To take the fleeting idea by the scruff of the neck and flatten its nose against the paper.
— Jules Renard, Journal 1887-1910
ChatGPT and I have a good cop/bad cop dynamic going on. I’m getting on in years, not as nimble and spry as I used to be. When an idea resists arrest, he’s the one who chases it down and tackles it to the pavement while I enjoy my doughnuts and coffee. When some important contextual details are in the wind and a basic Google search isn’t talking, I put him on the case. When the rough draft is spitting at me and refusing to speak to anyone but its lawyer, I exit the room for a few minutes and leave those two to get better acquainted. I don’t ask how he does it, and frankly, I don’t want to know. All I can say is that within a few minutes, the idea is chastened and sitting right beside my desk, singing like a bird. One more sip of coffee, one more confession on the page. That’s how the neighborhood stays readable.