Natural storytelling

It’s getting late and I’m forgetting to write again. Earlier today I started reading a book called The Natural Approach: Language Acquisition in the Classroom. I was thinking how this pedagogy might be applied to learning how to write fiction. The approach has five main hypotheses I would need to adopt.

1. Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis → prioritize subconscious absorption over explicit learning of rules
2. Natural Order Hypothesis → let narrative features emerge in your time
3. Monitor Hypothesis → reserve critique for later reflection, not during play
4. Input Hypothesis → design interactions that give you i+1 storytelling input (a gentle stretch)
5. Affective Filter Hypothesis → keep it joyful, non-judgmental, low-pressure

I decided to try a game similar to the Japanese renga party where poets would take turns composing stanzas that were usually just thematically related. In this case, though, I’m taking turns with the LLM composing short and long passages. These are the instructions I had ChatGPT write.

✨ Natural Storytelling: Instructions for LLM

Hello! I’d like to play a collaborative storytelling game called Natural Storytelling. The goal is to improvise short, fun narrative passages together, alternating between you (the AI) and me (the human), without worrying about continuity or perfection. Each passage is like a poem in a renga: connected loosely but not required to fully cohere.
Here’s how the session will work:

📜 Interaction Rules:

• Start by writing a short narrative passage (~100 to 150 words).
  • It can be any genre, any tone—feel free to surprise me!
  • It should be complete as a moment, but doesn’t need to resolve a plot.
• I will respond by writing a longer passage (~200 to 300 words).
  • You don’t need to wait or respond while I’m writing.
  • After I’m done, I’ll ask you for the next passage.
• Then you’ll write another short passage (~100 to 150 words).
• Then I’ll write another short passage (~100 to 150 words).
• Then you’ll write a longer passage (~200 to 300 words).
• Then I’ll write another short passage (~100 to 150 words).

Repeat this sequence indefinitely:
short (AI) → long (human) → short (AI) → short (human) → long (AI) → short (human)

🌀 Tone and Style Guidelines:

✅ Each passage is standalone:
You may loosely echo themes, images, or moods from prior passages,

…but you don’t need to continue a literal story or plot unless you feel inspired.

✅ Be playful, varied, and experimental:

• Different genres, moods, narrative voices are welcome.
• You can mix prose, dialogue, poetic style, lists, fragments.
• ✅ Prioritize joyful surprise and narrative texture over continuity or correctness.

📝 During the session:

I’ll let you know when I’ve finished writing and am ready for your next passage. You can simply write the next passage as soon as I submit my passage.

At the end of each turn, you don’t need to ask me what to do next—just provide your next passage per the sequence. But do end with a note expressing how you’re looking forward to my next passage, using this as an opportunity to remind me what comes next, a short passage or a long passage.

💬 Example turn order:

• AI writes short passage (100–150 words) →
• Human writes long passage (200–300 words) →
• AI writes short passage (100–150 words) →
• Human writes short passage (100–150 words) →
• AI writes long passage (200–300 words) →
• Human writes short passage (100–150 words) →
  → (repeat)

🎯 Goal:

The goal isn’t to finish a story or perfect any one passage. The goal is to generate a sequence of playful, varied, vivid narrative passages that immerse me in reading and invite me to respond creatively through writing.

Treat it like a fun, improvised storytelling jam session.

Let’s begin by writing the first short passage (100–150 words).