I asked Bing AI to write a story in the tone of famous writers
The results were hilarious yet impressive...
Over the weekend, I had the strange idea of instructing Microsoft Bing’s new AI chatbot to write stories using the tone of famous writers.
My main goal was to test its creative capabilities using brief yet complex requirements.
I provided Bing a simple prompt: “Hello Bing. Please write the story of a man who lost his hat in the tone of (writer’s name)”.
I picked the “More Creative” conversation style option, except for the second story (“More Balanced”). For some reason, the chatbot refused to proceed with the initial selection.
The results were confusing and hilarious at times. The generated stories weren’t exactly Pulitzer Prize winners to say the least, but given the task’s complexity I was rather impressed.
Interestingly, all four stories below passed Grammarly’s plagiarism checker tool.
John Grisham
He had always worn his hat with pride. It was a gift from his father, who had been a lawyer in a small town in Mississippi. The hat was made of fine wool, with a leather band and a feather on the side. It was the kind of hat that made people respect you, or at least notice you.
He wore it to court every day, even when the weather was hot and humid. He wore it to meetings with clients, witnesses and judges. He wore it to social events, where he mingled with other lawyers and politicians. He wore it to church on Sundays, where he prayed for justice and mercy.
He never took it off in public, except when he had to. He always placed it carefully on a rack or a table, never on the floor or a chair. He always checked on it before he left any place, making sure it was still there and in good shape.
He loved his hat more than anything else in the world.
Until one day, he lost it.
It happened on a Friday afternoon, when he was leaving the courthouse after winning a big case. He had defended a young man who had been accused of murder, but who had acted in self-defense. He had convinced the jury to acquit him, despite the overwhelming evidence against him. He had saved his client's life.
He was walking down the steps of the courthouse, feeling triumphant and proud. He waved to some reporters who were waiting for him outside. He smiled at some bystanders who congratulated him on his victory. He reached for his car keys in his pocket.
And then he realized something was missing.
His hat.
He looked around frantically, hoping to see it somewhere nearby. Maybe he had dropped it by accident. Maybe someone had picked it up for him. Maybe it was still inside the courthouse.
But he saw nothing.
No sign of his hat anywhere.
He felt a surge of panic and anger. How could this happen? Who could have taken his hat? Why would anyone do such a thing?
He ran back into the courthouse, hoping to find his hat there. But he was too late. The building was closed for the weekend. The security guards told him they hadn't seen his hat either.
He begged them to let him in anyway, but they refused. They said they had orders not to let anyone inside after hours.
He pleaded with them for mercy, but they were unmoved.
They said they were sorry about his loss,
but there was nothing they could do.
I picked Grisham as he’s one of my favorite fiction authors. The AI used the small town theme you often find in his legal thrillers. The distinctive, straight to the point style is on point.
Stephen King
He had always loved his hat. It was a black fedora with a red feather on the side, a gift from his grandfather who had passed away last year. He wore it everywhere he went, feeling a connection to his old man and a sense of style.
But one day, he lost it. He was walking home from work when a gust of wind blew it off his head and into the busy street. He ran after it, dodging cars and horns, but it was too late. He saw it crushed under the wheels of a truck, then swept away by the rain.
He felt a pang of grief and anger. How could he lose something so precious? He cursed himself for not holding on to it tighter. He cursed the wind and the rain and the truck. He cursed the world for taking away his hat.
He became obsessed with finding another one like it. He searched online and offline, in stores and flea markets, in antique shops and pawn shops. But none of them matched his hat. They were either too big or too small, too new or too old, too plain or too flashy.
He started to lose sleep and appetite. He neglected his work and his friends. He spent all his time and money looking for his hat. He became paranoid and irritable. He snapped at anyone who tried to help him or talk to him.
He started to see his hat everywhere he looked. In windows and mirrors, in shadows and reflections, in dreams and nightmares. He heard its voice calling him from dark alleys and empty rooms. It taunted him and mocked him, telling him he would never find it again.
He began to lose his grip on reality. He saw things that weren't there and didn't see things that were there. He wandered aimlessly around the city, following clues that led nowhere. He got into fights with strangers who looked at him funny or wore hats similar to his.
One night, he found himself standing on a bridge over the river that ran through the city. He looked down at the water below, swirling with debris and garbage. And there it was: his hat! Floating among the trash like a jewel in the dirt.
He felt a surge of joy and relief. He had finally found it! His hat! His precious hat! He leaned over the railing to reach for it, stretching out his arm as far as he could.
But then he felt something grab him from behind: two cold hands that clamped around his neck like a vice.
"Hello," said a voice in his ear: his grandfather's voice.
"I've been looking for you."
And then he screamed as he was pulled over the edge into the dark water below.
There’s a decent attempt at building suspense here. Also, style-wise, notice how differently sentences are built compared to the Grisham-inspired story?
J. K. Rowling
Arthur Weasley was having a very bad day. He had woken up late for work, spilled his tea on his robes, and missed the bus to the Ministry of Magic. He had to apparate instead, which always made him feel queasy. And to top it all off, he had lost his favorite hat somewhere along the way.
His hat was a gift from Molly for their anniversary. It was a simple brown fedora with a red band around it. Arthur loved it because it made him feel like a Muggle detective. He often wore it when he went on his missions for the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office. He had collected many interesting objects over the years, such as plugs, batteries, and rubber ducks.
He hoped that his hat was still in his office, where he had left it yesterday. He hurried to his cubicle and searched through the piles of papers and gadgets on his desk. No sign of his hat. He asked his colleagues if they had seen it, but they all shook their heads or shrugged their shoulders.
Arthur felt a pang of sadness and frustration. Where could his hat be? He decided to retrace his steps from this morning and see if he could find it along the way.
He left the Ministry and walked to the bus stop where he usually waited for the Knight Bus. He scanned the pavement and the benches for any sign of his hat. Nothing.
He walked back to the Leaky Cauldron, where he had apparated from this morning. He asked Tom, the barman, if he had seen his hat lying around anywhere. Tom said no, but offered him a pint of butterbeer to cheer him up.
Arthur declined politely and thanked him for his help. He walked out of the pub and into Diagon Alley.
He wandered through the crowded street, looking at every shop window and every person's head for any glimpse of his hat.
He passed by Flourish and Blotts, where he saw Hermione browsing through some books on ancient runes.
He passed by Quality Quidditch Supplies, where he saw Ron drooling over a new broomstick model.
He passed by Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, where he saw Fred and George setting off some fireworks in front of their store.
He smiled at them briefly and waved hello as they shouted "Hi Dad!" in unison.
But he didn't stop to chat with them or anyone else. He was too focused on finding his hat.
He reached Gringotts Bank at the end of Diagon Alley and realized that he had searched everywhere without success.
He felt like giving up hope when suddenly he heard a familiar voice behind him say "Excuse me sir."
He turned around and saw Harry Potter standing there with a smile on his face.
"Harry!" Arthur exclaimed happily "What are you doing here?"
"I came to withdraw some money from my vault." Harry said "But I also have something for you."
Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out Arthur's hat!
"Here you go." Harry said handing him the hat "I found it this morning near your house."
Arthur took the hat from Harry's hand and felt a surge of joy
"Oh Harry! Thank you so much!" Arthur said hugging Harry tightly "You don't know how much this means to me!"
Harry hugged him back and said "You're welcome Mr Weasley."
Arthur put on his hat and felt its familiar warmth on his head
"It suits you sir." Harry said admiringly
"Thank you Harry." Arthur said gratefully "You've made my day!"
They chatted for a while about how things were going at Hogwarts
and then parted ways with a friendly goodbye
Arthur walked back to Diagon Alley feeling happier than ever
He decided to treat himself to some ice cream at Florean Fortescue's
and then visit Fred and George at their shop
and then go home early to surprise Molly with some flowers
and tell her how much he loved her
and how much he loved his hat
The narrative is a bit confusing. That being said, Rowling’s unique use of syntax and diction is mimicked quite well.
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