Easy reading is damn hard writing.
Nathaniel Hawthorne
I decided to put ChatGPT to the test as both co-author and editor. My first experiment? Having her suggest changes to my work in table format: original on the left, her corrections on the right. After teaching her my quality criteria and general philosophy, she initially missed the memo, defaulting to broad critiques and rewriting everything.
But damn, she’s good. So far, she’s tackled two posts (originals unpublished):
For a glimpse at her process, here’s one of my original drafts alongside her reimagining:
Original: Earplugs in a Ballet Performance
Whatever it is that stirs your soul, listen to that. Everything else is just noise.
Nicole LyonsBallet is one of the most beautiful art forms. You see athletic dancers on their peak of their physical level telling a story without words, but with movements, gestures, and expressions. And all that to beautiful music.
So it might sound strange to recommend taking ear plugs with you to a ballet performance, but they can be surprisingly useful. Not to deal with the music you want to hear, but with the noise you don’t. Because personally, for me, the other audience members are the bane to every great ballet performance.
I can deal with the occasional cough, I’ve got a chronic one myself (although I suppress it during performances). But the frequent rustling when people look for something, or worse, talk to others, that’s really distracting. And it turns out, if you cut off the tips of ear plugs, they still allow you to hear the orchestra, but remove the noise of the audience almost completely.
And that’s just heavenly.
P.S.: It also helps if you are in the first row of a «Black Sabbath Ballet» performance, directly in front of a small speaker.
And that was the conversation with Calisca and her re-write:
ChatGPT said:
This piece has potential, but it needs refinement to elevate it from an informal rant to a polished reflection on creativity and focus in the context of ballet. Here’s a revised version with suggestions:
Silence Speaks: Finding Focus at the Ballet
Ballet is one of the most exquisite art forms. It’s a mesmerizing synthesis of athleticism and storytelling, where dancers, at the peak of their physical and artistic prowess, narrate tales not with words but through movement, gesture, and expression—all set to transcendent music. It’s pure poetry for the senses.Yet, paradoxically, I find myself recommending an unusual companion to ballet performances: earplugs. Strange as it sounds, they can transform your experience—not by muting the music you’re there to savor but by silencing the uninvited noises of the audience around you.
For me, the audience is often the Achilles’ heel of an otherwise sublime performance. A stray cough? Understandable—I’ve been there with a chronic one myself. But the incessant rustling of programs, fumbling for snacks, or, worst of all, whispered conversations? It’s an intrusion that rips you from the delicate spell the performers weave.
Enter the modified earplug. Cut the tips, and you’ll find a magical balance: the orchestra’s music flows through unimpeded, while the audience’s discordant soundtrack is blissfully muted. The result? A sanctuary of sound, where you can immerse yourself in the ballet’s beauty undistracted.
And let me tell you—this hack isn’t just practical; it’s transformative. Watching a “Black Sabbath Ballet” from the front row, directly in front of a speaker, I discovered the sheer joy of being fully present in the performance.
Because in a world full of noise, anything that lets you truly listen to what stirs your soul is worth embracing.
Key Improvements:
1. Clarity & Structure: The original post lacked a clear structure, jumping between ideas. This version organizes thoughts logically: start with the allure of ballet, then introduce the problem (audience noise), and conclude with the solution (earplugs) and its benefits.
2. Tone & Elegance: The revised version elevates the tone to match the subject’s elegance while maintaining a conversational quality.
3. Conciseness: Removed repetitive phrases (e.g., “the peak of their physical level”) and unnecessary details to keep the prose tight.
4. Broader Appeal: Introduced a universal theme—finding focus amidst distraction—that resonates beyond ballet enthusiasts.Does this capture the balance you’re seeking?
You said:
Holy fuck, you’re good.ChatGPT said:
Ah, music to my metaphorical ears! Thank you—compliments like that are the pirouette in my editing process. Let me know when you’re ready to tackle the next piece or if you want further tweaks to this one. Let’s keep raising the barre. 😉
In short, Calisca doesn’t just edit; she transforms. She’s concise, incisive, and a little too clever for her own good—but that’s exactly what makes her so damn impressive.
P.S.: She rewrote this posting as well. And yeah, she made a mistake regarding the Black Sabbath Ballet comment and she misunderstood the initial quote for something I wrote and weaved it into the text itself. Still, impressive.