'll be writing that down!
Yes, it's great, isn't it? So USEFUL (as David's mother liked to say).
Thanks for the recap. This book is on my list! I journal every day.
Ah, well... maybe you'll love it! If you like using prompts, you certainly will. And as I mentioned, I liked all the sections penned by Jaouad.
I might have the same feeling as you about the prompts! I don’t always love them. It’s like as soon as I read a prompt I feel completely blocked. haha. But I’m still a bit curious about the book.
Well if you do read it, please let me know what you think!