They submit manuscripts on time. They never suffer writers block. And they dont spend hours Googling their Amazon sales. Theres just one thing wrong with robot authors their stories stink. Tom Meltzer talks to the scientists teaching creative writing to the next generation of androids, while Nicholas Lezard reviews the latest robot fiction
This month, several thousand aspiring authors are attempting to write a novel in 30 days. They are taking part in an annual event known as NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, in the hope that the time pressure will spur them on. For a small community of computer programmers, though, NaNoWriMo has a lighthearted sister competition: National Novel Generating Month, the goal of which is to teach a computer to write a novel for you.
However, finished NaNoGenMo projects are unlikely to trouble Booker judges. They include a version of Moby-Dick in which the words have been swapped for meows of the same length (immortal opening line: Meow me Meeeeow); another version in which a few key words have been swapped out for emoji; and a novel made up of unconnected excerpts from an online database of teenage girls accounts of their dreams.
How might a soothing mother become a threatening bank robber? What if soothing mothers were to give up their babies, plot bank robberies and become threatening bank robbers?
The most daring bank robber is not more demanding than the most scared child.
What if there was a banker who lost her bank and couldnt get money? But then she discovered that a robbery would solve her problem, so she forgot all about her old bank.
What if there was a doctor who lost her medicine and couldnt heal? But then she discovered that a spirit would solve her problem, so she forgot all about her old medicine.
John got into his car with his disguise, gun and note in his knapsack and headed towards the Old Second in the next town over, repeating his rehearsed demands silently over and over in his head.
John watched while a little old lady left the bank and walked to her car and then slipped on his gloves, slipped his gun into his coat pocket, grabbed his mask and strode determinedly to the lobby door and pulled it open.
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