One night, a gremlin appeared in the village. The gremlin was a mischievous creature that loved to cause trouble and chaos. It was small, with pointy ears, sharp teeth, and a wicked grin. It started to play pranks on the goblins, like stealing their tools, painting their houses with bright colors, and leaving whoopee cushions on their chairs. The goblins tried to catch the gremlin, but it was too fast and elusive.

After a few nights, the gremlin took its pranks to a whole new level. It sneaked into the goblin's potion shop and switched the labels on all the bottles. The next morning, when the goblins went to make their morning tea, they accidentally drank potions that turned them into frogs, spiders, or worse, butterflies. Chaos erupted in the village, and the goblins panicked.

The goblin named Zag, who had a reputation for being a bit of a troublemaker herself, decided to take matters into her own hands. She went to confront the gremlin, determined to put an end to its pranks once and for all. However, things didn't go as planned. During their fight, the gremlin scratched Zag's eye, leaving her with only one eye. The other goblins saw Zag's injury and laughed at her, calling her "Cyclops" and making fun of her disability. Zag was embarrassed and felt like she had let her village down.

But Zag was not one to give up easily. She knew that she had to use her unique perspective to outsmart the gremlin. She started to observe the gremlin's patterns and found out that it liked to hide in dark places, like under rocks or behind bushes. She also noticed that the gremlin had a weakness for mushrooms, which it stole from the goblins' kitchens.

Using this knowledge, Zag came up with a plan. She went to the village chef and asked him to make a special stew with many mushrooms and a sleeping potion inside. She then went to the goblin blacksmith and asked him to make a special trap, which would collapse on the gremlin when it tried to take the stew.

The next day, Zag placed the meal in the middle of the village square and waited for the gremlin to come. Sure enough, the gremlin smelled the mushrooms and came out of hiding to take it. However, as soon as it took a bite, it fell asleep, and the trap collapsed on it, trapping it inside.

The goblins cheered as Zag emerged victorious. They realized that Zag's disability had not hindered her at all but had instead given her a new push that helped her save the village. They apologized for their earlier behavior and welcomed her back as a hero.

“Ya sorry, ok!” the goblin cackled. “No more callin' me Cyclops! Blink much better name, yeah?”

As for the gremlin, it learned its lesson and promised to never play pranks on the goblins again. Blink kept the gremlin as her pet, and together they went on many adventures, having fun and causing mischief. On other villages.

Every day, Finley would swim with the other fish and watch in frustration as they effortlessly blew bubbles from their gills. He tried and tried, but no matter how hard he tried, his attempts always ended in failure. This left Finley feeling like an outcast and like he would never fit in with the other fish.

One day, Bubbles decided to go on a journey to find out how to make bubbles. He swam and swam until he reached the coral reefs, where he met an old, wise octopus. "Excuse me, sir," Bubbles said. "I don't know how to make bubbles like all the other fish. Can you help me?"

The octopus listened carefully while scratching his head with three tentacles. Then he looked at Finley thoughtfully and said, "Finley, being good at bubbles is not what makes a fish special. What makes you special is your unique ability, the one that sets you apart from the rest." The octopus then went on to tell Finley a story about a fish who couldn't swim fast, but instead, had the ability to light up the ocean with a bright, shining glow. The other fish admired this fish for his unique talent, and he was never alone again.

Finley took the octopus' words to heart and decided to embrace who he was. He started looking for what made him special, but what he found was that he wasn't good enough at anything.

He tried swimming fast. He wasn’t the slowest fish, but there were a lot better than him. He knew the basics of navigating the ocean currents. But he got lost many times. Even about catching food... He was average at best. Finley thought and thought but he couldn’t find any special ability. He felt like he was good for nothing.

Then, as Finley was swimming, he started singing a sad song. Almost a lament flowing from his heart. It was a song unlike any other, filled with all the colours and sounds of the ocean. And something amazing happened.

As he sang, he didn't realize that he was unconsciously making the most beautiful bubbles. They were different shapes and sizes. And they even had different colours.

The other fish were amazed by the sight and gathered around Finley, listening to his beautiful voice and admiring the bubbles. From that day on, Finley was never alone again. The other fish loved him for his unique talent and welcomed him into their community. Finley learned that bubbles may come and go, but he had learnt a lesson that would last forever.

Mary was thrilled to finally have the chance to explore a haunted house, and the moment she went inside, she noticed a strange hourglass on the mantelpiece. It was filled with black sand and seemed to be counting down to something. At first, she thought it to be nothing more than a decorative piece, but as she explored the house, she began to hear strange noises. Whistling, coming from the hourglass. She dismissed it as her imagination but as the days passed, the whistling grew louder and more persistent, until she could no longer ignore it.

One night, as she lay in bed, she heard the whistling coming from the hallway outside her room. Curiously, she got up to investigate, but found nothing. Yet, the whistling persisted, growing louder and more insistent. It seemed to be coming from the hourglass on the mantelpiece. As she watched, the sand began to shift, forming the ghostly outline of a man. He was dressed in old fashioned clothes and had a melancholic expression on his face.

The ghost told her that he was trapped in the hourglass by an old witch. He was forced to whistle until someone was able to free him. Mary, in her eagerness to help, promised to do so. She searched the house and found the witch's spellbook, hidden in the attic. However, she realized that the spellbook was not complete, with dark stains and missing pages. She tried her best to find the missing pages, searching around the house, but her efforts were in vain.

She could not read the instructions, but she had found the incantation. In desperation, Mary read the spell. The hourglass made a breaking sound. The ghost was free and thanked her before disappearing. “Thank you for taking my place,” he said.

Mary, trapped in the hourglass, realized that the ghost had known about the consequences of breaking the curse all along.

Mary’s ghostly figure was now trapped inside the hourglass. It took hear a few months to accept her fate, and decide to haunt the house. She warned people about the dangers of trying to help ghosts, hoping that someone would learn from her mistake.

Years went by, and the house became known as a haunted house all over the country. People would come from far and wide, hoping to catch a glimpse of the ghost. And sometimes they did.

At night, when the wind is blowing and the house is silent, one can hear a faint whistling coming from the hourglass. Then you can see Mary’s ghostly figure trapped inside the hourglass, still on the mantelpiece. She’s trying to find a way out. But she doesn’t want another soul to take her place. She wants to break the curse. Knowing that the price of her curiosity and desire to help was eternal captivity, she remains inside the hourglass, a cautionary tale of the dangers of trying to help the dead.

When he arrived in Taos, New Mexico, he was shocked to learn that the government had already found the source of the Hum. It was hidden beneath the Earth’s surface in an abandoned alien research lab. Antony felt a thrill of excitement at the thought of being the first to explore such a discovery. He quickly set up camp in the lab and began to explore the depths of the facility.

Days passed as Antony dug deeper into the alien lab, uncovering strange and advanced technology that he couldn't even begin to understand. He took detailed notes and photographs, trying to make sense of it all. But as he delved further into the lab, he found something that reminded him of Dr. Emma James, an archaeologist he had worked with before. A shard of pottery, intricately decorated and unlike anything he had ever seen before. It was her specialty and it made him think of her often, and he realized he needed her help.

He called her, and she agreed to come out to Taos to assist him in the investigation. Emma was a renowned archaeologist and Antony knew her expertise would be invaluable in understanding the alien technology.

When she arrived, she was shocked at the discovery. The technology was far beyond anything humanity had ever created, and it was obvious that its power source was an unknown and highly advanced form of alien technology. They spent weeks studying the Hum and trying to understand its connection to the lab.

As they explored the depths of the lab together, Emma's eyes widened in amazement at the technology they were discovering. Antony watched her in wonder, seeing the excitement and passion in her eyes that mirrored his own.

It became clear that the sound was being emitted by the alien technology, but they were still at a loss as to its purpose. One day, as they explored the depths of the lab, they stumbled upon a strange crystal that seemed to be emanating energy. They studied it and its patterns, but it wasn’t until they heard a strange voice speaking to them that they realized what it was: an intelligent form of artificial intelligence.

Somehow, his hand was opening the envelope to take a peek inside. It almost felt like someone else was moving his hand. As he opened it, he found a glossy printed invitation wishing him well at the art retreat. “It’s time for a change and a fresh start,” the card read. He choked.

John took a deep breath and called his wife, telling her about the retreat with a trembling voice. She listened in silence understanding everything. She knew the text in the card was a sentence that John’s father used to say verbatim. John wasn’t going to say it openly, but they both knew what it meant.

After a few moments, she spoke. “This could be a great opportunity for you to make a change and break out of that cycle you’ve been in,” she said with an encouraging tone. “Listen to your heart, honey. Don’t be afraid to explore something new.”

John hung up the phone and stared at the invitation card. Perhaps this was his chance to break away from the stagnation of his life and find the courage to take the first step into an unknown future. Slowly, he nodded his head and made up his mind.

A few days later, John stepped off the train into a small and quaint town nestled in the countryside. His heart was beating fast as he made his way to the art retreat, a mixture of anxiety and curiosity filling his chest. When he arrived, he was met by an elderly woman in a long berry-red dress who greeted him with a warm smile. “Welcome to our art retreat. My name is Mrs. Lusco and I’m the Head Instructor. What brings you here?”

John told her about his invitation and his desire to break out of his comfort zone and explore something new. Mrs. Lusco smiled and gave him a knowing nod before bringing him to the central hall where the other participants were gathered. John quickly noticed the excited chatter and semi-nervous shuffling in the room as the group exchanged stories and introductions. It didn’t take long for him to start connecting with other people, some of whom shared similar struggles and reminded him of why he had decided to attend the retreat.

Soon enough, it was time for the first class. John hadn’t touched a brush in years but, strangely, he felt calm as he picked up his tools and started painting. He noticed his hands shaking, but there was a feeling of hope bubbling to the surface. For the first time in a long time, he felt something that he thought was lost forever—joy.

John settled into his daily routine at the art retreat with ease. He attended classes that allowed him to expand his creativity and explore his passion for art. He was surprised by how natural it felt—something he thought he had lost long ago along with his father. One of the classes was taught by a renowned artist, who lectured the group about taking risks in life. He talked about the beauty of embracing and exploring the unknown, and pushing through the boundaries of one’s comfort zone and safe spaces. The group was mesmerized by his words and the fiery passion of his speech. John felt the need to take these words to heart and to no longer be afraid. He had been stuck in a rut for so long that he was beginning to lose hope. He listened intently to the speaker and, as the words sunk in, he felt a strange transformation—while his chest was still heavy, a subtle shift had taken place within. He felt a strange sense of courage and hope as he embraced these new changes and felt ready to take his first step into the unknown.

John had been at the art retreat for what felt like an eternity, but he was savoring every single moment in the countryside. In a short time, he had found a new lease on life and a newfound passion for art. He had been given the tools to break out of his comfort zone and explore something new, and he had embraced it. Although he was completing his self-exploration, he knew that it was time to return home soon, and the thought of leaving filled him with a strange sense of dread.

He had been in a slump ever since his father’s death some years ago and had needed a change of environment and perspective to break out of his stagnation. He had found it and more at the retreat, and it was hard to believe that it was coming to an end. John decided to take one last look at the beautiful views of the countryside that he had grown so fond of. He breathed in the fresh mountain air and let out a content sigh, already feeling a heavy sense of nostalgia. He also felt inspired to take his newfound courage home with him and make something of it.

On his last night at the retreat, John had a heart-to-heart talk with Mrs. Lusco. During the conversation, she asked him what he would miss most. John thought for a moment, and eventually spoke with a choking voice. “I would miss the feeling of finding home again. I feel like I hadn't found a place to belong ever since my dad passed away, but here I was able to access parts of myself that even he hadn't known existed.”

Mrs. Lusco gave him a knowing smile, softly placing her hand on his shoulder and saying again the words from the envelope: “It’s time for a change and a fresh start.” He felt a shudder, because she touched it in the same way his father used to do it while saying the same words he used to say. He felt as if Mrs. Lusco was actually his father.

When John arrived at his home, he was welcomed with hugs from his wife, who immediately noticed something had changed in him. John shared his newfound joy and courage, and the two stayed up late into the night talking about how their lives would be from now on. John was invigorated by the possibilities that lay ahead, and together he and his wife set about creating a life of new beginnings—full of sacrifice and hard work, but also love, strength, and passion. With the rolling hills of the countryside echoing in the background, the two found happiness and hope as they embraced their future together. Taking a deep breath, John hung a photo of his late father and said: "It's time for something new".

This article is just a list to be updated with every week’s short story, and maybe some comments.

• Week 1: “A Fresh Start”

  • Brainstormed ideas about “beginnings” with AI. Picked one and made the AI write it. I gave comments a few times to change things I didn’t like. Made some final human touches to the latest version.

• Week 2: “Voices from Beyond”

  • Asked for a list of real mysteries and then to add it a sci-fi touch. I had to work hard until the AI followed the “show, don’t tell rule”. Also, it’s bad at counting words.

• Week 3: "Echoes of the Hourglass"

  • Tried to follow the Save the Cat structure. It didn’t work well. The AI repeated a lot of stuff. One paragraph didn’t follow the previous one. I had to tweak some things in the end manually to make it coherent.

• Week 4: Full of Emptiness

  • It was a busy week and I didn’t have much time for this. I decided to create a micro-story. Surprisingly, it was easier than a short story.

• Week 5:

It was a summer camp. We were a group of approximately 30 teenagers walking the minimum distance to get the Compostela (100km) in 14 days. I was overweight and naive. And that took a toll on me.

I had a blister on my foot after the first day. 11 blisters after the 8th. They offered me to go by car on the 9th day but it was a short one. We were only walking 8km. So I decided to go with them.

But we got lost.

We’ll never know for sure, but our best guess is that we walked around 30km. To this day, it’s one of the most painful experiences of my life. And one of the ones I remember most fondly.

I overloaded my knee. And every time we asked for directions, they said só 4 km, todo recto (only 4km, all straight). I heard it was only 4km at least three times.

I do remember a straight road. One of which I did not see the end. I remember I wanted to give up, but there was no way of giving up. The only way to get to the village was by foot.

Then a friend came close and took my sleeping bag out of my backpack. Another one took my water bottle. Another, a t-shirt. 3 minutes later, I still had a few blisters and an overloaded knee, but I felt like I was floating.

Once we got to the village, we counted. I had fewer blisters than when the day began. Some of them had fused with the closest ones. The number didn’t matter any more, I wasn’t walking the next day. I skipped a couple of stages and I didn’t walk again until the last day. I did walk from Monte do Gozo to the Cathedral. We were singing all the way down. We were so happy. Me too.

I didn’t walk 100km. I failed. And that’s so unimportant.

So today I’m making a plan doomed to fail.

I know AI is here to stay. I know the best time to learn AI was last year. The second best time is now. So I’m challenging myself: I’m going to write 52 short stories with the help of AI in 2023, one per week.

I have a few BIG life events coming this year too, so I know I’m gonna fail. But I don’t care. I’m doing the challenge anyway. Knowing that I won’t be able to win is not a good enough reason for not trying. I don’t want to miss the lessons from the journey.

And of course, I’m doing this in public. I’ll publish every story here on Mirror. Beware, time is limited for each one and I’m relying on AI to do most of the work. So don’t expect to read 52 amazing stories. I hope at least 1 or 2 are good though.

My goal with this is becoming an AI prompt wizard.

I challenge you to join me. I’ll be sharing it on Twitter with #52WeeksofAIWriting. Let’s fail (and learn) together.

Requirements:

• Write a short story using AI every week (you can intervene as much or as less as you want to)

• Recognize your failures

• Learn something along the way

• Share on Twitter with #52WeeksofAIWriting so I can see you

P.S.: Since the fusing blisters, I’ve walked to Santiago de Compostela 3 times. More than 100km. No car.