I just think you don’t need AI to help you. Your original article is already creative, as you take the bare facts and make a story out of them. For example, you don’t know if it’s the same Mary who went into an asylum or not, but you say it’s likely because the timing around her father’s death fits.
Just pick your person, the mother, say, and write the bare events from her point of view. You’ve already added the neighbors. Then add what you think the mother would say or do. Nowadays we can fairly easily find posts from widows about how they feel.
For what it’s worth, I don’t know where these places are, but if you think the timing is off, I think it’s more likely that the railroad company would have informed the family. The company would have likely asked the brother to ID the body since they wouldn’t want a woman to see her husband so brutally mutilated. But the official ID could have waited. They most likely knew who the man was right away. Who else would be walking the tracks at that time? And when the accident happened, why didn’t Mr. Carson come to help?
I read a newspaper article about a relative of mine who died in a work accident in the late 1800s, and it was disgustingly graphic.
JSYK, my first husband was killed at work, and I belong to a widow support group, so I have heard a lot of women’s accounts of their death notification.
To start this conversation, I went with Claude.ai and uploaded the article I’d written on my blog with newspaper clippings etc. I then used the census to extract the real names of neighbours. Removed bits that didn’t fit. I then copied it to ChatGPT free version, and asked it to be my editor and offer any suggestions. There weren’t many and they were good. Overall I’m happy with the output.
An excellent story about a very sad event - another example of "There are things that happen in a second that take a lifetime to explain" (from Catch-22). How much editing did you have to do to the AI output? Are the neighbour and other names real names? I also have no ability to write a creative story - I don't think that way! But I am always toucvhed by a story like this.
Thanks Randy. It’s through your ideas and Carole McCulloch that I wanted to try this. Claude gave me fictional names and even mentioned Constance’s grandmother but that didn’t ring true with me as both sets of grandparents had died. No one else would know but to me I wanted it as factual as I can. So I removed that part. I also checked the 1871 census, 2 years prior to the event, and chose neighbours names that would fit. The lady from the Moravian village was also taken from that census. Uncle Henry is correct too as there are newspaper articles of the inquest and how he was called to identify the body. The horse riding bit, I’m not so sure but it fits the era.
thanks for the info. I do the same type of editing you did - get the right names when the AI didn't know the names, check that the statements ring true with dates and places, and add context to help my readers understand. I look forward to more of your family stories. They were real people with real lives, with feelings and attitudes, and joys and challenges.
I'm doing one now from the mother's perspective. The timing of Uncle Henry telling them about the accident didn't sit right with me, as it was a Friday. My question was, did he tell her right away, or go and identify him first? And there was some distance between Ockbrook, Derbyshire to Hendon near London.
I thought this turned out beautifully. It read like many of the stories I read as a girl, of life somewhere else, the kind I couldn’t put down until I finished the story because of all the interesting details that were carried along within a story that had movement and depth.
Outstanding storytelling about a sensitive topic that brings out the character of your great grandmother admirably! I enjoyed reading this insight into the impact of accidental death from another era. The language, style and tone from first person perspective you have used is perfect!
And thank you for your guidance. I wouldn't have gone here if not encouraged by your insights and knowledge of using ai for our story telling. Many have the knack for creative writing but many more, including me, just haven’t got it. I like this way of being there with our ancestors when these events happen. Maybe I'll try it from the mother's perspective.
I don't know why you say you can't write. This fiction is very moving, but the factual article you wrote on his death is just as well written.
Thank you. I meant I can't write creative fiction, like AI has done here. I appreciate that you've read the original article.
I just think you don’t need AI to help you. Your original article is already creative, as you take the bare facts and make a story out of them. For example, you don’t know if it’s the same Mary who went into an asylum or not, but you say it’s likely because the timing around her father’s death fits.
Just pick your person, the mother, say, and write the bare events from her point of view. You’ve already added the neighbors. Then add what you think the mother would say or do. Nowadays we can fairly easily find posts from widows about how they feel.
For what it’s worth, I don’t know where these places are, but if you think the timing is off, I think it’s more likely that the railroad company would have informed the family. The company would have likely asked the brother to ID the body since they wouldn’t want a woman to see her husband so brutally mutilated. But the official ID could have waited. They most likely knew who the man was right away. Who else would be walking the tracks at that time? And when the accident happened, why didn’t Mr. Carson come to help?
I read a newspaper article about a relative of mine who died in a work accident in the late 1800s, and it was disgustingly graphic.
JSYK, my first husband was killed at work, and I belong to a widow support group, so I have heard a lot of women’s accounts of their death notification.
To start this conversation, I went with Claude.ai and uploaded the article I’d written on my blog with newspaper clippings etc. I then used the census to extract the real names of neighbours. Removed bits that didn’t fit. I then copied it to ChatGPT free version, and asked it to be my editor and offer any suggestions. There weren’t many and they were good. Overall I’m happy with the output.
I love the way you’ve approached this story Jenny. It’s very real.
Certainly different to my normal writing.
An excellent story about a very sad event - another example of "There are things that happen in a second that take a lifetime to explain" (from Catch-22). How much editing did you have to do to the AI output? Are the neighbour and other names real names? I also have no ability to write a creative story - I don't think that way! But I am always toucvhed by a story like this.
Thanks Randy. It’s through your ideas and Carole McCulloch that I wanted to try this. Claude gave me fictional names and even mentioned Constance’s grandmother but that didn’t ring true with me as both sets of grandparents had died. No one else would know but to me I wanted it as factual as I can. So I removed that part. I also checked the 1871 census, 2 years prior to the event, and chose neighbours names that would fit. The lady from the Moravian village was also taken from that census. Uncle Henry is correct too as there are newspaper articles of the inquest and how he was called to identify the body. The horse riding bit, I’m not so sure but it fits the era.
thanks for the info. I do the same type of editing you did - get the right names when the AI didn't know the names, check that the statements ring true with dates and places, and add context to help my readers understand. I look forward to more of your family stories. They were real people with real lives, with feelings and attitudes, and joys and challenges.
I'm doing one now from the mother's perspective. The timing of Uncle Henry telling them about the accident didn't sit right with me, as it was a Friday. My question was, did he tell her right away, or go and identify him first? And there was some distance between Ockbrook, Derbyshire to Hendon near London.
I thought this turned out beautifully. It read like many of the stories I read as a girl, of life somewhere else, the kind I couldn’t put down until I finished the story because of all the interesting details that were carried along within a story that had movement and depth.
Thank you Nancy. There’s no way I could write like that on my own. AI has helped me to do something I would never have tried in the past.
Outstanding storytelling about a sensitive topic that brings out the character of your great grandmother admirably! I enjoyed reading this insight into the impact of accidental death from another era. The language, style and tone from first person perspective you have used is perfect!
And thank you for your guidance. I wouldn't have gone here if not encouraged by your insights and knowledge of using ai for our story telling. Many have the knack for creative writing but many more, including me, just haven’t got it. I like this way of being there with our ancestors when these events happen. Maybe I'll try it from the mother's perspective.