This is an excellent use case. It made learning German much easier. I write what I think is correct, then get a fixed version.
When writing in English though, I use it more like a dictionary. If you want to write past a certain level, an LLM works better as a metaphor and idiom search engine.
I also like to ask it to generate 20 ways to say the same thing. It’s a great way to simplify or smoothen sentences without losing your voice.
Interesting, are you being literal about requesting 20 ways of saying the same thing? It seems pretty excessive and I'm actually impressed that asking an LLM to rewrite a statement 20 times yields output that isn't excessively redundant. Does the LLM do a pretty good job reading your mind, or do you still find yourself manually piecing together pieces from the 20 suggestions into a satisfactory sentence?
Yep, I literally ask it to say it in 20 different ways. Sometimes a sentence structure or a combination of words will just work better. The goal is usually to simplify a sentence without losing meaning.
I don't expect the LLM to read my mind. The unit of work is too small for intent to matter, and I'll just steer the next recommendations in a direction as needed.
Most of the suggestions are crap, but they can contain the seeds of a good sentence.
As a writer, Claude’s metaphors are trite and obvious 90% of the time. It also has a terrible penchant for an immediately recognizable emphatic voice that makes even the best outputs super cringe. But people do not notice and do not care. In our bubble and John Gruber’s bubble we really overestimate how much people must care. Truth is, we’re in this predicament because statistically speaking the people who hive a fuck are a rounding error.
They really are. This is why I prefer the volume approach. I might not accept any of the ideas it spits out, but it often guides me in a direction I was not considering.
I know that most people don't care, but my online presence is a search query for interesting people, so I care about what I put into it.