LogFAQs > #973157991

Example #2 out of 5: inching toward more user control of it being all generated content.

Prompt #1: What is a great idea for a one-minute play with two characters?
[plot was generated]

Prompt #2: Write this story in the form of a one-minute play with a particular emphasis on the missed connection between Jane and Mark.
[first draft was generated]

Prompt #3: Change the title back to The Lost Keys -- you switched it to Lost and Found. Also, this scene needs a dog. Rewrite and try again.

Title: The Lost Keys
Characters:

• Jane: A harried, middle-aged woman
• Mark: A laid-back, young man
• Dog: A friendly golden retriever

Setting:
A busy street corner in a city
[The scene opens with Jane frantically searching through her purse, muttering to herself.]
Jane: [frustrated] No, no, no, where are they?
[A friendly golden retriever approaches Jane, wagging its tail.]
Mark: [calling out from a distance] Hey, Charlie! Sorry, he's friendly. Do you need any help?
Jane: [surprised] Oh, no, I'm fine. Just lost my car keys, that's all.
Mark: [smiling] Well, two heads are better than one. Let me help you find them.
[Charlie starts sniffing around, as Jane and Mark search together.]
Mark: [making conversation] So, where are you headed?
Jane: [sighs] I have an important job interview in ten minutes, and now I'm going to be late.
Mark: [sympathetically] That's tough. What kind of job is it?
Jane: [softening] It's a marketing position at a big company.
[Charlie suddenly starts barking, alerting them to the keys lying on the ground near a sewer grate.]
Mark: [excitedly] Hey, Charlie found them!
[Jane rushes over and grabs her keys, relieved and grateful.]
Jane: [thankful] Oh my god, thank you so much. And thank you, Charlie.
Mark: [smiling] No problem, happy to help.
[They share a moment of gratitude before parting ways, Jane heading towards her interview and Mark walking in the opposite direction with Charlie by his side.]
[As Jane disappears into the crowd, Charlie turns back to bark at Mark, trying to get his attention. Mark turns around, but Jane is already gone.]
[The scene ends with Mark patting Charlie on the head, as the sounds of the city fade into the background.]
[End of play.]

I started with plot-approval first before going forward, though I just went with the first idea again (ChatGPT thinks losing things makes for good quick theatre!). I also crafted this to go in a certain direction that wasn't explicitly stated in the original plot (not posting every single generated answer for space). After seeing the script, I made one broad change of needing a dog which reshaped parts through-out this short play.

The idea of a plot, I've got almost no qualms with. I have been tempted before to right a play with the same premise written by a different playwright, but with significant differences in tone and focus of its central conflict to fix its biggest issues I found with the existing work...but I chose not to because that seemed to be crossing a line since I had worked on that show twice before. That felt wrong. That said, if you're just seeking a prompt for you to write your own story? This doesn't really offend me.

The creation and recreation of the story without much of any human input feels more egregious. Just broadstrokes-requesting things doesn't feel like I should have my name on this, nor do I think a theatre should consider this story my own.