Last year, I shared a pitch for a small story titled “The Christmas Fire: Aidan, Nicole, and Santa Claus” which is my attempt at writing a YA story around the theme of Christmas. Since then, I’ve taken small moments to flesh out the concept some more and even write out an outline. As you all know, when it comes to AI tools such as ChatGPT, they don’t really get the job done when it comes to creative writing. You can look at “Hunted Under the Light of the Moon” for an idea of what I mean.
In fact, what they tend to produce is childlike and infantile. So I figured, why not have ChatGPT write the opening chapter for “The Christmas Fire” for kicks and see what it produced. I decided to keep the details light, but enough for the gist of the story to be conveyed to the AI with the following prompt:
“Write a story about Aidan, a young boy who is angry and in pain at the loss of his father in a gang shootout and is alone on Christmas Eve because his mother is at work at a hospital, and Nicole, Santa Claus’s young daughter who is happy and cheerful and helps her father deliver presents on Christmas Eve, who meet for the first time in Aidan’s living room.”
The prompt was sloppily written, but done so to see how well the AI interprets what is being asked of it.
This was ChatGPT’s result:
“Aidan sat on his couch, staring blankly at the Christmas tree in front of him. It was Christmas Eve, and he was all alone in the house. His mother was working the night shift at the hospital, and he had no other family to spend the holiday with.
Tears welled up in his eyes as he thought about his father, who had been killed in a gang shootout just a few weeks before. He missed him terribly and couldn’t imagine how he was going to get through the holiday without him.
Suddenly, he heard a noise in the living room and sat up, alert. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw a young girl sitting on his couch.
“Who are you?” he asked, feeling a mix of curiosity and suspicion.
“I’m Nicole,” the girl replied with a warm smile. “I’m Santa Claus’s daughter and I’m here to spread some cheer on this special night.”
Aidan couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “Cheer? My dad is gone and my mom is at work. There’s no way I’m feeling cheerful right now.”
Nicole’s expression turned sympathetic. “I’m so sorry to hear about your father, Aidan. That must be so hard for you. But even though your dad is no longer with you, you can still find joy and happiness on Christmas. And I’m here to help you do that.”
Aidan was skeptical, but he couldn’t help but be intrigued by this mysterious girl. He decided to give her a chance.
As they spent the evening together, Aidan learned more about Nicole and her adventures with her father, delivering presents to children all around the world on Christmas Eve. She told him stories of magic and wonder, and even performed a few small magic tricks to prove that she was telling the truth.
Slowly but surely, Aidan began to open up to Nicole about his pain and grief. She listened attentively and offered words of comfort and encouragement. And as the night wore on, Aidan began to feel a sense of hope and happiness that he hadn’t felt in a long time.
When it was time for Nicole to return to the North Pole, she promised Aidan that she would come back to visit him again. And as he watched her go, Aidan knew that he had found a true friend in this magical young girl.
From that day on, Aidan knew that he could always count on Nicole to bring a little bit of magic and cheer into his life, no matter what challenges he faced. And as he looked up at the twinkling lights on the Christmas tree, he felt a sense of peace and joy that he never thought he would find again.”
As always, ChatGPT’s writing feels a little stiff, by-the-numbers, and minimalist in its storytelling. Just like I saw with “Hunted Under the Light of the Moon.” Though some of this could be rectified with differing prompts.
However, with Grok recently being made available to everyone, I took the same exact prompt to see what Grok would produce.
Grok’s version:
“In the quiet streets of a city where the snow gently fell, muffling the usual sounds of life, Christmas Eve was upon Aidan, a boy whose heart was as cold as the winter outside. The loss of his father in a gang shootout had left him with a void that the festive lights and the warmth of the season could not fill. His mother, working tirelessly at the hospital, left him alone in their modest home, where the silence was a stark reminder of his loneliness.
Aidan sat by the dying fire, his face a mask of anger and sorrow, his eyes fixed on the flickering flames that seemed to mock the idea of Christmas cheer. He had no interest in the wrapped presents under the tree or the cookies his mother left out for Santa, a tradition that now felt hollow.
Far from Aidan’s somber world, in the magical North Pole, Nicole, the young, vibrant daughter of Santa Claus, was brimming with excitement. Unlike the typical tales of Santa’s elves, Nicole was a real, living embodiment of joy. With rosy cheeks and a laugh that could light up the darkest corners, she accompanied her father on his annual journey, eager to spread happiness.
As Santa’s sleigh soared through the night sky, Nicole’s curiosity led her to peer over the side, her eyes catching the dim light from Aidan’s window. Sensing something amiss, she whispered to her father, who, understanding the unique magic of Christmas, allowed her to make a special stop.
When Nicole entered Aidan’s living room, it was as if a light had burst through the darkness. Her presence was like the first rays of dawn on a winter’s day. She found Aidan, his face turned away from the tree, lost in thought.
“Hello,” she said softly, her voice like the tinkling of bells. Aidan turned, his eyes meeting hers, which were full of a warmth he had forgotten existed.
“Who are you?” he asked, his voice rough with disuse.
“I’m Nicole, Santa’s daughter,” she replied with a smile that seemed to carry the spirit of Christmas itself.
Aidan’s skepticism was palpable, but Nicole’s genuine delight was disarming. She sat beside him, her eyes taking in the room, the unlit tree, and the untouched presents.
“I know it’s hard,” she said, her voice gentle. “Losing someone you love, especially at a time like this. But Christmas isn’t just about the presents or the lights, it’s about hope, about remembering love.”
Aidan listened, his anger slowly giving way to a pained curiosity. Nicole shared stories of children she met, each with their own sadness, but all finding a moment of joy through the magic of Christmas. She spoke of her own fears of not being good enough to help her father, yet finding strength in bringing joy to others.
Moved by her sincerity, Aidan began to share his story, his words stuttering at first but then flowing freely as he spoke of his father, his dreams, and his fears of being alone. Nicole listened, her heart aching for him, but she knew her role was to bring light to his darkness.
Together, they lit the tree, its lights casting a warm glow that seemed to thaw the frost around Aidan’s heart. They ate the cookies meant for Santa, laughing at the idea that Nicole was not just a myth but a real friend. For that night, Aidan wasn’t alone; he had someone who understood the magic wasn’t just in the gifts but in the connections formed, in the moments of shared humanity.
As dawn approached, Nicole had to leave, but not before promising Aidan that she’d return every Christmas, not with presents, but with friendship. Aidan watched the sleigh disappear into the breaking dawn, his heart lighter, his smile small but genuine, knowing that even in loss, there was love, and in every Christmas, a new chance for hope.”
I have to say, Grok’s version is far better than what ChatGPT produced. It feels more substantive and fleshed out. I also liked that it wrote the story from both of the character’s perspectives. It’s not how I have the first chapter outlined, but the result is noticeable and more enjoyable to read. Grok certainly fleshed out the story’s setting more and the interaction between Aidan and Nicole feels more genuine, though still a bit too infantile.
For my version, the story will be told mostly through Aidan’s perspective with Nicole’s shown sparsely and at key moments. My outline for the first chapter would also make it longer and with more dialogue than what Grok and ChatGPT have written. Some of the stark differences between my story and the AIs’ is that the living room is partially destroyed because Aidan smashes things in a fit of anger and he will take longer to warm up to Nicole, not to mention believing that she is Santa Claus’s daughter and not some weird eccentric girl who broke into his house.
I actually like the idea of my story since it provides a slightly different origin story for Santa Claus. But a very different story for Santa Claus’s wife and an interesting, Christian-like reason for how Nicole came to be.
So, considering that I asked the AI to write the story, I might have to post the rough draft for Chapter 1 of “The Christmas Fire” if people are interested in reading it.
What did you think of ChatGPT and Grok’s version of the story and which did you think was better?
Author’s Note:
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