Question of the Week #104 · 2:42am May 3rd, 2023
Hello everyone and welcome back to the question of the week.
While I do plan on asking a question, I thought I'd provide a few updates on my various projects.
Now it has been a far but since I've done an update by Neo Somnambula, that's mainly because I've been suffering from some writer's block on the story. Though to be fair, I think it's mostly because I have a lot of scenes written down on paper that I need to transcribe into a digital format.
Another project I am revisiting is Zone 15, while I am currently trying to get other collaborators to finish their chapters (or at least a few more chapters). In addition, I learned that there was a musical festival (two technically) that were setup around the time of the storming of Area 51 based off of the event, that I thought I'd try to work into the story. I'm also writing another cell (this will be my 3rd), adding another waifu to be saved from Zone 15. 
I created a few images for cover art, though I may still try to commission someone else to create the cover, but I figured I'd show off the images I made and see what you all think. 
Both of these images are created and owned by yours truly...
Now another thing I wanted to bring up is that I've received a few comments hoping for sequels to a few of my stories, one in particular being Dream Date as well as Dream Vacation. While I can say that I do have a few scenes/ideas for the sequel (and even some cover art), I've been having difficulty figuring out how I want the story to go.
So, while a part of me has been tempted to maybe throw some of my thoughts for the story into an AI like ChatGPT and see what they spit out for a story outline that I could take an rewrite/fill out for the story, I haven't done so as I've felt that that would be both dishonest and ungenuine.
With that in mind I wanted to ask you all if that makes sense or am I just over thinking it?
Now that's the first question I wanted to ask. I have another question I want to ask and while I could try saving it for next week, there's a chance I'll forget it, so I'll go ahead and bring up the details and ask about it.
Redfall just came out and while the game apparently is very unwhelming to some extent, it has given me and idea for a story. It might be a 2nd person story, I'm not too sure yet, but here it is.
It takes place in an alternate universe, where Nightmare Moon won and now the day cycle is night and the eclipsed hours (the sun still moves across the sky but it is always eclipsed by the moon). Furthermore creatures of the night that used to lurk in the shadows are now out in the open.
Our main character is a stallion (not sure which pony tribe to give him) who has been serving as a monster hunter. Due to some past event, the reader character (RC) has a strong distaste for all monsters. However this changes one day when the RC is out hunting when he is injured. He awakens and discovers that he is being tended to by a vampony, and after some interactions with her, he learns that maybe not all the monsters are bad (though definitely a few).
There's a lot of times I find ocs on different mlp art sites that I think are cool/interesting characters, but sadly they are lacking a written story, which I would like to remedy.
So, my second question is, what do you think of this story concept?
And I guess that's it for today. Thank you all for coming, stay safe and have a splendid week. 
I'll say the story concept is interesting to an extent, but we already have a story like that here and it is practically a tag on it's own: changelings.
To me, it feels a bit missing, but maybe because I have been scouring the changeling tag for years now that it lacks a certain oomph.
Take this as a comment and nothing more: maybe the monster and pony needs something more novel between the polar opposites, at least to grab my attention. Maybe the vampony is a huge nerd, or maybe the Monster Hunter... has an acquired taste for monsters, like their meat?
As for your first question, I have tried to see how well GPT makes a prompt and it is a very mixed bag. Sometimes they forget it is ponies and not humanoids or anthros. GPT doesn't understand magic in our capacity so it doesn't really get too creative even if you guide it that way.
So in a way, nothing is wrong using ChatGPT for writing a story. Use it only for prompts or idea bouncing. Anything further and you'll get a very subpar story that is kinda bland and uninspired. Though I deleted the prompt, but I've refurbished it completely; here's an example GPT made from memory submmarised: "pony excited about nightmare night, met a filly who has all the cybernetics playing sports (at night apparently) and asked pony to joined. Later they are walking and met a creature friend has no cybernetic and is a purist. And that creature apparently has a mental break because of cybernetics everywhere. Then they cheered creature up".
It is really weird. Not much structure to the prompt and honestly, it needs multiple additional prompts before something creative appears.
Tl;dr
You can use ChatGPT no problem because it is a mixed bag. It is suppose to be a jump pad for ideas so no worries about "cheating" everyone of your writing charm.
I don't know anything about ChatGPT, I've never used it. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try. I don't think it would be a cop out, writing isn't easy after all.
As for your story idea, go for it. I like your stories. I'd like to see where you would take that idea.
On the second question: make sure you also have a "normal" pony villain. To explore both sides of the Witcher's Iron Sword:
Hey, an update: the prompt you mentioned... well...
It appeared on the featured page (MATURE WARNING) just recently and apparently it is one of the older fics with a relatively few-ish chapters but respectable word count. It is updated yearly (on occasion) and it seems people are really interested in this.
Might help you with your monsters and hunters idea prompt
I think there’s a difference between having AI write your story and having it do a bit of an outline. It could also help in a ‘wait, that wouldn’t happen because X, Y would happen instead’ kind of way.
I like the second option. I had a similar story idea, royal guard x changeling, but it just never went anywhere. I’m not a huge fan of second-person stories, but I do like the concept.
Regarding ChatGPT writing a story, I had it try writing a Derpy x Chrysalis love story and do you know what I got?
MADLIBS.
Grammatically correct blandness that could have been about reporter lady and Megamind … or Luke and Darth Vader … or any other good and evil characters with a global search and replace.
So, sure! Try if you like but don’t get your hopes up.
Regarding the monster hunter story, that storyline has been done many times before. As long as you have a non-generic take on it, then go for it.